Advanced Reincarnation Class ?

Shaarai Gilgulim - Gate of Reincarnations

As taught to Rabbi Chaim Vital by Rabbi Isaac Luria and Amended by Rabbi Chaim's Son Shemuel.

Translated from Sha'ar Hagilgulim by Yitzchok bar Chaim; commentary by Shabtai Teicher of Blessed Memory and Completed by Rabbi Perets Aurback.

Published online with commentary by Kabbala online.com

This version will not have all of the commentary.

Please note: The publisher explains that the Study of Kabbalistic Texts usually recommends that one review the material many times until they are familiar with the vocabulary at a minimum.

Also Note: Bold Text represents the translation of the original Text. Regular text represents the commentary and explanation of the translator. Chanoch's comments will be identified separately.

Translation from Sha'ar Hagilgulim by Yitzchok bar Chaim; commentary by Shabtai Teicher

Within the Malchut

Chapter 13 Section 1

Translation from Sha'ar Hagilgulim by Yitzchok bar Chaim; commentary by Shabtai Teicher

chanoch's Commentary

Starting from this hand out the Commentator and translator have changed to Peretz Aurback. This change has adjusted the tone since Rabbi Aurback is using the Breslover world view for his commentaries. I will do my best to keep you aware of when this penetrates our study yet i suggest you keep this fact in mind as you go through the study. I love Rabbi Nachmen's teachings as spread into English by the Breslover movement. Yet one needs to keep in mind that there are many other viewpoints for the wisdom of the ARI and especially dealing with the Wisdom of Reincarnation.

Those souls that leave the Kelipot and which are elevated into the world of holiness b’sod ibur (in the secret of the embryonic state)...

The Kelipot are the source of death. The souls that fell there must initially undergo a spiritual rebirthing process in order to be prepared to enter this world through physical birth. Their first stage on the good side is embryonic.

chanoch's Commentary

B'Sod Ibur translates as "in the secret of Ibur". Rabbi Chaim Vital is explaining this idea of leaving the Klipot and entering a body as an ibur.

What place then is there for a human being of flesh and blood to come along and try to change things with his little prayer?!

...as we spoke about, do so only as a result of the prayers of the Jewish people.

G-d is absolutely omnipotent and all-knowing, and there are reasons why He makes things the way they are. What place then is there for a human being of flesh and blood to come along and try to change things with his little prayer?! Nonetheless, the Torah tells us in many places that G-d wants our prayer. The Rabbis teach, "the Holy One Blessed be He desires the prayers of the righteous". The simple reason for this is that He wants us to use our free will and make an awakening from below. He therefore sometimes sets things up specifically not the way He really wants them, as if it were hoping and expecting that we should pray and thereby change them.

chanoch adds: when we pray we effect change in the physical world which is creating perfection.

From here we see that this does not only apply to the physical plane, but even to the spiritual plane. We also see the great responsibility that rests upon us to pray with full feeling and intent. You never know how many souls may be dependent upon your words…

chanoch adds: The above is one of the agendas of the translator. That does not make his suggestions incorrect. We must learn to change the world by changing ourselves. THE PURPOSE OF PRAYER IS TO CHANGE OURSELVES. If we do not change from the moment we start prayer until we finish prayer it is as if we did not pray. That is the meaning of Kavenah, praying with full feeling, and praying with intent.

Rabbi Nachman teaches that the main life force is drawn through prayer (Likutei Moharan 9:1). Thus prayer enlivens not only unborn souls, but also the person himself. "Wisdom enlivens its owners" (Ecclesiastes 7:12), "a person is where his mind is" (Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov). There are people that go through life never graduating from the embryonic state of mind. Prayer is the key to open the soul to expanded consciousness. Renewing the mind renews the entire the being.

Certain special, high caliber mitzvot make Yichudim to the same degree as meditations.

