Advanced Reincarnation Class 44

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

Impurity Leads to Sin

Chapter 15 Section 1

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

Now we will explain the reason why sometimes great and righteous people are the sons of completely evil people, like Abraham who was the son of Terach, a priest of idol worship who made idols for the world and caused people to stumble. We will then be able to understand why the kelipot cause man to sin to the extent that the Temple was destroyed, the blessed Shechina was exiled amongst the nations, and G-d was angered.

As a result of the sin of Adam, all the souls fell into the depths.

The sod is that as a result of the sin of Adam, all the souls fell into the depths of the kelipot.

The Zohar explains that today also, sins cause souls to be given over to and taken captive by the kelipot. From this we see the great responsibility we have for our actions.

(If one has already caused damage, it's never too late to repair. The Hebrew word for repentance is 'teshuva', it literally means to return. It refers to the restoration of the souls to the side of holiness.)

The kelipot themselves are the remainder of the 'zuhama' [dirt] and 'pesolet' [extraneous material]…

"Zuhama" usually refers to the profound and indelible spiritual impurity imparted to mankind by the Original Snake. "Pesolet" is usually a type of unusable waste product, which in this case is also the aspect of spiritual impurity within creation. Both of these terms are used in reference to the negative forces. They came into being through the shattering of the vessels, from the broken pieces. Therefore, all of the things that come out of them have an aspect of being extraneous and tend to be unclean.

…separated out from that which was holy, at the time the "kings" of Edom died, as we explained.

This refers to the "breaking of the vessels," the shattering of the pre-creation sefirot which resulted in the World of Tohu, the state of existence just prior to the first day of creation. Before the initial rectification of creation, the sefirot had yet to be named chesed, gevura, etc. Instead, they are referred to by the names of the kings of Edom, as listed at the end of parashat Vayishlach (Gen. 36:31-40).

chanoch's Commentary

There are 8 Kings of Edom listed in the Torah as specified above. The 8th lived. The first seven died. What this is describing is 10 Sefirot all in line. There was no communication between the Sefirot. This means that the first one gave to the second everything it had. the second survived and gave to the third. The third survived but was damaged. The third gave to the fourth who shattered as it could not handle the Light from the first one which had been channeled to it. All the rest shattered. In the Torah only one's wife that is mentioned is the last King mentioned. This would place the idea of Malchut and allow us to understand their order.

The kelipot are called the "level of death"

The kelipot themselves are actually called the "level of death," whereas holiness is the "Living G-d" and "King of the world." Therefore, they [the kelipot] chase after holiness which is called "life" in order to feed from them and survive.

Evil has no intrinsic existence of its own and therefore must derive its sustenance from the side of holiness.

As long as something from the side of holiness is among [the kelipot], they are able to derive sustenance and can survive. The moment the source of holiness leaves them, they die.

Therefore, they pursue holy sources and cause the holy soul of man to sin, since this brings the holy soul to enter their "vicinity."

When someone sins, it opens the spiritual door for impurity to envelope the person and his soul.This allows the kelipot to derive nourishment from the soul's energy field. For example, sometimes one may feel depleted and down, fatigued and unhealthy – for no psychological or physically diagnosable reason. The real cause is the person's own bad actions. They generate an unholy energy that becomes attached to him. It becomes like a leech that sucks sustenance from the soul.

Once this happens they can draw sustenance from it, since something holy can never be severed from its holy source; the Creator always tries to save those who stray from disappearing altogether—even a small spark from a holy soul.

This is what King David requested, "I have strayed like a lost sheep – seek your servant" (Psalms 119:176). Just as a sheperd looks for a lost member of his flock, so does G-d quest after us. A prayer to be sought by G-d helps hurry this up. It also increases the person's awareness of G-d while he is away in the lost place itself.

G-d continues to sustain the soul from His holy place while it is within the kelipot.

Therefore, G-d continues to sustain the soul from His holy place while it is within the kelipot, and from that sustenance the kelipot draw benefit as well. For this reason, they chase after a person to cause him to sin, like one who troubles himself to find food and for whom there is no disgrace in stealing since he is famished.

