Drawing Down Neshamah Light

עוד למדרש [*במשל הפרדס] ע"פ המדרש ע"פ לוית חן הם כו'

There is a further explanation according to the Midrash [in the parable of the orchard] based on the verse, "they are a graceful wreath (for your head)" (Mishlei 1:9).

The Sfas Emes introduces a new approach to the Midrash on the orchard, anchored in the verse from Mishlei describing the Torah and mitzvos as a graceful wreath.

כי נשמת בנ"י נשתלחו מעולם העליון לעוה"ז החשוך

For the neshamos of Bnei Yisrael were dispatched from the upper world down into this dark world.

The neshamah of every Jew was sent down from a lofty upper world into the darkness of this physical world.

וע"י המצות ממשיכין כח הנשמה למטה דכ' נר מצוה וכ' נר ה' נשמת אדם והיינו שע"י המצות ממשיכין אור הנשמה לכן נק' מצות מלשון צוותא

Through the mitzvos we draw down the power of the neshamah here below, as it is written, "a mitzvah is a candle" (Mishlei 6:23), and it is written, "the candle of Hashem is the neshamah of man" (Mishlei 20:27) — meaning that through the mitzvos we draw down the light of the neshamah, and therefore mitzvos are called from the term tzavsa (companionship/bonding).

By performing mitzvos we draw the light of our neshamah down into this world; this is why the word mitzvah is linked to tzavsa, the bond and companionship it creates.

ואיתא כי הקב"ה גנז האור ובכל יום יש הארה מאור הגנוז

And it is brought down that the Holy One, Blessed is He, hid away the (primordial) light, and each day there is an illumination from that hidden light.

Just as Hashem concealed the original light of creation and lets a portion of it shine each day, so the neshamah's light is concealed yet shines through.

וע"ז מברכין יוצר אור

And upon this we recite the blessing "Who fashions light."

We acknowledge this daily renewal of light in the morning blessing of "Yotzer Or."

וכמו כן באדם שהוא עיקר הבריאה שנשאר הנשמה למעלה

And so too with man, who is the essence of creation, whose neshamah remains above.

Man is the centerpiece of creation, and the root of his neshamah stays anchored above even while he lives below.

וע"ז מברכין על נשמותינו הפקודות לך

And upon this we recite the blessing, "and for our neshamos that are entrusted to You."

We refer to this in the blessing thanking Hashem for the neshamos that are entrusted to His keeping.

הגם כי הפשוט בלילות שהנשמות עולין

Although the simple meaning concerns the nights, when the neshamos ascend,

The plain reading of that blessing speaks of the neshamos ascending at night during sleep.

גם זה אמת שנשמות בנ"י גנוזין למעלה גם עוה"ז נק' לילה

this too is true — that the neshamos of Bnei Yisrael are hidden away above, and this world too is called "night."

But on a deeper level the neshamos are always stored above, since this whole world is itself a kind of "night" of concealment.

וע"י המצות מושכין הארה וע"ז כתי' ישלח עזרך מקודש כו' וכ' מלאכיו יצוה לך

And through the mitzvos we draw down an illumination, and upon this it is written, "He will send your help from the holy place" (Tehillim 20:3), and it is written, "He will charge His angels for you" (Tehillim 91:11) —

Doing mitzvos pulls that hidden illumination down to us, as hinted by the verses about Hashem sending help and charging His angels to guard us.

ע"י המצות

through the mitzvos,

The Sfas Emes specifies that this drawing down of help comes specifically through the mitzvos.

שבכל מצוה נברא מלאך כנודע

for with every mitzvah an angel is created, as is known.

Each mitzvah a person performs creates an angel, a known teaching, which becomes the channel of that help.

והקב"ה וב"ש מאיר לכל אדם הארה מנשמתו בעת הראוי לכן גם בדרך כי יקרא קן צפור כו'

And the Holy One, Blessed is He — may His Name be blessed — illuminates for every person an illumination from his neshamah at the fitting time; therefore even along the way, "if a bird's nest happens to be before you" (Devarim 22:6) —

Hashem shines a measure of a person's own neshamah-light onto him precisely when he needs it, which is why even an incidental mitzvah like shiluach haken can suddenly present itself "along the way."

אם נצרך לאדם הארה ממצוה זו מזמין לו זאת המצוה

if a person needs the illumination of this particular mitzvah, He arranges this mitzvah for him.

