Description: Chapter 4 - 01
Derech Hashem
Chapter 4 – 01
When we examine an individual person, and his combination of ruchniyos and gashmiyos, of guf and neshamah, of spiritual and physical, we see an interesting thing. A person begins life mostly guf, almost completely a physical being. His mind is hardly developed, and certainly doesn’t determine his actions. His guf calls the shots totally for a while. As he grows older, his mind develops and becomes stronger and more complex, each person according to their growth, but his physical self still rules for the most part and sways most of his choices.
But if a person starts to learn wisdom, meaning the Torah, and begins incorporating his learning into action and deeds and character traits, then he can begin to overpower his physical self and he can stop giving free reign to his every desire. He can become a spiritual, thinking person.
But the fact is, that at its core, we are physical people, and our physical self is inordinately powerful. The guf is dark, unenlightened, of a nature which is very far from Hashem, and very unprepared to connect to holiness. The neshamah itself, although it is pure and elevated from a spiritual world, once it is placed within a guf, it forms an eternal connection with that guf, and it is distanced from its essence, to become an integral part of the human being, who is mostly physical. It can only escape the overwhelming physicality with tremendous effort, enough power to overcome the energy that is natural to the physical self.
Hashem decreed that the connection between neshamah and guf is eternal, even after a person dies, the neshamah is still connected to the guf and will return to it upon techiyas hameisim. Being that they have this relationship, the neshamah is forced to struggle and weaken the power of the physical self, to diminish the darkness of ‘chomer’, and enlighten and elevate the guf. With that, the neshamah can rise and be enlightened by the ‘ohr ha’elyon,’ the sublime light of Hashem, although it started out so dark and imperfect being connected to the guf.
Not only is the person himself primarily physical, but we live in a very physical world. Everything around us is ultimately a physical and earthly thing, and we are bound to it and by it. We have to eat and drink, we have to work and make money and be involved in all aspects of nature. The neshamah is not only struggling against the guf, it is struggling against everything in the world, and everything that the guf has no choice but to be involved with.
The amazing wisdom of Hashem that is inherent in our creation and the whole world, allows for a paradoxical outcome of this struggle!
Derech Hashem
Chapter 4 – 01
When we examine an individual person, and his combination of ruchniyos and gashmiyos, of guf and neshamah, of spiritual and physical, we see an interesting thing. A person begins life mostly guf, almost completely a physical being. His mind is hardly developed, and certainly doesn’t determine his actions. His guf calls the shots totally for a while. As he grows older, his mind develops and becomes stronger and more complex, each person according to their growth, but his physical self still rules for the most part and sways most of his choices.
But if a person starts to learn wisdom, meaning the Torah, and begins incorporating his learning into action and deeds and character traits, then he can begin to overpower his physical self and he can stop giving free reign to his every desire. He can become a spiritual, thinking person.
But the fact is, that at its core, we are physical people, and our physical self is inordinately powerful. The guf is dark, unenlightened, of a nature which is very far from Hashem, and very unprepared to connect to holiness. The neshamah itself, although it is pure and elevated from a spiritual world, once it is placed within a guf, it forms an eternal connection with that guf, and it is distanced from its essence, to become an integral part of the human being, who is mostly physical. It can only escape the overwhelming physicality with tremendous effort, enough power to overcome the energy that is natural to the physical self.
Hashem decreed that the connection between neshamah and guf is eternal, even after a person dies, the neshamah is still connected to the guf and will return to it upon techiyas hameisim. Being that they have this relationship, the neshamah is forced to struggle and weaken the power of the physical self, to diminish the darkness of ‘chomer’, and enlighten and elevate the guf. With that, the neshamah can rise and be enlightened by the ‘ohr ha’elyon,’ the sublime light of Hashem, although it started out so dark and imperfect being connected to the guf.
Not only is the person himself primarily physical, but we live in a very physical world. Everything around us is ultimately a physical and earthly thing, and we are bound to it and by it. We have to eat and drink, we have to work and make money and be involved in all aspects of nature. The neshamah is not only struggling against the guf, it is struggling against everything in the world, and everything that the guf has no choice but to be involved with.
The amazing wisdom of Hashem that is inherent in our creation and the whole world, allows for a paradoxical outcome of this struggle!