Thus does it say, "sin crouches at the door, and to you is its desire" (Gen. 4:7).

chanoch's Commentary

We have just been give a description of the negative system. Rabbi Ashlag in one of his letters described seeing the Klipot as someone got into the Mikvah. This entity can not exist in water since it represents the highest energy of Chesed. It would run up as high as it could on the person's body including hanging onto the last hair follicle to go under water. Since it had no where else to run it died. The light was too strong for it.

Another form of Klipah are bacteria and viruses. When you see the items in a microscope or a picture taken through a microscope you are seeing klipot as well.

[Translation and commentary by Perets Auerbach.]

Divine Presence in Exile

Chapter 15 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

When the Temple was destroyed, the Shechinah was exiled among the kelipot.

When the Temple was destroyed, the Shechinah was exiled among the kelipot because the souls were also exiled among them, and they lack the ability to extricate themselves, being blemished by their sins. Therefore, the Shechinah, of which it is said, "The L-rd your G‑d is (like) a consuming fire"... (Deut. 4:24)

Fire can be used in a positive way, to destroy the negative and the unwanted. In this sense, the Divine Presence is like fire, because it eradicates evil from the world.

…entered the kelipot in order to gather the sparks of the souls within them, to separate and elevate…

This hints to the three step process of retrieving good from its captivity in the other side. 'Hachna'ah' (subjugation), 'havdala' (separation). As soon as the Shechinah enters the other side, the intense light of the Presence automatically subdues the kelipot – hachna'ah. Then a separation must then be made between the good spark there and the negative energies surrounding it – havdala. After this processing, the spark is ready to arise and exit that place - hamtaka.

(The ultimate expression of this principle hachnah-havdala-hamtaka will come when G‑d comes and slaughters the angel of death (Poem at end of Passover Hagada). The Ba'al Shem Tov explains that slaughtering is done by a knife that cuts and separates something. The name of the angel of death is S"M plus E-L, a Divine name. The latter part will be severed from the former piece and the hidden Divinity in death itself shall be revealed and shine out forever!)

…them to a place of holiness and renew them for life in this world, in the bodies of people. This is the sod of the Shechinah in exile.

This is perhaps the greatest expression of G‑d's love for us: that he exiles his own Divine Presence into the negative side in order to help us retrieve the lost sparks of our own souls. In addition, there are some people that have fallen so far away that they themselves are actually mostly in the sitra achra. The Shechinah descends to be with them there also. (Likutei Moharan 33, 2-12) This grants them the ability to connect to G‑d even from the deepest, darkest, lowest places, affording them an opportunity to repent and get out.

Since the destruction G‑d sits and makes matches.

Since the destruction of the Temple, this is what God has been doing.

The Talmud teaches that since the destruction G‑d sits and makes matches. (Avoda Zara) The simple explanation is that He puts couples together in marriage. A step deeper, this means that He helps raise the fallen sparks out of the sitra achra, in order to couple them with the soul that they belong to.

This is an important, true perspective on marriage: Each one of the couple is actually a lost, fallen soul part relative to the other. Therefore does the Talmud call finding a mate looking for a lost article. (Kidushin 2b)

chanoch's Commentary

This story is about Rabbi Akiva and his soul mate Dinah who came in that lifetime as the roman matron who was the wife a roman general. She studied with Rabbi Akivah and then she converted and then married him. As a reminder Rabbi Akiva was initially Schem of Dinah rape fame. He was unable to control his lust. They reincarnated as Zimri and Cosby who were killed by Pinchas and then the third time as Rabbi Akiva and his student. In this story it is described that he laughed sincfe he had control of his feelings when it came to this women this time.

The story explains that Rabbi Akiva was asked by the Matron. What is God doing since he created the world or after the destruction which is another similar story in the Talmud. Rabbi Akiva responded "making matches". The women said that is easy to do. Rabbi Akiva said no why don't you try it. So the women took a 1000 male slaves and a 1000 female slaves and housed them together in the same room. She matched them based on height and skin color. When they came out of their locked rooms in the morning there were only unhappy people with lots of black eyes. She then told Rabbi Akiva that she understood now how difficult making matches.

