Nefesh HaChayim, Gate IV

And everything stems from the reason mentioned previously: that the holy Torah’s supernal root is above all of the worlds.

And the matter is as I wrote previously (in Gate 1, chapter 20) regarding the reason why they (OBM) stated (Shabbat 119b) that anyone who answers “May the great Name be blessed”1237Aram.: y’hei shmei rabba m’vawrakh…—part of the kaddish with all his strength is pardoned for all his sins—refer there [for more details]. In the same manner serious involvement with Torah awakens its supernal root to emanate and influence the abundant overflowing of its supernal light and holiness on all the worlds. Its sparks are sparks of fire, an awesome flame that expels and disintegrates all of the spiritual impurities and filths that he caused by his actions in all the worlds, so that they become holy and are able to be more illuminated by the supernal holiness, to connect one to the others. And all the blemishes/gaps are filled in, and all that were damaged are repaired, and all that was destroyed is rebuilt, and the joy and the great delight and the supernal light expands in all the worlds.

And also though it’s known that nothing is repaired except via its supernal root, and the supernal root of each person-in-Israel’s soul-neshama is based in one letter in the holy Torah, for that reason all of the blemishes of the sinning soul-Neffesh are repaired and sweetened in their root via the holy Torah, via serious involvement with it.

And as the scripture stated (Tehillim 19:8): “God’s-YHV”H Torah is perfect, restoring the soul-Neffesh”—That even if the soul-Neffesh was already cut off from its root (heaven forefend), and it descended debased to the bottom-most depths of evil (heaven forefend), the holy Torah with which he is involved elevates it and releases it from imprisonment, and re-connects it as it was before and with the additional light of the holy Torah. And this is what they stated in the first chapter of Ta-ah-neet (7a): “Rabbee B’na-ah stated: ‘Anyone who involves himself with Torah for its own sake, his Torah becomes for him as a medication that saves his life, for it stated (Mishlei 3:18): “It is a tree of life…”, and it states Mishlei 8:35): “For the one who finds me finds life...”’.” And they stated in M’khilta: “What does the verse ‘for I am God-YHV”H your healer’ (Shemot 15:26) mean? The Holy One (blessed be He) said to Moshe: ‘Tell Israel that the Torah that I’ve given you is life for you, for it’s stated (Mishlei 4:22): “for they are life to he who find them”’.”

And for that reason the early ones (OBM) formulated the formal confession1238Which begins: ah-shahmnoo, ba-gahdnoo… using the order of the twenty-two letters, so as to awaken the supernal root of his soul-Neffesh, with which it is connected and linked with the holy Torah, to spiritually purify it and to make it holy.

And to the degree that a person is connected to and attached to His (blessed be He) Torah, and in its love he continuously thrives, so too will it shine in his direction and safeguard him in everything he does so that he shouldn’t stumble into the trap of the evil inclination (heaven forefend), as it’s stated in Sh’mote Rabba, parsha 36—refer there [for more details].

And in Midrash T’hillim, in Mizmor 1191239Literally “Mizmor eight times”, called thusly because in that psalm each letter of the alphabet is used to start a verse eight times.: “In my heart I stored your word, so that I might not sin unto you”—The evil inclination does not dominate relative to the Torah, and one who has the Torah in his heart, the evil inclination can’t dominate him and can’t touch him.

