17/02/2017 LevelsofSoulConsciousnessFirstSteps

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LevelsofSoul Thedivinesoulinvolvesfiveascendinglevelsof
consciousness
Consciousness
ByMosheMiller

Thedivinesoulinvolvesfiveascendinglevelsofconsciousness

ThedivinesoulisanindivisibleessenceinseparablyboundtoGd,astheversestates,"ForpartofGdis
HisPeople"(Deut.32:9)andasRabbiShimonbarYochaistatesabouthimself:"MysoulisonewithHim,as
oneflame,cleavingtoHim".Nevertheless,asitemanatesfromtheInfiniteOnetheEinSofeventuallyto
beclothedinthephysicalbody,thesouldescendsviathefiveworldsmentionedabove,leavingarootin
eachoftheworlds,untilitisclothedinaphysicalbody.Thustherearefivelevelsofthesoul,orlevelsof
Gdconsciousness,correspondingtothevariousplanesofreality,orlevelsofdivine
revelation/concealmentmanifestedineachoftheworlds.

ThesoulenclothedwithinthebodyisareflectionoftheDivineForm,calledthetzelem,ortzelemElokim.
ThistzelemElokimmaybedescribedasthespiritualmoldofman'sphysicalform,linkinghisbodyandsoul.
Thismoldisderivedfromtheconfigurationofthesefirot,whichstructuretheworldsthroughwhichthesoul
descendsonitsjourneydownintothebody.
manincludesallof
Atthesametimethatthesoul'souterdimensionreflectsthe Creationwithinhim
configurationofthesefirot,theinnerdimensionofthesoulreflectsthe
InfiniteLight,whichilluminatesthesefirot.ThisreflectioniscalledthedemutElokim(theimageofGd).Thus
manincludesallofCreationwithinhim,fromtheloftiestspiritualitytothemostmundanephysicality.

Viewedfromthepointofviewofman'sservicetoGd,theselevelsofsoulmaybedescribedasfive
ascendinglevelsofawarenessof,andcommunionwith,Gd.Theyarecalled(inascendingorder)Nefesh,
Ruach,Neshama,Chayaandyechida.Regardingtheselevelsofsoul,theZoharstatesthatwhenaperson
isborn,heisgivenaNefeshfromtheworldofAsiya,thelowestworld,representingthegreatest
concealmentofGd.If,throughhisdivineserviceandproperaction,hemakeshimselfworthy,heisthen
givenRuachontheplaneofYetzira.Withgreatereffort,hecanearntherevelationofNeshama,paralleling
theworldofBeriya.Ifhepurifieshimselfgreatly,hemaybeabletoattainthelevelofChayaparalleling
Atzilut,andevenyechidatheGdconsciousnessofthelevelofAdamKadmonandbeyond.("Beyond,"
becausethelevelofsoulcalledyechidainessencetranscendsalltheworlds,sinceitisneverseparated
fromGd.Itisdescribedasbeing"trulypartofGdabove,"andas"asparkoftheCreatorenclothedwithina
sparkofthecreated").

Nefesh
Nefeshisawarenessof
thephysicalbodyand
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Nefesh,thelowestlevelofconsciousness,isawarenessofthe thephysicalworld
physicalbodyandthephysicalworld,theworldofAsiyatheworld
ofAction.However,thisawarenessofthephysicalbodyisnotawarenessinapassivesenseitismerely
anobservationofthefacts.Onthecontrary,theNefeshisinfactthelifeforceofthebody,anditisprecisely
becauseitisthelifeforceofthebodythattheNefeshhasanawarenessofthebody.Thisphysical
awarenessisaresultoftheenmeshingoftheNefeshwiththebody.Now,althoughtheNefeshisthelife
forceofthebody,thisdoesnotmeanthattheNefeshcreatesthebody.Thebodywasandiscreatedby
Gd,justlikeeverythingelse.AfterGdcreatedAdam'sbody"fromthedustoftheearth",HeblewintoAdam
thebreathoflife(seeBereishit2:7).ThisistheNefeshthelifeforcethatwasblownintothebody.

Itisthispartofthepersonwhichdiesandgoestothegravewiththebody.JustasintheworldofAsiyah,
malchutisthedominantsefirasotoointheNefesh,whichcorrespondstotheworldofAsiya,theattribute
ofmalchutactionisthedominantcharacteristicofthesoul.

ThedivineserviceassociatedwiththelevelofNefeshisacknowledgmentof,andsubmissionto,the
supremeauthorityofGd,particularlyinreferencetothefulfillmentofthecommandments.Itistherefore
called"acceptingtheyokeofHeaven"kabbalatolmalchutshamayim.

Ruach
Theprimary
Ruachisthenextlevelofsoulahigherplaneofconsciousness manifestationofRuachis
thantherankofNefesh.Theworld(i.e.levelofrevelationof intheemotions...
Gdliness)correspondingtoRuachistheworldofYetzira.The
primarymanifestationofRuachisintheemotions,justastheprimaryactivityofthesixsefirotofZeirAnpin
(fromchesedtoyesod)isintheworldofYetzira.IntermsofDivineservicethisentailsarousingthe
complementaryemotionsofloveandaweofGd.