Until such time as all the souls that fell amongst the kelipot of "Adam Bli’al" [the despicable man]…

Man is in the Divine image. (Gen. 1:27) This means that his soul and body are modeled after a type of spiritual archetype. One reason G‑d created humankind is to give to us and to relate to us. The Infinite Light is too much for finite creatures to bear. It unites and clothes itself in the sefirot. The way they are arranged is the root blueprint that man is formed after. Thus, in their highest source state they are called the world of "Adam Kadmon" – "Primordial Man". (Eitz Chayim Shaar Adam Kadmon) When Adam committed the primordial sin, it created an antithesis. This is the Adam Bliya'al that the Ari is referring to here.

They are both called Adam. This is teach the human Adam, and all of his descendants for generations on, that he now has the choice to be connected to and draw from a spiritual source Adam on the side of holiness, or the one on the other side of the fence. Sins give sparks to the wrong place.

chanoch adds: sparks of your soul are lost to the Klipot and one must redeem them. Most people perceive this as metaphorical. It is not. Remember the teaching by the Baal Shem Tov: You are who you hate. How do you think that person received/captured the spark of your soul?

The "bliya'al" can also be interpreted as "Adam bli-ole," which means "man without yoke," that is without the yoke of Heaven. Therefore, it is a term that refers to the side of unholiness and licentiousness.

…intermixed there from the head unto the feet…

through the entire structure of impurity, which mirrors the ten sefirot on the side of holiness. Keter, the highest sefira, expresses through the head, malchut the lowest sefira expresses through the feet. About this state of complete admixture the prophet bemoans, "from head to foot there is no soundness, wound and sore…". (Isaiah 27:6)

The ultimate stage of rectification is called "the heels of Mashiach"

…have been gathered even from as low as the feet…

There is a great secret in this. About the Shechinah, it allegorically says, "and she lay by his feet until the morning". (Ruth 3:16) This comes to describe the state of exile. The Divine Presence descends to lay down low in the most down and out places, in order to redeem the most fallen, outcast, dispersed sparks. For this reason, the ultimate stage of rectification is called "the heels of Mashiach". (Sota) This process occurs all the time, in many ways, especially in the order of the day. Every night, the Shechinah descends to the kelipot to retrieve the lost souls and sparks. At midnight, it begins to arise, little by little, until the morning, when it comes out completely. For this reason, every new daybreak is a sort of miniature liberation, and the final redemption is called sunrise. (Isaiah)

…Mashiach will not be revealed…

G‑d did not create a broken world for Himself to fix – the job is left for us to do. Every spark is precious and must be raised out of the kelipot. And each one must be elevated through our using free choice to do good. Until we finish our awakening from below, the sparks cannot be fixed, and Mashiach, as it were, cannot come.

This explains the answer that the Mashiach himself gave to Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levy when he asked him, "When is the Master coming?". He replied, "Today – if you'll listen to His voice!" (Sanhedrin) If we would only give ourselves over to fully serve G‑d, the rectification process could be mega accelerated, and Mashiach could come right away!

chanoch adds: Another metaphorical understanding is that when the Light is revealed the next person is able to see that Light and also what he must do to reveal his light. A third metaphor is light a candle in a dark room. One can now see the outline of the furniture. turn up the Rheostat or another candle and one can see the color of the couch. Turn up the Rheostat some more until one sees the pillows on the couch need to be rearranged and straitened. Turn up the rheostat to the highest point one can see that one can see the dust under the couch needs to be cleaned. Each generation before us has turned up the Rheostat a little more until today we can see the dust which is our character traits like a society that is based on greed and not taking care of its poor. Where do you think the Rheostat is on the scale in your family?

…nor will the Jewish people be redeemed. This is what the Zohar says: (Pekudei 258) "Until the feet come to the feet…"

The lowest level of holiness is prone to fall. As it says, "her feet descend to death". (Chagiga) Mashiach will come when the fallen feet are raised up "to the feet"– back to the place, on the side of holiness, where they are supposed to be.

