As much as a person is tempted to look down at himself as a lowly creature (based on his lusts and desires), it is important to understand that the neshamah and the body are separate entities. The body constantly seeks ta’avah and lowly pursuits, while the neshamah desires Elokus.
It’s not that the person is a neutral entity in the middle, and he is sometimes swayed by this side and at other times he is convinced by the other side. This is a mistake. A person who views himself as though he is at times “overtaken” by the bad side will see himself as a lowly creature. “How can I daven before Hashem if I have such evil within me,” he will say. “How can I elevate myself above and beyond in tefillah when I have these forces dragging me down?” This thinking will continue to drag him down, and it is rooted in a mistake.
The truth is that the body pulls toward ta’avah and ga’avah and other negative pursuits, and the neshamah is kodesh kadashim, holy of holies. And when a person gets up to daven, it is his neshamah that is davening. There is no reason for a person to think, “Who am I fooling when I shake back and forth... I am so filled with evil pursuits!” No! It is another aspect of yourself entirely—your neshamah—that is davening before HaKadosh Baruch Hu. And it has every right to do so.
