According to Baal HaSulam, a towering figure in 20th-century Kabbalah, that desire to give – that’s where the magic lies. He delves into this concept in his profound introduction to the Zohar, a foundational text of Kabbalistic thought.
He paints a picture of the soul as fundamentally different from the body. The body? Well, it's all about taking, isn't it? It needs food, rest, pleasure. It's constantly in a state of needing. But the soul? The soul is all about giving.
And here's the kicker: this desire to give, this innate quality of the soul, is what makes it immortal. Think about that for a moment.
Baal HaSulam explains that the soul dwells eternally in what's called the "first stage" and the "future third stage." These are complex Kabbalistic concepts relating to the unfolding of creation and the ultimate state of rectified being. But for our purposes, the key takeaway is that the soul's connection to these eternal states grants it permanence. It, and everything it learns, everything it experiences, endures forever.
So, what happens when the body dies? Does the soul fade away with it? Absolutely not! Baal HaSulam tells us that the soul isn't affected at all by the death of the body. In fact, he goes even further. The absence of the body, with all its limitations and imperfections, actually strengthens the soul. It's like shedding a heavy cloak. Free from the body's demands, the soul is able to ascend to the heights of the Gan Eden – the Garden of Eden.
Isn't that a beautiful image? The soul, finally unburdened, soaring to unimaginable heights.
It makes you wonder, doesn't it? If the essence of our soul is the desire to give, how can we cultivate that desire in our daily lives? How can we nurture that spark of immortality within us, even while we're still here, in these bodies of ours? Perhaps the answer lies in consciously choosing acts of kindness, in seeking opportunities to share our gifts, and in striving to live a life that is not just about taking, but about giving back to the world. Food for thought, right?