Advanced Reincarnation Class 64

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

Leaving the Klipot

Chapter 27 Section 1

Every person has a soul on the level of ohr makif [surrounding light] - the part of the soul not contained within any type of vessel, that is, a body, and an ohr pnimi [internal light].

chanoch's Commentary

The above sentence and paragraph is easy to misunderstand. Our souls are aspects of energy. Our souls consist of parts of us inside our body and parts of us outside our body. The part of us inside the body is called Internal Light or Ohr Pnimi. The part of us outside the body is called Ohr Makif or Surrounding Light. Now we also use the term Higher Self. This is the part of our soul called Chaya or Yechidah. Our Neshamah can be part of our Higher Self or not. If not it will be part of our inner light. If it is part of our Higher Self than it is part of our Surrounding Light. Surrounding Light is the potential of becoming Inner Light. Inner Light will not move to be Surrounding Light again. Once Inner Light is revealed by a body that Inner Light can be covered with Klipot but will not become concealed as Surrounding Light as it was prior to it becoming revealed.

When Nadav and Abihu were born into this world, the [primary] tikune for the root of Cain began, the second and superior level of root from Adam. All the souls of this root came from the tzelem [image] of Nadav and Abihu, on the level of the ohr makif [which rests] on them.

The soul and the body are intrinsically opposites. In order for them to be able to get together, there must a kind of intermediate category that draws from both. (Likutei Torah Baal HaTanya) This is the secret of the tzelem. The soul becomes clothed in a sort of quasi-spiritual organism (astral body) that affords it the ability to enter a body and dwell within it. It has an aspect of surrounding light that accompanies the person.

These souls began their repair process with the birth of the first two, greatest sons of Aaron. (Zohar III)

However, all of these souls were still not purified - only the two sparks of Nadav and Abihu themselves. The rest of the souls of this root, included in the tzelem of the ohr makif of Nadav and Abihu, still contained evil kelipot.

When a soul comes into this world that was previously from the tzelem of Nadav and Abihu, it [thereby] becomes purified from the kelipot. The remainder of the souls of this root which are part of the tzelem from which this newly purified soul came remain amongst the kelipot. Thus, when a soul is purified and redeemed from within the kelipot and enters this world, the rest remain impure and part of the tzelem, in the secret of the ohr makif of the soul that was already purified.

chanoch's Commentary

The concept of Tzelem or Shadow is a sub component of the Surrounding Light. The outer aspect of the Tzelem is more connected to the Klipot. The closer within the Surrounding Light is to the body the more difficult is the connection for the Klipot to stay and not become cleansed and purified.

chanoch adds: This is the reason for the mitzvah to have as many children as possible. Rabbi Auerback adds: This is the secret of the mitzvah to have as many children as possible, to bring souls to the world and thereby cleanse them. (Likutei Torah Bereishit, Likutei Halalachot Pirya Viriveya)

They 'hop on the bandwagon' of the newly cleansed soul. This is a step to help them also attain purity.

As mentioned previously, the purification of a soul and when it comes into this world is not based upon its spiritual level, rather upon the situation created by man below. He determines the type of soul that will be drawn into his seed, as mentioned before in previous discussions.

Sometimes, a very elevated soul will remain sunk in the kelipot for a long time, unable to exit until a certain merit related to its leaving can be arranged. Less-elevated souls can exit and enter this world even prior to others, because of a merit that was performed connected to their leaving.

Based on the soul's root in the 613 commandments, it requires certain specific mitzvot to be a merit for it in order to be liberated from the sitra achra.

Sometimes, a person may transgress in this world, and the kelipot will want to destroy him and draw him astray. At that point, they will draw a soul from his root to him, one which is sunk in the depths of the kelipot and full of chitzonom [outside energies]. They draw it out and it becomes like a tzelem for the person who transgressed, causing him to sin more.

Being from his root and spiritually attached to him, it has the ability to steer him astray. This is a kabalistic example of how "the reward of sin is sin". (Pirkei Avot 2:1) The person is held somewhat responsible for the damage which the extra soul caused him to do because he drew it upon himself through doing the wrong things.

The inner workings of this aspect of Providence are based upon "A person is led in the way he wants to walk." (Makot 10b)

However, it can be that the soul they draw to him will be a great soul which happened to be immersed in the depths of the kelipot but [that] the kelipot assumed was already destroyed and unable to return to its former state. Instead, G-d will help it, arouse it from amongst the kelipot, and reveal its strength and holiness. As a result, it will instead help the person to do good.

This is the secret of the verse, "The time when ha'adam [the man] exerts power over his fellow to his disadvantage": (Eccl. 8:9) The time when "ha'adam habliya'al [the despicable man]" - of the kelipot - exerts power over his fellow - the holy soul. However, in this case he made a mistake, for what he thought was to the benefit of the kelipot turns out to be just the opposite, as the Saba of Mishpatim explains. Afterwards, this soul itself (from the kelipot) will become purified and will also come into this world.

Providence does this to as if 'trick' the sitra achra and bring about its designs.

chanoch's Commentary

Let me put this into different words. A soul can be submerged in the Klipot. This soul is then released by the negative system to become part of the Surrounding Light of another soul. This is done by the Klipot to reattach the second soul through the affinity of the submerged soul. HaShem then uses this affinity to release the Surrounding Light from the Klipot and cleanse this aspect of souls so that the battle between the two systems are won by HaShem due to this miscalculation by the negative system. The miscalculation is the negative system thinking that the submerged soul can not normally act independently of the Klipot since it seems to be so overwhelmingly under the control of the negative system.

Although G-d is G-d (Ex. 3:14) and He can always do whatever He wants, He created a system with rules that He usually chooses to abide by.

chanoch adds: The operative word is usually. This means sometimes HaShem chooses to change the rules. Yet even then he operates within the laws of miracles.

Rabbi Auerback's Comments: The splitting of the Red Sea is a historic example of God 'pulling strings' and breaking His own rules. He specifically did so because it was the completion of the process of taking the people out of Egypt and making them His people. At that special time, He chose to show them His special love and how everything revolves around them. He therefore rigged the game and set things up in such a way as to necessitate His breaking the rules. Otherwise, there are times when breaking the laws of nature are considered improper.

chanoch's Commentary

My teachers explain this in a different vocabulary. They teach that there is a natural order to things that is always maintained. When it becomes necessary to break out of the natural physical order of things then the laws of the next higher world take over and this higher world's natural order is then followed. That is why the Red Sea split in 12 places due to the speed necessary to minimize the people being exposed while walking in the Red Sea. They teach that the Creator always minimizes the amount of energy expended to break his own set of rules.

