The Souls Elijah and Enoch

However, the prophet Elijah took the ruach of Atzilut of Adam, and therefore he went up to Heaven and did not die like the rest of people. For he is as an angel from the hosts of G‑d, and after that he literally became a heavenly angel. This is the reason why only ruach is mentioned with respect to Elijah, as it says, "Please let two portions of your ruach be mine", (Kings II 2:9) "The ruach of Elijah rested upon Elisha, (Ibid. 15) and, "A ruach of Elokim will carry you." (Kings I 18:12)

However, he did not merit this ruach of Atzilut until he killed Zimri in Shittim, (Num. 25:1) making it clear that the ruach does not dwell in a person until he received his nefesh. Therefore, when Pinchas killed Zimri, he merited to receive the nefesh of Atzilut, which was previously in Nadab and Abihu.

Nefesh associates with malchut, the sefira of din, from which holy zealousness and vengeance for the Divine honor come. When Pinchas clothed in jealousness and expressed such an act, the highest level of nefesh of Atsilut was magnetized and drawn to him.

Each person draws to himself flow from above according to his actions. (Likutei Moharan 6 - end)

Once he merited the nefesh of Atzilut, he also then merited a portion of the ruach of Atzilut. With respect to this it says, "Behold, I give to him My covenant shalom [of peace]," (Num. 25:12) for ruach is from tiferet and yesod, both of which are called shalom, as is known from the verse, "Peace, peace for the far and near." (Isaiah 57:19) This is talking about tiferet and yesod .

Peace to the far comes from tiferet, which is higher and farther away from us below than the peace of yesod, which is closer.

"A man that ruach is in him," (Num. 27:18) "And no ruach arose in a man," (Joshua 2:11) "As a man, so is his gevura (in respect to the ruach energy in yesod)." (See Likutei Moharan 8) Ruach is the male aspect. It so especially links with yesod, the root of the male organ, and tiferet, the source of yesod. The idea behind this is that they are the root power to unite with the feminine aspect and thereby make peace and harmony. They are empowered to do this by virtue of their occupying the middle line of the sefirot. Tiferet lies between and balances chesed and gevura, yesod stands in the middle of netzach and hod.

The highest root place of the midot is Atzilut. There Elijah is busy balancing and harmonizing these energies. Through this he " distances falsehood and brings close truth" - the central dynamic necessary for the bringing of the final redemption. One who does this in their own little world - the self, family, friends, etc., also takes great part in bringing it close. The elite who work much at this can actually merit Elijah coming to them and revealing secrets. (Shaar Ruach HaKodesh)

A portion of the neshama of Atzilut was received by Enoch son of Jared, (Gen. 5:18) and therefore, he was a heavenly angel called Matatron, as is known. Therefore he also did not die in the way of men. (Zohar, Eitz Chayim, See also Likutei Moharan)

The level of neshama of Atzilut is called the Minister of the World, coming from Atzilut, the [highest] realm, and so it has power over all worlds.

Science can at best reveal the axiomatic forces of nature and predict how they inter-react. The reason why they are so always remains aloof and unfathomed. Kabbalah reveals the source of the axioms themselves. They are angels commanded by G‑d to so do; i.e., there is an angel appointed over the speed of light and all of its properties. This was programmed into existence by Genesis, in the saying "Let there by light;" (Gen. 1:3, Keter Shem Tov) "There is nothing new under the sun." (Eccl. 1:9) "Forever G‑d Your word is planted in heaven." (Psalms 119)

The Zohar tells that the Shechina is as if clothed in Matat during the week. (Zohar, Eitz Chayim, See also Likutei Moharan) This means that Providence runs the world masked in the cause and effect relationships of nature - transmitted to the universe through the heavenly hierarchy of angels.

Matat, being the chief angel, is so called the Minister of the World.

With this we can answer the question regarding Enoch and Matatron. For if they are one and the same being, and the world of Yetzirah is called the world of Matatron, then who was its minister while Enoch was still alive on earth?

However, the Zohar states at the beginning of the portion Noach in the Tosefta on the verse "Noach, Noach" (Gen. 6:9) that every righteous person has two ruachs, one on earth below and one in Heaven above. Understand this - it is the secret of, "Behold ADY-84/aidie [My witness] is in Heaven," (Job 16:19) which refers to ChNOCh-84/Enoch, whose gematria is that of "aidie." And "My testifier in the exalted heights is Elijah, because he too is a heavenly angel [Sandalfon], as said.

Enoch is an exalted soul-root theme/archetype that exists above and transcends the specific time-slot that the lower Enoch aspect actually visited in this world. The same is true of Elijah. It so being, they are fit to be absolute witnesses. For their testimony is eternal.

A witness is necessary only in a place where there is some aspect of truth that is unclear. The spiritual mechanics of testimony work in this manner. A pipeline of light is drawn from a place of absolute, revealed truth - above, to the place of doubt and darkness - below. The witness so has to access his upper soul, and link it to earthy reality. (Likutei Halachot Aidut)

Enoch equals "My witness " showing that he has an intrinsic connection to this task. He merits this because he is the first one to have been in the world and left without dying. (Gen. 5:24) When a person dies, his upper soul descends somewhat into this world and magnetizes the lower soul, sucking it up. (Likutei Moharan 66) "More Bitter than death:" (Prov. 7:26) The bitterness of death comes from an interruption between the upper and lower souls, caused by the original sin, which the death process removes. "And Enoch walked [with] Elokim [Divinity]." (Gen. 5:22) Enoch was so connected above while alive below that he did not need this step. The direct link to on high makes him an extra special ‘eye witness’ who proclaims the light of the Divine truth in a world of darkness and falsehood. He so accomplishes here a state of the world-to-come when "the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun" (Isaiah 30:26) - the perfect testimony.

Elijah also ascended without passing through the intermediary stage of death, (II Kings 2:11) so he serves as a supernal witness. This itself affords him the privilege of being the one to herald the final redemption. (Malachi 3:23)

Yetzira draws from Zeir Anpin, Asiya from Nukvah. Enoch/Matot works out of Yetzira, Elijah/Sandal is the landlord of Asiya. These two worlds have the giver-receiver/sun-moon relationship. Their masters appropriately serve as supernal witnesses whose job is to bring lofty truth into this lower realm. When the process is complete, all will be liberated from death - just as they already were.

[Translation and commentary by Perets Auerbach.]