Chapter 1

אמר רבי יהושע בן לוי בכל יום בת קול
יוצאת מהר חורב ומכרזת ואומרת אוי
להם לבריות מעלבונה של תורה

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: “Each and every day a Heavenly voice goes forth from Mount Chorev, proclaiming and saying: ‘Woe to the people because of [their] affront to [literally, “shaming of”] the Torah.’ ”1

The Rambam2 explains that the “shaming of the Torah” refers to the Torah’s being shamed because His people do not “occupy” themselves with its study. The exact words of the Rambam are as follows: “…from the shame that they shame the Torah; for Torah is ashamed that there are none that occupy themselves with it.”

We must understand what is meant by “the shame of Torah.” Also, what does the Rambam mean when he says that the Torah is ashamed because “there are none that occupy themselves with it”? And what is meant by the expression “there are none that occupy themselves with it”? Since Torah is learned, the expression “none that study it” would seem more appropriate. What is the Rambam implying by using the expression “occupy”?

It is also necessary to understand the purpose of the “Heavenly voice that goes forth from Mt. Sinai,” [Mt. Sinai is also called M. Chorev]. Surely the intent is for people to begin examining their ways and return to Torah.

In fact, there are a number of Heavenly calls to repentance. One of them is “Return, return from your evil ways! Why should you die, O House of Israel?”3 [For] when a person acts in a G‑d-fearing manner he is assured of life, as it is written:4 “The fear of G‑d leads to life.” Concerning Torah too the verse states:5 “It is a tree of life for those who hold fast to it.”

Similarly, there are many other Heavenly calls to repentance, such as the famous verse:6 “Return, you wild children…” and the like. All these Heavenly calls have one purpose: that the Jews repent, mend their ways and follow the path of Torah and mitzvos.

But what good can these Heavenly calls do when man is incapable of hearing them [because of his degraded spiritual state]?7 What use is the daily Heavenly call stating: “Woe to the people because of [their] affront to the Torah,” when man is physically incapable of discerning the Heavenly voice?

In summary: R. Yehoshua ben Levi says a Heavenly warning emanates daily from Mt. Chorev to those who shame the Torah. The Torah is shamed because there are none that “occupy” themselves with it. Why is the expression occupy used rather than study? There are various Heavenly calls whose purpose is to awaken man to repentance, but what purpose can they serve when corporeal man is incapable of hearing them?

Chapter 2

Mankind is similar to the rest of creation in that G‑d made us a composite of body and soul. The body is a corporeal entity, capable of being felt with the sense of touch, while the soul is a heavenly spiritual entity which cannot be felt with the sense of touch. The spiritual aspect of created beings, their souls, may be “touched” only with the intellectual aspect of daas.

It goes without saying that the prober must be of the same order as that which is being probed. The physical body is in essence a corporeal entity, and can therefore be probed with the sense of touch touch too being essentially physical. The soul, however, is a spiritual entity, and can therefore only be scrutinized with the intellectual aspect of daas, the “touch” of spiritual comprehension.

There are two manners of feeling: a) that stemming from one’s intellect, and b) that accomplished by the physical sense of touch. Though both are extremely accurate in establishing the true state of the matter being felt, they are completely dissimilar, for the sense of touch is physical and the “touch” of intellect is spiritual.

The bodies of all created beings are physical, while their souls are spiritual. Though there are differences between the bodies and souls of each of the four categories of terrestrial beings inanimate, vegetative, animal and man there are also similarities. The physical bodies of inanimate objects conform to their souls, just as the physical substance of vegetation dovetails with its soul. So too, animal bodies suit their souls and human bodies correspond with their souls.

In all instances, the life-force which emanates from the soul causes the body itself to be alive [rather than there being a living soul in a dead body]. Indeed, a body’s physical life is completely dependent on the soul that vivifies it; bodies themselves can neither hear, see nor understand. Nevertheless, the soul clothes itself in its body in such a fashion that the whole body lives within each of its limbs. Thus the eyes see, the hands work. Unlike a machine which moves in response to an external activating force, the body enjoys an internal G‑dly unity with its soul [and is thus itself alive]. This causes both body and soul to feel the purpose for which G‑d created them, and to fulfill G‑d’s desire by implementing their role in creation.

In summary: Man, like all other creatures, comprises body and soul. Each is scrutinized in a different fashion; the body through the sense of touch (a physical feeling), and the soul through the power of comprehension (an intellectual feeling). The physical body is by Divine craft made to conform to its soul in such a manner that the body itself is alive.

Chapter 3

Just as G‑d’s desire for body and soul to unite causes the physical body to conform precisely to the soul that enlivens it, so too does the soul conform with the physical body, so that it is able to imbue all of it with life. Thus, the unification of the spiritual soul with the corporeal body causes the body to attain a loftier status than it had enjoyed previously.

Conversely, [that part of] the spiritual soul which permeates the body is, upon its descent, lowered in spiritual status. Previously it was a wholly spiritual being [with no connection to physicality], and was included within the hierarchy of the spirit.

The Midrash8 states that the soul is divided into five distinct categories: Nefesh, Ruach, Neshamah, Chayah and Yechidah. Each name indicates an aspect of the soul’s function. The highest part is Yechidah and the lowest is Nefesh, whose purpose is to enliven the body. All five parts are connected, and before G‑d sends a soul down to animate a body, Nefesh [that part of the soul which actually descends] was integrated with the other four soul levels.

When Nefesh has to descend into a body, it becomes spiritually lower. With its descent, G‑d lowers it to a plane such that it is able to give life to a corporeal entity. This life is in many respects the opposite of Nefesh ’s previous existence, for the main quality of the soul’s life is spiritual sensation, while the main aspect of physical life is physical contact. Nevertheless, even after the Nefesh descends into a body, it remains bound up with the loftier soul levels, albeit to a lesser degree.

Man, while living a corporeal life, is unable to properly comprehend the calls of Heaven. Nevertheless, through the intermediary of Nefesh it becomes possible for a physical person to discern the Heavenly calls which are so clear to the higher levels of the soul.

This is the reason for the sudden feelings of remorse and repentance that sometimes overwhelm an individual.9 The individual will then ask himself: “What have I done in my lifetime to improve my spiritual lot? Until now I have lived an animal-like existence, thinking only of my material pleasures.” The person then resolves to improve his behavior and conduct his life along more spiritual lines.

Such sudden arousals come from the Heavenly calls heard by the soul. These calls, through the intermediary of Nefesh, are made known to a person even while he lives a mundane life. These remorseful feelings must be translated into the performance of mitzvos and the refinement of one’s character traits.

This, then, is the meaning of “occupying oneself with Torah” that Torah causes one to be occupied with the performance of mitzvos and the refinement of character traits. If one studies Torah but is weak in the performance of mitzvos and the acquisition of fine character traits, then the Torah is shamed.

Each and every Jew instinctively feels the Heavenly call to repentance. He must translate this call into the active performance of mitzvos and the acquisition of good character traits.

In summary: The soul has five categories, the name of each indicating its function. When body and soul unite, the corporeal body now enlivened by a soul becomes loftier, while the Nefesh, which previously had been intertwined with the loftier soul levels, descends. But there is still some connection [between Nefesh and the loftier soul levels.] Through the intermediary of Nefesh, a person instinctively feels the Heavenly calls to repentance.