Understanding the Levels of the Soul

from "The Book of Reincarnations" by Reb Chaim Vital

אני מאמין באמוּנה שלמה שהבורא יתברך שמוֹ הוּא בורא וּמנהיג לכל הברוּאים והוּא לבדוֹ עשה ועוֹשה ויעשה לכל המעשים

The Soul and Belief in GOD

Believing or not believing in GOD - Thankfully in our generation more than in any other generation we have the freewill choice as to believe or not believe; in the past generations religious leaders brainwashed the population, and in many cases punished violently the non-believers. Hence these irresponsible leaders caused a backlash of rebellion against traditional man-made religious laws and the man-made "religions". It is inconceivable to understand that anyone can force someone to believe in GOD.

This freewill choice enables a person to think for themselves and use the power within ones own mind, thoughts and soul to come to the same conclusions as many other spiritually enlightened souls. The journey and pathway to "finding GOD" and "finding ourselves spiritually" in that we all contain a powerful spiritual soul within our physical existence is as amazing as the number of souls that live on this planet.

Belief in רבונו של עולם an Eternal Divine Spiritual Creator of the universe and belief in a SPIRIT world is an inner personal experience. Each and every individual has their own unique feelings, experiences and beliefs.

There are 3 basic guidelines, given by the good spiritual leaders to help each individual explore their own beliefs by themselves as we explained in the page on "Soul & Belief" from HeavensRegister website.

#1. Awakening your spirit within you - by looking at the Stars in the sky at night and looking at the beauty of nature, the trees, plants and flowers .

#2. Awakening ones belief in a soul and spiritual world . This occurs when someone you love dies and passes over to spirit world . Every single person in the world knows and loves someone, at some stage of their life who dies . This connection and continual process of life connects all the generations and spirit souls.

#3 Awakening the depths of love everyone has hidden and suppressed well springs of LOVE and creative loving energy deep inside . The opening up of true unconditional wellsprings of LOVE within ones soul, connects each person directly with the creative energy of this world - GOD . Feeling and expressing LOVE, connects one with life energy of GOD . Where there is love there is GOD, and where GOD is there is life, vitality, happiness, faith, hope and peace .

Only When a Person has Found the

Inner Spiritual Feeling & Belief in Spirit World

It is only when a person really and truly believes in an Eternal Divine Spiritual World and simply "knows" of the existence of a spiritual soul from within ones mind, thoughts and soul that one can start the journey to understand "Reincarnation"- the journey of ones soul, from where one has come and to where one is going.

The Awakened Soul

אלהי נשמה שנתת בי טהוֹרה היא אתה בראתה

The first questions one will be puzzled by when trying to understand the concepts and existence of soul (commonly referred to in Jewish teachings as a Neshoma נשמה), is what is a soul ? Where is it ? How can we quantify it ? All of these questions puzzle everyone. The soul, just like belief in GOD, is a feeling and awareness that each individual develops for themselves at a destined and specific time.

Reb Chaim Vital in the Book of Reincarnations explains that our physical and spiritual aspects coexists together. It is clear to everyone exactly where our physical body is located, however our soul can exist in and out of our physical body; it's energy ascends and transcends into our physical presence but can also be in two or many places at the same time, depending one where our thoughts are focused.

Or rephrased more accurately the "Nefesh Soul" aspect of our soul can be in our physical body whilst the "Yechidah - Oneness" aspect is together at One with GOD and spirit world, meanwhile all the other aspects in between can be almost anywhere else; the most centered of spiritually enlightened people have all the aspects in control in the place where they want them, whether it be in this physical existence or in the spiritual realms.

Every Living and Non Living Entity in this Universe has a Soul

Every living and non living entity in this Universe has a soul, NOTHING physical can exist without a spiritual soul energizing and connecting it with the Eternal Divine Spiritual realms. This includes absolutely EVERYTHING; mountains, clouds, rocks, trees, flowers even a blade of grass, and the minutest of ants etc.,

This is one of the spiritual reasons that the Torah - Bible forbids destroying fruit trees, as indeed the person who cuts down a fruit tree is murdering a spirit soul, that was designated by GOD to provide its fruits to mankind. The levels of spiritual soul existence will vary in each group as follows:-

The 5 Levels of Created Existence בריאה

1. דוֹמם Inanimate objects like a stone or crystal rocks, mountains, the seas, and the sky, in fact everything that was created on Day 1 & Day 2 of the Creation of the Universe as written in Genesis Chapter 1.

2. צוֹמח Vegetation, plants, trees and everything that grows, everything created on Day 3 of Creation מעשה בראשית of the Universe as written in Genesis Chapter 1.

3. חי Living creatures, animals, birds, insects and everything living as created on Day 5 of Creation מעשה בראשית of the Universe as written in Genesis Chapter 1.

This level of existence the animal kingdom that breathes, moves on the earth and needs to move in order to survive on this planet. The aim of this group is survival and is constantly searching for ways to feed each day. It has the occupation in populating and reproducing itself בניי חיי וּמזוֹני.

4. מדבר All humans beings in the world that have the gift of speech.

