404. When the Creator created the world, He watched and saw that Israel were destined to stand and receive His Torah [law] and cut off from His throne all the souls that were to be given in Israel.
405. He made one treasure above, where all the souls that were cut off from His throne were standing, and He called it “the body of the souls,” since all the souls, when they go out from this world, the Creator makes for them a shape of bodies, as they were in this world, and places them in that treasure.
406. That treasure is in the place where there are treasures of rains, and treasures of good life, and it is called Aravot [prairies]. There are many treasures in the Aravot, and the treasures of the souls are there. But there is one treasure, so how was it said here, “treasures of the souls”?
407. They are two treasures, the treasure of the souls that are destined to be given in people, since in that form and in that very image that he is destined to have in this world, in that very form he is there. It is called “the body of the souls” since He makes for them a body as they are destined to be. And one treasure opposite from it, to those souls that have already been in this world and observed the Torah, and which are therefore called “treasures of the life of the world,” in plural form.
408. Each day, the herald calls, “Wake up! Children of the high and holy ones, and do your Master’s work, who distinguished you from the rest of the nations and has placed in you a holy soul that was carved from under His throne.”
409. From what place are the souls of the rest of the nations? It is written, “And He breathed into his nostrils the soul of life.” This is the holy soul that was carved from the throne of the upper king. It is written about it, “And the man became a living soul.” This is the force that was given to beasts, to animals, and to fish, which was created from the earth, as it is written, “Let the earth put forth a living soul according to its kind.” This is soul of the rest of the nations.
410. The Torah shouts bitterly on the man and says, “The Creator created the man and placed in him a holy soul, so he would have life for the next world, and he, through his iniquities, was returned to that living soul that was carved from the earth for the beasts and the animals, meaning returned to the state of the beastly soul.”
411. This is implied, since it is written, “And the man became a living soul.” It is not written “And He made him into a living soul,” but rather “And the man became a living soul,” teaching that He Himself caused his return to that soul that is carved from the ground.
412. The Creator said, “Man, I have created you superior to all My creations, and I have breathed into you the soul of life, which is carved from My throne, which gives life to its owner, and you returned to that living soul that I have created from the earth for the beasts.”
Indeed, henceforth, anyone who engages in My law and observes it, I will give him that soul that is carved from My throne, which gives life to its owner, and all those who do not engage in My law, their portion will be in that living soul that they have chosen, so they will perish with it.
413. It is written, “Who knows the spirit of the sons of man, which goes upward, and the spirit of the beast, which goes down to the earth?” “The spirit of the sons of man, which goes upward,” is the holy soul of the righteous. “And the spirit of the beast” is the living soul that was carved from the earth for the beasts, which will perish and go down to be lost from the world.
414. Thus, the gentiles do not have a soul except for that living soul. And to Israel, who gives it? We learn, “He who comes to be purified is aided.” What aid is he given? He is given that holy soul to be his support for the work of the Creator; he is given it in order to help him in this world and in the next world.
415. Until thirteen years, man’s engagement is in that beastly living soul. From thirteen years and onward, if he wants to be righteous, he is given the holy soul, that upper one that was carved from the king’s throne.
416. Rabbi Shimon invited the authors of the Braita to eat at the great [festive] meal he made for them. He covered his entire house with distinguished vessels and had the sages sit on one side, and he sat on the other side, and he was very happy.
417. They said to him, “Why the joy of our lord on this day more than on the rest of the days?” He said to them, “On this day, a holy soul came down in the four wings of the animal to Rabbi Elazar my son, and in this meal, I will have complete joy.”
418. He sat Rabbi Elazar his son with him and said, “Sit, my son, sit, for on this day, you are holy, and you have the fate of the holy ones.” Rabbi Shimon said one thing, and fire encircled the house. The sages went out and saw smoke coming up from the house that whole day.
419. Rabbi Yosi came and found the sages perplexed and standing in the street. He said to them, “What is this?” They said to him, “See that smoke from the fire of above? It is because on this day, Rabbi Elazar is being crowned with a holy crown.” The sages saw the four wings of the east descending in the fire, and surrounded Rabbi Elazar and his father Rabbi Shimon. Rabbi Yosi sat there until the fire went away.
