Nephesh Hachaim 1:11<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following\nup on the thought offered in the last chapter that despite our being connected\nto physicality we\u2019re nevertheless superior to angels, R\u2019 Chaim now harkens back\nto an idea he\u2019d presented earlier on that in fact the very highest angels are\npowerless to recite Kedusha <\/em>until we do 1<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n His\npoint here is that that\u2019s true despite the fact that angels are inherently\nholier than we are, and that they aren\u2019t simply paying homage to us 2<\/sup>:\nthey\u2019re simply and utterly unable<\/em> to start reciting Kedusha<\/em> until\nwe do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For at\nbottom, the objective of the recitation of Kedusha<\/em> R\u2019 Chaim says is to \u201celevate\u201d\nand to \u201cconnect worlds to those above them\u201d 3<\/sup>, and to thus \u201cmake\nthem holier\u201d 4<\/sup> and \u201cadd luster to the gleam of their light\u201d 5<\/sup>.\nAnd yet angels who dwell up above are ironically incapable of doing that on\ntheir own and must wait until we begin the process down below to follow through\non it 6<\/sup>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact, R\u2019 Chaim suggests, if not a single\nJewish congregation in the world was to recite Kedusha<\/em>, it stands to\nreason that the angels up above wouldn\u2019t themselves recite it 7<\/sup> —\n<\/em>whetherthey\u2019re Seraphim, Ophanim, or Chayot <\/em>8<\/sup>.\n<\/em>While we here down on earth could<\/em> recite it, given that we\nincorporate all of the world\u2019s sources and roots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This also touches on the idea of\nour reciting Perek<\/em> Shira <\/em>(\u201cA Chapter of Song [s]\u201d) which\nguarantees a place in the World to Come to anyone who recites it daily 9<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For when we — who incorporate\nall of creation — recite Perek<\/em> Shira<\/em> in fact, we empower the\nangels who oversee the animals and birds depicted in it to recite the songs\ncontained there 10<\/sup>, and as a result they animate and empower those creatures\n11<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Footnotes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 <\/sup>See R\u2019 Chaim\u2019s own\nfirst note to 1:6 above, and see our first footnote there for a brief citation\nof it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This\nis referring to the Kedusha<\/em> formula that we recite in the Yotzer<\/em>\nsection of Shacharit<\/em>, in the repetition of the morning Shemone<\/em> Esrai<\/em>,\nand in the repetition of the afternoon Shemone<\/em> Esrai<\/em>). See Isaiah\n6:3, Ezekiel 3:12, and Psalms 146:10 for the text that Kedusha<\/em> is based\non. And see Shulchan<\/em> Aruch<\/em>, Orach<\/em> Chaim<\/em> 125 and its\ncommentaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yet,\nsee Yalkut<\/em> Shimoni<\/em>, Beshalach<\/em> 241 which cites an instance\nin which the angels recited Kedusha<\/em> before we did. But that was before\nthe granting of the Torah, and when we were under extraordinary circumstances\n(i.e., we were crossing the Red Sea).<\/p>\n\n\n\n R\u2019\nChaim refers a number of times in this chapter to the irony of the fact that\nwe, who are \u201cdown below\u201d, affect the angels who are \u201cup above\u201d, to underscore our\nhigh station. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 2 <\/sup>That is, as if\nthey were \u201crespectfully\u201d holding themselves back from reciting their part of it\nuntil we\u2019d begin ours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3 <\/sup>Yet see 1:10 above\nfor our inherent ability to do that whether we\u2019re reciting Kedusha<\/em> or\nnot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4 <\/sup>And see 2:6 below\nfor the fact that all<\/em> of the mitzvot we perform enable that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5 <\/sup>See Pri Eitz\nChaim<\/em> Ch. 3 for this idea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Note,\nthough, that that can also come about by our offering sacrifices, R\u2019 Chaim\nhimself points out in Ruach Chaim<\/em> 1:2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n R\u2019\nChaim\u2019s larger point here thus seems to be that despite our lesser holiness, and\nnotwithstanding our ability to elevate the station of the universe through all\nof our actions, we\u2019re still and all able to dramatically and momentously affect\nthe very relationship between angels and G-d Himself as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 6 <\/sup>R\u2019 Chaim then\ncites Zohar 2:247b as proof of his statement, which focuses on the idea of the\nvarious angels bonding together despite their rank to recite Kedusha <\/em>(even\nthough they\u2019re not able to bond the worlds together as we can). <\/p>\n\n\n\n We\nhold that R\u2019 Chaim is once again underscoring our contention in the last few\nchapters that he\u2019s addressing the select few. He does that here by directly\nquoting the Zohar\u2019s statement at this juncture that the angels who set out to\nrecite Kedusha<\/em> \u201cjoin in holiness with all those<\/em> (outstanding individuals\ndown below) who know how to sanctify their L-rd<\/em> together\u201d while subtlety\navoiding the line soon to come in the Zohar about the angels\u2019 reactions to those\nmore common people who don\u2019t<\/em> know how to sanctify G-d!<\/p>\n\n\n\n R\u2019\nChaim then cites Pri Eitz Chaim<\/em>, Sha\u2019ar Chazarat Hashatz<\/em>, Ch. 3\nas proof of the idea that our recitation of Kedusha<\/em> elevates and\ninterconnects the upper worlds and sanctifies them even more than before. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And\nfinally, R\u2019 Chaim humbly inserts the idea here that this might explain why we\nhoist our feet up as we recite Kedusha<\/em> — in order to represent this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 7 <\/sup>R\u2019 Chaim cites Zohar 3:190b.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 8 <\/sup>R\u2019 Chaim cites Zohar 1:42a and 2:247a.<\/p>\n\n\n\n See Hilchot<\/em> Yesodei<\/em>\nHatorah<\/em> Ch. 2 for the different sorts of angels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 9 <\/sup>R\u2019 Chaim cites Eliyahu<\/em> Rabba<\/em>\n1:14. <\/p>\n\n\n\n See 1 Kings 5:13 and Job 12:7-10\nfor possible allusions to Perek<\/em> Shira<\/em>\u2019s main theme. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 10 <\/sup>After us, just as the angels themselves would\nrecite Kedusha<\/em> after us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 11 <\/sup>R\u2019 Chaim cites Likutei<\/em> Torah<\/em>, Vaetchanan.\n<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n (c)\n2019 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman<\/p>\n\n\n\n Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n ———————————————————-<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rabbi Feldman’s new annotated translation of\nRabbi Yehuda Ashlag\u2019s \u201cIntroduction to the Zohar\u201d is available as \u201cThe Kabbalah\nof Self\u201d on Kindle here<\/a>.\nHis annotated translation of Maimonides’ “Eight Chapters” is\navailable here<\/a>\nand his annotated translation of Rabbeinu Yonah\u2019s “The Gates of\nRepentance” is available here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He has also translated and commented upon\n“The Path of the Just” and “The Duties of the Heart” (Jason\nAronson Publishers).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rabbi Feldman also offers two free e-mail\nclasses torah.org entitled \u201cSpiritual Excellence<\/a>\u201d\nand \u201cRamchal<\/a>\u201d that can be\nsubscribed to.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Nephesh Hachaim 1:11 1. Following up on the thought offered in the last chapter that despite our being connected to physicality we\u2019re nevertheless superior to angels, R\u2019 Chaim now harkens back to an idea he\u2019d presented earlier on that … Continue reading