{"id":40,"date":"2017-08-28T17:54:18","date_gmt":"2017-08-28T17:54:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/nephesh-hachaim\/?p=40"},"modified":"2017-08-28T17:55:02","modified_gmt":"2017-08-28T17:55:02","slug":"nephesh-hachaimm-13","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/nephesh-hachaim\/2017\/08\/28\/nephesh-hachaimm-13\/","title":{"rendered":"Nephesh Hachaim 1:3"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nephesh<\/em>\u00a0Hachaim<\/em>\u00a0Gate 1, Ch. 3<\/p>\n

1.<\/p>\n

Is R\u2019 Chaim saying then that we\u2019re in control of the world\u2019s resources and capacities just as G-d is? Well,\u00a0yes<\/em>, in a way\u00a01<\/sup>.\u00a0 As he puts it, G-d created us to indeed control and affect millions upon millions of those resources and capacities, and to govern an infinite number of celestial worlds 2<\/sup>!<\/p>\n

How so, though? Through our actions, speech, thoughts, and overall behavior; and for better\u00a0or<\/em>\u00a0for worse 3<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

For thanks to our good actions, speech, thoughts, and behavior we\u2019re said to maintain and empower any number of celestial and holy capacities and worlds, and even make them holier yet and more luminous\u00a04<\/sup>. In fact, our sages termed us \u201cbuilders\u201d\u00a05<\/sup>\u00a0given that we set whole supernal worlds in order much the way that builders arrange their projects and bolster them 6<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s also true that as a result of our\u00a0bad<\/em>\u00a0actions, speech, thoughts, and behavior we correspondingly destroy many celestial and holy capacities and worlds\u00a07<\/sup>, or we darken them or dim their light and holiness. We can even empower the forces of impurity, G-d forbid 8<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

This, then, is the meaning of our having been created in \u201cG-d\u2019s image\u201d: just as He controls and arranges all worlds each and every moment according to His will, He saw to it that we, too, have some degree of that control.<\/p>\n

For G-d has granted us the ability to open and close 9 <\/sup>infinite numbers of resources and\u00a0whole worlds by dint of the supernal sources of our actions, speech, and thoughts, and depending on how we utilize them each and every moment 10<\/sup>. As if we were actually in charge of them all, if one could say as much 11<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

Footnotes:<\/p>\n

1<\/sup>\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We\u2019re now entering into R\u2019 Chaim\u2019s own original enunciation of what came to be a well-known Mussar idea termed\u00a0Gadlut<\/em>\u00a0Ha\u2019adam<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 Human Greatness \u2013 as taught by R\u2019 Nosson Tzvi Finkel of Slobodka and his students.<\/p>\n

Yet, R\u2019 Chaim prefaces his remarks about our abilities with the term \u05db\u05d1\u05d9\u05db\u05d5\u05dc \u2013 \u201cif one can say as much\u201d. The expression is usually used when one is depicting G-d in too human terms, but it\u2019s rarely used in the context of man (though see Rashi to Megillah<\/em> 21 a \u201dK\u2019viyachol<\/em>\u201d). Thus, what we\u2019re about to hear about mankind\u2019s abilities are true, but let\u2019s not dare depict humans in too G-dly terms either (see note 10 below).<\/p>\n

2<\/sup>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Understand that this phenomenon sets us apart from all other beings, including angels (see 1:10 below and see Zohar 1:5a for their jealousy about that). It enables us to be the model that everything else will follow (see 1:7 below), and it\u2019s also the epitome of the often cited idea that our acts serve lofty purposes (see end of 1:9 below).<\/p>\n

Now, while we\u2019d have expected our physical<\/em> actions to affect things as they do here on earth, who\u2019d have expected our speech, thoughts and general demeanor to? R\u2019 Chaim is thus underscoring the fact that those more subtle and often concealed qualities also have that effect.\u00a0<\/sup><\/p>\n

See 1:6 below for a reiteration of how we affect things for better or for worse.<\/p>\n