421. They sat for three days and engaged in Torah before him, and did not leave a secret of the Mishnah that Rabbi Shimon did not teach them. It was said about Rabbi Shimon that a rainbow was not seen in his days since he was the sign in the world, and his merit protected the world and they did not need the rainbow.
422. The soul stands in existence forever. As the Creator exists, so it exists, as death does not apply to it. However, it is written about the beastly soul, “that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.”
423. Onkelos saw the verse, “And the man became a living soul,” and translated “a murmuring soul,” meaning the speaking soul. But if the living soul is the soul of the beasts, why are they not speaking?
424. They are not speaking because they were kneaded and made from a greater coarseness than that of people, and because they do not raise up their heads and do not look at the firmament like people. Had they been kneaded and made from clean dust like people, and had they raised their heads and looked at the firmament, they would have been speaking like people.
425. The kneading from murky dust, and not raising their heads are capable of denying the power of speech, but why should looking at the firmament deny the power of speech? Looking at the firmament is great help for people to acquire knowledge.
When Nebuchadnezzar was expelled from people and was a beast in the mountains, he did not have help until he looked at the firmament. As long as he did not look at the firmament, there was no reason [knowledge] in him.
426. The gentiles and the uneducated people, who do not believe in the Creator and do not engage in Torah, have nothing but that living soul that emerged from the earth. For this reason, they have no faith. But Israel, who believe in the Creator and engage in Torah, and observe His commandments, the Creator said, “The Portion of Jacob is not like them,” meaning that the potion of Jacob is not as the gentiles, and they will not have a living soul like they do.
But what will they have? The verse ends, “for He is the Maker of everything.” “Everything” is the Shechina, and the holy soul was carved from it to be the portion of Jacob. What does it mean “the Maker of everything”? “Everything” is the soul because it was carved from the Shechina, who is called “everything,” and the verse, “for He is the Maker of everything” pertains to the soul, which is called “everything.”
427. If idol-worshipers have no faith, why do we see that they go to their gods when they are lame and blind, and full of plights and illnesses, and they are healed? This is done for them by Providence from above, in order to eliminate them from the world, as it is written, “He makes nations great, and destroys them.”
428. It is also written, “severe and faithful illnesses.” What is “faithful” that is applied to illnesses? They make faith, since when the time comes, they leave the person. The sufferings have a set time. Sometimes, when the time of the sufferings to leave has come, they are at the gods, since in their sickness, they go to their gods. When the time of the sufferings to leave has come, they are healed, and they say that the gods have done this to them.
429. Once, a Jewish man said he had many illnesses and he was not healed. He saw Arabs walking to their gods with their illness, and they were healed. He said, “I will go there, although it is forbidden; I will go see what it is.”
430. He went there and entered among them. He slept there among the people who were afflicted and sick. They all fell asleep but he did not sleep. Finally, he saw a Satan walking among them with a vessel with a cure in his hand, and he was placing on each one, and he was healed. He passed by him and did not place the cure on him. He said to him, “Sir, but I am one of the sick; place the cure on me.”
431. He said to him, “The Portion of Jacob is not like them.” They were given to me in order to eliminate them from the next world, but the children of Jacob are not like that. And why? It is because of the verse, “for He is the Maker of everything.” As the Maker destroys and builds, the Creator also strikes and heals, destroys and builds.”
That man went out and told the story. “Blessed is the Merciful One who sent him there to see it and to hear it from his mouth.”
432. It is written, “The soul of Shaddai gives him understanding,” since the soul brings one to know his Maker and admit him into the Torah and good deeds. Happy are those who enter the path of Torah, the path of the soul, for thanks to it, they will be rewarded with the life of the next world and the merit of the holy ones.
433. Anyone who engages in Torah acquires the soul from himself. He who comes to be purified is helped. Woe to the wicked ones who adhere to the power of the earth, which is called “a living soul that is created from the ground,” for because of it, they perish for all eternity.