…b’sod M"N…

"Mayn Nukvin," or "Female Waters," which refers to the sparks that are elevated from the level of Malchut when Torah is learned and mitzvot are performed. It is dependent by our awakening from below.

…as it is known, or through a "yichud" (supernal unification)…

The Divine names and their corresponding attributes are the vehicles through which G-d transmits His Divinity to us. In general, they are affected by our actions below. Above the world of action is the universe of thought. There are systems of meditating on Divine names that make the supernal unifications happen more intensely than actions. One of the major accomplishments of the unifications is that they free souls from the kelipot and prepare them to be born.

…that a righteous person…

In truth, even a wicked person causes unifications to happen at the time that he does something good. But the elite, upper unifications that come about through meditation are not made to a powerful, significant degree unless the person is worthy.

chanoch's adds: worthy means "cleansed".

…causes in this world, as discussed in Sha’ar Ruach HaKodesh regarding Yichudim. Or, they can leave when a person performs a mitzvah in this world…

Certain special, high caliber mitzvot make Yichudim to the same degree as meditations.

Sometimes, souls, as a result of a certain blemish in the lower levels...

Take note! The original sin caused many souls to fall to bad places and this causes them to experience many difficulties in their carnations. These are from the wondrous ways of G-d, why different people start from different spiritual places. The main thing is not to indulge in feeling bad when encountering in oneself natural tendencies towards evil. A repairman doesn’t look at the broken washing machine as evil - just something that requires fixing. The same attitude must be exercised in regards to oneself.

chanoch adds: in regards to both oneself and how we perceive others.

…or because of their own blemish that resulted from a transgression while they were in this world, descend into the depths of Kelipot. If the opportunity arises for a particular soul to be elevated from the Kelipot and to enter the Malchut for rectification, then that soul in the Malchut has the ability to seize blemished souls before they descend to the Kelipot, and bring them up into the "stomach" of the Malchut, b’sod ibur.

Once anyone merits to start to enter into the side of holiness, he brings other souls along.

The fact that the first soul has left the Kelipot and is already within the Malchut for rectification gives it the ability to save other souls that may be destined for the Kelipot for one of the reasons mentioned. This is a great principle: Once anyone merits to start to enter into the side of holiness, he brings other souls along. The responsibility to choose good is greatly expanded by the realization that everything anyone does affects everyone else.

There they will be rectified, after which they will come into the world.

This is because while the soul is in the stomach of the Malchut, it is constantly elevating M"N, and as a result of the M"N that is elevated, it is able to elevate souls as well. However, this is not possible unless it places a "spirit" in it, that is the soul which is first in the Malchut gives ability to the blemished soul, and it becomes enclothed in this spirit and rectified.

The underlying principle here is that "all Israel are responsible for one another" (Talmud). The souls share a grand collective root, and it is just one big soul family. They are therefore automatically enabled to help each other.

This spirit remains with it until the time of resurrection, at which time it is separated from it.

At that time every single last spark will be rectified. The ensuing result will be that every soul and spark will return to its own place and real root. Important to learn from this, until the ultimate rectification, sparks, souls, and people are not always in their real place. If you feel out of place, whether in your job, or with the people around you…, know that sometimes, in truth, things aren’t the way they are supposed to be. There are very deep reasons why it is like that, and awesome rectifications are made. What is left for us is to have simple faith that G-d the omnipotent, all-knowing One knows what He’s doing. The more faith one can muster up under such circumstances, the higher the unifications and rectifications that are made.

[Translation and commentary by Perets Auerbach.]

Souls Saving Souls

Chapter 13 Section 2

By Rabbi Yitzchak Luria as recorded by Rabbi Chaim Vital; translation from Sha'ar Hagilgulim by Yitzchok bar Chaim; commentary by Shabtai Teicher

If the soul that remains in the 'stomach' of the Malchut b’ibur is on the level of those souls that remain for twelve months, having their capacity, then even the blemished soul which remains with it will stay there for twelve months like it. This is so even if it is from the lowest level of souls, that of the souls of converts, which normally remain only three days.