And in Tahna D’vei Eliyahu, Seder Eliyahu Zoota (beginning of chapter 16) and in Ahvote D’rabbee Nattan: “Rabbee Shimon bar Yokhai stated: ‘Anyone who keeps words of Torah in mind,1240Heb.: kol ha-no-tein divrei torah al leebo he is relieved of ten intensely difficult1241Heb.: d’varim ka-shim things: anxiety about his transgression1242Heb.: hir-hoo-rei ah-vei-ra, anxiety about violent threat to his life1243Heb.: hir-hoo-rei cheh-rev, literally “sword”, anxiety about oppression from government1244Heb.: hir-hoo-rei mal-khoot, anxiety about foolish things1245Heb.: hir-hoo-rei shtoot, anxiety about succumbing to the evil impulse1246Heb.: hir-hoo-rei yeitzer ha-ra, anxiety about wrong sexual behavior1247Heb.: hir-hoo-rei z’noot, anxiety about an evil wife1248Heb.: hir-hoo-rei eesha ra-ah, anxiety about idolatry, anxiety about mortality1249Heb.: hir-hoo-rei ba-sar va-dahm, anxiety about wasting time1250Heb.: hir-hoo-rei d’varim b’tei-lim… ’.”

And modesty clothes him, and fear/awe of God is apparent on his face, and all of his personality characteristics are upright, and he doesn’t fear being seduced by his inclination in matters of the pleasures of the world and their enjoyment, because he has control of his inclination. He leads it in whichever direction he desires, and based on its advice he will guide it, and it will place him in a beam of its lights, and on everything he does the Torah’s light glows, until everything in this world for him is also in a good situation, in proper measure and balanced, as it should be. As they (OBM) stated (Kidooshin 30b): “‘And you shall place…’1251Heb.: v’sahm-tem—The Talmud explains that the word sahm-tahn can be explained as the combination of two words: sahm— meaning “medication”, and tahm—meaning “perfect”. (D’varim 11)—perfect medicine1252Heb.: sahm-tahm. Torah is likened to a life-preserving medication. A parable is brought about a man who struck his son, wounding him greatly. He put a dressing on his wound and said to him: ‘My son—for as long as this dressing is on your wound, eat whatever pleases you and drink whatever pleases you, and you needn’t worry. But if you remove it, lo—infections will arise1253Heb.: ma-ah-lah noomi.’ Thus said the Holy One (blessed be He): ‘My children—I created the evil inclination. I created the Torah as an antidote. If you involve yourselves with the Torah, you are not handed into its power, for it is stated: “If you improve yourself, you will be uplifted”. But if you do not involve yourselves with the Torah, you are handed into its power, for it is stated: “Sin crouches at the door”.”

Annotation: And interpreted homiletically, we could address the verse “and the tablets were God-Elohi”m’s handiwork, and the writing upon them were God-Elohi”m’s writing, engraved…” (Sh’mote 32:16)—They stated as a homily “Don’t read it as ‘engraved…’.” And the matter is like the pious one Luzzatto1254Rabbi Moshe Chayyim Luzzatto (known as the RaMKha”L (may the memory of the righteous and holy one be a blessing) in his book M’seelaht Y’sharim (chapter 5) regarding the statement of the sages (OBM) mentioned above: “I created the evil inclination. I created the Torah as an antidote.” Just as in the context of curing the body, that the physician gives the sick person a medication comprised of a variety of spices and herbs, each one in the proper amount, with great accuracy, as required by the illness, as known to the physician. Would it arise in the mind of the sick person that to cure his illness he should compound another antidote comprised of other spices and herbs that he happens to be able to gather? Would he be such a fool and not understand that the physician is the one who has knowledge of his illness, and understands the natures of the spices and herbs. He knows which spices and herbs are required by the nature of his illness, and the amounts to be used and how they balance each other.

He (blessed be His name) says the same: Don’t imagine that you can escape from seduction by the inclination and its situations using your own strategies and methods that you’ll choose based on your own imagination. After all, it was I who created the evil inclination and know how it works. And to oppose it I created the Torah as an antidote and a life-saving medication, to cure the illness it causes. And know that other than the involvement with Torah learning, there is no other strategy.