On a deeper level, this can be interpreted to refer to the sitra achra itself. Opposite the ten sefirot, there are "ten crowns of impurity". (Zohar) The malchut is the lowest of them, and it is therefore the feet of the kelipot. As it were, G‑d Himself pays the godfather his check (Likutei Moharan 2-11, see Zohar the parable of the king who hired a criminal to test his son…).

chanoch adds: the criminal is a prostitute but this commentator felt it needed to be changed.

The messianic period is an anteroom that leads to the ultimate perfection of the resurrection. Then will be fulfilled what is said, "and His kingdom rules (and is revealed) over all (even the sitra achra)", (Chagiga) "and You enliven them all (even the kelipot)", (Nehemiah 9:6) "and death (the kelipot) will be swallowed forever" (Chagiga). This means that the feet of the sitra achra itself shall be raised out of negativity to stand 'head and shoulders' equal to the feet of the side of holiness. Through this, we will be granted to see retroactively the holiness that was hidden in the other side all along.

chanoch adds: Since consciousness controls, do you see the negative Tree (Tree of knowledge Good and Bad as being a mirror image with the feet next to the feet and the rest of the negative Adam upside down or do you see the mirror image as being side by side? Mashiach can only come when we see the mirror image side by side. Then we can see the Holiness within the Good and Evil.

…as it says, "They stood on their legs on that day on the Mount of Olives". (Zechariah 14:4)

This verse speaks of the final redemption. That is why it concludes, "and to G‑d (alone) shall be the kingship". The fact that the Torah juxtaposes these topics shows that the in order for the redemption to be finished, the feet must be fixed.

chanoch adds: and the rest of the body

Mount Olives is significant because it is the place from which the resurrection will commence. The verse then means the same thing that the above Zohar teaches: resurrection will sprout when the lowest levels are elevated to the side of holiness. The result will be that the whole world, from top to bottom, will see that G‑d is King.

However, the Shechinah does not gather them except as a result of the actions of those below and their prayers, b’sod, "Give strength to G-d" (Psalms 68:35).

When we do mitzvot we are said to strengthen the hand of God to rectify creation, and just the opposite, God forbid, when we sin. This is the system that God has established for the sake of our own free-will. In order to set the stage for this to work, He as if imposes it upon Himself.

From this little bit we can understand the concept of the Shechinah in general. It comes from the root word 'shachen' – a neighbor. G‑d is most certainly completely omnipotent, imminent and transcending – at the same time – all of the time. He is absolutely, intrinsically perfect and infinite. However, the degree of His revelation to our consciousness is not fixed, and it depends upon our actions. This manifestation of His Presence to our awareness is what we call the Shechina. G‑d is essentially almighty and all powerful. The strength that we, as it were, need to give Him is the shining of His countenance to our own mentality. As an act of love, He left this up to us, so that it could be something that we earn, and thereby appreciate and enjoy properly.

chanoch adds:Remember Bread of Shame.

According to the extent of the actions of those below, the souls can be drawn out. Thus, if the entire Jewish people were to repent then the Shechinah would be able to take all the souls out in one instance.

In other words, Mashiach’s arrival could be hastened, as it says, "The smallest shall become a thousand and the least, a mighty nation; I am the L-rd, in its time, I will hasten it". (Isaiah 60:22) If they are worthy, I will hasten it; if they are not worthy, it will be in its time". (Rashi, Sanhedrin 98a)

Repentance energizes the Shechinah to retrieve the lost souls and sparks.

Thus does the Zohar teach, "This issue (of the redemption) depends upon nothing but repentance". As mentioned, teshuva [repentance] is "teshuv-H": the letter that represents the Shechinah. Repentance energizes the Shechinah to retrieve the lost souls and sparks.

chanoch adds: Actually, Teshuv-H causes the sparks to be released from the Klipot so that when the Shechina goes down into the Klipot at night the sparks can be elevated by her as she elevates and returns to her place by the side of HaShem in the morning as the commentators comments express.