434. That living soul, what happens with it in the next world? What happens to it in eternity?
435. It is written, “That soul shall be utterly cut off.” like the vapor emerging from a person’s mouth, which he cannot lift up even as high as his eyes, and it is promptly gone, so is that living soul, like that vapor that is quickly cut off from the mouth; it is gone and is not seen in the world, and becomes as though it never was. This is the death by cutting off that was said about the soul.
436. The souls of the wicked are the harm-doers in the world. They harm their owners and deny the power of the soul from the work of their Maker, and nothing harms a person but that soul that was cut off and perished along with the body. Moreover, when the souls of the wicked emerge from the body, they are the harm-doers in the world.
437. They do the harm while still in the body, but when they emerge from the body, the damage is found, it is evident how that soul harmed the body, and everyone wonders about them, how those souls are the harm-doers in the world because they adhere to people and make them sin.
438. Were most of the people in the generation made in an appropriate manner? It is written, “Sanctify yourselves and be holy,” teaching that one must sanctify himself during intercourse.
439. What sanctity is there here? That they will not commit promiscuity and insolence, and not for harlotry like beasts, since the beasts do only for this purpose.
440. Anyone who has intercourse for the purpose of harlotry or for the purpose of promiscuity and insolence, and does not guard himself from those things from which he needs to be guarded, the newborn that will be born will be promiscuous, a harlot, and wicked, and will not be included in the seed of truth.
441. Conversely, anyone who has intercourse for the purpose of a commandment and sanctifies himself, and aims his heart to heaven, will have good, pious righteous, heaven-fearing, and holy sons, as it is written, “Sanctify yourselves and be holy.”
442. Since the wicked give birth only for the purpose of harlotry, with audacity and insolence, they only have that living soul that is given to beasts, whose interest is only that of a beast.
443. But the righteous, who know how to sanctify themselves, it is written about them, “Yet I planted you a choice vine, wholly a seed of truth.” What is truth? Anyone who does not think of another woman and is truthful with his wife.
444. One should aim and sanctify himself for the sake of the Creator, as it is written, “Unless the Lord builds a house, its builders labored in it in vain.” This means that if the intention is not for the sake of the Creator, to build the house and bear sons, “its builders labored in it in vain,” for he instills in that newborn futile labor.
What is futile labor? It is the living soul, which will perish and be cut off like vapor emitted from the mouth, which is futile. And because he instills it into that child, his labor will be in vain.
445. EMET [truth, Aleph-Mem-Tav] is an acronym for “Truth will grow from the earth.” During the bonding, there must be truth and sincerity there, as soon as it has been made from the earth and was founded, and not later, when it has already been limited and made. Any building that has no foundation is nothing, and the foundation is that one must be sanctified during the bonding.
446. Rabbi Zira said, “I once walked in the desert and found an Arab loading his shoulder with a load of one hundred Se’ah [approx. 100 liters], and he was old. I said to him, ‘That strength should engage in Torah.’ He said, ‘My father and mother did not make me in order to engage in Torah, but in order to carry loads.
447. “‘For I heard that when my father made me, his craving was for a son who would have the strength to bring crops from the field, and that was the counsel he held and prayed for at that time. Now I am already old; what can I do?’”
448. Happy is he whose fathers thought of a good thing. How do we know? From Bat Sheva, Solomon’s mother, for the text testifies about her that she is truly Em Slhema [complete mother, spelled like “Solomon’s mother”], that she merited delivering him because he was founded from her, from her matter, from her thought, and from her exertion, as it is written, “What, my son? And what, son of my womb?”
449. His mother—true. His father? How do we know that he was thinking of a good thing? Since it is written, “The song of ascents for Solomon; Unless the Lord builds a house, those who built it labored in it in vain.” Did Solomon say this psalm? David said it in the spirit of holiness about Solomon. When the prophet said to David, “Behold, a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies all around. His name shall be Solomon.”
David said, I had one son from Bat Sheva, and he died. Another will be born to me; he is coming from heaven. He said that psalm and intended in it for the sake of the Creator, as it is written, “The song of ascents for Solomon,” meaning for Solomon.
