## Nefesh HaChayim, Gate I

###### Nefesh HaChayim, Gate I 16:1
[Nefesh HaChayim, Gate I 16:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Nefesh%20HaChayim/s/Gate%20I/r/16:1)

והמשכילים יבינו. שכן הוא הענין גם בשרשו העליון. שרק בחינה התחתונה של אם הבנים סוד נשמת חיים עלאה. היא נכנסת ומתפשטת בפנימיות האדם העליון בסוד תוספת אחר התיקון ע"י מעשי התחתונים הרצויים.

**The Soul of Life, translated by Leonard Moskowitz, Teaneck, NJ 2012 [Rev. 1.5]:**
And the intellectuals will understand that this situation also holds in his supernal root, that only the lowest part of the “mother of the children”²⁸⁶—the secret of the supernal *Neshama* of life²⁸⁷—she enters and spreads out within the Supernal Man²⁸⁸, the entirety of creation which has the form (so to speak) of an upright man. via the secret of “temporary addition”²⁸⁹, after being rectified by way of the desired actions of those in the lower worlds.²⁹⁰ to specific parts of the upper worlds.

footnotes:
²⁸⁶ Heb.: eim ha-ba-nim
²⁸⁷ Heb.: nishmaht chayyim
²⁸⁸ “Supernal Man” here refers to the shiur koma ha-kollel
²⁸⁹ Heb.: toe-seh-fet
²⁹⁰ Rav Chayyim refers to the process by which those in the lower worlds effect a temporary addition of the aspect of Neshama


###### Nefesh HaChayim, Gate I 16:2
[Nefesh HaChayim, Gate I 16:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Nefesh%20HaChayim/s/Gate%20I/r/16:2)

והוא סוד המוחין קדישין ג"ר דילי'. שעיקרו הוא ו"ה כידוע. כמבואר למבין בע"ח שער או"א פ"ח. ובשער פרטי עי"מ. ובשער הזווגים ריש פ"ד. ובסוף שער מוחין דצלם. ובשער דרושי הצלם דרוש ב' עש"ה בכל הדרוש ובדרוש ח'. שם. ובפע"ח פ"ג משער התפילין. ובשער היחודים פ"ה מתיקון עונות.

**The Soul of Life, translated by Leonard Moskowitz, Teaneck, NJ 2012 [Rev. 1.5]:**
And this is the secret of the holy brains²⁹¹, its three heads, whose essence is six parts (as is known), as is clear to one who understands the *Etz Chayyim*, *Sha-ar Abba V’eema*²⁹², chapter 1; and in the *Sha-ar P’ra-tei Ahteek Yomin*²⁹³; and in the *Sha-ar Ha-zeevoogim*²⁹⁴ at the start of chapter 4; and at the end of the *Sha-ar Mokhin D’tzellem*²⁹⁵; and in the *Sha-ar D’rooshei D’tzellem*²⁹⁶, second commentary (refer there carefully in each commentary); and in the eighth commentary there; and in the *Pri Etz Chayyim*, chapter 3 from the chapter of *T’fillin*; and in the *Sha-ar Ha-yikhoodim*, chapter 5, from *Tikkoon Ah-vo-note*.

footnotes:
²⁹¹ Heb.: mo-khin ka-deesheen
²⁹² Gate of Father and Mother
²⁹³ Gate of the Details of the Ancient of Days
²⁹⁴ Gate of the Couplings
²⁹⁵ Gate of the Brains of the Tzellem
²⁹⁶ Gate of the Commentaries on the Tzellem


###### Nefesh HaChayim, Gate I 16:3
[Nefesh HaChayim, Gate I 16:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Nefesh%20HaChayim/s/Gate%20I/r/16:3)

והוא שאמרו שהנשמה שורה במוח. כמ"ש שם בשער אנ"ך פ"ו ובשער המוחין בכל פ"ז ובפ"ח ובפי"ב. ובשער דרושי הצלם ריש דרוש ב': ויותר מבואר הענין שם בהגהת הרח"ו ז"ל. ובשער הפרצופים ריש פ"א. ובשער פנימיות וחיצוניות דרוש ד' ודרוש ט'. ובשער קליפת נגה ריש פ"א. והוא מבואר למדקדק היטב בכל דרושי הצלם.