[Translation and commentary by Perets Auerbach.]

The Process of Departure

Chapter 27 Section 2

As previously mentioned, as a result of the sin of Adam all of the souls became mixed good and evil, having fallen into the depths of the kelipot, into Adam Bliya’al, where they became hidden. Now, when it comes time for a soul to come into this world, it cannot immediately leave the depths of the kelipot through some merit of a person in this world.

After that, it will reincarnate as many times as it needs to.

Instead, it must first be included in the level of the tselem and Ohr makif three times on the heads of three different people from the same root, one after the other. After that, it can enter a body that is born and become a soul on the level of Ohr pnimi, which is considered to be the first actual reincarnation. After that, it will reincarnate as many times as it needs to.

It can occur that the three previous people for whom he acted as the Ohr makif did not completely rectify themselves. If so, when he finally reincarnates for the first time, they can come with him to finish their own tikune. However, the name of the body will be his; the other three souls being only like guests - even though they remain there until death.

chanoch's Commentary

Remember all 4 of these souls are from the same soul root or it could not happen that they have any affinity.

A person who has come into the world for the first time will have a difficult time subjugating his yetzer hara, even if his soul is very high, since it is the beginning of his purification from the kelipot. Even while he was on the level of tselem he still contained kelipot. As a result, this person will be quite sad all of his days and find him himself worrying for no reason. In actuality, it is the kelipot that cause it.

This is the secret of what happened to King David, who was close to G-d. Amazingly, his yetzer hara [seemed to somewhat] overcome him in the incidents involving BathSheba and Abigail.(Kings I) However, as said, it occurred because it was the beginning of his departure from the kelipot, as David wrote, "I am sunk in the mire of the shadowy depths." (Psalms 69:3) There are other verses to this effect.

Thus, the sins of someone who has come into the world for the first time do not count before G-d as they do for others, since he is still affected by the kelipot, and it takes great effort to leave them. This is the secret of what the Sages say: "Had you not been David and he Saul, I would have destroyed many David’s before Saul." (Moad Katan 16b) Understand this well.

chanoch's Commentary

We are being taught about relativity. A soul who does a negative action can receive one effect or another based on the influence of the Klipot upon this soul. This is very significant. Without this understanding we will impact our own judgment days significantly. This is because our consciousness impacts our judgment day.

Rabbi Auerback adds: David really did resist and subjugate his inclination. However, his coming out of the hold of the kelipot caused it not to look so. (Shabbat)

...each person comes from a different place and is so judged.

How each person comes from a different place and is so judged. Therefore, only the One Who is "the place of the world, and the world is not His place" (Breishit Raba 68:10) can judge. For all of the places are by Him, and He alone truly understands them. Unless someone who is so nullified to G-d as to be included in Him... (Likutei Moharan II 1)

Sometimes, the soul of a new person is very lofty but he [still] cannot overcome his yetzer hara - if he could, he would easily be very pious. This is a powerful lesson, for it explains why sometimes a person may only transgress lightly but receive a serious punishment, while someone else may perform a terrible sin, and yet not get punished for it.

This is the secret of, "The deeds of the Rock are perfect, and all His ways are judgment." (Deut. 32:4) This is enough for those who comprehend, and therefore you cannot question the ways of G-d, or even of the righteous when they sin.

A rock is an example in the physical world of solid, unchanging, stability.

A rock is an example in the physical world of solid, unchanging, stability. The verse comes to teach that even though Providence may seem to the naked eye as acting partial, in truth, it is totally impartial and just. Just we do not have the whole picture...

Furthermore, for someone who is from the level of Cain, who is a combined good and evil, the good is quite great. However, it is that the evil and zuhama [filth] are also very great and overpowering. This is because the entire root of Cain is from gevura, to which the kelipot and chitzonim [outside forces] adhere strongly.

The left side of gevura works in a motion of constriction and concealment. In its root above in holiness, it is makes holy boundaries that create vessels for the light to dwell in and express out of. As this motion descends from world to world in the seder hahishtalshilus [chained order of cascading, descending realms], it eventually hides Divinity to the point of allowing place for the seemingly opposite to express. And so the side of gevura is the source of the sitra achra. One who comes from this place in holiness might be plagued by unusual tests. Ultimately, this is only to propel him to unusual heights. This is part of what the Arizal mentioned to understand well about David: Those like him who find themselves facing extra tests should be fortified by knowing that they have tremendous potential.

[Translation and commentary by Perets Auerbach.]

The Effect of Sin on the Daat of Zeir Anpin

Chapter 28 Section 1

Zeir Anpin has three mochin: chochma, bina, and between them, daat - which contains chasadim and gevurot - two crowns.

Wisdom, understanding, and knowledge are the three major faculties of the human mind. They are modeled after and come from the corresponding faculties of the supernal mind of Zeir Anpin.

Chochma occupies the right side of the mind, bina the left. Daat is the balancing energy that lies between them. From it come decisions between the different sides of an issue. In order to be able to do this, it must be composed in and of itself of both right and left dynamics. The chesed/right and gevura/left aspects are called crowns. They jump down a step, from the shoulders of Abba and Imma, surrounding and crowning daat.

When Adam sinned, he caused the moach of daat to descend between the two shoulders of Zeir Anpin, into the upper third of tiferet, until the chest. There, the chasadim separated and went into the right shoulder and the gevurot went into the left shoulder.

Daat left its proper place in the mind and became part of the body.

This caused it to diminish in quality. A simple way of understanding this is to say that the mind, which was meant to soar above and probe celestial vistas, sold out and became used for mundane pursuits.

The test was with the tree of daat/knowledge, as mentioned, because daat decides. Resisting eating from the energy of mixed knowledge would have immediately perfected their mind and given them a ticket to eternal utopia. Partaking of the tree caused the daat to become defected and brought it down to places it was never meant to operate in. Learning and living the Torah fixes and elevates the daat. The general idea behind how it does this is that it properly balances and puts in synch the right and left side of the mind. This results in the person enjoying a perspective of reality according to what it truly is. In such a headset, one can see how important each idea and thing is relative to itself and to everything else. From this mentality, one can understand how to harmonize his life and the world around.

