Chapter 4
Now, to understand the purpose of the descent of these two souls into this world, since even the life-giving animal soul was nullified in the Light of Hashem in its spiritual source before it descended through many levels of concealments and constrictions of Divine revelation.
Why did it descend so far that it would require the Divine soul to be sent down after it to refine it and elevate it? If both the Divine soul and the animal soul were aware of, and connected to Hashem in their respective spiritual sources, why did Hashem have to send the animal soul down and make it have physical desires, and then send down the Divine soul to elevate it again? The animal soul could have just remained in its source on High, where it was connected to Hashem.
To answer this, we first need to understand the nature of the battle between the two souls and its appointed time, as is explained in the Zohar, “The time for battle is at the time of prayer.”
Another quote from the Zohar: “Whoever kills the ‘snake’ is given the daughter of the King, and this is the idea of prayer.”
The explanation behind this: In Pesukei Dezimra, a person separates the bad of his animal soul from the good of his animal soul, as it is written, (Tehillim 149:6) “The praises of Hashem are in their throats (mouths) and a double-edged sword is in their hands.”
This implies that through praising Hashem, they fight their animal soul as though with a double-edged sword. The idea of a double-edged sword is that these praises cut down the bad of the animal soul in two ways: 1-They elevate the good of the animal soul above to connect to Hashem, and 2-They remove the bad of the animal soul to remain below and away from the person.
This happens when a person contemplates the greatness of Hashem before and during reciting Pesukei Dezimra:
Four Types of Contemplation
- How He gives life to everything: Hashem gives life to every creature (including us), and just like we feel and recognize our own life (even though we cannot see it physically), we can recognize that there is a Life-force from Hashem that is present in us and in everything, without which nothing could move or function, since Hashem alone is the only source of all life.
- How He creates everything: Hashem creates everything ex-nihilo (something-from-nothing). Even human intellect understands that something cannot create itself and that it could not have existed forever. Everything that is limited and definable must have a beginning and a source. Only Hashem, Who is Infinite and Eternal, could have created everything else. Everything that we see proves the necessity of Hashem, since whatever we observe can only exist because Hashem Himself is creating it each moment.
- How everything is ‘nullified’ to Him: Here, the meaning of ‘nullified’ is that they have no independent existence. An analogy: The light of the sun is just an expression of the sun, and it has no existence or identity other than the sun. This can also be compared to a person’s thoughts and words. They are just an expression of the person, but have no independent existence apart from the person. So too, all of the creations are really just Hashem’s ‘words’ and ‘thoughts’ and ‘light,’ and our entire existence is only from Him. Were He to stop ‘thinking’ or ‘saying’ or ‘illuminating’ us, we would simply vanish, as if we never existed in the first place.
- How everything before Him is considered like a non-entity: This means that we are an incomparably lower level of existence than His Existence. In comparison to His type of existence, it is as though we don’t exist at all. This can be compared to a person’s thoughts and words compared to his true essence and being: His thoughts and words have a very fleeting and transient existence, compared to his true essence. Each thought exists for only a moment and then vanishes. Similarly, our level of existence is as though it is like a non-reality compared to Hashem’s Eternal and Infinitely Real Existence.
As it is written, (Divrei Hayamim I, 29:11) “To You, Hashem, is the Greatness, the Might, the Splendor, the Victory, and the Majesty, for all on heaven and earth is Yours; to You, Hashem, is the Kingship, and You are exalted, supreme over all rulers.”
Meaning that all of the attributes (Greatness, Might etc.) Above (in Atzilus) are nullified to Him, (they are “Yours”), as it is written in the Tikunei Zohar, “Hashem is completely beyond all of the Attributes,” and He is exalted above and beyond them by infinite, uncountable levels.
The angels say, (Yeshaya 6:3) “Holy, holy, holy, is Hashem of Hosts, the whole world is full of His glory.” The word ‘קָדוֹש -Holy,’ also means ‘separate’ and ‘removed,’ meaning that Hashem is above and beyond the categories of just “Permeating all worlds” or “Encompassing all worlds.” He is actually totally beyond any relationship with worlds, at all.
By saying ‘קָדוֹש -Holy’ three times, the angels are really saying that Hashem is three times removed and beyond our world. He is beyond the physical world, beyond the spiritual worlds, and beyond even the “Encompassing” worlds. He is totally beyond the whole concept or category of anything that has to do with worlds.
