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ה וְכֵן הַלְּבוּשׁ הַחִיצוֹן שֶׁל נֶפֶשׁ הָאֱלֹהִית שֶׁבָּאָדָם הַמְקַיֵּם וְעוֹשֶׂה הַמִּצְוָה, שֶׁהוּא כֹּחַ וּבְחִינַת הַמַּעֲשֶׂה שֶׁלָּהּ, הוּא מִתְלַבֵּשׁ בַּחַיּוּת שֶׁל מַעֲשֵׂה הַמִּצְוָה, וְנַעֲשֶׂה גַּם כֵּן כְּגוּף לִנְשָׁמָה לָרָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן וּבָטֵל אֵלָיו לְגַמְרֵי.

5Likewise the external garment of the divine soul in the person fulfilling and practicing the commandment—this being its faculty of action—clothes itself in the vitality of the performance of the commandment, thus also becoming like a body in relation to the soul, the “soul” being the Supernal Will to which it is completely surrendered.

ווְעַל כֵּן, גַּם אֵבְרֵי גּוּף הָאָדָם הַמְקַיְּימִים הַמִּצְוָה, שֶׁכֹּחַ וּבְחִינַת הַמַּעֲשֶׂה שֶׁל נֶפֶשׁ הָאֱלֹהִית מְלוּבָּשׁ בָּהֶם בִּשְׁעַת מַעֲשֵׂה וְקִיּוּם הַמִּצְוָה, הֵם נַעֲשׂוּ מֶרְכָּבָה מַמָּשׁ לָרָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן, כְּגוֹן: הַיָּד הַמְחַלֶּקֶת צְדָקָה לַעֲנִיִּים, אוֹ עוֹשָׂה מִצְוָה אַחֶרֶת, וְרַגְלַיִם הַמְהַלְּכוֹת לִדְבַר מִצְוָה, וְכֵן הַפֶּה וְלָשׁוֹן שֶׁמְּדַבְּרִים דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה, וְהַמּוֹחַ שֶׁמְּהַרְהֵר בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה וְיִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם וּבִגְדוּלַּת ה׳ בָּרוּךְ־הוּא.

6In this way, the organs of the human body which perform the commandment—in which the divine soul’s faculty of action is clothed at the time of the act and fulfillment of the commandment—truly become a vehicle for the Supernal Will; as, for example, the hand which distributes charity to the poor or performs another commandment or the feet which carry a person toward the performance of a commandment; similarly with the mouth and tongue engaged in uttering the words of the Torah or the brain engaged in reflecting on the words of the Torah or on the fear of Heaven or the greatness of G–d, blessed is He.

זוְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה: ״הָאָבוֹת הֵן הֵן הַמֶּרְכָּבָה״, שֶׁכָּל אֵבְרֵיהֶם כּוּלָּם הָיוּ קְדוֹשִׁים וּמוּבְדָּלִים מֵעִנְיְינֵי עוֹלָם הַזֶּה, וְלֹא נַעֲשׂוּ מֶרְכָּבָה, רַק לָרָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן לְבַדּוֹ כָּל יְמֵיהֶם:

7This is what the Sages meant when they said that the Patriarchs were truly the “chariot” of G–d,³ for all their organs were completely holy and detached from mundane matters, serving as a vehicle solely for the Supernal Will alone throughout their lives.

Kehot Publication Society · CC BY-NC · sefaria.org

Kehot Publication Society · CC BY-NC · sefaria.org