Since Cain and Abel were born after Adam sinned, Cain was from the gevurot in the left shoulder after they arrived there and became unable to give off light as they did when part of the moach itself above.

Another negative result was that while the daat was in the head above where it belongs, the chitzoniyut [externality] of the nefesh came from the bone and flesh of the head itself. For, as is known, every soul has a penimiyut [inner aspect] and chitzoniyut [external], its clothing. Thus it was that the penimiyut was from the gevurot of the moach daat and was related to its chitzoniyut, which was from the bone and flesh of the left side of the head.

However, once the moach daat descended, the peniminiyut of the soul of the root of Cain remained in the moach of gevurot in the daat, but the chitzoniyut was now from the left shoulder-limb, and they were no longer related to each other.

It also causes one to be 'two-faced,' besides dividing between family and friends.

This is the cause of an ailment that plagues many of the Cain root: Self-separation, fragmentation, and even sometimes schizophrenia. It also causes one to be 'two-faced', besides dividing between family and friends.

The ultimate source of this itself is the root of Cain in the world of Tohu [chaos]. There, the lights are separate from the vessels… (Eitz Chaim, Shaar HaShemot) The tikune process involves lessening the light in order that it should fit in the vessels. This is done primarily through nullifying the ego. In terms of the mind and shoulder mentioned here, they must be 're-united.' This involves aligning one's actions to his mind - his understanding of how he should act. "Practice what you preach."

Furthermore, the peniminiyut no longer gives off light as it once did - before while in the head.

The second lacking on the level of chitzoniyut is that they are now from the bottom, that is the shoulder, and not from their rightful place: galgalta [the skull].

Even though a person in this world does not have the ability to correct these defects even through mitzvahs [good deeds], still, performing mitzvahs is to his merit.

Even though the good things we do cannot change and correct everything that needs fixing, it is good to do them. For they aid the process of all corrections eventually coming to full fruition.

For in the time of Mashiach, these defects will be rectified and the daat will return to its proper place in the head. The peniminiyut of the soul will give off light as it did previously, and the chitzoniyut will come from their proper location: galgalta.

I don’t know if my teacher told me whether the chitzoniyut from the left shoulder will also remain there in the time of Mashiach with the peniminiyut of the soul, since they were joined together in this world, or just the opposite.

Furthermore, just as the daat descended between the shoulders as a result of Adam’s sin, so too did the partzuf of Leah descend from the backside of the daat of Zeir Anpin, which is her proper place. After the sin of Adam, she also descended to the back side of the shoulders, since Leah is from the malchut of Imma, which is in the daat of Zeir Anpin, enclothed within yesod Imma. (Eitz Chaim, Shaar Leah v'Rachel)

[Translation and commentary by Perets Auerbach.]

Root of Rabbi Akiva's Soul

Chapter 28 Section 2

You should know that all the souls mentioned, like that of Rabbi Akiva and others like him, are from the root of Cain, which is from gevurot of hod of daat - the fifth gevura. Also, all the souls from gevurot of hod in the daat of Leah are related to the root of Rabbi Akiva - they are considered one root. You can draw a parallel from this to the root of Abel, which is from the chasadim of daat.

[This is] the issue of the Cain-root, and from it you can extrapolate and apply to the Abel-root.

The choicest special ones fell further down than all of the rest.

All the sparks of souls from the Cain-root were dependent upon Cain. When he sinned, all of them became mixed in the kelipot. The choicest special ones fell further down than all of the rest. Because the sin of Cain blemished the [level of] machshava elyona [i.e. supernal thought], as mentioned in Sefer HaTikunim, Tikun 69. The place of the soul-root Rabbi Akiva ben Yosef was the hands. In the secret of, "And his hand was holding the heel of Esau." (Gen. 25:26)

This verse is said about Jacob. Akiva shares the same letters of Jacob, for he came from him. Therefore was he so outstanding in Torah - the quality of Jacob.

The hands have the ability to go down as far as the heel or as high up as the head, unlike the rest of the limbs. Therefore, these limbs fell to the depths of the kelipot, until the heel. When Rabbi Akiva was killed, he ascended to the machshava helyona.

"The bigger they are - the harder they fall."

This is the secret of what G-d told Moses [when Moses saw a vision of] the death of Rabbi Akiva, "Quiet! This is what arose in machshava [i.e. thought]" (Menachot 29b) - that is to fix the defect.

So we find that all souls that are from the hand, through good deeds, are able to ascend to a very high level without limit, more than many other people who preceded them from earlier generations. Remember this.

Furthermore, even if a soul from the root of Cain comes into the world for the first time as a new soul, still he must rectify the blemish that occurred to his nefesh, ruach, and neshama from the sin of Cain - on the level of the portion of the root of which he is part.

Earlier we explained how positive and negative mitzvahs are dependent upon the 248 limbs of Adam’s soul, and how every limb includes flesh, tendons, and bones. The bones, the highest level, are on the level of the moach [bone-marrow] within them, and not on that of the bones themselves.

The...[tendons]...tie together all the limbs making them a single unit.

The next level down is the tendons, since a person's life-force runs through them, the blood moving through the arteries of the body. They also tie together all the limbs making them a single unit. The least of the three levels is the flesh.

On all three levels, flesh, tendons, and bones, there are souls which are considered to be the root of the level. They are the talmidei chachamim [Torah Scholars], ba’alei battim [householders], ba’alei ma’ase [doers of good deeds], and amei ha’Aretz" [simpletons]. This is true of all three levels in every limb.

There are long limbs, like the arms and thighs, within which there are large gaps between the souls. However, talmidei chachamim from the shoulder-limb and the like are very closely knit.

[Translation and commentary by Perets Auerbach.]

The Effects of Sin On Cain

Chapter 29 Section 1

As it is known, had Adam, who was created on day six, waited until Shabbat night to procreate with Eve, the worlds would have become rectified. However, since he did not wait, Cain was born with a mixture of good and evil, as will be explained. Furthermore, had Cain the firstborn not sinned, then he and his twin [sister] would have been like chochma and bina, and Abel and his twin [sister] like tiferet and malchut.

chanoch's Commentary

The Zohar and Talmud teach that "two lay down and 7 got up." This is Adam and Eve - the two who lay down. Then Eve bore Cain and his twin sister and Abel and his two twin sisters. This is the 7 who got up. Thus, Abel started lower than Cain and was capable of growing spiritually to the level of Cain through the motivations of his two helpmates. Cain did not understand this and allowed his evil inclination to overpower him.