The basic human population has the same earthly animal level, which is here to learn lessons of survival and repopulating itself בניי חיי וּמזוֹני , but does have the intrinsic potential to elevate the soul to having a purposeful life of the next category :-

5. יהוּדי Spiritually enlightened and blessed humans that have used and do use the power of speech wisely (the power of רוח Ruach) are then blessed with the existence of a higher level of נשמה Neshoma Soul to be able to have higher purposeful life for sake of the existence of the world and of mankind.

The highest level in this physical world attainable is called יהוּדי , this is attributed to someone who has higher goals in life. A person whose life has a higher purpose other that survival and repopulation, who lives in service of GOD or service to mankind. With the objective to making this world a better place.

Such people are selfless and are constantly finding different ways to be of service to GOD and to humanity. This group know and believe in GOD and an eternal Divine spiritual world; they live in this world with inner peacefulness and glow of spiritual radiance knowing that this physical world is merely a short journey for ones soul.

The levels 3, 4 & 5 of created existence are reflected in the aspects and facets of the Spiritual Soul as follows :-

5 Aspects of the Spiritual Soul within each Person

1. נפש Nefesh is the "Earthly Soul"; every חי Living creature (Level 3 above) contains a Nefesh.

Every living creature, animal and human has a "Nefesh נפש Earthly Soul", this gives the body the natural instincts to eat sleep and the sexual desire to reproduce, the "Nefesh נפש Earthly Soul" is the key for survival and continuity of living life and humanity.

A persons "Nefesh נפש Earthly Soul" arrives in this physical world with ones conception, during the act of love of ones parents; "Nefesh נפש Earthly Soul" transcends down from spirit world through the fathers soul into the mothers body.

Sefer Raziel at www.raziel.info explains in astrological terms that the astrological energy within ones "Nefesh נפש Earthly Soul" is influenced by the time of conception (and NOT the time of birth as non-jewish / spiritual astrologers believe).

2. רוח Ruach is the "Spirit Soul" in breathing humans and animals, (Level 3&4 above), this explains the principle that humans can reincarnate as animals, especially where they need to correct the facet of רוח Ruach as explained 3 keys of Reincarnation page.

3. נשמה Neshoma is the Soul that is in the breathe of life for humans; this aspect of the soul is fully awakened spiritually; aware of all the profound consequences of ones actions, words and thoughts. One who thinks with ones "נשמה Neshoma Soul" is living life with a purpose, goal, ambition and has an inner driving motivation of yearning for something special. This inner yearning is the yearning of ones Soul נשמה Neshoma for a stronger and closer connection with GOD and a desire for spiritual enlightenment.

4. חיה Chaya is the Souls Life-Giving energy, the spiritual quality of the 4th Level of ones Soul "חיה Chaya" is where one acts as a channel to bring down spiritual "Life-Giving" energy from the realms of the spirit world to his physical world, this level is called "חיה Chaya" which means Life, as without this flow of spiritual energy there would be no life on earth.

The sources and people with this aspect of spiritual soulful energy of "Life חיה Chaya" are throughout the whole world and act in pure idealistic selfless service to the Divine Creator of the whole infinite Universe for the benefit of mankind and in service of GOD.

5. יחידה Yechida Oneness is the Souls desire to be at ONE with GOD, this is the souls existence of Oneness and wholesomeness with the Eternal Divine Universal GOD.

We explain on the page of Spiritual Laws and Rules of Reincarnation the understanding and ability to move between theses 5 levels of ones Soul (with sources and explanations including the original hebrew text from Shaar Gilgulim שער גילגולים הקדמה ב).

Appearances Are Deceptive

There Could be a Great Soul in Anything or Anyone

As explained on the home and introduction page of this website, this world is full of deceptive appearances; we may never know how great a soul there maybe in anyone or anything we see around us through our physical eyes; that is why the greatest spiritually minded people such as the Ari Zal and Reb Chaim Vital taught the importance of respecting everything and everyone, even plants, flowers, trees, birds and animals, as there could be a very great soul inside.

We explain on Spiritual Laws and Rules of Reincarnation a great soul may only need to reincarnate as a tree or animal to make a correction for their soul; hence the saying that fish contain the souls of righteous people נשמות צדיקים .

When a person indeed thinks carefully that there could be a great soul in anything or anyone, one will never ever make the foolish mistake or being arrogant, snubbing lesser people or judging anyone, Reb Chaim Vital emphasizes many times in his books that it is NOT for us to judge anyone.

Reb Chaim Vital explains this further that one shouldn't even judge anyone even those who seemingly don't believe in GOD, in a soul or in spiritual afterlife. After all we don't judge cats or dogs who can't say whether they believe in GOD or not; it is simply the facet of their souls existence in this world which doesn't give them the element of expression nor spiritual understanding.

By thinking and respecting everything in the world, one will come closer to GOD; recognizing with love and compassion that we are all creations of GOD with a spiritual soul within.

The 7 Stages of Life

The next stage of understanding life and the Soul before we come to understanding Gilgulim "Reincarnation" is to understand the 7 stages of life ; all the segments and periods of life we have as humans.