When a person needs the specific illumination that a given mitzvah provides, Hashem arranges for that very mitzvah to come his way.

וכמו כן יש בכל יום הארות מהנשמה לכן מברכין המאיר לארץ ולדרים עלי'

And likewise, each day there are illuminations from the neshamah; therefore we recite the blessing, "Who illuminates the earth and those who dwell upon it."

These illuminations from the neshamah also occur daily, which is why we bless Hashem as the One who illuminates the earth and its inhabitants.

ואי הפי' על אור השמש היינו הך

And if the meaning refers to the light of the sun, it amounts to the very same thing —

Even if one reads that blessing as referring to ordinary sunlight, the underlying idea is identical.

רק כמו שיש אור בעולם כן מאיר ביחוד לבני אדם מאור הגנוז שהוא הנשמה והפנימיות כנ"ל לכן לוית חן הם כנ"ל

rather, just as there is light in the world, so too He illuminates in a special way for human beings from the hidden light, which is the neshamah and the inner essence, as above; therefore "they are a graceful wreath," as above.

Just as physical light fills the world, Hashem shines a special inner light into people from the hidden light, which is their very neshamah and inner core — making the Torah and mitzvos a "graceful wreath."

וענקים לגרגרותיך הוא תוס' לבד תיקון הנפש שע"י המצות כנ"ל יש אח"כ שכר מיוחד כמו הענקה לעבד אחר כלות מלאכתו

And "a necklace for your throat" (Mishlei 1:9) is an addition: beyond the rectification of the soul that comes through the mitzvos, as above, there is afterward a special reward — like the severance gift given to a servant after he has completed his work (Devarim 15:14).

The phrase "a necklace for your throat" points to something extra: beyond the soul-rectification that the mitzvos themselves accomplish, there is an additional special reward, compared to the parting gift given to a freed servant.

כן אם בנ"י גומרין שליחותן בעוה"ז יש אח"כ שכר מיוחד

So too, if Bnei Yisrael complete their mission in this world, there is afterward a special reward.

Likewise, when Bnei Yisrael finish their assigned task in this world, an extra special reward awaits them afterward.

וזה ענקים

And this is the meaning of "necklaces."

That extra reward is what the word "necklaces" alludes to.

ובזה יש שנויים כי בוודאי מצות צורך גבוה כו' אבל לתיקון הנפש כולן שוין

And in this there are distinctions, for certainly the mitzvos serve a heavenly need, etc., but with respect to the rectification of the soul they are all equal.

Here there are gradations, since mitzvos certainly serve a heavenly purpose at differing levels, yet in their power to rectify the soul all mitzvos are completely equal.

וזה תיקון הפרדס כרם ה' צבאות ב"י לכן בקלה וחמורה אריכת ימים שהוא חיבור להשורש כמ"ש במ"א

And this is the rectification of the orchard — "the vineyard of Hashem, Master of Legions, is the House of Yisrael" (Yeshayah 5:7) — and therefore both with a light mitzvah and with a stringent one (the Torah promises) length of days, which is connection to the Source, as I have explained elsewhere.

This equality is the "rectification of the orchard" — Bnei Yisrael being Hashem's vineyard — which is why the Torah promises "length of days," meaning connection to the Source, for both a light and a stringent mitzvah alike.

וזה חביב לפניו ית' יותר לכן לא גילה שכר המצות ודו"ק:

And this (rectification of the soul) is more beloved before Him, may He be blessed; therefore He did not reveal the reward of the mitzvos — and understand this well.

Because this soul-rectification is what is most beloved to Hashem, He deliberately did not reveal the specific reward of each mitzvah.

Summary: The Sfas Emes explains the Midrash on the orchard through the verse describing Torah and mitzvos as a "graceful wreath" and a "necklace." The neshamos of Bnei Yisrael were sent down from the upper world into this dark world, yet their root remains hidden above; through performing mitzvos a person draws the concealed light of his neshamah down into himself, just as Hashem allows the hidden primordial light to shine a little each day. Hashem arranges for each person the very mitzvah whose illumination he needs at the fitting moment, and every mitzvah creates an angel that channels that help. Beyond this rectification of the soul — in which all mitzvos are completely equal — there awaits a separate, special reward, like the parting gift to a freed servant, hinted at by the "necklace." Because the soul-rectification that all mitzvos share equally is most beloved before Hashem, He purposely concealed the specific reward of each individual mitzvah.