Originally, there was no negative energy within man - only outside of him. Its vehicle was the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Adam's job was to rectify it. He was to do this by refraining from partaking of it until Shabbat . Hand and hand with this is that he was also to wait to cohabit until Shabbat .

Shabbat is the day of all good and perfection. A great light shines on it that subjugates all negativity and augments shining revelation. (Zohar) Just waiting for the Shabbat process to take effect was all that was necessary to perfect the universe. Because they didn't wait, reality has to take a small six millennium detour! In truth, 6,000 years is still as nothing compared to eternity. The bliss to come when everything reaches completion will be forever...

We see how important the quality of patience is. One who examines his life will see that a great part of the tests involve waiting. Growing up in a society that bombards the mind with constant messages that life is about instant gratification, may make it hard to implement this. One can reflect on the lesson of this teaching to help: According to how well a person masters his desire for instant gratification, he fixes a major part of his portion in the original sin.

chanoch's Commentary

There are many people who also have the opposite tikune. They need to act quickly without waiting as this is an aspect of patience as well.

Cain was born first, so most of the negativity injected into Eve from eating from the tree came out in him. (Zohar) This produced his murderous tendencies, among other things.

Had he not sinned, he would have assumed the full spiritual stature that his soul was rooted in: Cain and his mate embodied chochma and bina. After he defected, these levels did not fully express in him.

The name Cain, or Kayin in Hebrew, is related to the word ‘kinah’ - jealousy. He was jealous of Abel. One of the things he was jealous of was that Abel was given an extra wife (Midrash). From here we see that Cain and his wife were an expression of chochma and bina. Abel and his mate were from Zeir Anpin, who has two wives, Rachel and Leah. Therefore Abel had two. Chochma and bina are much higher than Zeir Anpin and both its feminine aspects. Often one sees what someone else has and desires it - without realizing that they have something much greater.

These levels are intrinsically above the world as we know it, which is run primarily from the Abel aspects of Zeir Anpin and Nukva. Providence wants the universe to ascend and assume these higher aspects. However, once he killed Abel, it was not possible anymore for this to happen right away. First Shet had to be born - the one to assume and revive the Abel aspect; Cain had to wander. This is the beginning of the tikune. This entire Sha’ar Hagilgulim is focused on the Cain tikune - how to bring the super-energies into fruition in this world.

Later in history, Esau and Jacob were like Cain and Abel - had Esau been righteous, he would have surpassed Jacob. Because the firstborn is from chochma, and Jacob [who was born after], is from tiferet. However, since Esau sinned, the right of the firstborn was taken from him and Jacob received a double-portion, his own and that of his brother. Therefore, [in his aspect of] Jacob, [he] corresponds to tiferet, whereas [in his aspect of] Israel, [he] corresponds to chochma. This is the meaning of, "Isaac loved Esau, for his trappings were in his mouth." (Gen. 25:28)

He understood Esau’s phenomenal potential and wanted to bring it out. "Trappings" refer to the wealth of super energized sparks that he saw lying in the Esau root. They are as if trapped in the hands of the sitra achra and they need to be ‘retrapped’. This is the secret of why Isaac wanted to give the blessings to Esau: he hoped through the power of the blessings to magnetize the sparks to his side of holiness. G-d saw that that was not going to happen. He therefore influenced Rebecca to prompt Jacob to take the blessings...

"Everything [below] is as above." (Zohar) Root-themes above were programmed into reality in the creation process in order that they should play out in man below.

Before the order of this universe came out, there was the world of Tohu [chaos], so called because of the chaotic state prevalent there. Too much light was poured into the vessels and they shattered. The lights departed and flew above. The shards fell down and from them came the sitra achra.

Immediately, a repair process started. The lights were toned down and drawn into the vessels. This became the world of Tikun [rectification].

Cain and Abel are embodiment of Tohu and Tikun. The world endures in the Tikun/Abel mode. But it was not meant to stay this way. Providence directs things in such a way to eventually bring the superior Cain energy out.

A major step in the process comes out through Jacob /Abel /Tikun and Esau /Cain/Tohu. This is the idea here behind Esau being greater than Jacob. In the words of Rabbi Avigdor Miller Z"l, if Esau had done teshuvah, we would be saying "Lord of Esau " in the Amida prayer!

As said, because Adam sinned on Friday, the snake was able to impart zuhama [spiritual contamination] to Eve, and this resulted in Cain and Abel being born with good and evil combined within them. However, there was a difference between them - Cain was mostly evil, whereas Abel was mostly good.

This means that the NR"N of Cain was from BY"A of holiness, and that these three became mixed together with the NR"N of the kelipot. However Abel , although like Cain in that his NR"N was also from BY"A of holiness, only his nefesh and ruach became intermingled with the kelipot. Thus his neshama remained completely good, without a trace of evil.

This is what it means to be mostly good and partially evil. The three components of both sides are not equal. In the case of Cain, all three on both sides were mixed together. At this point, we will no longer discuss Cain’s gilgulim and we will instead explain the gilgulim of Abel, his brother.

[Translation and commentary by Perets Auerbach.]

The Incarnations of Abel

Chapter 29 Section 2A

As we already know, a ruach cannot reincarnate until the nefesh has [first] done so and been rectified. (Chapter One, Section 2) When the ruach itself has been repaired, the neshama will then undergo rectification. In Abel’s case, though the nefesh and ruach were damaged and mixed together with evil, his neshama remained completely good.

chanoch's Commentary

Do not make the mistake to read the above paragraph as saying the Ruach and Neshama of Abel was mixed together and evil was also added. The meaning is that the Nefesh was mixed with evil and the Ruach was mixed with evil. What could have happened that this occurred? What sin did Abel do? Why did Abel have to die? The sin was that Abel's sacrifice although accepted was brought as a secondary consciousness as the verse said Abel ALSO brought a sacrifice. This teaches us a very important spiritual law. We are here to do our spiritual work not to enjoy the physical pleasures as our primary desire. Many people still do not understand this teaching and it leads many people to lengthen their process just as it did for Abel.