Higher souls can elevate lower ones to their level

Again we see that the inter-relationship of the souls allows them to help each other. Furthermore, higher souls can elevate lower ones to their level. This is an example of the principle, "it is good for the righteous, it is good for his neighbor" (Chagiga).

Likewise, if the first one is only of those that remain nine or seven months, and the other one is even lesser, for example, from those that remain only forty days or three days, then they too will remain there either nine months or seven months like it. If the opposite is the case and the first one is only from those souls that remain nine months, and the one that remains with it is of those that normally remain for twelve months, then both will remain twelve months. In general, it follows the larger time.

"The good quality is greater" (Talmud). Therefore it always goes after the higher soul, even if it is the blemished one.

I am in doubt regarding what I heard from my teacher about when a new soul from the level of Cain and Abel, whose time is seven months, remains with a soul from Adam, an old soul which has been to the world twice and whose duration is nine months. Do we say that the seven-month soul, since the second soul now helping with rectification is a nine-month soul, also remains for nine months?

Each of these souls has its forte. The new soul is new, the old soul, in this case, is longer inside the belly of the Malchut, and accordingly receives more purification. It is not clear which is higher. It could be that in this case, it works in a way that they are mutually beneficial to each other.

As we have said, a soul can prevent another soul from descending to the Kelipot by giving a spirit to it.

If you have a friend who you know is spiritually in a bad place, give him some inspiration.

This process can be triggered also by souls already in the flesh to each other. If you have a friend who you know is spiritually in a bad place, give him some inspiration. It is actually a type of good spirit that rests on the person (Zohar Teruma, Likutei Moharan 31:9) and can energize him to get out.

As a result of the "partnership," they have the combined ability to prevent a third soul from descending to the Kelipot when the second soul gives a spirit to it. It can work this way for up to ten souls, each being joined to the other, until the tenth soul has a spirit from the first soul, as well as from all the other nine souls that preceded it.

The spiritual effect of good energy is collective. In this case it works up to ten. Ten is a unit that ascends to the next power, i.e., a graduation from the plane of individuals to the all-encompassing collective level. Again, the same affect can come into play in the physical plane when people awaken each other. Thus we find the concept of group repentance (Sh.).

Thus we find that the first soul has given nine spirits to the nine souls under it; the second eight spirits, etc. The tenth has only its own, because there are none below it to receive from it.

It’s not lonely at the top! All the souls beneath are as its children. It stands alone in terms of stature.

As a result of this, the nine souls are "obligated" to the first one, which is like a father for all of them, guiding and rectifying them vis-à-vis the spirit it has given to each of them. Consequently, it has a portion in all the mitzvot they perform and a portion in the good they will receive...

The mitzva of helping someone out to be spiritual and do good is like a seed that grows into a beautiful tree that constantly makes fruit.

Thus it is written, "Light is sown for the righteous…" (Psalms 97:11). The mitzva of helping someone out to be spiritual and do good is like a seed that grows into a beautiful tree that constantly makes fruit. Even after its planter dies, it continues to grow and produce. When the soul ascends to its place in heaven, its mitzvot live on and enable it to amass more reward and ascend constantly to higher places.

...and he is duty-bound to direct them in the correct path.

All of the souls are like one big organism. If something is wrong with the foot, the hand cannot ignore it, because they are part of the same body. It’s not just a nice thing to help others - it’s really mandatory. And we have to realize that it’s just really helping ourselves.

Sometimes members of the same soul family live in different parts of the world. How can they help each other? This is especially an issue for a central, big daddy, father soul, upon whom rests an absolute duty to correct the souls that branch out of him (Likutei Moharan 56:3).

The spiritual web-network transcends time and space.