**The Soul of Life, translated by Leonard Moskowitz, Teaneck, NJ 2012 [Rev. 1.5]:**
And that they said that the *Neshama* settles in the brain, as is written there in the *Sha-ar O-rote, Neetzotzim, Keilim*²⁹⁷, chapter 6; and in the *Sha-ar Ha-mokhin*²⁹⁸ in all of chapter 7 and in chapter 8 and in chapter 12; and in the *Sha-ar D’rooshei D’tzellem* in the beginning of the second commentary. And the matter is explained further there in the Rabbi Chayyim Vittal’s annotation (OBM), and in the *Sha-ar Ha-partzoofin*²⁹⁹, beginning of chapter 1; and in the *Sha-ar P’neemeeyoot V’khee-tzo-neeyoot*³⁰⁰, the fourth and ninth commentaries; and the *Sha-ar Kleepaht Noga*³⁰¹, beginning of chapter 1. And it will be clear to the exceedingly fastidious in all the commentaries on the *tzellem*.

footnotes:
²⁹⁷ Gate of Lights, Sparks and Vessels
²⁹⁸ Gate of the Brains
²⁹⁹ Gate of the Aspects
³⁰⁰ Gate of Innerness and Outerness
³⁰¹ Gate of the Husk of Nogah


###### Nefesh HaChayim, Gate I 16:4
[Nefesh HaChayim, Gate I 16:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Nefesh%20HaChayim/s/Gate%20I/r/16:4)

וקצתה חופף ומקיף ומאיר על ראשו בקירוב מקום. סוד בעטרה שעטרה לו אמו. בסוד הנשימה וההבל היוצא מפה אימא לאור מקיף אליו. כמ"ש בע"ח שער הכללים סוף פי"א ובלקתנ"ך בתהלים בפ' הכל סג גו'. כמש"ל שבחי' הנשמה היא נשימת הפה העליון. אבל עיקרה היא כולה למעלה גנוזה ונעלמה במקורה העליון בתוך הפה ומאיר בריחוק מקום:

**The Soul of Life, translated by Leonard Moskowitz, Teaneck, NJ 2012 [Rev. 1.5]:**
And its edge hovers and surrounds from above and shines upon his head by its proximity, it being the secret of the “crown with which his mother crowned him” (Shir Hashirim, 3:11), by way of the secret of the breath³⁰² and the vapor that exits from the mother’s mouth, to the light that approaches to surround him. As is written in the *Etz Chayyim*, *Sha-ar Ha-k’la-leem*³⁰³, end of chapter 11; and in the *Likutei TaNa”Kh*³⁰⁴, in *T’hillim*, in the verse: “*Ha-kol sog*…,” as was described above, that the aspect of the *Neshama* is the breath of the supernal mouth, but its essence is completely hidden above, and disappears in its source inside the mouth, and shines from a distance.

footnotes:
³⁰² Heb.: n’sheema
³⁰³ Gate of General Principles
³⁰⁴ Collection from TaNa”Kh


###### Nefesh HaChayim, Gate I 16:5
[Nefesh HaChayim, Gate I 16:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Nefesh%20HaChayim/s/Gate%20I/r/16:5)

ובזה יובן כוונתם ז"ל בשמות רבה פמ"א. ע"פ כי ה' יתן חכמה מפיו דעת ותבונה. שאמרו למה"ד למלך שהיה לו בן. בא בנו מבית הספר מצא תמחוי לפני אביו. נטל אביו חתיכה אחת ונתנה לו כו'. א"ל איני מבקש אלא ממה שבתוך פיך. מה עשה נתנו לו כו'. היינו שבקשת הבן יקיר להשיג שיושפע בו מניצוצי אור בחי' הנשמה אשר מקורה נעלמה בנשימת פיו ית"ש.

**The Soul of Life, translated by Leonard Moskowitz, Teaneck, NJ 2012 [Rev. 1.5]:**
And by this will be understood their (OBM) intention in *Sh’mote Rabba*, section 41, on the verse: “For God-*YHV”H* will give wisdom from His mouth, knowledge and understanding” (Mishlei 2:6) where they said: “To what does it resemble? To a king who had a son. His son came from school and found a platter of food in front of his father. His father took one piece of it and gave it to him…, He said to him: ‘I do not request anything other than a part of what is within your mouth’. What did he do? He gave it to him. … .” That is, what the beloved son is requesting to attain is that He should impress upon him from the sparks of the light of the aspect of *Neshama,* whose source is deeply hidden in the breath of His mouth (blessed be His name).