Thus, when his nefesh reincarnated, it first went to Seth the son of Adam. This caused the evil to be separated out, which was later given to Balaam the wicked. In both of these levels, the good and the evil of the nefesh was previously included in Abel. As alluded to in his name - the hei of Abel hinting to the good which was given to Seth. This is the secret of the verse, "Everything You shattah/ShT [placed] under his feet," (Psalms 8:7) which has the letters ShT/Seth, plus the hei.

chanoch's Commentary

The addition of the letter Hei/Hey to the name Seth changes the word from backside to either drink or thing. One can see how the letter changes cause the ARI to look into the reincarnation hints associated in the Torah. You and i would not make this connection. This can open your own eyes to determine a new Chidush in Torah.

We already explained that this psalm is about Moses, about whom it says, "You made him only slightly less than the angels" (Psalms 8:6) - he is Seth himself, as we will soon explain. The evil of Abel’s nefesh is represented by the letters beit-lamed, which is the secret of the verse, "They know bal [not] such judgments." (Psalms 147:20) For these two letters refer to the kelipot and the beit-lamed of Balaam.

"Elokim made this (the sitra achra) opposite that (the side of holiness)." (Eccl. 7:14) Balaam stands opposite Moses, on the wrong side of the fence. Therefore does the Ari. put them together in this paragraph. This is seen in Balaam's name: BL (beit-lamed) are the beginning and end letters of the Torah, A (ayin)= 70, faces of the Torah. M (mem)= 40 - days on Mt. Sinai. (Likutei Moharan)

LB is also laiv, meaning "heart"; the Merciful One wants the heart. (Sanhedrin 106) The Torah was given for the heart and it associates with bina. "Bina, dinim awaken from it (Zohar) Therefore, these same letters are explained here to refer to the hold of the sitra achra. Balaam was a very great soul. Soon we will we see that Providence brought him back many times and was busy in his tikun. His problem was an impure heart (Avot 5:19) as seen from his reincarnation in Nabal, whose heart died in him. Therefore, these heart letters are the ones through which the negative energies nurtured from Balaam.

chanoch's Commentary

In the name Bilaam the ARI is showing us how the Torah hints to the gift of the Torah on Mt Sinai and the relationship between the two aspects of Seth - Moshe and Bilaam. It is also hinting at the giving of the Torah to all 70 Nations through the giving of the Torah to Bilaam since Bilaam was part of the family of Abraham as is known.

We mentioned previously that even the level of evil that was separated from the good must of necessity contain an element of holy sparks. This is the secret of Balaam the prophet and what the Sages mean when they say that "he was equal to Moses" (Bamidbar Raba 20) who was from the good of Seth, as we shall explain.

The little amount of good that was in Balaam reincarnated into Nabal the Carmelite, which was the beginning of the tikune. Balaam’s only power was in his mouth, by speaking loshon hara [slander] and cursing. Therefore, after Pinchas killed him he reincarnated into a rock that could not speak, to rectify the loshon hara that came from his mouth; as we stated, a person can reincarnate into domaim [inanimate], tsomai’och [vegetation], chaya [living], or medabeir [speaking].

However, when Nabal followed in his ways and spoke loshon hara about King David saying, "Who is David and who is Ben Yishai?" (Samuel I 25:10), he reversed the tikune. Not only did he not rectify the previous sin but he added to the damage. Therefore it says, "and he was a rock," (Samuel I 25:37) since his mazel saw how previously he had reincarnated into a silent stone, and then "His heart died within him."

King David was the expression of Moses in his generation. Therefore was Nabal/Balaam against him.

chanoch's Commentary

Elsewhere the ARI explains that the heart of Nabal died when he was shown his previous incarnation as a rock. This caused Nabal / Balaam to do Teshuvah and achieve his correction. This also helps us to understand the teaching by the ARIzal that we need to know what mistakes we made in our last lifetime. It also helps me confirm the teaching that we should not go to "readers" to find out our previous incarnations since the readers never to my knowledge bring incarnations as animals, plants or inanimate to the people and therefore, cause people to become misinformed through a half-truth at best.

[Translation and commentary by Perets Auerbach.]

The Nefesh Ruach and Neshamah of Abel

Chapter 29 Section 2B

The Nefesh of Abel

...the good nefesh of Abel was given to Seth...

Thus, the good nefesh of Abel was given to Seth, who completely rectified it. The evil part of the nefesh of Abel which still had some holy sparks in it, reincarnated into Balaam, and then into Nabal. So the letters beit-lamed are in nun-beit-lamed/Nabal as well.

After the nefesh was completely rectified, it was then possible to rectify the ruach. The ruach is from the six extremities of chesed, gevura, tiferet, netzach, hod, and yesod, which are included in the three lines - right, left, and middle.

The Ruach of Abel

The ruach reincarnated into Noah the tzadik, who was the level of the emanation of the six extremities of [the ten inter-included sefirot of] tiferet.

chanoch's Commentary

This teaching provides a difficulty regarding timing. The Nefesh of Seth was not corrected completely until Naval and Noach was born much before Naval. The method to reconcile this difficulty is to realize that Abel rectified his Nefesh and received his Ruach prior to the bringing of the sacrifice which then caused a falling of the Nefesh. Since there is no disappearance in the spiritual world, this correction of the Nefesh was completed and Noach could then receive the Ruach level soul of Seth even while the Nefesh level soul of Abel was not yet completed.

When he fathered three sons, the ruach, which incorporates the mentioned three lines, reincarnated into them: Yefet corresponds to chesed, Ham to gevura, and Shem to tiferet. The level of tiferet within Shem is the level of the sefira of tiferet itself, which also includes [in itself] all six extremities.

The flood was an expression of its supernal predecessor Tohu...

Tiferet is the sefirah of harmony and balance. The flood was an expression of its supernal predecessor Tohu, and so wrought chaos and havoc in the universe. Noah and his sons rebuilt existence, drawing from the Tikune dynamic, whose theme is balance. (Eitz Chayim) This happened especially through Shem. Abraham came from him and fathered the people who were to accept responsibility for the full tikun of the world through the Torah, whose intrinsic quality is tiferet.

The world comes from the partzuf of Zeir Anpin. (Eitz Chayim) Accordingly, its central energy is tiferet.

However, the ruach was not rectified since the evil within it was not being completely separated out, as was the case with the nefesh through Balaam. Since there remained a combination of good and evil, Tevi the servant of Rabban Gamliel was born into Ham, Noah's son [who was cursed to be a slave]. (Gen. 9:25) This is why he is called 'tet-veit-yud/Tevi', because he was from the level of good [in Hebrew, 'tov' - spelled tet--vav--veit] that was still mixed together with evil, and it was given to him.