The spiritual web-network transcends time and space. Any good act that anyone does affects and can even ignite (if powerful enough) all the souls that share the root of the doer. (And also the opposite) Especially words can have a very strong influence. A person on one side of the world who speaks words of truth from an expanded state of mind. This broadcasts on the "net" and can awaken someone on the other side of the world (Likutei Moharan 17:5). This can even affect someone from a different root, but generally, the primary influence will be to those of the same root. A primary factor that facilitates the success of this process is good energy and relations between people. This creates calm "air" to allow the spiritual waves to broadcast unhindered (ibid).

With this we can understand a story about the Baal Shem Tov. He was once very upset at one his students, as if he had committed murder. The student asked his teacher why he was so perturbed. The Baal Shem Tov told him that he had gotten angry, and this triggered someone from his soul family to kill someone.

As this book carries on, it will reveal more and more details about how the soul infrastructure works and the incurring responsibilities that stem from it.

However, they have no share in his actions and therefore they have no obligation to direct him, in spite of the fact that the second soul and the eight that follow it are obligated to it.

Parents have to guide children and not vice versa.

This is the sod [secret] of what the Sages taught and what the Maimonedes wrote ("Laws of Neighbors," Chapter Three): If five gardens receive water from one spring and the spring becomes damaged, all of them must repair it with the upper one.

That is, the one closest to the river, which receives the water first. The gardens lower down are like the souls that follow after the first one. The case is speaking where the gardens are set up in such a way that the water must pass through one to get to another. It is thus similar to our domino soul arrangement case at hand. Even though the upper garden is close to the water source and does not suffer from its being damaged and lack of flow, since the water must pass through it to get to the other gardens, it is also held responsible to pay for repairs.

Important to remind ourselves: Even though the upper garden/soul is obligated to contribute to the repairs, the lower gardens/souls must certainly also do their share to fix the spring! One should not rely on someone on a high level to do the fixing to the extent of not working on himself.

When the Ari. says "this is the sod", it comes to tell us that he is not just bringing a parable or comparison to better depict his lesson. Rather he comes to point out that his revelation is actually the underlying principle and the intended secret meaning of that case. The Zohar tells us, "all of the issues of the Tanaim and Amoraim [the Rabbis of the Talmud] are arranged upon the secrets of the Torah". Every seemingly mundane case in the Talmud in reality contains the deepest mysteries.

the souls are often referred to …as trees that grow in the Garden of Eden

In order to understand better this apparent mundane squabble of who has to pay for the plumbing bill, we need to preface that the souls are often referred to in the Zohar as trees that grow in the garden, referring to the Garden of Eden. The Shechina is allegorized to mother earth from which all grows. The trees are the souls/children it produces. They are all born into a utopian state of non-stop awareness of the Divine light, which is the central theme of paradise.

Taking this idea a step further, together with the concept that "man is a world in miniature" (Zohar), the souls themselves can be viewed as gardens. The trees that grow in it are its mitzvot, as seen above, about "Light is sown…". The spring is the source of the Infinite Light that flows to the souls and waters them with consciousness. If one of them sinned, it causes a breakage in the piping system. This affects all of the souls from that root, and they all have to work together to fix it, even the ones that didn’t sin.

there is no righteous person in the entire world who does not have two souls

It must be this way, for there is no righteous person in the entire world who does not have two souls, as mentioned in the Zohar (Noach) with respect to the verse, "These are the generations of Noach: Noach," and likewise, "Moses, Moses," and, "Samuel, Samuel," etc., where the name is mentioned twice.

Often in the Bible, when a righteous person is called by G-d, the name is called twice. In the simple explanation, this is said to indicate endearment of the righteous person being summoned. However, now the Ari is explaining that this alludes on a Sod-level to the double soul of each righteous person.

The analogy here needs to be understood. The case at hand is about a master soul that saves others that branch out from its root. To support this idea, the Ari. brings the teaching that each individual has a soul above that is aligned with his soul below?

