January 13, 2010

• The Body Can Complement The Soul

  A superficial view of body and soul and their relationship to each other would lead one to view them as eternal opponents.  Yet, once one delves deeper one can see how the body can help the cause of the soul. 

  The Body Clothes the Divine Soul Most of this segment (The body as clothing) is from the Stutchiner Rebbe not Rav Wolfson.  C.f. Mishbetzos Zahav,Shavuos (5751), page 194

             The inner wisdom of Torah teaches that the relationship between the physical body and the Divine soul is like that of a garment.  The body is the clothes of the soul.  In mystical terminology Oros, lights, is the term for soul-like forces while Keilim, clothes or vessels, is the term for body-like entities.  To describe the soul and other spiritual entities and mystics use the term light.   This is because light is one of the least physical of items in our material world, it cannot be grasped and held, thus it represent the spiritual non-tangible entities.  Light also provides a clear field of vision, and is a universal symbol of purity.  Furthermore, it spreads out quickly just as spirituality causes a person to spread himself out and do acts that bring honor to God.  Additionally, light was the first creation and thus it represents the source of existence.  Rabbi  Yechiel Bar Lev suggested that light represents an extremely strong degree of connection to root.  If you cut a branch off a tree the branch will no longer grow but it will not disappear, it continues to exist.  However, if you sunder a ray of light from its root, say shuttering a window, thus separating the rays from the sun, the room will become dark because light detached from its root ceases to exist.  Light represents the spiritual dimension since we must be totally connected to the root and if we are not connected to the Divine we cannot exist.  C.f. Yedid Nefesh pages 35-36

  Consider a lamp in your living room as an example of Oros and Keilim.  Light in the elemental form is soul-like, it is the Or.  Essential light is clothed in the Keli (vessel) of the light bulb.  Light itself; pure, absolute, and unlimited in any way would be so bright that no one would benefit from it.  In a light bulb, light is restrained so that it can be appreciated. This is the function of all Keilim.  They limit the Oros to enable enjoyment.  

  The light bulb is an Or, a soul-like light, relative to the lamp shade, its Keli, its vessel.  The light bulb on its own would be too bright for anyone to benefit, the shade around it reduces the glare so that its rays are soft and helpful.  Body is light to clothes as its vessel.  The clothes conceal the body so that it is not seen in its naturalness. 

  The soul is light to the body as vessel.  The soul on its own is like pure unlimited light.  It is overwhelming.  Just as a light fixture limits absolute radiance and cloaks it in a manageable form, the body obscures the light of the soul. Body as vessel to soul as light seems to mean that the two are opposing forces since concealing is the opposite of revealing.Another pair of terms that describe this relationship is chomer and tzurah.  Chomer  literally means matter and it is body-like or vessel-like.  Tzurah literally means form and it is the soul or light to matter Within man the soul is the tzurah and the body is the chomer.  C.f. Yedid Nefesh part 1 chapter 5.At the Creation, the body of Adam was just that.  It was an ethereal, luminescent structure which revealed the spiritual content.” (Living Inspired page 118) “The garments of the world, the covering of Adam before he sinned were of Or “light.”  After the sin, the covering became skin.  The root Or has the silent aleph, it is light, spiritual, all revelation.  The root (for the Hebrew word for skin) spells not only skin but blind too – the covering which revealed has become a covering which obstructs.” (Living Inspired page 120)  When one purifies his body he is, in some measure, returning to the state of Adam before the sin.

    The soul is the source of life, it is what gives life. The body receives life from the soul.  The body is a receiver to soul as a giver.  Here again, body and soul are opposites for taking is the opposite of giving, just as dimming is the opposite of illuminating.  A deeper look will reveal that the definition of body and soul as light and vessel is the reason why study of the body can teach about the soul.

    We can delve deeper.  A vessel need not always dim the light.  Sometimes the vessel becomes pure and radiant.  Then, the vessel itself becomes light-like.   For instance, a lampshade can become translucent so that the light bulb shines through it without being dimmed at all.  In such cases the lampshade is indistinguishable from the bulb and one might say that the lampshade produces light for it loses its identity to the light bulb.  The body is the vessel of the soul, yet once the body is purified it will not oppose the soul nor will it hide the soul. “The body should reflect the neshama perfectly, (it) should serve the soul in perfect loyalty.  Never should the body stray after its own desires.  It should be a vessel, a tool which obeys its control dimension totally selflessly.  It should be like a vehicle driven only from within, its very existence justified only as a loyal servant.

  Even prior to the absolute purification of the body, the body can help you grow spiritually. Every Keli (vessel) can become an Or (a light), and the ability to become a light is constantly latent within it.  Thus a study of the vessel that discovers its latent abilities will teach about the light’s characteristics. The body clothes the soul. “Clothes hide but also reveal – although the wearer is hidden by his clothes, his dignity is revealed by his clothes.  Royal robes cover the king, but they reveal his royalty. (‘Oteh or ka’salma’ –‘ God wears light like a garment’; nature hides God, but accurately reveals His presence!)” (Living Inspired page 120)  Thus the body obscures the soul and reveals the soul.

