חסידות אויף תהילים 119:96

1. The matter of the commandment of being fruitful and multiplying - See, our sages say (Niddah 31) “There are three partners in a person: the father provides seed and from him comes the whiteness – bones, sinews, nails, and the brain in his head, and the whiteness of the eye. The mother gives “seed” from which [comes] the redness - skin, flesh, etc… and The Holy One Blessed be He gives him ruach-spirit and neshama-soul.” Now, it is known based on that which is written on the verse (Yeshaya 57:16) “and the souls I made” that a person has two souls: an animalistic soul that is enclothed within the blood of a person to give it life, and also it gives a person intelligence to comprehend all manner of wisdom in the world, and it draws [its spiritual root] from above from the spiritual forces, which is the quality of the “face of the ox” on the Godly Chariot - and from the “face of a man” [on the Chariot] is drawn the animalistic souls of the Jews - and the second soul within Jews is an actual part of God, as it’s written “God is a portion of His people,” because it is a spark of actual Godliness and it is drawn from the quality of “the likeness of a man upon the throne,” which is the likeness of the form of the glory of God. (see Ezekiel 1:26, 28) And this is [the meaning of] that which is written (Genesis 9:6) “in the image of God He made Man.” Because the essential quality of the ten sefiros (emanations) of zeer anpin correspond to the form of a human structure by way of analogy, and like that which is written also the neshama-soul which is drawn from it is in the form of a human with 248 spiritual “limbs” and 365 spiritual “sinews,” and like that which is written in the Etz Chaim that all the souls put together are like one human enclothed in the human [structure/form] of the sefiros, and the godly soul is enclothed in the animalistic soul, which is also according to the form of a human with 248 limbs and 365 sinews, and is enclothed in the actual physical limbs of a person, which are actually aligned [with the soul’s structure] in form and likeness and the structure of the “limbs” and “sinews” of the spiritual soul, as is found in the Zohar (I 38a) – “the lower world is parallel the upper world.” And now, to understand all this, and the matter of the effects [resulting from] the time of a person's cohabitation in drawing down a soul, it is necessary to preface first the matter of the descent of the soul to this world, why it [is necessary]. Since it is known that the soul, before its descent into the body stands on a very lofty level and derives pleasure from the radiance of the Shechina (Divine Presence of Immanence), as it's written regarding Elijah, "As Hashem lives, before whom I stood" (Kings I 17:1), according to its place and level in Atzilus, Briyah, Yetzira, or Asiyah, and why it descends multitudes [of levels] into a physical body that conceals the light of holiness of God, which it is drawn from, and [the body] runs after physical pleasures of this world by its nature, in that they are its foundation and nature and cause the concealment of godliness. And also, since in truth, all the pleasures and comforts of this world are as nothing, even if one was able to live a thousand years in peace and tranquility and security and be a king of kings, such that you didn't lack anything in the world of all its pleasures, it is still impossible, in truth, to compare them with one hour of the spiritual pleasure, even the lowest of the low levels in the spiritual worlds. For that which is written, (Avos 4:17) "Better is one hour of spiritual satisfaction in the World to Come than all the life of this world." And how much more so [the spiritual pleasure of] the upper Garden of Eden, which cannot be compared at all to the lower Garden of Eden, so much so that when a soul ascends from the lower garden to the upper garden, it needs to "immerse" in the River Dinor to "forget" all the pleasures of the lower Garden of Eden so that it will not be confused in the upper garden - the same way that a soul ascending from this world to the lower garden needs at first to "forget" its {vision?