The soul beneath is as a child of the soul above. G-d calls the righteous twice, measure for measure, because they function and actively relate to Him from both souls. He starts by calling the upper soul, and it in turn activates the lower soul. Similarly, the parent soul of a cluster can affect and ignite its children beneath. One who is not so in contact with his higher self/upper soul, will have a lesser affect on the souls that are in turn beneath him.

[Translation and commentary by Perets Auerbach.]

Soul Splits

Chapter 14

By Rabbi Yitzchak Luria as recorded by Rabbi Chaim Vital; translation from Sha'ar Hagilgulim by Yitzchok bar Chaim; commentary by Shabtai Teicher

When we speak of a certain person reincarnating into other people, we must not make the mistake of thinking that this refers to the "original soul." Rather, a person’s soul can divide into an unlimited amount of roots…

The spiritual realm is by nature boundless.

From each root comes out a different potential. One should therefore never limit one’s abilities. Even though in this incarnation you come from a specific root which can manifest certain abilities, and others not, that root is connected to a grand soul central that branches into other roots that possess other abilities. When a person lives a spiritual life, he is close to the grand root, and is therefore able to access the abilities of the other roots that share his mutual grand source. Never underestimate yourself and what you might be capable of doing. Rather strive to always be more spiritual, so that your potentials will open and flow.

…and within a single root there is an unlimited amount of sparks…

How then does anyone ever become fully rectified?

Firstly, for this reason many people share the same one of these soul roots. But still, even if a thousand people share one source, how can they, or even a million people, possibly deal with an unlimited, infinite amount of sparks?!

The answer is that the soul comes from endless, boundless, immeasurable places. Even after it enters the finite plane, it does not lose connection with those places. In fact, its entirety does not descend, and part of it actually still remains there. This is expressed by the aforementioned piece of Zohar about every righteous person having two souls, one above, one below.

What comes out of this is that a person comes from a root of countless sparks because his actions have infinite proportions and can really deal with and fix an unlimited amount of sparks!

The sparks that are not yet rectified … return, while those that are rectified ascend to their fitting level

…and each gilgul rectifies some of those sparks. Thus, it is the sparks that are not yet rectified that return, while those that are rectified ascend to their fitting level, where they will remain

It has to be like this, otherwise people would never become rectified, because they would constantly destroy what they fixed up, and no one would ever get anywhere.

"It does not rest upon you to finish the work, yet you are not free to be exempt from it". (Pirkei Avot) Based on the above, it means that you don’t have to finish fixing all of your soul’s sparks in one lifetime. Simply do diligently what’s in front of you at the moment, and, step by step, everything will be rectified.

This, in fact, is the matter of Nadab and Abihu who reincarnated many times, as was explained on the posuk, "Let there be double of your spirit for me". (Kings II 2:9) For, in the beginning Nadab and Abihu were in Elijah, and after that in Elisha, aside from the other gilgulim.

In other words, the "double spirit" was Nadab and Abihu, which Elisha wanted to inherit from Elijah.

This is not just a random example. As will be seen from later in this work, the entire world depends upon the rectification of these special souls. The example of Nadab and Abihu is used here to hint to us that knowing about them aids in comprehending how to bring Mashiach.

Elisha was a combination of two levels.

After all, Nadab and Abihu came from the same root and many sparks were affected by them. Thus, as a result of each gilgul, many sparks and portions of their root were rectified. However, the sparks that were not rectified were the ones that Elisha asked of Elijah; those that were already rectified ascended to their fitting place. Therefore, Elisha was a combination of two levels. The main spark of his soul came from Joseph, as is known and he also possessed part of the root of Nadab and Abihu, from the level of Cain.

As Rabbi Nachman taught, G-d never does the same thing twice. (Sichot Rabbi Nachman) Even when He sends a soul again to the world, it comes back with different parts. Here a new combination is made; Joseph is merged with Nadab and his brother.