  Lessons of the Body

  What is the body’s strongest impulse?  I would argue that it is lust.  Lust is a mask of a Heavenly and soulful force, Chessed, the desire to spread out and connect with others. In Leviticus 20:17 it is written, “Viish asher yikach es achoso bos aviv oh vas imo viraah es ervasah vihi sireh es ervaso chessed hu vinichrasu lieiney bney amam ervas achoso gilah avono yisah” “ A man who marries his sister, daughter of his father, or daughter of his mother, and he saw her nakedness and she saw his, it is chessed, and they will be cut off before their nation, he revealed his sister’s nakedness he must bear his sin.” (emphasis added)  The Baal Shem Tov explained that the verse included the word chessed, to teach that lowly lustful desires are a misapplication of the Heavenly drive for chessed.  The verse is bemoaning the disgrace saying, “Lust? How could you do that, to misapply chessed, the most radiant and important of character traits?” Lust is when I seek to connect with them for my own selfish pleasure, Chessed is the elevated form of this urge; desire to connect with others in order to give and to help them and an urge to attach oneself to God.  Lust as the most virulent bodily desire teaches that generous giving is the most powerful urge of the soul.  The body’s lust drive is enormously powerful; that should teach us how deeply the soul desires Chessed.

  Perhaps the following thought might help one overcome improper drives:  The animal soul is ascendant when lust is actualized.  If one acts according to the dictates of desires one is little better than the beasts of the wild.  On the other hand, the Heavenly soul shines through the body when one displays selfless giving.  When experiencing lust temptation the body is reflecting a fallen urge of the soul.  It is a moment to engage in Chessed - selfless giving to other humans and to the cause of Holiness. Raising lust is a very high level of service of the Almighty.   When overcome with such feelings contemplation that at its root it is a desire for divinity and turning those passions towards feeling Love towards Him or His children is a difficult task.  Chassidim demanded it of themselves.“The Baal Shem Tov taught that God created human emotions to teach man how to serve his Master.  The Besht explicitly said, ‘Man must believe that when an evil lust falls into his heart it was sent to him from God, for the time has come for him to serve God with love of Holiness.  Heaven is hinting to him, “turn love to the love of God.”   Once the heart is already in a state of desire it is easier to reach love of Divinity.  Similarly, when a great fright falls upon man, he should know with certitude that this fear was sent from Heaven to tell him, “Now is the time to arouse your own innate fear of God.”  So it is with all the emotions’”(Divrey Sholom, Purim page 38) 

  The reason for the centrality of lust and generosity  is that Chessed, the Divine and elevated form of this drive, was the foundation of the world; as scripture states, “Olam Chessed Yibaneh” “The world was built upon Chessed” (Psalm 89)  God’s creation was an act of total love, and he placed Chessed as the foundation of a Heavenly personality.

   Even the physical form of the body can teach lessons about the Nefesh elokis, the Godly soul.  Look at the body from the form of the body, and the various functions its parts fulfill, and you may learn about the nature of the soul.  For instance, the tongue is the vessel for speech and it is a very delicate and soft limb, it does not have a bone and can easily be burnt and damaged.  This is a lesson about the soul, soulful speech is soft and delicate.  Soulful rebuke is delivered to others through a context of love and in an oblique manner that does not offend.  (C.f. Mishbetzos Zahav, Parshas Noach) The tongue has two uses it enjoys taste that no one else will enjoy and it reveals to others insights through oral communication.  This teaches that some ideas, such as lessons of the revealed Torah should be shared, other concepts, such as the secrets of how God created the universe are to be hidden and each individual should enjoy them by himself.  (C.f. Pachad Yitzchok on Rosh Hashana Maamar one). The Maharal explains that the reason why the human body is naturally straight and we do not walk on all fours with our head to the earth, is that God wanted to send a message to man through the human form.  “Because God’s presence is not visible in this world, it is easy for people to come to sin.  God compensated for this physical blind spot with the spiritual ability to perceive and fear God.  Our erect human posture directs our gaze upwards to the Heavens.  There we observe God’s presence… and we are less inclined to sin.”  (Maharal of Prague on Pirkei Avos page 81 c.f. Derech Chaim, end of the commentary to Mishna 2:1)

    The body has two hundred and forty eight primary limbs and three hundred sixty five sinews. The limbs are the major bones of the body, the sinews are what hold muscles to bone and contain blood within their channels.  Bones are white while sinews (that are filled with blood) are red.  Thus there are two hundred and forty eight white parts of the body and three hundred sixty five red parts of the body.  The soul has matching segments.

  There are two hundred and forty eight “white lights” and three hundred and sixty five “red lights” in the soul.  Each soul “light” (part of the soul) is Godly holiness clothed in one of the physical parts of the body.  The soul-part is what gives life to that portion of the body.  The “white lights” are clothed in the limbs, in the white bones, and the “red lights” are sheathed within the sinews.