That’s why they stated: “and the tablets were God-Elohi”m’s handiwork”. They being the tablets of the coveting heart/mind (similar to the matter of “write them on the tablets of your heart/mind”—Mishlei 3:30). He (blessed be His name) made them, and He knows the matter of your inclination that is planted in your heart/mind. “And the writing is God-Elohi”m’s writing”—That to oppose it He gives you the method of being involved with Torah, to write them and to engrave them on the tablets of your heart/mind, to use it to escape from the situations of the inclination. And for that reason you’ll know that there is no one who is free from the situations of the inclination other than one who is involved with Torah learning, and there is absolutely no strategy other than it.

And as the sages (OBM) explained regarding “‘As you go forth, it will guide you’ (Mishlei 6:22)—In this world.” And in Mishlei Rabbta: “Fortunate is the person who acquires Torah for himself. Why? Because it safeguards him from an evil path, as is written (Mishlei 6:22) ‘As you go forth…’.” And it’s also as discussed in Va-yikra Rabba (chapter 35), because it straightens and directs his heart/mind until his hearts/minds are fully in harmony with his God-Elohi”m, and reliable with God-Ei”l Roo-kho, to worship Him (bless be He) with the totality of his hearts/minds—both of his inclinations1255Berakhot 54a. It’s as they stated in the first chapter of Chagigah (3b): “‘The words of the wise are like goads’ (Kohelet 12:11)—Why are the words of Torah likened to a goad? Just as a goad directs a cow along the furrow to bring life to the world, so the words of Torah direct the heart/mind of those who learn it away from paths of deaths to paths of life.” And they stated so also in B’midbar Rabba (parsha 14) and in Tahnkhooma (parshat B’ha-ah-lote-kha) and at the beginning of parshat Va-yelekh there.

For there is no other remedy nor rectification of any kind in the world that will allow him to be saved from his inclination’s net, forever spread before his feet to trap him and to cause him to fall to the nethermost depths of Sh’ol, to cause him to die an everlasting death (heaven forefend), other than by involvement with the holy Torah, which thereby he is called a “living person”, for he is adhered by it to his portion in the life of the true world, as is written “for it is your life” (Mishlei 4:13).

And the sages (OBM) stated (Avoda Zara 3b): “What is the meaning of what is written ‘You have made man like the fish of the sea…’ (Chabakook 1:14)?” Just as the fish in the sea immediately die when separated from the sea, so too people, when they separate themselves from Torah, immediately die1256This is not a direct quote of the Talmud.. And Rabbee Ahkeeva responded to Pappus in the same manner: “If in the climate where we thrive” it is so… (Berakhot 61b). And in the Raa-ya M’hemna at the end of parshat Shmini: “Just as the fish of the sea thrive in water, so too Torah scholars, masters of the Mishna, thrive in the Torah, and if they are separated from it they immediately die.” And in Tahn-khooma, parshat Eikev (5): “‘For they are life to he who finds them’ (Mishlei 4:22)—Anyone who finds words of Torah, finds life... .” For that reason it is stated: “For they are life to he who finds them.”

And in Zohar Lekh L’kha (92a): “Fortunate is Israel’s portion, that the Torah teaches them the paths of the Holy One (blessed be He)… with certainty. It’s written ‘God-YHV”H’s Torah is perfect…’ (Tehillim 19: 8)—Fortunate is the portion of one who involves himself with Torah and does not separate from it, for anyone who separates from Torah even one hour is like one who separates from the world’s source of life, for it is written ‘for it is your life…’, and it is written ‘for they add to you length of days and years of life and peace’.”

And at the beginning of parshat B’ha-ah-lote-kha: “Fortunate is Israel’s portion, that the Holy One (blessed be He) desired them and gave them the true Torah, the tree of life, by which man can grasp and inherit life in this world and in the world-to-come. Anyone who involves himself with Torah and grasps it, he has life and grasps life. And anyone who leaves the words of Torah and is separated from Torah is as if he separates from life, because it is life and all of its words are life, this being what is written: ‘For they are life …’ (Mishlei 34:22), and as it is written: ‘It is health to your navel…’ (Mishlei 3:8).”