This type of fusion is usually made between souls that are close in root. Most of the souls branch out of either Cain or Abel. The Cain root comes from the world of Tohu [chaos]. The Abel root comes from the world of Tikun [rectification].

Nadab and Abihu come from netzach and hod. These sefirot are as a pair.

Nadab and Abihu come from netzach and hod. These sefirot are as a pair, that are 'one that is two', and they are the root of the firstborn's double portion. Thus netzach and hod are called two parts of one body (Zohar), and they always identify as two halves of a unit that cannot function without each other - the blades of a scissors, the lips, wings… Therefore Joseph, who always associates with doubledness, (see Gen. 41:32,43) and who reclaimed his double right, became hooked to Nadab and Abihu, who are rooted in the source of the firstborn's double share. This relationship connection is hinted to in the Torah when it describes their lineage, "And these are the names of the children of Aaron: the firstborn is Nadab…." (Num. 3:2) Elsewhere, when the Torah relates a family tree, it does not go out of its way to say that so and so is the firstborn, because it is automatically understood by the order of the names mentioned who has this privilege. Here this is emphasized to hint to the fact that this is a classic, archetype case per se, par excellence of firstbornhood.

The Zohar reveals that Pinchas merited great longevity. He lived for generations and eventually became the illustrious prophet Elijah. (Kings 1-19:10,14) When his time came to leave the world, he was told by G-d to anoint Elisha in his place. As part of the deal of taking the position, Elisha asked for an inheritance. "Let there "na" [please] be a double portion of your spirit to me." (Kings 2-2:9)

The Ari explains that he was asking for Elijah's bi-soul portion of Nadab and Abihu. This is hinted to in the polite wording of his request. "NA" [please] is the first letters of their names. (Likutei Torah)

"Revival comes through Elijah, of good memory." (Avoda Zara) This is a result of his special power to unify and harmonize above and below. Therefore is the gematria of his name fifty-two, which equals twice the tetragrammaton, representing the union that is brought about through him between the Divinity that is found above and below. For this reason, Elijah himself, whose soul was in perfect union with his body, did not have to die. (Kings II 2:11)

The main Messianic light is in the Cain root, played out through Mashiach the son of Joseph, and Mashiach the son of David

The main Messianic light is in the Cain root. In the grand redemption process, it plays out through Mashiach the son of Joseph, and Mashiach the son of David, who come primarily from this root. Therefore did this process have to express through their children. The souls of Nadab and Abihu, from netzach and hod, share the same source as the two Messianic roots. Moreover, they actually energize them and channel to them their light. Also, part of the secret of netzoch and hod's unity is that each is included within the other. Therefore, even though intrinsically Mashiach the son of David is rooted in Nadab/netzoch, and Mashiach the son of Joseph comes from Abihu/hod, nonetheless they each contain each other.

Elisha the prophet was a major, milestone stage in this unfolding soul procession from its Mashiach the son of Joseph aspect. This is the real, intrinsic reason why Joseph teamed with him, to help it along all the more. From the mutual inclusion aspect, he possessed Nadab and Abihu. (Thus they are "two that are four" (Shabbat 1:1, Shavuot 1:1), which itself comes from the two names subnames YH and VH, of four letters, within the tetragrammaton, YHVH, itself. This teaches that the two Messiahs each inclusive of two souls, will reveal all aspects of Divinity, on all levels...)

Another reason why these souls were wielded together: The special upper, premium, deluxe part of Cain comes from the "zihara eilah" - the supernal effulgence of Adam. It is the brilliant, higher section of his soul, which he inherited to his sons. Nadab and Abihu, and also Joseph, drew from this level. Together they granted to the world a special connection to this higher light and the expanded consciousness it brings, which leads to redemption and the revival that follows.

The prophet Samuel was also a major step of this process. He received the souls of Nadab and Abihu before Elisha. The Rabbis teach that Samuel was in some sense equal to Moses and Aaron together (Psalms 99:6). The Ari explains that Moses and Aaron are from netzoch and hod. Harboring the souls of Nadab and Abihu, who are also from this level, accordingly makes him like them.