   Jewish observance is divided into two parts, Mitzvos Aseh, commandments that require a particular act from the Jew, and Mitzvos Lo Taaseh, enjoinders prohibiting behaviors.  The Torah contains two hundred and forty eight Mitzvos Aseh and three hundred sixty five Mitzvos Lo Taaseh.  Performance of the Mitzvos Aseh draws life to the limbs from the “white” of the soul while observing the prohibitions of Mitzvos Lo Taaseh brings added strength and purity from the “red” of the soul.  Thus each Mitzvah parallels a soul and a body part.  The more Mitzvos one performs the purer the body becomes and that much more spiritual vigor may flow into it.

  In mysticism, the different colors along the spectrum symbolize different Divine attributes (C.f. “Meditation and Kabbalah” pgs. 179-183 )  The color white symbolizes chessed – unbridled generosity and love.  The color red represents din – harsh justice, and limitations.  Mitzvos Aseh require that action be taken, one has to extend his personality and do, and are expressions of love for God.  What we do is the basis of who we are, thus our deeds provide added life to the white bones, the body part that frames a person’s form and shape.  Mitzvos Lo Taaseh are injunctions, forbidding acts that are injurious to our and the world’s spiritual well being.  Observance of these laws entails constriction, pulling one’s self in and not doing what sensory urges seek.  Scrupulous adherence to the commands of Mitzvos Lo Taaseh is thus an exhibition of din, -fear and justice - setting boundaries and rigorously maintaining them.  Our forefather Avraham was the ultimate paradigm of chessed, Heavenly giving and love.  Avraham even sought to perform kindness with earth worshippers and the sinners of Sodom (see parshas Vayera).  Since Mitzvos Aseh are expression of giving, extending oneself for God’s sake, Avraham is the personification of Mitzvos Aseh.  The gimmattriah of Avraham’s name (1+2+200+5+40) is 248 the same as the sum of all Mitzvos Aseh.

  The goal of Mitzvos Lo Taaseh is to preserve the spiritual well being of the person, thus they parallel sinews that tie the muscles to the bones and maintain the person. Isaac was the paradigm of Din or Gevurah, setting limits and constriction.  Isaac’s greatest moment was when he allowed himself to be bound on the altar, an act of remarkable discipline and withdrawal.  Isaac is the personification of Mitzvos Lo Taaseh, as a result when God first appeared to him and gave Isaac a Mitzvah to live in the Land of Israel it was phrased as a prohibition “Do not go down to Egypt, stay in this land etc.” (Genesis 25:2).  (Emunas Etecha, Lech Lecha 5759).  The Nefesh part of the soul is the part that has 613 “pieces” that correspond to the various body parts.

   Death divides the soul from its physical body and the soul then enters another dimension, the World-to-Come.  A soul always needs some sort of vessel to contain it.  Since death rids us of a body, what will clothe our soul in the next dimension?  The answer is the Mitzvos that we performed.  Since each Mitzvah parallels a soul part, if we fulfill all of the Mitzvos in the next world they will clothe us fully in a Heavenly body-like cloak. Every Jew can fulfill all the Mitzvos even though some commands only apply to priests and others were limited to the Land of Israel.  A simple Israelite outside the Holy Land can study the Torah’s discussion of the Mitzvos of priesthood or of the Land of Israel.  Intellectual thought of these commandments and discussing their laws are partial fulfillments of these Mitzvos.  Another way for each individual to fulfill all 613 obligations is through love.  If a Jew binds himself with great attachment to all the Jews within the nation, the Mitzvos that the Cohanim perform will accrue merit for him as well.

  A great Tzadik who has performed many good deeds brings about a new spirit to his person.  While in this world he already has some qualities of the next world.  His body is constantly being purified through the Mitzvos that he performs and it becomes a vessel like the translucent lampshade.  It does not oppose the soul, rather it reflects God’s glory to all.  When seeing such an individual you immediately sense his soul and its message for it shines right through the body. 

  At an ideal level all of us when seeing others focus on what is essential, the soul of the other and not what is external, the body that clothes the soul.  If you shake the gloved hand of a friend you would not characterize it as, “touching Jake’s glove”, rather you would describe the event as, “I shook Jake’s hand” since the glove pales in importance to the hand it covers.  Similarly the body is merely the clothing of the soul.  It should pale in importance to the soul.  Where there is a conflict between the will of the body (the nefesh habahamis) and that of the soul (the nefesh elokis), the needs of the soul should come first, and in truth when we think of ourselves we should immediately think of our essence, our soul and not the clothes, the body.  The gemmatriah ( numerical value of words and letters) of the word ahava (love) is 13 the same as for the word echad (one).  Total love demands singular devotion.   One can only truly fully love one spouse or ideal.  If so how did the Torah demand love for fellow Jews once we were already commanded to love God our Lord?  If the heart is filled with love for God where will there be room for love of fellow men?  The answer is that the Torah  demands love to one subject, God.  If one sees souls and not bodies, then one sees the Divine in others and that Divinity is what is beloved.  If you love your spouse you love her children who are extensions of the spouse.  “You are children to God,” according to the Torah, therefore, love of God demands love for the Jewish soul that emerges from Him.   The Tzadik reaches this level; he only sees souls; all he sees is the nefesh elokis - the Divine within others.

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