Know! there are children that people give birth to in this world. Yet, there are people on a very lofty spiritual plane who give birth to souls that are loftier than the souls enclothed within the children that are born in this world.

For, altogether, there are 600,000 souls in the world. Even though there are more [Jews than that], they are only a result of the division of the sparks. In total, however, there are only 600,000.

Nevertheless, the aforementioned souls are loftier than the 600,000 enclothed in this world, for they are not at all suited to be enclothed in this world. Thus, even when they do come into this world, they are not considered part of it.

This is the aspect of Moshe’s sons, about whom it is written, “and the sons of Rechavyah increased beyond” (1 Chronicles 23:17). Our Sages, of blessed memory, expound: “Beyond” the 600,000 (Berakhot 7a). This is because they were not at all considered among the 600,000, for [the souls of Rechavyah’s sons] were loftier than theirs, as explained above.