Chapter 1

יענך ה׳ ביום צרה ישגבך שם אלקי יעקב

“May the L-rd [through the Divine Name Havayah] answer you on the day of distress; may the Name of the G-d of Yaakov fortify you.”1

Divine energy creates and vivifies both the lower world with all its creatures and the higher worlds containing souls and angels. It does so in two ways, providing either physical or spiritual life. These two life-forces are known as the natural and the supernatural. The physical element of all corporeal beings both on land and sea, from [the coarsest] rocks to the most refined brain matter, all fall under the heading of “material hosts,” and are within the realm of the natural. This is also true of the clouds and other denizens of the sky, as well as angels 10 categories of which are enumerated by the Rambam.2 The physical aspects of these “heavenly hosts” are also a part of the natural world. But the spiritual aspects of all creatures, from the specific power of vegetative growth found in particular climes to the loftiest spiritual forces found in souls and angels, all come under the heading of the supernatural.

The earth’s ability to produce vegetation depends primarily on location and climate. The Gemara3 comments on the verse:4 “These are the children of Sei’ir, the Chorites who dwell on the land,” and notes: Are we to infer that only the Chorites dwell on land, and the rest of humanity dwell in the heavens?! The Gemara answers that the Chorites were agronomists, intimately acquainted with each plot of land. They knew how to make the best use of it, so that it produce crops in harmony with the specific supernatural growth power found in it.

The natural as well as the supernatural are manifestations of the Divine light that illuminates and permeates all worlds and their creatures. They differ only in that the natural can (to a greater or lesser degree) be comprehended, while the supernatural, the soul and spirit of all worlds and their inhabitants, including souls and angels, is incomprehensible. It is by studying the effects of the soul powers on the particular organs of the body [in which they are vested] that we are able to gain some small measure of understanding as to the nature of these powers.

By way of illustration: We know that the brain contains three distinct areas containing three different types of brain matter. One section is cold and damp, a second is warm and dry, while the third has yet other properties. Each portion is a receptacle for one of the three intellectual qualities: “concept,” “comprehension” and “depth.” These three parts of the intellect are known by the three names chochmah, binah and daas. The term chochmah denotes conceptualization, binah denotes comprehension of a concept, while daas involves concentrating all one’s intellectual energies in plumbing its depths. The greater the concentration, the more and better will the concept be apprehended.

Though the three intellectual components of chochmah, binah and daas are all part of a greater whole, each is an entity unto itself. Verily, we observe that the intellectual capacities of individuals are divided along these lines. There are those who excel in coming up with the germs of new ideas and concepts. These individuals are known as baalei hamtzaah, inventive and novel thinkers. There are others whose intellectual forte lies in their ability to understand and explain matters clearly, but who are incapable of coming up with their own ideas.

Then there are those whose intellectual strength lies in their ability to engross themselves and concentrate deeply on a concept and its meaning. They do so to such a degree that they are able to come up with new ideas based upon the original and its intellectual ramifications. Herein [in the ability to arrive at something new from a preexisting idea] lies the superiority of daas over chochmah and binah. Yet [this knowledge about chochmah, binah and daas notwithstanding], all we are able to glean [about the soul powers by observing their actions within the body] is but an intellectual glimmering.

In summary: Divine light manifests itself in the lower world as well as in the higher worlds in one of two ways: a) That which creates and vivifies the bodies of all creatures; b) that which creates and vivifies the spirits and souls of all creatures. The Divine light that creates and vivifies a) the bodies is termed “natural;” b) that which vivifies the souls we call “supernatural.” What we can glean of the supernatural from the natural is only an estimation.