On the other hand, our sins weaken G‑d (so-to-speak) as it says, "You weakened the Rock that bore you". (Deut. 32:18)

They cause a hiding of His Presence from the world.

chanoch adds: The midrash brings the teaching that do our sins HaShem retreated from one level of Heaven until the next level of Heaven until He was in the Highest Level of Heaven. Then Abraham and the Hebrew Nation came and step by step; Heaven by Heaven He returned until the Giving of the Torah. (It took Jethro (the High Priest of the 70 Nations) acknowledging HaShem to allow the Torah to be revealed. Finally the Torah is revealed and we agains start the process that sends HaShem back up the 7 Heavens until we can no longer see HaShem in the physical world. When we find HaShem in his concealed state that is Mashiach. That is why Mashiach can only come in an orderly natural way such as nations agreeing to a Peace Treaty instead of the usual human expectation of a miraculous Peace manifestation.

This secret is told to us through the medium of G‑d being to us as a rock. On the simple level, this reiterates to us the fact that G‑d is really steadfast and unchanging, and the problems caused by any sin are really only to ourselves.

A step deeper, this comes to teach the underlying principle of why what we do is so important. Josef was blessed by Jacob his father, "… from there he was nourished by the Rock of Israel". (Gen.) The souls are called a 'chalek Eloka mema'al' – a piece of Divinity from above. A little pebble hewn and quarried is a part of the entire mountain. As if it were, we are a 'chip of the old block' from upstairs. Thus, at the soul source, father and son are one.

chanoch adds: actually, HaShem and a human soul are one. It is from these idea that the Kabbalists bring the teaching that "We are Like God"

The word for rock, "even", is by way of remez (hint), a type of compound word - av/ben - father/son. In the pre-creation stage, all that would ever be was included in potential. This is like the state of the child included in the father's mind prior to conception. (Tanya 1,2) As if it were, everything is included in G‑d's mind. Thus do the Rabbis speak of creation as having arose in Divine thought. (Menachot) There, reality basks in brilliant light. It all waits to express and shine. After the actual is separated from the potential, it comes out and manifests the root light that it was connected to above. Sin causes the actual to ascend and be re-included above. It thus reverses the creation process and destroys the world. (Likutei Moharan 66) In order to allow free will to continue, the sinner and the world around him appears to go on. If one had spiritual eyes to see what is really happening, he would see the life force depart from the evil-doer. This lack of Divinity shining below is called, relative to us, as if a weakening of G‑d.

One way of describing our job in a nutshell is that we must manifest outwardly this inner connection. Sin causes the opposite of this. Therefore it as if it were weakens the root rock connection. In short, if you want G‑d – you gotta rock!

chanoch adds: It is not truly a weakening of God it is a weakening of ourselves. When our life force (chinese call it Chi) reduces as mentioned above we weaken until we reach a point that our life force is too weak to keep us alive. Conversely, when we do a good deed we receive back the life force we gave away. How long we live from this recovered life force depends on how much the Klipot used up while they had this life force called Nefesh. That is why the universe uses as a medium of exchange Nefesh energy. Remember without your Nefesh there is no covering for the Ruach and it must leave along with the Neshamah.

Once the souls are able to leave the kelipot, then the Shechinah can remove them. After removing their life force, the kelipot then die…

The negative forces are parasites. They cannot exist without nourishment from their very enemies. As soon as they are suspended from drawing energy, they are nullified.

…and the evil person is consumed like smoke.

There is great depth to this comparison. E=mc squared. Matter does not become destroyed, just transformed. The same applies to evil. It does not need to be eradicated, just adjusted. All we need to do is to turn it into its proper form. This is the concept of sublimation.

In order to set the stage for free choice, there must be things in the world that look [bad].

chanoch adds: Consciousness controls. When we use the word bad instead of evil we leave evil intact. Substitute evil for anytime you use bad. A child is never bad and neither are adults. A child is never evil He makes mistakes. An adult only looks evil. All things are an expression of the goodness of HaShem.