###### Nefesh HaChayim, Gate I 16:6
[Nefesh HaChayim, Gate I 16:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Nefesh%20HaChayim/s/Gate%20I/r/16:6)

ורמזו עוד בלשונם הק' שהמשילו לתינוק הבא מבית הספר דוקא. הודיעו נאמנה שאין מבוא בעולם להשיג בחי' נצוצי אור הנשמה. אם לא ע"י העסק והעיון והתבוננות בתה"ק בקדושה כי שניהם ממקור א' באים כידוע למבין:

**The Soul of Life, translated by Leonard Moskowitz, Teaneck, NJ 2012 [Rev. 1.5]:**
And they provided further hints in their holy phrasing, that the metaphor they used was a young child who comes specifically from school. They reliably informed us that there is no worldly entrance to attain the aspect of the sparks of the light of the Soul-*Neshama* if not via the engagement and in-depth study and reflection in the holy Torah, from within a state of holiness, for the two of them originate from a single source³⁰⁵. Here Rav Chaim sets the stage for presenting the nature of Torah and the necessity of and irreplaceable need for involvement with Torah. It’s *only* via involvement with Torah that one can merit the connection to soul-*Neshama.*, as is known to one who understands.

footnotes:
³⁰⁵ The two being the Torah and the sparks of the Soul-Neshama


###### Nefesh HaChayim, Gate I 16:7
[Nefesh HaChayim, Gate I 16:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Nefesh%20HaChayim/s/Gate%20I/r/16:7)

הגהה: ועפי"ז ישכיל המעיין להבין עפ"י פשוט ענין הנזכר בזוהר פ' אחרי ע"ג א' שקוב"ה ואורייתא וישראל מתקשרין דא בדא. ודאי עומק כוונתו לסודות עמוקים. עכ"ז יש להסביר הענין גם בפשטות עפי"ז

**The Soul of Life, translated by Leonard Moskowitz, Teaneck, NJ 2012 [Rev. 1.5]:**
**Annotation:***And based on this, one who looks into it will intellectually understand, according to the plain meaning regarding the matter mentioned in the* Zohar *(*parshat Ah-kha-rei *73a), that the Holy One blessed be He, the Torah and Israel are connected one to another. It’s definite that his deep intention is toward profound secrets; even so it makes sense to also explain this matter in its plain meaning, based on this.*


###### Nefesh HaChayim, Gate I 16:8
[Nefesh HaChayim, Gate I 16:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Nefesh%20HaChayim/s/Gate%20I/r/16:8)

והענין כי קוב"ה סתים וגליא. כי עצמות אדון כל א"ס ב"ה אינו מושג ולית מחשבה תפיסא ביה כלל. ומה שמושג לנו מעט מן המעט הוא רק מצד התחברותו להעולמות מעת שבראם וחידשם. להחיותם ולקיימם כל רגע ולהנהיגם כמ"ש ואתה מחיה את כולם

**The Soul of Life, translated by Leonard Moskowitz, Teaneck, NJ 2012 [Rev. 1.5]:**
*And the matter is, that the Holy One (blessed be He) is hidden and revealed (*Zohar parshat Ehmore *98b), for the essence of the Lord of All, the Infinite-*Ein Sof *is inconceivable, and thought can not grasp it at all. What we can grasp is a tiny part of a tiny part, that is only from the perspective of His relationship to the worlds*³⁰⁶*, from the moment that He created them and renewed them, to vivify them and to sustain them each moment and to guide them, as is written (*N’khemya *9:6): “and You vivify them all”.*

footnotes:
³⁰⁶ Rav Chaim later explains (in Gate 3, chapter 11) the three aspects of God’s relationship to creation, and how they are perceived.


###### Nefesh HaChayim, Gate I 16:9
[Nefesh HaChayim, Gate I 16:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Nefesh%20HaChayim/s/Gate%20I/r/16:9)

ולכן נשבחו יתברך בתפלתינו שהוא חי העולמים. כי כל כוונת לבנו בכל התפלות והבקשות אסור להיות רק ליחודו של עולם הוא א"ס ב"ה. אמנם לא מצד עצמותו יתב' לבד בבחי' היותו מופרש מהעולמות. אלא מצד התחברותו ית' ברצונו הפשוט להעולמות והסותרו בהם להחיותם. וזהו כלל שורש ענין העבודה והמצות כולם. וזה לבד כל השגתינו. וע' לקמן בשער ב' פ"ד ופ"ה הענין באורך. וכל חיותם וקיומם של העולמות כולם. הוא רק ע"י התורה הק' כשישראל עוסקים בה. שהיא נהירו דכל עלמין ונשמתא וחיותא דכלהון. ואלו הי' העולם מקציהו ועד קציהו פנוי אף רגע א' מעסק והתבוננות בתוה"ק. היו חוזרים כל העולמות לתהו ובהו כמ"ש ז"ל בשביל התורה וכו' כמ"ש וחיי עולם נטע בתוכנו. כי מקור שורשה העליון היא למעלה מכל העולמות. לכן בה תלוי החיות של כולם.