Starting from a negative place, the letters tet-veit of goodness was not enough to help him out of it, so he has an additional Y, the only letter whose form does not touch the bottom of the line. Its transcending energy lifts off the ground elevating above the hold of the negative forces. Accordingly, tet-veit-yud equals 21, the gematria of EHY"H, the name of bina, the transcending eighth level. The Talmud tells about him in terms of the mitzvah of Sukkah, which draws from bina.

We can learn from his example. Every soul comes to the world with some of the ‘non-blessing’ baggage of the original sin, according to their root in it. It is what causes all problems in life. It is possible for each one to elevate above the complications through connecting to bina - the blessed source of sweetening. And so too, they were freed from Egypt through the power of bina. (Zohar II)

...the neshama reincarnated into Moses...

The Neshama of Abel

Later, the neshama reincarnated into Moses, since it never contained an element of evil. So it says regarding it, "She saw that it [Moses' neshama] was [completely] good" (Ex. 2:2) - unlike the nefesh and ruach which were mixed with evil.

We have already taught that the ruach cannot come until the nefesh has been completely rectified, and likewise the neshama until the ruach has achieved tikune. Once the ruach has been rectified, then the nefesh can return with it; once the neshama has been rectified, the nefesh and ruach can come and return with it.

Since the neshama of Moses was already rectified, the nefesh and the ruach, which had already achieved tikune, were able to come back in him. This is hinted to in his name, with the shin of SheT/Balaam being part of Moses [in Hebrew, Mosheh], as well as the two letters of shin-mem/Shem. There is also [in Moses' name] the H/hei of Abel.

The Zohar points out that shin and tav are the last letters of the alphabet. After Adam sinned, the world went way off base. There was still hope for fixing through his sons Cain and Abel. The former murdering the latter made things fall to the end of the line. Seth started the reversal process which would eventually result in everything being returning to proper order. "Seth/Shet [means] 'that from whom the world was established [in Hebrew, ‘hushtat’]'." (Tikunei Zohar, 469, 110b) shin precedes tav in his name, just as it does in the alphabet, signifying that the reverse order of the letters (See Likutei Moharan II) caused by destructive behavior was reset into place.

Shin-mem/Shem has the shin of order. In his name it proceeds to take a step further to couple with mem, forming the concept of ‘name’. "That He placed Names in the land." (Psalms 46:9) Everything gets its existence-force from the Divine Names within creation. The original sin shrouded this. The good deeds of Shem greatly fixed and began to reveal this again.

Moses has the shin-mem of Shem, plus the hei of Abel...

Moses has the shin-mem of Shem, plus the hei of Abel - the source that Seth and Shem come to fix. The reconnecting to the source of Moses demonstrates a special degree of tikun to the whole scenario. heiis the letter of malchut. Moses liberated from Egypt, split the sea, brought down the Torah, etc. These tremendous accomplishments greatly elevated malchut and repaired the broken Abel root.

This is the meaning of the verse, "Look You say to me... and You said, ‘I shall know you by shem [name]’..." (Ex. 33:12) [How could he say this?] We don’t find this conversation mentioned anywhere in a verse. Rather, it is an allusion to the fact that Shem reincarnated into Moses, from the words, "I shall know you by shem [name]." Noah as well reincarnated into Moses, alluded to in the words, "and you have found favor [in Hebrew, chein , spelled chet-nun] in My eyes" (ibid.), which is the reverse spelling of NCh/Noach.

Moses incorporated both roots and used them to help the universe. Noach means both grace and rest. It is used to refer to the graceful Shabbat peace. Through it Moses received the Torah on Shabbat and brought grace and rest to the world. Through the Shem-force he extended the grace to reveal how "He calls them all by name" (Psalms 46:9) - how precious each name and each individual is above.

Since Shem is revealed in the letters of Moses, the term of knowing is employed. As it says, "know you by name," - since it is known and revealed. However, since Noah is not hinted to in the name Moses, "knowing" is not mentioned, but "finding" instead: and you have found favor - as if something hidden was found.Note 1

Note 1: The hidden aspect of the soul of Noah within Moses became manifest here. The reason for this can be understood based on the Zohar. It compares Noah, Abraham, and Moses: Noah did not pray for his generation; Abraham prayed for Sodom, but did not put his life on the line; Moses prayed and offered his life on behalf of the people. Our verse at hand was said after G-d answered Moses and forgave the sin of the golden calf. Rashi says that Moses saw that it was a time of good favor, so he used it to ask for special things.

Putting his life on the line to atone for the golden calf was a tikun for the Noah aspect within him, which is chain [grace]. Accordingly, when it was improved, through it the gate of grace was opened to ask for special things. This is the secret of the Ari"Zl.'s revelation here.

This is why Moses responds, "If I have indeed found favor in Your eyes, then make Your ways known to me" (Ex. 33:13), but not, "If You have come to know me by name, if I have found favor," since the level of Shem was already known to him - already revealed in his name.

However, [Moses was really saying:] I didn’t know that the level of Noah was in me since it was not included in my name. Accordingly, if [the] Noah [aspect] is also included in me and as a result, "I have found favor in Your eyes," in exchange for Noah, "make Your way known to me, that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your eyes." For, also with respect to Noah it is now clearly known, since "I found favor in Your eyes" - in order that his [aspect] should be included in me [and made manifest].

After this, God gave a great revelation to Moses. "‘And you shall see My back - and My face You shall not see.’ (Ex. 33:23) He showed him the tefilin knot." (Brachot 7a) The Ari"Zl explains that Abigail referred to this level when she said to David, "And the soul of my master shall be bound up in the bundle of life – G-d your L-rd." (Samuel I 25:29)

Tefilin awareness is like the "back"...

The level of Divine awareness brought to the consciousness on Shabbat is higher than that of tefilin, which are worn during the week. Tefilin awareness is like the "back," relative to Shabbat. As mentioned, Noah hints to the Shabbat state. It is a state of the world-to-come. (Brachot 57b) On Shabbat, a taste is given to everyone - but it remains mostly hidden. It could not even be fully revealed to Moses. He was given the backside-tefilin light. Thus, it is like Noah [in Hebrew, noach , spelled nun-chet] backwards - "for you have found favor [in Hebrew, chein , spelled chet-nun ] in My eyes."

chanoch's Commentary

There are sone tremendous revelations in this section. One needs to contemplate this section frequently until one knows the spiritual laws being revealed.

