Watching my baby sit and babble on the floor, his blue eyes shining in wonder as he discovers the world using all his senses, my heart feels ready to explode with the love I have for this fellow. I think about how adorable he is, I tell him how crazy his Mama is over him, and I scoop him up with a squeeze so tight, you’d think I was squeezing out toothpaste from a half-empty dispenser.
The G‑dly soul, with its intellect and emotions, has similar modes of expression.
The G‑dly soul thinks about holy things, using its intellectual powers to learn all the parts of Torah, whether on the simplest level or the most esoteric. It speaks holy things, expressing its love of G‑d by speaking words of Torah, and it acts in a holy manner, by fulfilling all the mitzvot in the Torah. For it is love of G‑d that drives the fulfillment of His commands, and the awe of G‑d that allows one to refrain from doing what is forbidden.
These three modes of expression are compared to clothing for the soul, for as any woman will tell you, clothing can be put on and off at will (just check out the pile as she gets ready for a party or simcha). Along similar lines, thought, speech and action can be freely “put on” and “put off,” expressing the G‑dly soul when we so wish to.
Tanya Bit: My G‑dly soul becomes visible when I “clothe” it with Torah and mitzvot.
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