**The Soul of Life, translated by Leonard Moskowitz, Teaneck, NJ 2012 [Rev. 1.5]:**
*Therefore we praise Him (blessed be He) in our prayers that He is the “Life of the Worlds”*³⁰⁷*, for the whole intention of our hearts in all of our prayers and supplications, are forbidden towards any but the Unity of the Universe, He being the Infinite*-Ein Sofe (*blessed be He). However, not only from the perspective of His essence (blessed be He), in the sense of His being separate from the worlds, but rather from the perspective of His attachment (blessed be He) via His simple will to the worlds and his concealment within them to vivify them. This is the general principle regarding worship and all of the commandments. This is all that we can grasp.*³⁰⁸towards both the *essence* (so to speak) of *Ein Sofe* which is separate and apart from the worlds, and the *Chei Olahmim* which is the Ein Sofe connected to the worlds, hidden within them (so to speak) to sustain them. *And refer further on in this work in Gate Two, chapters four and five for the topic at length. The entire existence and sustenance of all the worlds are only the effect of the holy Torah when Israel is engaged with her, that she illuminates all the worlds and is their soul-*Neshama *and the vivifying force for all of them. And if the universe, from one end to the other, was empty even for one moment from engagement with and in-depth study of the holy Torah, all the worlds would return to chaos and emptiness, as they (OBM) said: “For the sake of Torah…”, and as they wrote: “and He planted eternal life within us”, for the source of her heavenly root is above all of the worlds, therefore all of their existences depends on her*³⁰⁹*.*

footnotes:
³⁰⁷ Heb.: chei oh-la-meem
³⁰⁸ Rav Chayyim says that our prayers are directed only toward the Infinite-Ein Sofe—
³⁰⁹ The principle is that what is higher provides the sustenance for what is below. Torah is above all the worlds and so is the source of the sustenance for all the worlds below.


###### Nefesh HaChayim, Gate I 16:10
[Nefesh HaChayim, Gate I 16:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Nefesh%20HaChayim/s/Gate%20I/r/16:10)

ואמרו ג"כ בשביל ישראל כו' כמו שנתב' שע"י עסק האדם והגיונו בתוה"ק הוא משיג להתנוצצות אור בחי' הנשמה בו להשכילו בעמקי רזין קדישין דילה שאז מכונה בשם ישראל כידוע בזוהר. ועל כל מוצא פי ה' הוא בחי' נשמת האדם נשימת פיו יתב'. יחיו ויתקיימו ג"כ כל הכחות והעולמות שהיא ג"כ הגבוה והפנימית מכל העולמות. וזהו קוב"ה ואורייתא וישראל מתקשרן דא בדא. וז"ש בראשית בשביל התורה שנקראת ראשית ובשביל ישראל שנקראו ראשית:

**The Soul of Life, translated by Leonard Moskowitz, Teaneck, NJ 2012 [Rev. 1.5]:**
*And they also said: “for the sake of Israel…”, as we will explain, for as a result of man’s involvement with and his reasoning in the holy Torah, he attains the sparkling of the light of the aspect of soul-*Neshama *within him, to make him intelligent in the depths of her holy secrets, and then is given the name Israel, as is known in the* Zohar*. “…But by all that comes out of God-*YHV”H*’s mouth” (Devarim 8:3)—it is the aspect of man’s soul-*Neshama*, His breath (blessed be He), they will also vivify and maintain all of the powers and worlds, for she is also the highest and the innermost of all the worlds, and this is ‘the Holy One blessed be He and the Torah and Israel are all bound one to another’, and that they said: “ ‘In the beginning…*³¹⁰*’ is for the sake of Torah, who [fem.] is called “first*³¹¹*”, and for the sake of Israel who are called “first*³¹²*”.*

footnotes:
³¹⁰ Heb.: Bereshit
³¹¹ Heb.: rei-sheet
³¹² Heb.: rei-sheet


###### Nefesh HaChayim, Gate I 16:11
[Nefesh HaChayim, Gate I 16:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Nefesh%20HaChayim/s/Gate%20I/r/16:11)

וז"ש שם בשעה שעמדו ישראל על הר סיני לקבל את התורה היו מבקשים לשמוע הדברות מפי הקב"ה. וכמ"ש ישקני מנשיקות פיהו.