[Translation and commentary by Perets Auerbach.]

Other Matters

Chapter 29 Section 3

[Shmuel said: I found other scattered, but congruent writings, from discussions regarding Adam. I decided to include them here, even though they lack relevance to this particular discussion.]

It is said that before the sin of Adam, he incorporated the four worlds of ABY"A, and all five levels of each world: yechida, chaya, neshama, ruach, and nefesh. When he sinned, some of them were removed and returned to their holy places. They are level one.

Some remained with Adam, but the kelipot have no effect over them. These are level two.

Some remained and fell within the kelipot, male souls into male kelipot, and female souls into female kelipot. They are level three.

Level two divides into two parts, the first part being the souls that remained within Adam for the sake of his own body, and the second part being those that remained with him but which were inherited by his sons Cain and Abel when they were born.

We will now briefly explain the three levels, after a short introduction:

The four worlds of ABY"A are [alternately] called, Abba, Imma, Zeir Anpin, and Nukva. There are no kelipot on the level of Abba/chochma, the first three [sefirot] of Imma [bina], and the levels of keter within Zu"N. With respect to the rest of the levels, the kelipot do latch on when people sin.

The underlying point here is that kelipot are as if the antithesis of Divinity. G-d gives good, life, light - kelipot take and/or hide them. In a realm of complete G-dliness, kelipot automatically have no place. This explains why they cannot exist in Abba/chochma/Atzilut. The upper triad of Imma, and the keter’s of Zu"N, although much lower than Abba, do manifest enough Divinity to nix kelipot from breeding.

"They die - but not in chochma." (Ecc.) In order to nix the hold of kelipot from the self, one must draw chochma-force. It is the power of nullification/self-sacrifice. The more chochma drawn, the more kelipot/ego are eradicated from the self.

A note about Atzilut and Klipot

Even though there is some concept of kelipot relative to Atzilut (Eitz Chaim Shaar A”BYA), it means that they stand opposite Atzilut and manifest a relative degree of intensity in the sefirotic array of the sitra achra to fulfill the verse, ”G-d made this [sitra achra] opposite the other [holiness].” (Ecc. 7:14)

chanoch's Commentary

This is explaining a purpose to Torah Study as it relates to correcting the worlds by drawing Chochmah down to its appropriate levels.

[Translation and commentary by Perets Auerbach.]

Man's Supernal Glow

Chapter 29 Section 4

All levels to which the kelipot do not latch on are called zihara ila’a d’Adam HaRishon [supernal glow of Adam, the first man], except for the nefesh [part] of each level. This includes the levels of yechida, chaya, neshama, and ruach of the world of Atzilut/Abba; the Abba and Imma of Beriya/Imma; the twenty ketarim in the Zu"N of Beriya, the eight ketarim in Abba, Imma, and Zu"N of Yetzira and the Abba, Imma, and Zu"N of Asiya - altogether ten partzufim.

Rabbi Auerback Comments: There is an aspect of Abba unto itself that shines to Atzilut and there is an aspect of Abba as coupled with Imma that shines to Beriya. (Eitz Chayim)

This is: ten ketarim of Zeir Anpin, and ten of Nukva

two keter aspects for each of these four partzufim: keter as well as chochma, which is sometimes included in the keter aspect

A little commemoration of the perfect state is left in each world...

We see that the concept of zihara ila'a relates to the utopian state that was predominant before the original sin. It was negated by the sin, so those special precious lights flew away. The rectification process prepares the world to receive them again. A little commemoration of the perfect state is left in each world, to enthuse and give something to aspire to.

Deep inside, everyone has some hidden point of utopian zihara ila. It is accessed through meditation. Understanding where it exists in the worlds helps activate it in the corresponding aspects of the self. For each person contains all of the worlds in microcosm.

“Let us [all of creation] make man” (Gen. 1:26) - each part of existence made a donation. (Zohar). This is one explanation and understanding of the meaning of the above paragraph.

Now, each partzuf contains ten sefirot and each sefira itself has ten, making one hundred ketarim of ten partzufim. In turn, each keter has ten sefirot and four upper levels of yechida, chaya, neshama, and ruach. All of this is called zihara ila’a, and it is part of that which was completely removed from Adam and ascended to its holy place.

"And it is your sins that separate between you and your Lord." (Hagiga) Going against the Divine will prevents the soul from connecting to G-d and His effulgence. "The commandments of G-d are upright - rejoicing the heart." (Ps. 19:8) They restore the soul to the perfect state of being. This is why some minute expression of the dazzling light of the zihara ila was visible on certain tzadikim, whose countenance light up a dark room.

This does not necessarily mean that they are greater than other tzadikim who do not manifest it. Rather, based on the soul root and the tikune of each tzadik, certain things are given to expression and certainty. (Brachot)

There are two levels of zihara.

There are two levels of zihara. The first is zihara ila’a of Atzilut, composed of yechida, chaya, neshama, and ruach of the world of Atzilut. The second level is zihara ila’a of BY"A, which incorporates the entire two partzufim of Abba and Imma, that is, the chaya and neshama of the world of Beriya, and Arich Anpin, or the yechida of Beriya; the four levels of yechida, chaya, neshama, and ruach of each keter from the one hundred ketarim of the ten partzufim from the Zu"N of Beriya through the Nukvah of Asiya. All of these are called zihara ila’a of the three worlds of BY"A, as mentioned. These two types of zihara ila’a were completely removed from Adam [when he sinned] and are called level one.

Level two is also considered to be zihara ila’a to which the kelipot do not latch on, but since it is a lesser level, it was not removed from its place completely and remained with Adam and is the nefesh of the world of Atzilut; this is one level of Atzilut. The second level is the nefesh of the hundred ketarim in the three worlds of BY"A. Both stayed with Adam and are called level two.

Level three is the rest of the sefirot of the ten partzufim - other than the one hundred ketarim, they all fell off him and down to the place of the kelipot.

I heard from my teacher that level two is divided into two sections, and that the upper section is those souls that stayed with Adam in his body, and that the second lesser section is the souls that Cain and Abel inherited upon birth. But I’m not sure if this only applies to this level, and so on other levels the second section is higher than the first.