This underlying principle comes out especially in regards to loving G‑d. As seen from the Rabbi's interpretation of the verse, "'And you shall love G‑d your L-rd, with all of your heart…'. 'With all of your heart' – with both of your inclinations, the good one and the bad one". (Brachot). The Torah chose to here show us this principle by the mitzvah of loving G‑d, because love is the root force that makes this happen. This can be understood based on the verse "the world is built (on) lovingkindness". (Psalms 89:3) The root of creation was the pure, altruistic Divine desire to give good. (Derech Hashem) Because this is the underlying, axiomatic energy of all existence, it automatically implants and programs the base essence of everything to be good. In order to set the stage for free choice, there must be things in the world that look like the opposite. However, since at the bottom of all things lies love, it is always possible to transfer any given thing back to this innate source. Moreover, at the end of days, this will indeed happen in a complete, grandiose, glorious way. "On that day, G‑d will be one, and His name one". (Zechariah) Isn't He one now? (Indeed He is! But now this is not apparent. Because now) on good tidings (i.e. things that we feel to be positive) we bless 'He is good and does good'. On bad tidings (things that we experience as being negative) we bless 'He is the truthful Judge'. But in time to come (it will always be experientially clear that everything is for the best. Therefore we will) always (bless) 'He is good and does good'". (Berachot 54a) All of creation will completely assume its true nature of love and good.

In this lies the secret of how to turn the evil inclination into good. The Hebrew word for love is 'ahavah'. It relates to the root 'yahav' – to give. The intrinsic nature of the good inclination is to give, for the opposite the opposite. A person has to learn to take the selfish energy of his negative tendencies and turn them into giving

chanoch adds: This is a corrupted translation of the Hebrew. Giving is Lo Lishmo - Not for its own Sake. Even the Matan Torah is better translated as the Sharing of the Torah. Sharing is Lishmo - For its own sake. Please use the proper word above. It is not giving it is sharing. The group Benai Baruch under the guidence of Rabbi Laitman uses the term Altruism yet this is also corrupted since We are Created as a desire to receive We can Not Be Altruistic. We can transform our desire to receive for oneself alone into a desire to receive in order to share. This is the correct Kabbalistic Language translated into English.

Another explanation: "Smoke" is 'oshan' (OShN). It is the first letters (an acronym) of olom-shana-nefesh, the time-space-soul continuum. The ability of evil to masquerade and appear as bad comes from the fact that our minds are underneath time and space. When something goes up in smoke, it forfeits its revealed aspect of manifestation to the soul through the mediums of time and space. It thereby comes closer to its root above in the ultimate purpose, i.e., the Divine love inside. Therefore does the Ari. tell us that the wicked will be consumed like smoke, to teach that even the negative energy amassed by someone through an entire lifetime of evil will be transformed to good.

chanoch adds: Use the above commentary to enhance your understanding of the Olah - the burnt offering. this sacrifice must go up in smoke. Rising directly with no movement to right or left but it rises straight up. Physically this is due to an herb added to the fire. I forget its name. spiritually it represents the direct connection between the soul of the offerer/Levite/Cohen and HaShem.

The kelipot which are called 'death' will be 'swallowed' in a single moment.

This is the sod of the verse, "Death will be swallowed forever", (Isaiah 25:8) for the kelipot which are called 'death' will be 'swallowed' in a single moment…

Food becomes the eater. (Likutei Moharan) Contrary to popular opinion, it's not "you are what you eat", rather "what you eat becomes what you are". The kelipot will be swallowed and digested by the side of holiness and thereby also turned to good.

…since the Shechinah together with the Soul-Sparks that were among them will have left them.

chanoch adds: We must realize that the left column of the Tree will not die. It will remain and be useful. It will cause the desire for your spouse to manifest in unification through sexual relations, even after Mashiach. The left column will be controlled by the sharing consciousness of the right column.

[Translation and commentary by Perets Auerbach.]

Escaping the Clutches of the Impurities

Chapter 15 Section 3

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

The greater the soul, the more the kelipot will benefit.