**The Soul of Life, translated by Leonard Moskowitz, Teaneck, NJ 2012 [Rev. 1.5]:**
And this is what they stated there, that at the hour when Israel stood on Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, they requested to hear the spoken commandments from the mouth of the Holy One (blessed be He), and as is written (Shir Hashirim 1:2): “He will kiss me with the kisses of His mouth”.


###### Nefesh HaChayim, Gate I 16:12
[Nefesh HaChayim, Gate I 16:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Nefesh%20HaChayim/s/Gate%20I/r/16:12)

שבעת המעמד המקודש זכו כולם שהיה חופף ומאיר עליהם זיו ניצוצו זהר בחי' הנשמה מנשמת פיו יתב' כביכול והוא סוד הכתרים שזכו בסיני. ושמחת עולם על ראשם.

**The Soul of Life, translated by Leonard Moskowitz, Teaneck, NJ 2012 [Rev. 1.5]:**
For during the time of the holy event, they all merited the brilliant sparks of clarity, for it (the aspect of Neshama) was hovering over them and shining upon them, metaphorically from the breath³¹³ of his (blessed be He) mouth, and it is the secret of the crowns that they merited at Sinai: “and the world’s joy upon their heads” (Yeshayahu 35, and refer to Shabbat 88a).

footnotes:
³¹³ Heb.: nishmaht


###### Nefesh HaChayim, Gate I 16:13
[Nefesh HaChayim, Gate I 16:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Nefesh%20HaChayim/s/Gate%20I/r/16:13)

ועי"כ זכו להשיג סתרי פנימיות נשמת התוה"ק כמ"ש בזוהר בהעלותך קנ"ב א' אורייתא אית לה גופא כו' חכימין עבדי דמלכא עלאה אינון דקיימו בטורא דסיני לא מסתכלי אלא בנשמת' דאיהו עקרא דכלא אורייתא ממש.

**The Soul of Life, translated by Leonard Moskowitz, Teaneck, NJ 2012 [Rev. 1.5]:**
And in this way they merited to attain secrets of the inner Soul-*Neshama* of the holy Torah, as is written in the *Zohar* (*B’ha-ah-lo-t’kha* 152a): “The Torah has a body… the sages, servants of the highest King. They who stood at Mount Sinai are not gazing at anything other than its Soul-*Neshama,* that is the essence of the entire Torah, in actuality.”


###### Nefesh HaChayim, Gate I 16:14
[Nefesh HaChayim, Gate I 16:14](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Nefesh%20HaChayim/s/Gate%20I/r/16:14)

והוא שאמר בכ"מ במ"ר זיין הי' להם בסיני ושם המפורש חקוק עליו שהוא ההשגה עליונה בנשמתא וסתרין דאוריי' שמא מפרש: כי כן היה הענין אז למעלה בשרשו העליון. כנ"ל בפ' העבר סוד בעטרה שעטרה לו אמו. ודרשו ע"ז בחזית ביום חתונתו זה סיני וביום שמחת לבו אלו ד"ת. וזהו בעטרה כו' הם הכתרים הנ"ל שהיו בסיני. חיי המלך. וע' בע"ח שער הכללים סוף פ"ה:

**The Soul of Life, translated by Leonard Moskowitz, Teaneck, NJ 2012 [Rev. 1.5]:**
And this is what they stated in a number of places in *Midrash Rabba*: “They had armor at Sinai, and the ineffable Name was engraved upon it”—that is the high attainment in the *Neshama*, and the secret of the Torah is the ineffable Name. That’s how it was then, above in its supernal root, as we mentioned in the last chapter, the secret of “the crown with which his mother crowned him” (Shir Hashirim 3:11). And they expounded upon this in *Chazeeta*³¹⁴ is another name for *Midrash Shir Ha-Shirrim*.: “‘on the day he was wed’ is Sinai, and ‘the day his heart was joyous’—these are the words of Torah.” And the phrase “with the crown”… these are the crowns we mentioned above that were at Sinai, the regal life force. And refer to the *Etz Chayyim*, *Sha-ar Ha-k’lalim*, end of chapter 5.

footnotes:
³¹⁴ Chazeeta