Soul Connection
As part of Joseph’s strategy to create a situation where his brothers would do teshuva for selling him into slavery, he engineers that his brother Benjamin will be accused of theft and will become his slave, while the other brothers would be free to leave. Already the brothers attributed their problems at the very beginning of their encounter with the ruler of Egypt, who unknown to them was Joseph. After he accused them of being spies and they professed their innocence in just wanting to buy grain during the famine, they already saw their predicament as being connected to their selling their brother: “And they said to one to another, “Indeed, we are guilty for our brother, that we witnessed the distress of his soul when he begged us, and we did not listen. That is why this trouble has come upon us” (Genesis 42:21).
The portion of Vayigash opens with an impassioned plea by Judah that he be exchanged with Benjamin. He reveals that he has promised his father to bring Benjamin back, for his father would be heartbroken if anything happened to his youngest son and that “his soul [Jacob] is connected to his [Benjamin] soul” (Genesis 44:30). Jacob’s favorite wife Rachel had passed away and the older son Joseph was presumed dead. Therefore, only Benjamin remained, and as Rashi explains – if anything would happen to Benjamin it would be as if all three of them died on the same day. Thus, Judah pleaded to be exchanged so that his promise to his father could be fulfilled and his father be spared further sorrow. As a result of Judah’s heartfelt request Joseph finally reveals himself to his brothers.
The idea of souls being connected to other souls as stated in the above verse, reveals a deep insight into human consciousness. The Ba’al Shem Tov taught that all reality consists of three components: Worlds, Souls and Divinity. Worlds encompass the physical material world we live in; Souls relate to the unique perspective of human consciousness; Divinity reveals the Godly energy that pervades every point of space and every moment of time.
At the rung of Worlds, man searches for God; at the level of Souls, man attempts to serve God; at the highest rung man longs to unite with God. In relating to Worlds, man’s task is to uplift the world, ascending above the mundane and gravity bound weight of physicality. Souls are drawn to connect to other souls in intimacy and sharing friendship. The passion of the soul is ultimately to unite with God, losing all sense of individual separateness.
| Level | Service | Experience |
| Worlds | Searches | To Uplift |
| Souls | Serves | To Connect |
| Divinity | Unites | To Unite |
The three rungs of Worlds, Souls and Divinity and the connective interaction between them describe the constant processing of experience transpiring in our inner consciousness, as well as our daily encounter with outer reality.
The root word for “connection” appears in this verse for the first time in the Torah. The context in which a word or root word first appears defines its very nature and meaning. Jacob’s soul being connected to Benjamin soul applies not just to them, but as everything in the Torah is archetypal in nature, this description thus reveals the existential desire of souls to connect to other souls. Although the service of Souls is to connect to others, the idea of connection in general applies to a number of foundational ideas as we will now explore.
The word in Hebrew in this verse for “connection,” keshura, equals 611, the same numerical value as the word “Torah.” One of the explanations of the form of the letter aleph, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet reveals the very foundation of Torah as a means of connection. The letter aleph consists of three components: a letter yud above and a yud below connected by the letter vav.
א
The letter yud above represents God, the yud below represents humanity, while the letter vav which connects them represents Torah. Here we see that the function of Torah is to connect mankind to God. A complimentary model of the form of the alef follows the three levels of reality we have explored: Worlds, Souls and Divinity. The yud above represents Divinity; the yud below, Worlds; while the vav represents the function of Souls to not only to connect to other souls but ultimately connect Worlds to Divinity.
The word Torah means instruction. This instruction is transmitted through the stories in the Torah and the commandments. A verse in Proverbs states: “For a commandment is a candle, and the Torah is light” (6:23). In other words, the light of Torah is revealed through each and every commandment.
The usual translation for the word mitzvah is commandment. While this is certainly correct, it is explained that the root of the word mitzvah means “connection” (Likutei Torah 2:45c). A mitzvah is a conduit connecting God and man, and this awareness enriches immeasurably the performance of mitzvot.
This definition is especially important for those who are raised in a more secular atmosphere, where the mere concept of being told what to do runs against a superficial concept of freedom. Being free to most people in a modern context means to be free to call the shots, to do whatever one wants. Therefore, the mere mention of “commandment” seems very “politically/culturally incorrect.” Understanding a mitzvah as an opportunity to connect to God may strike a more receptive chord for those not raised in an atmosphere where mitzvot are observed or encouraged.
