Part I; Likkutei Amarim, Chapter 7
The whole chapterאאַךְ נֶפֶשׁ הַחִיּוּנִית הַבַּהֲמִית שֶׁבְּיִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁמִּצַּד הַקְּלִיפָּה, הַמְלוּבֶּשֶׁת בְּדַם הָאָדָם כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל, וְנַפְשׁוֹת בְּהֵמוֹת וְחַיּוֹת וְעוֹפוֹת וְדָגִים טְהוֹרִים וּמוּתָּרִים בַּאֲכִילָה, וְקִיּוּם וְחַיּוּת כָּל הַדּוֹמֵם וְכָל הַצּוֹמֵחַ הַמּוּתָּר בַּאֲכִילָה, וְכֵן קִיּוּם וְחַיּוּת כָּל הַמַּעֲשֶׂה דִּבּוּר וּמַחֲשָׁבָה בְּעִנְיְינֵי עוֹלָם הַזֶּה שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶם צַד אִיסּוּר, לֹא שֹׁרֶשׁ וְלֹא עָנָף מִשַּׁסַ״ה מִצְוֹת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה וְעַנְפֵיהֶן דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וּדְרַבָּנָן, רַק שֶׁאֵינָן לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם – אֶלָּא רְצוֹן הַגּוּף וְחֶפְצוֹ וְתַאֲוָתוֹ, וַאֲפִילוּ הוּא צוֹרֶךְ הַגּוּף וְקִיּוּמוֹ וְחַיּוּתוֹ מַמָּשׁ, אֶלָּא שֶׁכַּוָּונָתוֹ אֵינָהּ לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם כְּדֵי לַעֲבוֹד אֶת ה׳ בְּגוּפוֹ – לָא עֲדִיפֵי מַעֲשֶׂה דִּבּוּר וּמַחֲשָׁבוֹת אֵלּוּ מִנֶּפֶשׁ הַחִיּוּנִית הַבַּהֲמִית בְּעַצְמָהּ, וְהַכֹּל כַּאֲשֶׁר לַכֹּל, נִשְׁפָּע וְנִמְשָׁךְ מִמַּדְרֵגָה הַשֵּׁנִית שֶׁבִּקְלִיפּוֹת וְסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא, שֶׁהִיא קְלִיפָּה רְבִיעִית הַנִּקְרֵאת ״קְלִיפַּת נוֹגַהּ״, שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, הַנִּקְרָא ״עוֹלַם הָעֲשִׂיָּה״, רוּבּוֹ כְּכוּלּוֹ רָע, רַק מְעַט טוֹב מְעוֹרָב בְּתוֹכָהּ [שֶׁמִּמֶּנָּה בָּאוֹת מִדּוֹת טוֹבוֹת שֶׁבַּנֶּפֶשׁ הַבַּהֲמִית שֶׁבְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר לְעֵיל].
1On the other hand,1 the vitalizing animal soul in the Jew, that which is derived from the aspect of the kelipah, which is clothed in the human blood, as stated above,2 and the “souls”3 of the animals, beasts, birds, and fish that are clean and fit for [Jewish] consumption, as also the existence and vitality of the entire inanimate and entire vegetable world which are permissible for consumption, as well as the existence and vitality of every act, utterance, and thought in mundane matters that contain no forbidden aspect—being neither root nor branch of the 365 prohibitive precepts and their offshoots, either on the explicit authority of the Torah or by Rabbinic enactment—yet are not performed for the sake of Heaven but only by the will, desire, and lust of the body; and even where it is a need of the body, or its very preservation and life, but his intention is not for the sake of Heaven, that is, to serve G–d thereby —all these acts, utterances, and thoughts are no better than the vitalizing animal soul itself; and everything in this totality of things flows and is drawn from the second gradation [to be found] in the kelipot and sitra achara, namely, a fourth kelipah, called kelipat nogah. In this world, called the “World of Asiyah (Action),”4 most, indeed almost all, of it [the kelipat nogah] is bad, and only a little good has been intermingled within it [from which come the good qualities contained in the animal soul of the Jew, as is explained above.5]
בוְהִיא בְּחִינָה מְמוּצַּעַת בֵּין שָׁלֹשׁ קְלִיפּוֹת הַטְּמֵאוֹת לְגַמְרֵי וּבֵין בְּחִינַת וּמַדְרֵגַת הַקְּדוּשָּׁה.