3\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/sup>R\u2019 Chaim is of course referring to all the mitzvah-related<\/em> actions (see 1:12 below), speech (see 1:13 below), and thoughts (see 1:14 below). But we don\u2019t always engage in mitzvot, so how can we control the universe to the degree he\u2019s indicating that we do (and how could it function)? But see Hilchot<\/em> De\u2019ot<\/em> 3:2 where Rambam explains how we can turn everything we do into a mitzvah (also see Shulchan<\/em> Aruch<\/em>, Orach<\/em> Chaim<\/em>\u00a0 232:1). The fact that our \u201coverall behavior\u201d also affects things this way underscores the importance of our personality traits, which could be even more important than our physical, verbal, and mental actions (see Sha\u2019arei<\/em> Kedusha<\/em> 1:2).<\/p>\n

4\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/sup>Isaiah 51:16 is cited here which reads, \u201cAnd I placed My words into your mouth, and with the shadow of My hand I covered you,\u00a0to plant the heavens and to found the earth<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n

5\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/sup>See Berachot<\/em>\u00a064a.<\/p>\n

6\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/sup>See R\u2019 Chaim\u2019s depiction of us as \u201cbuilders\u201d in the previous chapter, where he highlighted our limitations in that capacity versus G-d\u2019s own omnipotence. This, too, will be referred to in note 10 below.<\/p>\n

7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/sup>Isaiah 49:17 which speaks of \u201cthose who destroy you and those who lay you to waste will come from you\u201d is cited.<\/p>\n

8\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/sup>See R\u2019 Chaim\u2019s note to 1:12 below on this as well as Eitz<\/em> Hachaim<\/em>, Sha\u2019ar<\/em> Haklipot<\/em> 3.<\/p>\n

9\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/sup>… the doors that allow for the free movement of\u2026<\/p>\n

10\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/sup>R\u2019 Chaim is making an exceedingly important point here: that we ourselves don\u2019t ultimately affect the workings of the universe and its resources, since we\u2019re not G-d, but we do enable them to function more or less easily one way or another by virtue of the fact that we are the gatekeepers. Thus, the power we have is to open and close doors, which is tremendous, but it\u2019s quite secondary to G-d\u2019s own power, needless to say (see notes 1 and 6 above).<\/p>\n

And some of us are better at this than others, of course (see 1:14, 19 below about these two ideas).<\/p>\n

See Gra<\/em> on Sifrah<\/em> D\u2019tsiuitah<\/em> 16b.<\/p>\n

11\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/sup>R\u2019 Chaim concludes this chapter by citing the statement in Eicha<\/em> Rabbah<\/em> 1:33 to the effect that we \u201cstrengthen G-d\u201d when we fulfill His wishes and \u201cdiminish His strength\u201d when we don\u2019t, if one could say as much. Zohar 2:32b which reiterates the point is also cited.<\/p>\n

(c) 2017 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman<\/p>\n

Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org<\/a><\/p>\n

———————————————————-<\/p>\n

Rabbi Feldman’s new annotated translation of Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag\u2019s \u201cIntroduction to the Zohar\u201d is available as \u201cThe Kabbalah of Self\u201d on Kindle here<\/a>. His annotated translation of Maimonides’ “Eight Chapters” is available here<\/a> and his annotated translation of Rabbeinu Yonah\u2019s “The Gates of Repentance” is available here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

He has also translated and commented upon “The Path of the Just” and “The Duties of the Heart” (Jason Aronson Publishers).<\/p>\n

Rabbi Feldman also offers two free e-mail classes torah.org entitled \u201cSpiritual Excellence<\/a>\u201d and \u201cRamchal<\/a>\u201d that can be subscribed to.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nephesh\u00a0Hachaim\u00a0Gate 1, Ch. 3 1. Is R\u2019 Chaim saying then that we\u2019re in control of the world\u2019s resources and capacities just as G-d is? Well,\u00a0yes, in a way\u00a01.\u00a0 As he puts it, G-d created us to indeed control and affect … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[5,7,8,2,3,6,1,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-hashkapha","category-kabbalah","category-mussar","category-nephesh-hachaim","category-reb-chaim-of-volozhin","category-torah","category-uncategorized","category-volozhin"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8YhFQ-E","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/nephesh-hachaim\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/nephesh-hachaim\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/nephesh-hachaim\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/nephesh-hachaim\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/nephesh-hachaim\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/nephesh-hachaim\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43,"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/nephesh-hachaim\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40\/revisions\/43"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/nephesh-hachaim\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/nephesh-hachaim\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rabbiyaakovfeldman.aishdas.org\/nephesh-hachaim\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}