Empowered by [the souls of Nadab and Abihu], Samuel anointed King David, thus opening a channel for the Mashiach the son of David aspect to flow to the world.

Empowered by these souls, Samuel anointed King David, thus opening a channel for the Mashiach the son of David aspect to flow to the world.

His name "Elisha" indicated this, for with respect to Cain it says, "To Cain and his offering God did not pay favorable attention [in Hebrew, "lo sha’ah"]" (Gen. 4:5), because of his sin. However, Elisha rectified the sin of Cain, and thus is called "Elisha," since G-d heeded and accepted him. The letters of "lo sha’ah" (lamed-aleph, shin-ayin-heh) can be turned into "Eli Sha’ah" (aleph-lamed-yud, shin, ayin-heh), [meaning "to me (G-d) paid favorable attention."]

The root word for attentive favor is "sha'ah". Its gematria is three hundred and seventy. [shin-300 + ayin-70 = 370] It refers to the three hundred and seventy 'lights of the face' that shine from Arich, the highest partzuf, through which G-d as if smiles upon His creatures (Zohar Idra Raba Zutra, Eitz Chayim Shaar Tlot Rashin). One way of describing the goal and point of the entire Torah is to seek and strive for a Divine smile. Cain, who must attain special closeness to G-d, is especially in need of favor and smile. To him, it is not a luxury, but an absolute necessity. Because of the "husk must precede the fruit principle", he must to some degree go through the opposite. He cares so much about having G-d's goodwill and favor that he is hypersensitive to anything that might look as if he is being pushed away and not accepted. Thus he requires constant validation and is easily discouraged. Rejection is his greatest crisis, acceptance is his greatest joy.

King David's entire essence is to always look for G-d and seek His favor. This comes from his messianic root in Cain. He had the lower part of the Mashiach soul, which will return (with the upper part) and lead the whole world to thirst for G-d and perpetually seek His goodwill

Elisha paved the way for the individual to turn deep rooted feelings of rejection and discouragement into a thirst to enthusiastically quest for the Divine favor by successfully balancing and integrating the awesome energies of Joseph and Nadab and Abihu,

Thus, since he originated from the spark of the Cain root, he also wanted the sparks of Nadab and Abihu to join him, as it says, "Let there be double your spirit for me." He merited them because of the spark of Cain that he already possessed.

In spiritual space, closeness is determined by similarity (Derech Hashem, Sulam intro). The likeness of these bits of Cain brought them close until they fused into one incarnation. Nonetheless, each of the souls retains its qualities. Sometimes they can be contradictory. This is significant for us to know.

A person should not be fazed if he sees diverse tendencies and traits in his personality. When G-d puts things together, He knows every single detail of what it will mean. Thus He has some special reasons why He sometimes merges souls that have different perspectives into one human being. Somehow, the dynamic of the inner conflict helps the self grow into something much greater than otherwise. Nadab and Abihu were extremely ascetic creatures who never cared to get married (Zohar parashat Acharei Mot) or have much to do with worldliness, in any shape or form. Joseph was a ladies' man. The Midrash tells that he was so handsome that the women who were in his presence lost hold of what they were doing, to the point of cutting their hands instead of the bread. The Zohar explains that Joseph is rooted in yesod, the sefira that connects male and female in procreation. This manifested below in him having tremendous beauty and charisma (Gen. 39:4,6,21), causing him to be very attractive and desirable.

It's not problematic that they both come from Cain. It is an expansive soul source that includes many things.

From this you can make the necessary connections and understand all reinincarnations throughout history. Hence, it is never the rectified sparks that reincarnate, but rather those sparks that have yet to be rectified.

And so we are never spiritually unemployed. This is wonderful –"Man was born to work" (Chagiga).

[Translation and commentary by Perets Auerbach.]