Actually, performing a mitzvah has a connective power on a number of different levels. The lowest rung relates to how mitzvot connect us with our bodies and the lowest level of soul, the nefesh. The animal soul is essentially bound up with the body. When it is directed towards higher pursuits its raw energy has great spiritual potential. Performing mitzvot connects the body and nefesh to higher levels of soul and God and entails ongoing discipline and training. Over time, the body and nefesh are refined and directed, resulting in a cooperative effort with the soul. Performing mitzvot demand not just body/soul cooperation, but subservience of the basic desires and urges of the body. Yet, these same desires are not meant to be extinguished, rather they find full release and expression through mitzvot designed for that very purpose.
Virtually all mitzvot include an action, use of a physical object or speech. In this sense, mitzvot connect our souls, not just to our bodies, but to the physical world we live in. The constant interaction with the world through performing mitzvot reinforces the cardinal imperative of Judaism – to rectify, uplift, heal and transform the world around us.
The next level of soul, ruach, relates to the emotional aspects of the human personality. Mitzvot are not meant to be cold and calculated actions divorced from the feelings and sensitivities of man. On the contrary, mitzvot bring us into contact with our deeper emotions. We are meant to feel deeply about the mitzvot we do and they are designed to awaken the full gamut of emotions including devotion, love, compassion, awe and gratefulness. Similar to the nefesh which needs constant refining, human emotions are in need of continual tempering and improvement.
The neshamah is considered the seat of the intellect. The Written Torah provides few explanations as to the exact meanings and reasons for specific mitzvot. It was left to man to study, meditate, discuss and delve into the Torah in order to extract the nearly infinite depths of meaning contained in each mitzvah. Although we ultimately do mitzvot because we are commanded to, and despite the fact that only God ultimately knows the reasons for the mitzvot, still, we use all our intellectual powers to unlock the abstract and concrete reasons and effects as best possible. Learning Torah itself is a mitzvah, one that is compared to all the others combined (Shabbat 127a). Nothing sharpens, elevates and clarifies intellect as the study of Torah, and then applying that knowledge in the actual performance of mitzvot.
The level of soul termed chayah, the” living one,” represents the connecting force between the superconscious source of the soul and the beginning of intellectual consciousness. The chayah connects the lower levels of soul to their higher Divine origins. At this level, the performance of mitzvot activate and connect the soul to its deepest roots, awakening hidden recesses of spiritual delight and awareness.
The yechidah, the highest level of soul, connects us directly to God. It is at this level where we experience a mitzvah as a reflection of God’s will and goodness, for all the mitzvot were given with man’s good in mind. The last two letters of the word mitzvah -ו-ה – are identical to the last two letters of God’s essential four letter name. In one of the Kabbalistic alphabets where letters are exchanged for each other according to a certain logical structure, the first two letters of God’s Name, י-ה , are exchanged for the first two letters of the word mitzvah. This shows that a mitzvah is ultimately a vessel for God’s will and bounty in this finite world. Every mitzvah is ultimately an opportunity to connect and unite with God.
| Level of Soul | Description of Experience | Connecting Force of Mitzvot |
| Yechidah | Unity With God | Connecting to God |
| Chayah | Awareness of God | Connecting to the source of the soul |
| Neshamah | Intellectual | Connecting to the intellect |
| Ruach | Emotional | Connecting to the emotions |
| Nefesh | Physical Vitality | Connecting to body and the physical world |
A more mystical way to explain the connection between souls is through exploring the realm of reincarnation. The people in our lives are not a random collection of coincidental relationships but are connected to us in the deepest way. In as much as so many people leave this world with unfinished business and unresolved relationships it is not surprising that the teachings on reincarnation alert us to the fact that many of our present relationships are based on old business from previous lifetimes. Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh teaches that if one has a very strong feeling about the circumstances of a previous life time, although one may never be sure, one can trust these feelings. The same would hold true about a deeper layer of relationship with other individuals.
Not only are people connected by a web of relationships through the generations, but as can be imagined, these relationships can sometimes be manifest in peculiar ways as well. A relationship for example between parent and child, teacher and student, pursuer and pursued, or loaner and borrower, in one lifetime can conceivably reverse itself in another life time or repeat itself repeatedly, each time according to what will assist them the most in reaching their ultimate fixing and purpose. A group of friends, siblings, or students of a particular teacher many times return in similar groupings. Soul mates may return together numerous times as they work on reaching their individual and joint rectification.