450. He said, “Unless the Lord builds a house,” If the help of the Creator does not help me with my complete intention, “its builders labored in it in vain.” We labor in vain, as it was in the beginning, in the first child, that we labored in vain, since because of that sin that I did not have the complete intention, he died. And I should be banished by Avshalom, my own son.”
“And while I am out, ‘unless the Lord guards the city,’ from any person, ‘the watchman guards in vain.’” He placed twelve concubines to guard the house, and what happened, happened. Still, “the watchman guards in vain.”
451. The song of ascents for Solomon was said for Solomon, of whom David intended for the sake of the Creator, and his mother, too, intended for the sake of the Creator, and Solomon came out from them. It is written about him, “And Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king instead.” This is why he was called Lemoel, teaching that both of them, David and Bat Sheva, intended Lemo El [for Him, God].
452. Anyone who intends for the sake of the Creator at that time of connection, a virtuous son comes out from him. How do we know? From Samuel, whose mother always intended for the sake of the Creator over him. And also, David said, “If I have this son,” Solomon, “from here, he will be intended for Him, God,” meaning given to God.
453. Rabbi Yosi said, “Once I walked along the road and met a mountain in the village of Cardo. The people were happy with their lots, and I slept there on the night of Shabbat [Sabbath], and after Shabbat. I saw the owner of my inn, that he wanted to be with his wife. He stood on one side and prayed, and she stood on the other side and prayed. I said to them, ‘What is your prayer at this time?'
454. “They said to me, ‘Our time is to bond from Shabbat to Shabbat, and we pray to the Creator to have a son to work His work, a sin-fearing son, a son who will do His commandments and will not stray from His law to the right or to the left.’ I said to them, ‘May your wish be granted since you have done this for the sake of the Creator.’
455. “I saw the face of the Shechina [Divinity] since after some time, I came there and saw that son that was born to them, and he was seven years old. He saw me in the house and did not want to speak with me. His father said to him, ‘Go to him, for he is a great man.’
456. “The son replied, ‘I am afraid to speak with him and approach him because I do not know if he has a holy soul or not, since we learned this day that anyone who does not have a holy soul, it is forbidden to speak with him or approach him.’ His father said to him, ‘He is a great man, the wisest in the generation.’
457. “He approached me, and before he spoke with me, he said to me, ‘I see in you that you have a new soul of few days, and it was not thrown in you when you emerged to the world.’ I was surprised. I said, ‘So it is, for I was still single, without a wife, when I engaged in Torah and the soul was placed in me.’
458. “He said to me, ‘Do you know the living soul of which it is written that it was from the earth? But it is implied that it is a living soul, so why is it from the earth?’
459. “‘Because it is a soul that the earth brought forth, and from the earth, it was carved. However, it is living, so it can move about to here and to here as do beasts and insects and everyone. However, there is no understanding and wisdom in it in the work of the Creator, since it was created only for beasts and animals, to move about in it without understanding, and to perish when it exists the body, as the vapor exits the mouth.
460. “‘It is written, ‘The beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord, a good understanding have all those who do them.’ What is wisdom? It is the name of the Creator. He is wisdom, and He has never revealed to any man, nor is it destined to be revealed, but a little bit of it was revealed only to Moses.
461. “‘But Moses did not fully understand it. Rather, he understood what no man understood—that beginning—Hochma [wisdom], as it is written about Moses, ‘And He showed the best to him,’ which is wisdom.
462. “‘But it is written, ‘And the Lord gave Solomon wisdom.’ It is not written that He gave the wisdom, but that He gave wisdom, without the ‘the,’ which means that he understood a little bit of its truthfulness, but not the actual wisdom. The Messiah is destined to know a little bit of it, as it is written about him, ‘the spirit of wisdom and understanding.’ But it is written, ‘the spirit of wisdom,’ and not actual wisdom.
463. “‘Wisdom is the beginning of everything and precedes everything, as it is written, ‘the beginning of wisdom.’ However, ‘a good understanding,’ meaning the fear remained in the mind and in the understanding to know and to look into the fear of the Creator. ‘All those who do them,’ those who perform the commandments with fear, at first, until they accustom themselves to do with love.’