LoveandaweofGdarearousedbycontemplatingthedivineenergywhichformsandmaintainstheworld
ofYetzira,andbyobservingthetremendousselfnullificationoftheangelicbeingswhichinhabitit.Although
theintellectmaybeusedextensivelyonthislevelofsoul,nevertheless,theprimaryfocusoftheintellect
hereiscontemplationinordertoarousetheemotions.TheTalmudicsagesthereforerefertoitas"thetoilof
theheart",throughwhichonecomestoloveGdwithallone'sheart.Nevertheless,thisisalowerlevelof
love,sinceitisgeneratedbycontemplatinglowerlevelsofGd'screativeenergy.

Neshama
Neshamaseeksto
TheprimaryactivityoftheNeshamaisintheconceptualgraspofthe piercethroughtothe
intellect,astheversestates,"andthesoul(nishmat)fromthe essentialratherthanthe
Almightygivesthemunderstanding"(Job32:8).Thelevelof ephemeral
NeshamacontemplatesthemanifestationofDivineenergyinthe
worldofBeriya.JustasintheworldofBeriya,theprimarysefiraisbina,sotoointhesoultheprimary

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activityisunderstanding.UnliketheworldofYetzira,theworldofformandrelationship,theworldofBeriyais
nascentdivineenergy.Itisthenotionofcomingintobeingfromnothingness,ratherthanstructured,
quantifiedexistence.ThusoneoftheprimarymeditationsoftheNeshamaistheconceptofcontinuous
creation(thecomingintobeing)andsustenanceoflifeandexistence.

Neshamaanalyzesunderlyingprinciplesabstractedfromthecategoriesofthoughtimposeduponthemby
thehumanmindandhumanexperience.Itseekstopiercethroughtotheessentialratherthanthe
ephemeral.Oneofthesignsthatapersonisonthislevelofconsciousnessisthatwhenthemindisclearly
focusedonanappropriateDivineconcept,allofthesensesbecometemporarilynullified.Subsequently,due
totheabundanceofspirituallightoneexperiencesatthislevel,theemotionsofloveandaweare
automaticallyarousedandtoamuchgreaterextentthaninthepreviouslevel,whereeffortwasexpended
inarousingtheemotions.ThisisreferredtoinKabbalaas"theraptureoftheheart"(re'utad'liba,seeZohar
2,93b).HerethehearttrulydesiresGdliness,andloveisrevealedinitsfullnessintheheart.Thisis
referredtointheverseaslovingGd"withallofyoursoul".Thismaythereforebedescribedascommunion
withGdastheCreatoroftheworlds.

Chaya
Thesoulmergesintoa
TheaspectofthesoulcalledChayagazesupontheDivineenergyof stateofcomplete
theworldofAtzilut.Whereastheprimaryactivityofthelevelof nullificationoftheego
Neshamaistouseintellectualcomprehensioninordertocometo knowledgeofthe
communionwithGdastheCreatoroftheworlds,thelevelofChaya absolutetruthofthings
communeswithGdasHetranscendstheworlds.Herethesoul's
knowledgeisnotintheimmanenceofDivineattributeswhichidentifythenatureoftheDivineenergy
manifestedinCreation,butratherwithknowingwhatGdisnoti.e.howHeisnotlimitedordefinedbythe
finiteuniverse.Thusthesoulmergesintoastateofcompletenullificationoftheego.Thereisnoselfseeking
andnoselfidentityoutsideofGd.ChayaiscalledlovingGd"withallone'sbeing"(Deut.6:5).Thisis
knowledgeoftheabsolutetruthofthings.

Yechida

YechidacorrespondstothelevelofsoulcalledAdamKadmon.Justasthesublime,pureandtranscendent
worldofAdamKadmon,cleavestoandreflectstheoriginalInfiniteLight(OhrEinSof),sotoodoesthelevel
ofyechida.ThisistheessenceofthesoulwhichisnaturallyandimmutableboundtotheHolyOne.Rabbi
ShimonbarYochaideclared,"Throughoutthedaysofmyconnectiontothisworld,IwasboundtotheHoly
OneBlessedBeHewithasingleknotatonewithHim"thisisthelevelofsoulrevealedatthemomentof
selfsacrificeormartyrdomforthesakeofGd,HisTorah,orHispeople.

ThenextarticleintheKabbalahforBeginnerstutorialisthefirstarticleinourseriesontheWorlds:Oneness
andtheInfinite.

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ClickheretofindoutwhattheKabbalahforBeginnersTutorialisallabout.

BYMOSHEMILLER

RabbiMosheMillerwasborninSouthAfricaandreceivedhisyeshivaheducationinIsraeland
America.Heisaprolificauthorandtranslator,withsometwentybookstohisnameonawide
varietyoftopics,includinganauthoritative,annotatedtranslationoftheZohar.Hehasdeveloped
acoachingtypeapproachtodealingwithlife'sissuesbasedonChassidismandKabbalaha
toolfordealingwithnormalissuesthateveryonefacesaswellasissuespsychologistsusually
address,oftenineffectively.HealsogivesfreeliveclassesovertheInternet.

TheZoharisabasicworkofKabbalahauthoredbyRabbiShimonbarYochaiandhisstudents
(2ndcenturyCE).EnglishtranslationofannotatedselectionsbyRabbiMosheMiller
(Morristown,N.J.:FiftiethGatePublications,2000)includesadetailedintroductioncoveringthe
historyandbasicconceptsofKabbalah.Volume1(36pp.)coversthefirsthalfofthefirstofthe
originalsthreevolumes.Itisavailableonlinefromourstore,KabbalaOnlineShop.

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