New, improved Kabbalah Series			BS''D
Chapter 10 - Part 9	Previous	Close Window	Next

The Bold Print is the original translation, plain print is explanation and annotation

This series is a continuation and should be read in order. If you are not familiar with previous posts you may have trouble understanding later ones.

And now Chapter 10.09

(It is also worthy to note that before, in the analogy of the attributes of the soul the Mittler Rebbe was discussing how the soul level of Yechidah (the highest of the soul levels, representing the inner self and essence of the soul as is one with G-dliness) comes into expression within the lower soul levels in the form of its ten attributes. While as now the Mittler Rebbe will discussing how the life force, which emanates from the lowest soul level, called Nefesh (the level of the soul that actually descends into and is attached to the body, enlivening it) comes into actual expression within the physical body. Both of these represent a leap from the infinite to the finite, the spiritual distance between the highest soul level of Yechidah and the lower four levels being even greater than the jump from the spiritual soul to the physical body, for it goes from being one with the infinite being of G-d to being a finite created being.)

The Mittler Rebbe will now proceed to explain this analogy.

This aspect of the Heyuli that the particulars that come out from it are completely one with its essence and have no individual existence can better be understood as being similar to the analogy of the power of movement of a living being like an animal - that, before one moves, this power was completely and totally included within the essence of the soul’s life force, so that it is not separate from the essence of the life force at all. This is so despite the fact that when the power of movement is revealed, moving a specific thing, it divides into many particular and different types of movement. For there are different muscle types, each specialized for specific types of tasks and similarly there are different types of joints that allow one to move in different ways. The knees, and upper finger joints are what are called hinge joints and can only move up and down. The shoulders, and thighs are ball and socket joints and can move in all directions. The wrists and neck are pivot joints and can also move in all direction, though to a lesser degree than ball and socket joint. Each of these joints as well as all of the immovable joints and bones are joined together with a complex system of ligaments and then to the muscles with tendons. This all comes together to allow our body a tremendous field of motion. Even seemingly simple movements like walking, swallowing, or even smiling require a great amount of coordination between tens of muscles. All in all there are an infinite number of movements that a person could make and everyone makes millions of them throughout their life. All of these movements are included within the potential of a person’s ability of movement. Yet it is impossible to say that all of the specific types of movements were included and united within the power of movement when the power of movement was included within the essence of the soul’s life force, being that at that point the power of movement was not within the realm or level of movements at all; not in a general way and certainly not in a specific way, etc.

The proof for this being that a person must learn how to perform each specific movement. Like for example an acrobat that learns how to do all kinds of flips, and jumps. This ability comes specifically with much practice in order to learn exactly how to coordinate all of the specific muscles involved, exactly how hard each one has to pull and exactly how to time each muscles contraction so as to produce the desired affect. The same applies to seemingly simple everyday movements, like walking, swallowing or even smiling. For even though in a way these are a natural reflex of the body, programmed into the DNA, as we see that even an infant if held up in a standing position will move his feet as if in an attempt to walk. Yet, in truth, the child lacks more than just the strength necessary for such a feat, but also the coordination. This is apparent from the fact that stroke patients sometimes need to relearn how to perform these seemingly simple everyday functions, and this takes considerable time and effort at that. The reason for this is because the soul itself, before it descends within the body is completely removed from all physical things and bears no relationship to physical movements or even physical space. The fact that it has the power of movement is only the power of having conscious control over ones body. Therefore, being that the body is constructed as it is there are some movements that it has the potential to make and some that it does not. All of this, however, is a function of the body’s limitations. So that it is understood that the ability to walk and the ability to pick up or throw an object and really essentially the same. This is also understood physically that there really is no difference between the contraction of one muscle and the other except for their positioning within the body. The contraction of each of the muscles is triggered by an electrical pulse from a local nerve and when this pulse stops the muscle relaxes again. Therefore, even so far as the brain is concerned there is no real difference in its ability to move a finger and its ability to move a leg and not only is this true about specific movements, but also general ones; so that there is no real difference, for example, between moving an arm up or moving it down, except in which muscles are being moved at which times. However, so far as the actual ability of the soul to control them through the nervous system, is really the same.

Before, when explaining the analogy of the soul’s ten attributes the Mittler Rebbe first showed how all of the specifics within each of the ten are included within them in the way of a Heyuli and then added that so too the ten attributes themselves are also included within the soul in a way of a Heyuli. So too now that the Mittler Rebbe has explained how all of the specific movements are completely included as one within the essence of the power of movement in the way of an essential Heyuli, he will now proceed to explain how that compared to the soul’s essential life force all of the soul’s physical powers are only like specifics that are all part of its Heyuli.

The same is true with the extending of the soul’s life force to enliven the entire body while this life force was still completely included within the essence of the spirit of life. For, even though in revelation this life force divides into many particular different life forces, like for example, seeing and hearing in the eye and the ear respectively, and other similar specific life forces. For, surely even before these specific life forces came to actual materialization within the eye and the ear. The soul included within itself the spiritual vitality of seeing for the eye individually and the spiritual vitality of hearing with the ear individually. Yet still, before the soul came to the state of extending vitality, even though these life forces were included within it, yet, this is like the inclusion of the power of movement within the essence of the soul’s life force, as was mentioned previously.

Close Window

The material in this series is copyrighted by Rabbi Yossi Markel

New, improved Kabbalah Series

Chapter 10 - Part 9