2This [kelipat nogah] is an intermediate category between the three completely unclean kelipot and the category and order of holiness.
גוְלָכֵן, פְּעָמִים שֶׁהִיא נִכְלֶלֶת בְּשָׁלֹשׁ קְלִיפּוֹת הַטְּמֵאוֹת [כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּעֵץ חַיִּים שַׁעַר מ״ט רֵישׁ פֶּרֶק ד׳ בְּשֵׁם הַזֹּהַר], וּפְעָמִים שֶׁהִיא נִכְלֶלֶת וְעוֹלָה בִּבְחִינַת וּמַדְרֵגַת הַקְּדוּשָּׁה, דְּהַיְינוּ, כְּשֶׁהַטּוֹב הַמְעוֹרָב בָּהּ נִתְבָּרֵר מֵהָרָע וְגוֹבֵר וְעוֹלֶה וְנִכְלָל בִּקְדוּשָּׁה.
3Hence it is sometimes absorbed within the three unclean kelipot [as is explained in Etz Chaim, Portal 49, beginning of ch. 4, on the authority of the Zohar], and sometimes it is absorbed and elevated to the category and level of holiness, as when the good that is intermingled in it is extracted from the bad, and prevails and ascends until it is absorbed in holiness.
דכְּגוֹן דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל: הָאוֹכֵל בִּשְׂרָא שְׁמֵינָא דְּתוֹרָא וְשׁוֹתֶה יַיִן מְבוּשָּׂם לְהַרְחִיב דַּעְתּוֹ לַה׳ וּלְתוֹרָתוֹ, כִּדְאָמַר רָבָא: ״חַמְרָא וְרֵיחָא כוּ׳״, אוֹ בִּשְׁבִיל כְּדֵי לְקַיֵּים מִצְוַת עֹנֶג שַׁבָּת וְיוֹם טוֹב, אֲזַי, נִתְבָּרֵר חַיּוּת הַבָּשָׂר וְהַיַּיִן שֶׁהָיָה נִשְׁפָּע מִקְּלִיפַּת נוֹגַהּ, וְעוֹלֶה לַה׳ כְּעוֹלָה וּכְקָרְבָּן.
4Such is the case, for example, of he who eats fat beef and drinks spiced wine in order to broaden his mind for the service of G–d and His Torah; as Rava said, “Wine and fragrance [make a man’s mind more receptive],”6 or in order to fulfill the command concerning enjoyment of Shabbat and the Festivals.7 In such a case the vitality of the meat and wine, originating in the kelipat nogah, is distilled and ascends to G–d like a burnt offering and sacrifice.
הוְכֵן הָאוֹמֵר מִילְּתָא דִבְדִיחוּתָא לְפַקֵּחַ דַּעְתּוֹ וּלְשַׂמֵּחַ לִבּוֹ לַה׳ וּלְתוֹרָתוֹ וַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ, שֶׁצְּרִיכִים לִהְיוֹת בְּשִׂמְחָה, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁעָשָׂה רָבָא לְתַלְמִידָיו שֶׁאָמַר לִפְנֵיהֶם מִילְּתָא דִבְדִיחוּתָא תְּחִלָּה וּבָדְחֵי רַבָּנָן.
5So, too, when a man utters a pleasantry in order to sharpen his wit and rejoice his heart in G–d, in His Torah and service, which should be practiced joyfully, as Rava was wont to do with his pupils, prefacing his discourse with some witty remark, to enliven the students thereby.8
Kehot Publication Society (English Translation)