Transforming the Worlds
From "In the Shadow of the Ladder" - on the teachings
of Rabbi Yehuda Leib Ashlag by Mark and Yedidah Cohen  | | " The worlds unfold until we arrive at the reality...where body and soul exist..." | | |
The worlds unfold until we arrive at the reality of
this physical world where body and soul exist, and likewise a time of spoiling
and a time of healing. Our body, which is formed from the will to receive for
itself alone, comes forth from its root within the purpose of Creation but
it passes via the framework of the worlds of uncleanness, as Scripture says, "A
man is born like a wild ass" (Job 1:12). It remains subject to this framework
until a person reaches thirteen years of age. This period is designated "the
time of spoiling."
Then, from the age of thirteen onwards, through
performing mitzvot which he or she does in order to give benefit to
others and pleasure to the Creator, the person begins to purify the will to
receive for oneself, which is inherent within them. | | " The person gradually transforms the will to receive for oneself alone into a will to give benefit..." | | |
The person gradually transforms the will to receive
for oneself alone into a will to give benefit. By this means, a person
progressively attracts to themselves a holy soul from its root within the
purpose of Creation. This soul passes through the framework of the worlds of
holiness and enclothes itself within the body, and this is the time of healing.
So the person carries on, continuing to acquire and
attain higher levels of holiness drawn from the purpose of Creation within the
Infinite. These higher levels of holiness help the person to transform the will
to receive for oneself alone until it has entirely transformed into the will
to receive in order to give pleasure to the Creator without including their
own self-benefit. It is by this means, that the individual acquires affinity of
form with the Creator. For receiving only for the purpose of giving to others or
to G-d is considered as having exactly the same form as pure giving. | | " Complete unity with G-d...is none other than the affinity of form..." | | |
Thus the person acquires complete unity with G-d,
because the spiritual unity is none other than the affinity of form. How could a
person become united with Him except by becoming one with His qualities? It is
by this means that a person becomes fit to receive all the good, the
pleasantness and the tenderness that is implicit in the purpose of Creation.
So now we have clarified the healing of the will to
receive that is inherent in the souls as a consequence of the purpose of
Creation. For the sake of the souls, G-d created the two frameworks described
above, one opposed to the other, which the souls traverse, dividing into two
aspects, body and soul, that enclothe one another. | | " Through the practice of Torah and mitzvot, the will to receive is eventually transformed into the will to give..." | | |
Through the practice of Torah and mitzvot, the
will to receive is eventually transformed into the will to give. Then the souls
are able to receive all the Good that is implicit in the thought of Creation.
With this, they merit to a wondrous unity with G-d, since they have earned
affinity of form with their Creator through their work in Torah and mitzvot.
This state is designated as the end of the healing process.
Then, since there will no longer be any need for the
Other Side, the unclean side, it will disappear from the earth and death will be
swallowed up forever. The work of Torah and mitzvot which is given to the
totality of the world during the time period of its existence, and likewise, to
each individual during the years of his or her life, has as its only purpose to
bring us all to this final healing in which we come into affinity of form with
the Divine.
Now we have also explained how the framework of the
shells and uncleanness are created and emerge from G-d's holiness. We have seen
that this was necessary so as to allow the creation of the body which a person
can subsequently heal through the work of Torah and mitzvot. If we did
not have such bodies which contain within them the defective will to receive
provided by the framework of uncleanness, we would never be able to heal it as
one cannot heal anything one does not have within oneself. To return to the first article from "In the Shadow of the Ladder" ,
click here
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Levels of Soul Consciousness.
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