Neshamah Yearning Toward Body

איתא בזוהר חדש שהנחמה הרמוזה בתוכחה זו היא מ"ש והיו חייך תלואים לך מנגד

It is brought in the Zohar Chadash that the consolation hinted at within this tochachah (rebuke) is what is stated, "And your life shall hang in doubt before you" (Devarim 28:66).

The Sfas Emes opens by citing the Zohar Chadash, which finds a hidden comfort within the harsh tochachah: the very verse about life hanging in doubt carries within it a deeper consolation.

שהקב"ה שם חלקינו בחיים וזה נשמת חיים שבנפשות בנ"י

For the Holy One, Blessed is He, has set our portion in life, and this is the breath of life that is within the souls of Bnei Yisrael.

Hashem implanted in Bnei Yisrael a portion of true life, which is the living breath of the neshamah within them.

והתורה והמצות הם עצות שיתדבק האדם בהנשמה כמ"ש כי הוא חייך

And the Torah and the mitzvos are the counsel through which a person becomes attached to that neshamah, as it is stated, "For it is your life" (Devarim 30:20).

Torah and mitzvos function as the practical guidance by which a person clings to that inner neshamah, which the Torah itself calls "your life."

וכ"כ א' יעשה א' האדם וחי בהם שע"י המצות מתדבק בנשמה כי הגוף הוא בחי' מיתה שעומד למיתה

And so it is written, "Which a person shall do, and live through them" (Vayikra 18:5) — for through the mitzvos one becomes attached to the neshamah, since the body is in the aspect of death, in that it stands destined to die.

The verse "and live through them" teaches that mitzvos bind a person to the neshamah, in contrast to the body, which is inherently mortal and headed toward death.

וז"ש חז"ל וחי בהם לעוה"ב פי' ע"י שמביאין חיות הנשמה בגוף לכן יתקיים לעתיד לבא וסופן להחיות

And this is what Chazal said, that "and live through them" refers to Olam Haba — the explanation being that through bringing the vitality of the neshamah into the body, the body will therefore endure in the future to come and will in the end be brought back to life.

Chazal apply "and live through them" to Olam Haba: because the mitzvos infuse the body with the neshamah's vitality, the body itself merits to be revived and endure in the future.

ונקראים חיים הצדיקים גם במיתתן פי' הגופיות כמ"ש לעיל פ' שופטים

And the tzaddikim are called living even in their death — the explanation being even with regard to their bodies — as was written above in Parashas Shoftim.

This is why tzaddikim are called alive even after death — even their physical bodies retain life — as the Sfas Emes already explained in Parashas Shoftim.

אבל כשחוטאין וא"י להתדבק בחיות הנשמה ע"ז כ' חייך תלוים לך בגלותינו עתה שהגם שיודעין ומבינים כח הנשמה אבל הוא מנגד ואין יכולין להמשיך כראוי הגוף אחר הנשמה

But when they sin and are unable to attach themselves to the vitality of the neshamah, regarding this it is written, "And your life shall hang before you" — in our present galus — for although they know and understand the power of the neshamah, it nevertheless stands opposite them (mineged), and they are unable to draw the body properly after the neshamah.

When a person sins and cannot connect to the neshamah's vitality, the verse "your life shall hang before you" describes our galus: we sense the neshamah's power, but it stands across from us, and we cannot draw the body to follow it.

ז"ש ולא תאמין בחייך אבל הנשמה תלוי' ומצפה להאיר אל הגוף:

This is what is meant by "and you shall have no assurance of your life" (Devarim 28:66); yet the neshamah hangs in waiting and yearns to shine its light upon the body.

This is the meaning of "you shall have no assurance of your life" — yet even so the neshamah waits in readiness, longing to shine its light into the body.

Summary: The Sfas Emes, drawing on the Zohar Chadash, uncovers a hidden consolation within the tochachah's words, "and your life shall hang in doubt before you." Hashem set within Bnei Yisrael a portion of genuine life — the vitality of the neshamah — and the Torah and mitzvos are the means by which a person attaches himself to it, as in "and live through them." Because the mitzvos draw the neshamah's life-force into the otherwise mortal body, that body merits to endure and be revived in the future to come, which is why tzaddikim are called living even in death. In our present galus, however, sin leaves the neshamah standing opposite us (mineged) — we perceive its power yet cannot draw the body after it, so "you shall have no assurance of your life." Even then the neshamah hangs in waiting, yearning to shine its light upon the body and restore its connection.