} (translation uncertain) of this world, as is known in the Zohar, since it is actually like a foreign thought that confuses...etc. If so, any understanding person can grasp the matter to picture the awesome power of the pleasures of the upper garden, and there are many more levels above that that are not even mentioned in books, only these two levels [are], but in truth, it is known to us from the holy authors to which the paths of heaven are revealed to them, that there are levels ad infinitum, and each one is greater than the essence of the one below it, like that which is written by our sages (Chagigah 13a) "the feet of the chayos [angels] are corresponding to all." And to this our sages had in mind in their statement (Brachos 64a) "Torah scholars have no rest in the World to Come" - they go from strength to strength according to the concept of ascending to higher and higher worlds to take pleasure in God. Furthermore, the magnitude of the soul's descent can be understood - how it goes from "a high roof to a low pit" - through another matter, namely, that which our sages stated (Chagigah 15b) [about "acher," (the heretic Elisha ben Avuyah)] that "better he be judged properly [by the heavenly court] and then go into the World to Come" - this means to say that even the lower Garden of Eden. Now the judgement and suffering of Gehenom are very great and strong, as it's written in Iggeres Hateshuva (chapter 12) in the name of the Ramban, that even the suffering of Job for seventy years is not comparable to even one hour in Gehenom, and the judgement of the wicked in Gehenom is twelve months (Eiduyos 2:10) and they are more than eight, closer to nine thousand hours, and from the time that Acher died in the lifetime of R' Meir (who was before R' Shimon b' Yochai as is written in the Rambam's introduction to the Mishnah and in the [Tosfos Yom Tov?] in the first chapter of Shevuos (mishnah 4) that he was the teacher of Rebbe who was the teacher of R' Yochanan, who lived a long life) and when he died, the smoke stopped ascended from Acher's grave [a sign that his time in Gehenom had ceased]. And all this is relevant to the lower Garden of Eden, how much more so many multitudes and multitudes more is the level of the lower Garden of Eden of which it is worth to bear much suffering just for it alone, something that isn't true for the pleasures of this world [that one wouldn't] bear [even] minor suffering to earn it ... ויאמרו לו הן וכו' [translation uncertain] ... Rather, in truth there is no comparison between the pleasure of the body to the spiritual pleasures and even between the pleasures of the lower Garden of Eden, and how much more so the spiritual worlds of which the lower Garden of Eden compared to the higher Garden of Eden is like the difference between physical pleasures and the spiritual pleasures of the lower Garden of Eden, so too in this, higher and higher the levels go with no end, so that when an understanding person puts his heart to contemplate this matter he'll be shocked into silence by the wondrous and extremely lofty levels that the soul had to descend from down into this world of physicality. However, in truth, blessed is our God, blessed be He, the Good and the one who does good, and in His simple will desired to do good to His people, the Jews, and this descent is for the purpose of an ascent - to raise them up further higher and higher beyond any limit or end, from their original status and place, so that this ascent is specifically through their descent into this world first, and this is [the idea of] what our Sages say: "Better is one hour of repentance and good deeds in this world than all the life of the World To Come." (Avos 4:17) And they say "than all the life of the World To Come" since all the lofty and refined levels that are found in the spiritual worlds - the place of the soul's {enjoyment?} where they benefit from the radiance of the Shechinah higher and higher as is known to those who enter the "gates" (ie: works) of the Ari z"l - they are all as nothing compared to one hour of repentance and good deeds in this world. That is because the revelation of godliness that is drawn through any mitzvah in this world is higher than all of them and more preferable beyond any limit, measurement, or end than all the pleasures of the life of the World To Come as stated earlier, and upon that which was stated earlier about how the satisfaction of the World To Come is better than the life of this world of materialism, and so much more than that without end is the difference between, as it's written "Of every finite thing I have seen the end; your commandments are very broad." (Tehillim 119:96) Meaning, for all the dissolution of the soul and the pleasures of the souls from their understanding of godliness in the Garden of Eden there is an end and a limit, that a soul can only understand so much and not more, but the "width" (ie: capacity) of a mitzvah to receive in it the revelation of godliness in the manner of the Infinite (Ain Sof) and without end, for that is the meaning of the word "me'od-very" [in the verse from Tehillim], which implies something without limit or measure, (as in Iggeres Hakodesh 17).