One may ask about the tribes: how righteous could they have been to have sold their own brother? Firstly, it should be stated that the selling of Joseph is a far more complicated subject than meets the eye and is full of deep matters pertaining to Divine Providence and free will. Furthermore, it points out another aspect of reincarnation as taught by the Arizal. His teachings revealed a deep level of relativity in how a soul is judged, much depending on where it is situated on the long journey of the soul. Especially in light of the teachings on reincarnation we can see that much of what is truly transpiring between people is quite hidden from our conscious minds and hearts. Therefore, according to the Arizal, a person can do something very wrong and still be on a high soul level. For sure he or she will have to take responsibility and rectify the deed in this life or another but it doesn’t mean that the soul loses all its previous levels of accomplishment. And of course, only God knows what the true accounting is in this life, let alone the real story of each soul throughout history. A good example is King David whose actions with Bat Sheva left much to be desired. For his misdeeds he actively repented the rest of his life, and although it was considered a grievous blemish on his soul, he never lost his deep connection to God or forfeited his spiritual accomplishments.
These complicated relationships bridging various lifetimes explains much of what we refer to as the “chemistry” between people. We all know that instinctively we are drawn to or repulsed by different people. Sometimes we may intuit the reason but many times it transcends are ability to understand. These attractions are very powerful and can lead to wonderful things and other times to the pit of destruction. According to what we have presented the reasons for these attractions in many cases may be connected to reincarnation and the consequences of past actions for the good or the bad.
At the very least, our relationships in this life time should alert us to the tremendous opportunity we have to rectify, clarify and forge ahead in our deeper purposes in life. The people around us are there for a reason. As the Slonimer Rebbe stated: if you want to know what your fixing is in this world – look at those areas that are the hardest for you. This applies as well to relationships. Yet it is not only in repairing strained relations that we can elevate ourselves. Also, with those we are close with we have the opportunity to elevate ourselves to new soul heights, drawing ever closer to the soul’s consummate refinement.
It is less important to know who you were in a previous lifetime than to know that each life is an opportunity to rectify the soul in the most primordial way. Our focus should be on the present, nevertheless, knowing that the present is shaped by the past gives us insight into those areas we need most to repair. With a keen eye to seeing beyond the present we are given ongoing prospects in this life to not only finish old business but forge new paths to fulfilling our purpose in life.
One final aspect of understanding the idea of connection is found in the meaning of the word and function of Kabbalah, the Jewish mystic tradition. The Hebrew root for the word “Kabbalah” means receive, connoting the received body of Jewish mystical tradition, the sod, handed down from generation to generation. Since this body of wisdom was transmitted from teacher to student orally, and for much of history secretly and to the chosen few, this name is very appropriate. Yet, Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh teaches that this same root also means to connect, to parallel or to create [or recognize] correspondences. This meaning of the word, he teaches, sheds light on the very essence of what Kabbalah attempts to reveal and achieve. The Hebrew root word for “Kabbalah,” in fact, appears in the Torah only in the context of making correspondences and not in its other meaning of receiving.
As discussed above, the context in which a word or root word first appears in the Tanach defines its very nature and meaning. The Hebrew root for Kabbalah appears for the first time in the portion of Terumah and by examining this context, we can reveal the root word’s deeper nature:
You shall make the Tabernacle of ten curtains – twisted linen with turquoise, purple and scarlet wool – with a woven design of cherubim shall you make them. The length of a single curtain was twenty-eight cubits, and the width for each curtain four cubits, the same measure for all the curtains. Five curtains shall be attached to one another, and five curtains attached to one another. You shall make loops of turquoise wool at the edge of the single curtain at the end of one set, and you shall make the same on the edge of the outermost curtain on the second set. Fifty loops shall you make on the first curtain and fifty loops shall you make on the end of the curtain that is on the second set; the loops shall correspond to one another. You shall make fifty hooks of gold, and you shall attach the curtains to one another with the hooks, so that the Tabernacle shall become one. (Exodus 26:1-6)
As the text clearly states, the purpose of the corresponding fifty loops on the two sets of curtains, which were to be connected by fifty gold hooks, was “so that the Tabernacle shall become one.” Rabbi Ginsburgh teaches that this is in essence the purpose of Kabbalah – to reveal the correspondences and connections between objects, entities, and events on manifold levels until the essential unity underlying all reality can be perceived. The study of Kabbalah makes us sensitive and aware of the connection and ultimate harmony between physical and spiritual, form and substance, cause and effect, plurality and singularity. Further, the study of Kabbalah reveals the inherent connective unity between all things and, especially, to use the Zohar’s terminology, the connection between God, the Torah, and Israel. Where there is unity there is love and Kabbalah promotes a deep love of God and of all His creation.
In conclusion, we can see how deep and far-reaching each and every word in the Torah is when taking the time to explore the archetypal and multidimensional levels present in the text. Since the word we have just focused on means connection it is truly amazing to see how connected not only the Torah is, but all reality itself.