464. “I asked the child, ‘What is your name?’ He replied to me, ‘Love.’ I told him, ‘Mr. Love,’ and I declared about him, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love.’ And I was privileged with seeing his son, Rav Ada, and I told him that.”
465. Adam HaRishon was wise; he recognized and knew anyone who had a living soul in him, and anyone who had a soul in him. When they came to him, he recognized all of them, as it is written, “And whatever the man called every living soul, that was its name.” This is for one who does not know and recognize his Creator’s work, and a soul for those who did know and recognized his Creator’s work. So it is to this day: One who does not know or recognize his Creator’s work and does not engage in Torah has a living soul and not a soul.
466. Although that living soul is found in every kind of beast and animal, and He permitted them to people, the Creator spared them in their death that they should not afflict that living soul. There is no person without a living soul in him, so he will return to working his Creator, to distinguish himself from the rest of the people, to engage in Torah and commandments, as by this he gains the holy soul.
467. For this reason, the butcher who sells a carcass or a non-kosher animal is boycotted. On the second time, he is removed. On the third time, it is declared in the market that any meat he sells is not kosher, and he is never again given the position of being a butcher.
468. Is he not punished at all besides this for the first time? After all, that butcher who did not show is knife to a sage is boycotted and removed, and it is pronounced that his meat is not kosher. If this is so over a knife that is not proper, then one who sells a carcass or non-kosher meat is much more so, that he is boycotted and removed, and his meat is pronounced not kosher.
469. Rabbi Yehuda invited Rabbi Yosi and Rabbi Hagai. He was a butcher, and they called him Rabbi Aba. He slaughtered a chicken and intended to slaughter two signs, the trachea and the esophagus [gullet]. They checked and found that he slaughtered only one sign, and the second one he did not slaughter.
470. Rabbi Yosi told him, “On what were you going to slaughter?” He said, “I wanted to slaughter two signs.” He said, “But I found that only one sign was slaughtered.” Thus, the meat is kosher, but you will not be a slaughterer here from now on, even though there is no need for an intention during the slaughtering.”
471. The intention in the slaughtering was not said about this, but refers to the Creator, that he should slaughter for the sake of the Creator and not for something else. However, if he meant for two signs and slaughtered one, it is permitted after the fact. It is as we learn, “He who slaughters one in poultry, after the fact, it is permitted, to begin with: forbidden.”
472. The Creator left everything that was created from that living soul to people since they have no soul, in order to know and recognize their Creator’s work, for if they had a soul, they were not permitted.
473. The soul does not enter a person until he observes his Creator’s work, and then he will have a soul. The soul is holy and superior to everything. Thus, why is it written, “Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died.” Why did they die? Since they had a soul, could they not be saved?
474. So it is indeed, that a soul was given only to one who engages in his Creator’s work. When the flood came, there was no person for whose merit the Creator would do it except for Noah and his sons. Yet, their merit was sufficient only to protect them and their households, but their merit was not so great as to protect the entire generation.
475. Those who were righteous at first, Hanoch and Yered, who had a soul and were worthy of the Creator doing thanks to their merit, died before hand, as it is written, “Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died.” In other words, it pertains to Hanoch and Yered, to those who had a holy soul in them, but the verse does not pertain to those who were in the flood.
Rather, it is written, “Everything on the dry land … died.” This means that they were not in the days of the generation of the flood, and not at that time. Rather, they died in the dry land, Hanoch and Yered and others. They died in the dry land and not in the flood, for they had already departed from the world and no righteous one was left in the world to protect his generation, and then the judgment was done on the wicked.
477. It is written, “Praise Him with the sound of the horn; praise Him with harp and lyre. Praise Him with tambourine and dancing; praise Him with strings and flute.” Does the Creator need this?
478. However, David said, “All that you may praise the Creator with these types of melodies is nothing.” It is like a person telling his neighbor, “Do this and that, but everything you do is worthless until you do one specific thing.” So said David, “Praise Him with clashing cymbals; praise Him with resounding cymbals.” That is, this is not praising Him. Rather, praising Him is “The whole soul shall praise the Lord, Hallelujah,” and another praising is nothing, except for the praising of the soul, as it is written, “The whole soul shall praise the Lord, Hallelujah.”