However, above and higher than Atzilus it is not possible to speak about sexual unions as mentioned above, as it's written "and there was no god with me" (Devarim 32:39). Since this giving influence [pf producing offspring through a union] is from the essence and most essential part of the giver, and therefore he gives birth in his image as mentioned earlier, and it is a revelation of the inner dimension even more so than the giving influence of speaking and so on. And if so, this is not possible except for from Atzilus and below for there there are the concept of vessels and there is the evolution/development [of worlds] from level to level just like the birth of Zeer Anpin and Nukvah through [the union of] Abba and Immah. Similarly [it is so] regarding the souls of Aztilus from Zeer Anpin and Nukvah of Atzilus which is not the case from the Emanator itself that is the concept of the Ain Sof, for behold "to who will you compare me and I will be equated with, says the Holy one" (Yeshayahu 40:25), for He is holy and separate and noe of the creations can compare to Him at all, and [there can be no] equating [Him] with anything whether small or large, just as was stated above in length. And there is a full[y explicit] verse [about this]: "I am Hashem I have not changed" (Malachi 3:6). That is to say, that there is no concept of change before Him at all, whether before the creation of all worlds or after they were created. That is because [the creations are] drawn from Him are not in the manner of giving influence through [the manner of] evolution/development rather in the manner of light and radiance and revelation from that which is concealed, where there is no change or action [in Him] through the drawing out of the light, and the the drawing out or removal of the light doesn't cause an increase of decrease in the essence that is the "illuminator," as is known. And you can understand a little [of this] also from the life force of the soul within the body, in that the power of sight and hearing are manifestations from the essence of the soul and are not separate parts of the soul's essence, because the soul itself is simple spirituality, and when one closes his eye there is a revelation of this power in concealment, and when one opens it this revelation is revealed openly and the soul doesn't change because of this, there is only a change in the power [of sight] within the eye as is known. Similarly, it can be understood that the concept of light and life force being drawn from the Ain Sof Blessed is He in the ten Sefiros is only an "illumination" and "shining radiance" and it isn't possible to say [that there is anything regarding] unifications and sexual unions God forbid until after the enclothement of this illumination into vessels of the ten Sefiros. Then the concept of unions among the vessels of the ten Sefiros becomes possible through the light within them. And in general, it is known that sometimes it's written "like the appearance of a person" (Ezekiel 1:26) and "the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Hashem" (Ezekiel 1:28) and another time it's written "For He [God] is not a man" and so on (Samuel I 16:29), and the concept of the ten sefiros, their lights and vessels, are called "Man," and there is such a thing as unions [with them], which isn't the case above [them], when the lights are separate from the vessels as it is stated "For He is not a man...". For, behold, the concept of the light and essence of the ten sefiros, which are vessels, is that it is an illumination of the Ain Sof as it is stated about it "for He is not a man," rather, [the light of the Ain Sof] clothes itself in the ten sefiros which are called "Man." And this is the secret of the Lights and Vessels and the secret of the enclothement of the light of Ain Sof in the ten sefiros as is found in the Tikkunay Zohar "He, His life, and His creations are one." And when we said that the source of souls is from the ten sefiros that are called "Man," the matter is that they also have two aspects: from an inner aspect - the vessels and the Light of Ain Sof that is clothed within them, which is the simple life force that enlivens the soul which will be explained by us in the matter of the commandment of service and Torah study. Therefore, they also have the power of giving birth and union which isn't true for angels that draw [life force] from the external aspect of the vessels as mentioned earlier. And this is the matter of the root of the commandment of sexual union and pleasure [between husband and wife] and the intimacy of a Torah scholar from shabbas night to the next, because then the unification is is ascendant even more, that is the unification of Israel and Rachel which is the concept of the ultimate revelation of Ain Sof in the worlds, because the concept of Zeer Anpin, which is called "Israel" is the end of the world of the Ain Sof and Nukvah is the source of the creations, and the unification between them is the [paradime of the] revelation of the Ain Sof within the creations, which is the secret of the two Cruvim, and then higher souls are drawn down. However, in truth, the main thing is as our Sages stated (Breaches 13a) "Mitzvos need intention," meaning, to have in mind that the creator of the world commanded this and that by doing this action you are fulfilling the command and will of the Supreme One, whose will is the source of life, and he is infinite, etc. Even though one doesn't know what God intended by commanding this, for "my thoughts are not your thoughts," and that which can be understood about it like the matters mentioned above is but a hint and a drop in the ocean only, and more than this, for there is no end to it, is unable for a person who is made of physical matter to comprehend the spirituality, for even Moshe in 3000 years in the Garden of Eden, and every hour he goes deeper into the reasoning behind the mitzvah. And about this matter it is stated (Tehillim 119:96) "of every finite thing I have seen an end; your commandments are very broad" - for there is an ascension upon ascension [of understanding], but even so, how goodly and sweet is the tiniest bit of understanding, and how wonderful it is to contemplate. And know that the main thing is the performance of His will, in which His wisdom and reasons are concealed, and one should rejoice and celebrate this as one does over great wealth.