The higher levels, nehsama,
chayah, and yehidah, function in a way that they connot be directly
affected by what a person does to his or her consciousness. However, they are
indirectly affected by the states of the nefesh and ruach. After
death, the higher levels of the soul will return to their home “regions,” but
they must await the redemption of the nefesh before finally resting in
their natural states.
If the nefesh does not get
redeemed, the ruach cannot be “crowned” in the lower Garden of Eden. If
it cannot be crowned, the higher soul levels cannot reach the center of
awareness. In this sense, all of the levels are “punished” by having to await
the redemption of the lowest level of soul, the nefesh.
It is said that the nefesh
wanders between the grave and the dwelling place of the deceased for the first
seven days after death, looking for its living body. After, the nefesh is
purified in gehennom, and then it wanders the world until it has a
garment (signifying an awareness level) (Zohar I;226a-b). This process of
purification takes twelve months. Once it has its garment, it gains access to
the lower Garden of Eden, where it joins the ruach. The ruach
then gets crowned, the neshama unites with the Throne, and all is well.
In a remarkable section, the
Zohar outlines the process of the purification of the nefesh during
the twelve months after death, suggesting a completely different scenario from what most of us have been taught. The
Jewish mystical system is designed to continue the process of tikkun olam
(mending the universe) even after death. The reader must keep in mind that the
language of Kabbalah is poetic, the images are metaphors, and the intention is
to arouse the soul rather than the mind. Form this perspective, let yourself
enter these mystical teachings as a garden of delights.
Once a nefesh no longer has a
body, it loses its free will, which is associated only with living people. (Zohar
II;225a). Therefore, it no longer can redeem
itself, but needs the guidance and help of a living being with free will. In
this context, there are a number of ways in which a nefesh can be
redeemed. (p. 262)
Kabbalah adds another dimension to
death, suggesting that it is not monolithic but has a number of levels. It says
that the Angel of Death is protected and “ridden” by the Shadow of Death.
Although they have different energies, they are inseparable partners. Moreover,
they different gateways into the realm of death, for there are ”gates of death”
and “gates of the shadow of death.” Indeed, it is said that there are
innumerable, mysterious passageways to death “hidden from humankind, who know
them not.” (Zohar I;160b). (p. 280)
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