I am also in doubt as to which souls remained with Adam and which were given to Cain and Abel, and the order of how this second level was divided. Cain and Abel contain two levels, one being their actual souls themselves from the three worlds of BY"A only, like the rest of people who are not from level two. The other is the second section of level two which Adam their father bestowed upon them; it includes [parts] from all four worlds - from the bottom of Asiya until the beginning of the nefesh of Atzilut. It is a very elevated soul.

...Cain and Abel took the nefesh of Atzilut...

We also wrote that the two sections of level two are equal, with the exception of the first level only, which we mentioned there. We also wrote that Cain and Abel took the nefesh of Atzilut, and it seems that the second section of level two in Cain and Abel is higher than the rest of the souls that remained in Adam for his own sake.

We also wrote that the nefesh of Atzilut did not actually remain in Adam and that it was not completely removed either. Rather, it hovered above the head of Adam until Cain and Abel were born at which time they took it, as well as the other sections of the three worlds of BY"A.

We also wrote that after Adam sinned, Enoch took the zihara of Arich, Adam the zihara of Abba, Eve of Imma, Abel of Zeir Anpin, and Cain of Nukvah.6 I do not know if all of these are considered to be sections of Atzilut, or of BY"A. Further investigation is required.

I also did not hear from my teacher who took the first three - Arich Anpin, Abba, and Imma of Beriya, whether it was Adam or Cain and Abel, his sons. This too needs further investigation, and in another place I wrote that Moses, who was the gilgul of Abel, took them.

I also wrote that the da’at of Zeir Anpin is made up of the two joints of the two arms of Arich Anpin, which are joined at the two shoulders of Arich Anpin, which are called 'inheritance', since Abba and Imma bestowed them to their children Zu"N. The rest of the four joints of the two arms remained for them, and they are called achstanta d’Abba v’Imma [the inheritance of Abba and Imma].

Kabbalah views the main body as being the torso. The arms implement the thoughts in the brain and allow the torso to express. They are so as an inheritance, which children use to implement the will and aspirations of their parents.

Cain and Abel came out of this da’at of Zeir Anpin. For since Adam and Eve, who are called Abba and Imma, took the level of four joints for themselves, from which chochma and bina were made twice for the two of them, and the two joints that they bestowed to their children are called the da’at of Zeir Anpin.

The rest of the mochin Adam left for himself...

It seems this way from another explanation. The rest of the mochin Adam left for himself; he only bestowed the da’at to his sons Cain and Abel. Thus we can say that he gave every portion of the da’at to Cain and Abel, from the da’at of the nefesh of Atzilut until the da’at of Nukveh of Asiyah, leaving for himself the rest of the sections of the mochin chochmah and bina within him, which extend through all ten sefiros of his body. Even chesed and gevura of da’at that he bestowed to Cain and Abel also spread out through the entire body of Zeir Anpin to the ten sefirot within him. This is clear.

From this you can understand what was lacking from the souls of Cain and Abel compared to those souls that remained in Adam for himself. For the main impact of the kelipot is to the da’at [knowledge], in the secret of the tree of knowledge of good and bad.

Cain and Abel were entrusted with the job of fixing their parents mistake.

Da’at is a fusion of chasadim and gevurot. (Eitz Chayim) They each draw to a different side, creating the decision dilemma. Choice happens in and comes from da’at. It so is the pressure place that needs fixing from the original sin, which accordingly happened from the tree of da’at. Cain and Abel were entrusted with the job of fixing their parents mistake. They so had to come from da’at. Therefore it says, "And Cain yada [knew] his wife.

Rabbi Auerbacks commentary: A construct of Daat

Before he stated that Cain and his wife embody Abba and Imma, Abel and his wife embody Zu”N [as above]. This is not a contradiction to here where Abel is reported as having the higher level of zihara ila. Cain has higher potential, but Abel starts with higher manifestation. However, on their levels themselves, the souls that come from da’at give off more light than the souls that come from the two mochin of chochma and bina, which have many layers of clothing and veils. This is known from the levels of Nadab and Abihu which were above Elazar and Ithamar, as written elsewhere.. There we explained well all the doubts regarding Cain and Abel, and how Cain and all his male sparks came out from the gevurot of the crown of Nukvah. Look well over there.

[A small introduction regarding the secret of yibum (levirite marriage). This is what he said:]

Rabbi Auerbacks Commentary: If a man dies without having had children, his brother must marry his wife in order that she bear children on his behalf.

When a man must reincarnate and dies, and after that a son is born to him, since his wife was expecting when he died, the man himself reincarnates into the body of the son - this is the secret of yibum.

This is the secret of Abaye the amora who was born after his father died. His father reincarnated [into his son’s body], which is why he is called Abaye [meaning "his father"], since his father reincarnated into him. I don’t think this came from my teacher, rather from Rav Elazar HaLevi.

This is the secret of why Rav Yabba Saba, the previous gilgul of Abaya, revealed the mysteries of yibum, in the Zohar (Zohar II Saba diMishpatim).

And so Abaya expressed joy over not having seen his father, being so exempt from the stringencies of honoring him (Kiddushin). This would seem strange, for someone of his stature would seem to want to be able to do the mitzvah?! Rather, he was saying that the mitzvah had no place by him, since he was his father himself. The simple explanation remains - teaching how careful one has to be in honoring parents.

[A small introduction.] There are souls that are not from the root of the holiness of Shabbat itself, but are included in tosefet haShabbat [addition to Shabbat]. They only contain that level and are not able to ascend higher than it, since it is the source of their root.

Rabbi Auerback Comments: one can add to the strict time of Shabbat by receiving it early and keeping it late (Orach Chayim)

The Rabbis learn out that it is possible to receive the sanctity of the Sabbath before sundown, when it officially comes to all, and to keep it after nightfall the next day, when it officially leaves.(Yoma) There is a special root of Shabbat holiness. Additional Shabbat is drawn from a lesser place.

Rabbi Auerback comments: Nonetheless, there is a special kind of revelation that happens specifically during tosefet Shabbat. The upper third of tiferet of Zeir Anpin peeks out in revelation. (Eitz Chayim)

chanoch's Commentary

i did not add a commentary to this section since it takes a good working vocabulary of the language of Kabbalah and the Language of Branches. It is time that this starts to become part of your spiritual growth. If you have questions please feel free to ask them.

[Translation and commentary by Perets Auerbach.]