Returning to the topic, while the Shechina is among them for the sake of the souls that are there, it is impossible that the kelipot not benefit. Therefore, they cause them [the kelipot ] to remain among them, and they continue to be sustained as a result of their presence. And, the greater the soul, the more the kelipot will benefit.

The greater the soul, the higher the degree of intensity is its energy. It is thus a 'big investment' that reaps for them high dividends.

Thus, when a particular soul is very important, they will not allow it to leave them, and [the kelipot will] make every effort to defile it, in order to prevent it from leaving. Sometimes, they fear that a certain righteous person will do an important mitzvah and cause a soul to be removed from among them, and [they] draw it out through his seed from a holy union with his wife.

chanoch adds:This is how The Precious Abraham is born to the evil mistaken Terach. This is how the precious Moshe is born to his parents who went against the Torah law of a divorce and remarriage. There are others in the Torah as well as will be discussed in later chapters.

Every union accomplishes something. Even when there is no conception, it is not for naught, and great rectifications can be made. Souls can be redeemed and liberated. The power of the union to do this depends upon the purity of the intentions of the couple.

They accuse this soul before G-d in order to cause it to enter the defiled seed.

Therefore, when they see a certain evil person who has become completely blemished and has forsaken his purpose, they try very hard to accuse this soul before G-d in order to cause it to enter the defiled seed, so that it will further destroy itself.

Rather than the righteous soul enter the product of the unholy union, the kelipot urge G-d to send the blemished soul instead to become even more blemished.

This, in turn, will cause it to become even more blemished and forever unable to leave them.

Forever here means until the kelipot are eternally obliterated.

G-d desires the repentance of even the greatest sinner rather than see a soul destroyed

However, G-d considers how to prevent those which stray from being pushed off completely, specifically those souls which are still pure and special. G-d desires the repentance of even the greatest sinner rather than see a soul destroyed, G-d forbid.

If matter is not destroyed, how much more so a soul! However, one who has seriously defiled his soul will have to undergo a greater transformation process. In general, sin soils the soul and causes it to need a cleaning. The dirtier it is, the more of a cleaning it requires. There is a point where it becomes so dirty that the washing machine won't help any more. The garment needs to be set on fire. Through being burned, the unclean molecules connect with their root in the Infinite Light and are rejuvenated to assume a new identity. This is a parable for the soul. Its being destroyed means that its energy is transformed, and is made into something good.

Though He heeds their [the kelipot's] voice and places such souls in an evil place, after time the kelipot weaken their grasp.

thinking they have won control over the seemingly lost soul. This is a type of decoy tactic. G-d created a system in order to set the stage for free will. In order to keep the system going, He as if it were plays by His own rules. Therefore, He as if it were must allow the sitra achra to have its place and power. He plays around within system within the rules of the system to usurp the kelipot.

However, it is then that G-d helps the soul to rise up from the dust of its sin…

This is what King David means when he praises saying, "from the garbage heaps He lifts up the destitute…" (Psalms 113:7).

Each and every soul is pure and holy.

…and impurity, to become "kosher" once again through its actions, like pearls that are cleansed and whose appearance becomes fitting to the eyes of all.

This is a foundational principle. Each and every soul is pure and holy. Any mistake anyone makes is not who they really are. At the bottom of the self lies a precious diamond. It just requires polishing.

chanoch adds: cleaning and polishing

Not only is the soul rectified, but even the one who fathered it also merits from the repentance of the son, like we see in the case of Job who was the gilgul of Terach, the father of Abraham who repented because of Abraham.

Abraham’s spiritual accomplishments acted as a merit for Terach which brought Divine assistance so that Terach could eventually repent. This is based on the Zohar, "a son gives merit to the father (posthumously)". The Ari. says here, we see that this applies not only in regards to the merit of the parents, but it goes a step further. The children can energize the parents' soul to be reincarnated into a good lifetime and change their destiny for the better.

G-d tricks the kelipot, in order to save those who stray from being pushed off completely.

This concept will be discussed in more detail in Chapter 38.

[Translation and commentary by Perets Auerbach.]