Exploring our
Subjectivity
by
Senior Rabbi, Alan Green (00-Present)
Published in the Shaarey Zedek Shofar in July
2008
Summer is "chai" time in
Manitoba. The air, the gardens, trees, and fields—not to mention,
the people—shake off the shackles of winter, and enjoy three
wonderful months of summer. Doctors, teachers, lawyers, accountants,
business people-- even rabbis--clear their work schedules for the
sake of maximum enjoyment on evenings, weekends, and vacation.
And what do we do with
this time? It’s too long a list to detail here. But these activities
all have one characteristic in common. Generally, we do them with
our eyes open. But what if we also were to dedicate time to closing
our eyes? What if we took time to explore subjective states of
experience, rather than the relentlessly objective states with which
we are so familiar? What if we were to become as expert in the realm
of the spirit, as we are with material possessions and activities?
Today, we sometimes speak
in terms of knowing one’s Self, or knowing who one is, deep inside.
Beyond the shadow of a doubt, our ancestors not only possessed this
knowledge, but also knew it in intimate detail. One of many possible
maps of this inner landscape is expressed in the first part of the
Elohai Neshama blessing: "My God, the soul You have placed in me is
pure. You created it, You formed it, You breathed it into me."
"The soul you have placed
in me is pure." This phrase expresses the reality of Olam Ha-Atzilut—the
Kabbalistic world of emanation. This innermost soul essence is
"pure"--existing beyond the limits of time and space. It is the part
of us that emanates from, and is "hard wired" to God. Consequently,
it can never be contaminated, regardless of the mistakes we make in
life. The incorruptible, universal soul-level of Atzilut makes
Teshuvah--returning to the right way of living—a possibility for
everyone.
"You created it." This
phrase expresses the reality of Olam Ha-B’riah—the Kabbalistic world
of creation. This is the soul level within which the elements of
time, space, and causation are first conceived within the mind of
God, and from which the individual human soul originates.
"You formed it." This is
the soul level that expresses the reality of Olam Ha-Y’tzirah—the
Kabbalistic world of formation. This is the soul level within which
the qualities that determine the individual identity of the soul
have their origin.
"You breathed it into me."
This phrase expresses the reality of Olam Ha-Asiyah—the Kabbalistic
world of action. This soul level gives rise to the physical body,
along with its breath, and the material world with which we are so
familiar. The soul level of Asiyah is hard-wired to the body (for
this lifetime), and identified with the mind, senses, and objects of
sense that surround us on all sides.
There is another
traditional soul schematic that deserves to be mentioned here.
Nefesh, or "vital soul," is identified with the lower torso, and
refers to the outer aspects of our subjectivity: mind, body and
senses. Ruach, "spirit," expresses the emotional side of life, and
is identified with the upper torso. In fact, we generally feel our
emotions in this area of the body.
Neshama (a word close to
N’shimah, or "breath") is the quiet breath of contemplation, and is
identified with deep thought, and the mental (as opposed to the
physical and emotional) aspect of soul. Neshama is generally the
most inward level of soul that one can experience without using
special techniques of meditation.
Beyond Neshama, there are
two higher soul levels, called Chaya and Yechidah – literally
"living one," and "unique one." Chaya is the junction point between
matter and spirit—where the individual soul leaves off, and the
universal soul begins. Yechidah is, once again, the universal, inner
essence. The soul at this level is a spark of the Divine, and
virtually indistinguishable from God. Hence, the name Yechidah—closely
related to the words Yachad, "together," and Echad, "one"—with God.
For those who find these
explorations interesting, I will pursue these concepts, along with
their implications for practical everyday life, in a weekly class to
be held this Fall called "The Path of Blessing: Deepening Your
Jewish Experience." Enjoy the gift of summer!
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