Refining the animal soul to rise first

במד' אחור וקדם כו'.

In the Midrash: "Back and front [You have formed me]…" (Tehillim 139:5)

The Midrash applies this verse to the creation of man, who was made "last" in deed but "first" in thought — the Sefas Emes will unpack this dual aspect.

הטעם שנברא האדם אחר כולם כי בכל הנבראים יש חיות הקודש מהש"י.

The reason man was created after all the others is that within all the creatures there is holy vitality (chiyus ha-kodesh) from Hashem.

Every created thing contains a measure of Divine life-force; man was created last so that he could incorporate all of them.

והעולם השפל קיבל מקודם חיות כולם.

And the lower world first received the vitality of all of them.

The physical world was first filled with the life-force of all the lower creations as a foundation.

והי' זה הכנה שיוכל לקבל קדושת נשמת האדם שהוא גבוה מכולם.

And this was a preparation so that it could receive the holiness of man's soul, which is higher than all of them.

Assembling all the lower vitality first prepared the world to receive the loftier holiness of the human neshamah, which surpasses everything else.

ואמר ר' שמלאי שכמו כן תורתו נתפרשה אחר תורת בהמה כו'.

And R' Simlai said that likewise his Torah (the laws concerning man) was set forth after the Torah of the animal… (Vayikra Rabbah 14:1)

R' Simlai notes a parallel in the Torah's order: the laws of human purity (Tazria) come after the laws of animals — just as man was created after the animals.

פי' שיש בכל איש ישראל בחי' נפש הבהמיות.

The explanation is that within every Yid there is an aspect of the "animal soul" (nefesh ha-behamis).

Every person contains a nefesh ha-behamis — an animal-like soul with physical drives — alongside his higher soul.

כמ"ש בספרים שהאדם כלול מכל הנבראים דצח"מ והוא למעלה מכולם.

As it is written in the seforim, that man is composed of all the creatures — domem, tzomei'ach, chai (inanimate, plant, animal) — and he is above them all.

Man is a microcosm, containing within himself the levels of mineral, vegetable, and animal, yet standing above them all by virtue of his neshamah.

ומ"מ צריך מקודם לתקן נפש הבהמיות ואח"כ נשמתו.

And nevertheless, he must first rectify the animal soul, and afterward his neshamah.

The order of avodah mirrors the order of creation: one must first refine the lower animal soul before the higher neshamah can shine.

וביותר ביאור כי יש ב' בחי' באדם.

And with further explanation: there are two aspects within a person.

The Sefas Emes now distinguishes two dimensions of the human being.

א' מצד הטבע וזה בשעת היצירה שנברא אחר כולם.

One is from the side of nature, and this is at the time of formation, when he was created after all of them.

The first aspect is man's natural, created state — the dimension in which he was formed "last," after all other creatures.

אך לאדם ניתן התורה שיוכל להשלים מעשיו לטוב בעבודתו בעצמו.

But to man the Torah was given, so that he can perfect his deeds for the good through his own avodah.

Beyond his natural state, man received the Torah, enabling him to elevate and perfect himself through his own effort and service.

וגם בענין הזה יש לו להקדים תורת בהמה כו'.

And in this matter too, he must give precedence to the "Torah of the animal."

Even in the path of avodah, one must first address the animal soul — refining the lower self before ascending.

ומצד ב' בחי' אלו יש לאדם מעלה גבוה מבחי' קדמונו של עולם כמ"ש ישראל עלו במחשבה.

And from the side of these two aspects, a person has an elevation higher than the aspect of the "primordiality of the world," as it says: "Yisrael arose in [Hashem's] thought." (Bereishis Rabbah 1:4)

Precisely because man bridges both the natural ("last") and the Torah-driven dimensions, he attains a height surpassing even the "first" of creation — for in Divine thought, Yisrael preceded everything.

ובחי' זו נפתח בש"ק כמ"ש שער החצר הפנימית כו'.

And this aspect is opened on the holy Shabbos, as it is written: "The gate of the inner court…" (Yechezkel 46:1)

The higher "inner" dimension of man is unlocked on Shabbos, alluded to by the prophet's "inner gate" that opens on Shabbos.

ביום השבת יפתח הוא בחי' הנ"ל מצד הבריאה.

"On the day of Shabbos it shall be opened" — this is the aforementioned aspect, from the side of creation.

The verse "on Shabbos it shall be opened" refers to the unveiling of man's higher aspect that is rooted in the very order of creation.

וינפש אבדה נפש הבהמיות כיון שזוכין לנשמה יתירה כי כל המדרגות מנר"נ יש תמיד באיש ישראל והבן.

"And He rested (va-yinafash)" — the animal soul is "lost" (subsumed), since one merits the additional soul (neshamah yeseirah); for all the levels of nefesh, ruach, neshamah are always present in a Yid — understand this.

On Shabbos, with the neshamah yeseirah (the extra soul of Shabbos), the lower animal soul is overtaken and absorbed. All soul-levels (nefesh, ruach, neshamah) are always within a Jew, and Shabbos lets the higher ones dominate.

וביום החודש יפתח הוא כשאדם במעשיו מעורר התחדשות מצד התורה כמ"ש החודש כו' לכם.

"And on the day of the New Moon it shall be opened" — this is when a person, through his deeds, awakens renewal from the side of the Torah, as it says: "This month (ha-chodesh) shall be for you…" (Shemos 12:2)

The "New Moon" gate represents renewal achieved through man's own Torah-driven effort — paralleling Rosh Chodesh, the mitzvah of renewal given to Bnei Yisrael ("for you").

זכה אומרים לו אתה קדמת כנ"ל שהוא מיישר דרכיו ומתקן תורת בהמה כו' אח"כ זוכה לבחי' נשמתו שהיא בחי' קדם.

"If he merits, they say to him: you preceded [all of creation]" (Vayikra Rabbah 14:1) — as above, that he straightens his ways and rectifies the "Torah of the animal," and afterward merits the aspect of his neshamah, which is the aspect of "front" (kedem, the primordial).

One who refines his animal soul first then merits to be told "you came first" — reaching the level of his neshamah, the "kedem" dimension where Yisrael preceded all of creation in Divine thought.

ע"י התחדשות כנ"ל.

Through renewal, as above.

This elevation comes about through the constant hischadshus (renewal) that man draws from the Torah.

ואם לאו יתוש קדמך כשאינו מתקן כלום:

And if not, "a gnat preceded you" (Vayikra Rabbah 14:1) — when he rectifies nothing at all.

But if a person fails to refine himself, then even a lowly gnat "came before" him — for on the natural plane he is the last and least of creatures; only through avodah and renewal does he rise to be "first."

Summary: Man was created last yet stands above all creation, for he contains all lower levels and a supernal neshamah. Just as man came "after" the animals, his avodah must begin by rectifying the lower animal soul before the neshamah can shine. Through Shabbos (the neshamah yeseirah) and through Torah-driven renewal (Rosh Chodesh), man reaches his "front" dimension — the level where Yisrael preceded all creation. One who refines himself is told "you came first"; one who does not is preceded even by a gnat.