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Pesa’h according to the Kabbalah

There are two dimensions in the real understanding of Pesa’h. The first, is in the secrets of the reincarnations of souls, the second, is the interactions and manifestations of the higher lights which we call in the Kabbalah “Sephirot” and “Partsufim”.

The Ari Z’al explains in his books “Shaare HaKavanot” and “Peri ‘Ets ‘Haim” that the Jews that came out of Egypt were the reincarnation of the generation that had built the tower, which was the same generation that had perished in the flood in the times of Noa’h. The real purpose of the Jews being enslaved in Egypt was to purify these reincarnated souls so they could be able to receive the Torah.
 

Reincarnation in the Kabbalah

To ascend from their original level, these souls needed to reincarnate to do their Tikun.

The Kabbalah explains that if a man does not do the Tikun for the level of his soul for which he came, he comes back and reincarnates in a new body for a new life. As long as he undertakes the Tikun of his soul in three reincarnations, he will come back again and again as needed, to complete his Tikun. However, if he maintains his wrong behavior and neither performs nor advances in his Tikun, he will not return after the third reincarnation.

There are different reasons why a soul might have to come back and reincarnate. It could be to repair or rectify an act for some damage he caused by his wrongdoings, or by not accomplishing the Mitsvot – commandments. The secret and reasons behind the accomplishment of the Mitsvot is to help, or make the Tikun of the soul.

As there are 613 parts to the soul, and 613 veins and bones to man, similarly, there are 613 Mitsvot and 613 lights in each Sephira or configuration. Each Mitsva corresponds to one part of the soul and of the body; by performing a positive commandment or avoiding a negative one, the corresponding part of the soul is reinforced and repaired. Failing to perform the positive Mitsva or to avoid a negative commandment causes direct damage to one's soul and requires repair in this life or in a future reincarnation.

It is only by getting another chance to do or undo what he should have done or not do, that man makes the necessary Tikun of his soul, which can now rise to the higher realms and rejoin its source.

There are different levels in a soul, and each one of them corresponds to a particular Sephira, configuration or world. The systems for the Tikun of the souls are complex and follow a precise order of priority from the lowest to the highest level. For its Tikun, a soul must first repair what is damaged or lacking in a lower level before moving to the next.

To reach the next higher level of his soul, man must completely perform the Tikun of the preceding level. The five levels of the soul - Nefesh, Rua'h, Neshama, ‘Haya and Ye’hida - correspond to the four worlds of ‘Asiah, Yetsirah, Beriah and Atsilut.

The higher levels of the soul cannot be acquired at once. Most men only have the level of Nefesh. If they merit, they will acquire or reincarnate to get the next levels - one by one. In general, the level of Rua’h can not come before the age of thirteen, the level of Neshama at twenty, and the other levels afterwards.

If man only makes the Tikun of his level of Nefesh, he will not get his Rua’h; he has to die first and come back to get it in his new life. If he makes the Tikun of his Rua’h in his new life, he will not get his level of Neshama. He has to die again and then come back with his two levels of Nefesh and Rua’h to try to get his Neshama. Once these three levels are acquired, he does not need to reincarnate anymore.

Sephirot and Partsufim

To understand the second dimension, a short introduction is necessary.

The light of G-od is unique and of equal force and quality. A Sephira is in a way a “filter” which transforms this light in a particular force or attribute, by which the Creator guides the worlds. A Partsuf is a configuration of one or more Sephirot acting in coordination.

Some of these configurations are masculine and bestow kindness, others are feminine and bestow rigor. By their unions, different equilibriums of these two forces make the guidance. These actions and interdependence of these configurations, will result in different illuminations of various intensities of influence depending on time and the actions of men.

For the abundance to come down to the world, the masculine configuration; Zeir Anpin needs to unite with the feminine configuration; Nukvah. There can be equilibrium or abundance, only when the masculine and the feminine are in harmony.

At first, the masculine Zeir Anpin is in a state of somnolence, to act, it needs to get particular lights or energies that will allow him to be independent and act. These energies are its directive force and correspond to its three first Sephirot of “Hokhma, Binah and Da’at“. These lights usually arrive one by one, in a precise orderly manner.

During the period of slavery in Egypt, this configuration did not receive these directive energies and the bondage of the Jews was the consequence or result of this lack. On the night of the deliverance, G-od made a miracle by making these lights come in the configuration Zeir Anpin instantly in one single night, and give power to the positive forces for the Jews to be free.

In the Kabbalah we learn that every year, the same configurations happen again, and every Pesa’h at the first Seder, this miraculous full configuration is in full force.

We now understand that Pesa’h is not just a historic remembrance, but a celebration of this past miracle, and the special one that is happening right now on this Seder night.

See it in Video