Three States of the Soul Before Birth

Curated by Maggid·Edited by Arthur Sabintsev·

Baal HaSulam's Introduction to Zohar turns to Three States of the Soul Before Birth.

Specifically, Baal HaSulam, the great 20th-century Kabbalist, gives us a peek behind the curtain in his "Introduction to the Zohar." He lays out a framework for understanding the soul’s journey, a journey that begins long before our earthly arrival.

Baal HaSulam breaks it down into three states. Ready to dive in?

First, there’s the soul's existence within the Ein Sof, the Infinite. Think of it like this: before creation even began, before time and space as we know it, our souls existed as part of God's plan. They were already there, in potential, holding the blueprint for their ultimate form, the form they'll have after tikkun (spiritual repair) olam – the repair of the world – is complete.

It's a powerful idea, isn’t it? That our essence, our truest self, was preordained, waiting to be realized.

Themes