Small tidbits and Sparks of wisdom

The three levels of the soul—**נפש, רוח, and נשמה**—in man are matched by corresponding levels in the higher world. The heavenly counterpart of נשמה is called **אם הבנים**, “Mother of Children.”

Just as the condition of man on earth was changed by Adam’s sin, and man’s רוח level receives only sparks of the נשמה, so, too, in the higher realm, only the lowest part of the אם הבנים enters that world, while its main part remains in its source above, giving off its light only from a distance.

**47.** They do not mean the נשמה itself, because since Adam’s sin, no one has merited to have the essence of the נשמה reside within him (ובחרת בחיים).

This will help us understand the Midrash on the verse:

**כִּי ה׳ יִתֵּן חָכְמָה מִפִּיו דַּעַת וּתְבוּנָה**

“Hashem grants wisdom; from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding.” (משלי ב:ו)

Comments the Midrash:

“This may be compared to a king who had a son. Coming home from ישיבה, the son noticed that on the table there was a dish prepared for his father. When the father offered a portion to his son, the son said: ‘Father, I want to eat only from the food that is in your mouth.’ So the father gave him a bite from the food in his mouth.”

The son’s request exemplifies the desire to partake of the sparks of the light of the נשמה whose source is hidden in the breath of G-d’s mouth.

The Midrash pointedly says that the son was coming home from ישיבה, indicating that the only way to attain the sparks of the נשמה is by exerting oneself by delving deeply into the holy תורה,⁴⁸ and learning **תורה לשמה**.

[The sparks of the נשמה and the תורה] both emanate from the same source.

This is also the underlying idea of the following Midrash:

When the children of ישראל were assembled at the foot of Mount Sinai to receive the תורה, they asked to hear the commandments from the mouth of G-d Himself, as implied in:

**יִשָּׁקֵנִי מִנְּשִׁיקוֹת פִּיהוּ**

“Let Him give me from the kisses of His mouth.” (שיר השירים א:ב)

Standing at Sinai, all ישראל merited to have hovering over them and shining on them the sparks of נשמה emanating from G-d’s mouth.⁴⁹

This is alluded to in the גמרא in **שבת פח ע״א**, where it says that at Sinai the ministering angels placed two [spiritual] crowns [of Divine radiance] on the head of every single Jew.

These crowns enabled them to discern the inner mysteries of the holy תורה.

**48.** The **הגר״א — הגאון מווילנא** often was visited by מגידים (heavenly messengers) who offered to reveal to him the mysteries of the תורה without any exertion on his part.

The גאון turned down all offers, saying:

“I don’t want to use shortcuts to acquire תורה knowledge. I want to gain תורה knowledge through toil and exertion. G-d will grant me wisdom, and when I understand a concept, I know that I have found favor in G-d’s eyes.

I want only [knowledge] that comes from His mouth. Insights coming from מגידים (heavenly messengers), knowledge for which I did not toil, I do not desire.”

(ובחרת בחיים)