Chapter III

Though man knows that there is a soul within him that animates his body, and can feel its life-force, he remains ignorant of the soul's essence. Consequently, though a person can feel the presence of his life-force, his knowledge of it is one of "yedias hametzius," a mere awareness of its existence.

Were a person able to picture the soul in his mind's eye, he would be able to describe it verbally, just as a person can envision physical objects he has never beheld and convey the image verbally. The soul, however, transcends a person's imagination. Inasmuch as he is incapable of even imagining what the soul is, he cannot describe it verbally. Thus, all that man knows about the soul that animates him is the fact that he possesses such an entity.

[The same holds true] regarding the soul's powers and abilities; a person is aware of them only through their actions. When a person perceives that he understands an intellectual matter, he deduces that he possesses the power of intellect. Indeed, he has clear proof, for previously he did not know the subject matter and now he does. A person's ability to see, hear, etc., proves to him that lodged within him are other soul powers, each functioning in its designated bodily vessel. The power of intellect is lodged in the mind, sight in the eye, hearing in the ear, and the ability to walk is lodged in the feet. The same holds true for the rest of the bodily organs [and their corresponding soul powers].

Thus, the actions of the limbs imply the existence of soul powers that make such actions possible. So it is that through the particular actions of the soul we become aware of its existence and function. Yet the essential nature of the soul's powers remains unknown.

There is, however, a major difference between a person's knowledge of his soul's powers and his knowledge of the soul itself. The soul's powers are specific entities, limited in their function. For instance, the power of intellect is incapable of seeing, hearing or walking. The power of sight is limited to vision and neither understands nor hears, while the power of hearing is limited to the apprehension of sound. The same is true concerning the rest of the powers; they each carry out a specific function. Our knowledge of the individual powers is gleaned by observing their functioning, and this provides a knowledge of the essence of their functional being "yedias mehus hametzius. "1

The soul's effect on a person is all-encompassing. Therefore, a person's understanding of his soul extends only to the knowledge of its existence [and its ability to enliven], but not in any way to its essential nature [and its ability to provide life]. Thus, by considering the soul's powers, one can deduce the essence of its functional being, [but regarding the soul itself, one knows only of its existence and its ability to enliven].

In summary: A person's understanding of his own soul is limited to a general knowledge of its existence. Even this is known only by observing the effects of the particular soul powers; the essence of the soul remains totally unknown. While its powers are particular, the soul itself is all-encompassing.

This is the meaning of the saying that this world is considered an antechamber to the World to Come. Although a person's knowledge of spiritual matters such as the soul and the like is extremely vague, at least it is some measure of knowledge [and serves as a first step to higher rungs]. It is therefore necessary to "prepare yourself in the antechamber," for this limited level of knowledge enables a person to achieve a higher degree, for intellect is so structured that a lower level of understanding leads to a higher. Ultimately, it enables a human being to apprehend the G-dly mind within the garment of human intellect. This in turn leads to a longing for G-dliness, and makes the study of Torah and the performance of mitzvos very pleasurable.

When this state is achieved, the present world truly becomes an antechamber to the "banquet hall."