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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 10.10
Just like the power of movement, as it is included within the soul’s essential life force, includes within itself all of the specific movements that it can perform in a complete Heyuli fashion, so too, in general, the vitality for all of the body’s various physical powers are also included within the essence of the soul in a complete Heyuli fashion. It is understood that with all of the various physical perceptions like seeing and hearing, it is not the body that sees, but the soul. The proof of this is that a dead person can’t see or hear and also that a person who loses his sight will give birth to a child who has sight etc. Only, being that the soul is removed from physical things, it therefore can only come to have physical sight and hearing with the body’s aid. It is also understood that the soul’s ability to see and hear is in the way of an essential Heyuli, just like the power of movement, for there is no limit to how much a person can see and hear (unless of course the physical eye or ear is damaged). It is also understood that these abilities are not composed of specific or even general sights or sounds, and therefore there is no such thing as the soul lacking the ability to see or hear a specific thing. Even though people can be color blind, or have trouble hearing certain pitches, these are all as a result of physical defects, but if they would have some type of aid, like special glasses or a hearing aid, then they would be able to see or hear just like anyone else.
In addition each of these abilities is a distinct ability, even as it is with the soul; for it is understood that the sensation of seeing is essentially different from the sensation of hearing. Yet, before the soul comes into the body they did not yet have a distinct existence, but rather, they where included within the potential of the soul’s Heyuli. The proof for this being that if a person is born blind (G-d forbid) even though they can hear fine, or even better than a normal person, yet they can not see at all and they can not even picture something within their mind or in a dream. Yet, if they are healed of their blindness, they will be able to see. From this it is understood that the ability of sight does not have any distinct existence as it is within the soul, or else even if one was physically blind they would be able to see within their soul. In actuality, however, a person can not begin to see within their soul until they begin to see with their eye. This is because, the soul’s essential ability of perception and sensation is completely simple and devoid of form, therefore the soul can not see or hear until it is enclothed within the body; for as with every Heyuli, it must be "hit" into actual revelation.
The same is true with all of the soul’s other abilities, such as a talent. For example, Mozart displayed an amazing talent for music even as a young child, but were all of the songs that he would compose included within that talent? In a way they must have been, for specifically he was able to compose the songs being that he possessed this talent, each song being merely an expression of his talent. On the other hand if we were to say that all of the songs that he would compose were are already there, then why couldn’t he write them all out right away? It is therefore, understood that the specific songs that he composed did not yet exist as individual songs as they were included within the talent of music and therefore, the talent had to be developed; requiring great effort to bring a particular song out of the Heyuli potential, as if it had to be "hit" out. On the other hand the Heyuli can not be compared to a homogeneous matter, such as a lump of clay, that is merely formed into various shapes. For, everything that comes out of it is a unique expression of an aspect of the Heyuli itself. As is understood with musical talent, or any other art, that the work of art actually expresses a particular aspect of the artist's character and a unique part of his very essence is found within it. This is what makes each artist and each work of art unique, for each has its own life to it, a completely unique expression of the artist's talent.
From all of these examples it is understood how each of the specific life forces and powers of the soul are included within its essence - they are completely inseparable from it and do not possess any type of divisions what so ever.
There’s a phrase that was coined by one of my students - "Dead dogs don’t bark" - this shows that the bark comes from the life force or animal spirit of the dog rather than from the body, yet, it is obvious that there is no actual bark in the animal spirit. This is so obvious it is understood even by vultures who realize that a lack of movement in an animal shows that the spirit of life is no longer there.
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The material in this series is copyrighted by Rabbi Yossi Markel