From Parents to Children
Gates of Reincarnation: Chapter Ten, Section 2
Translation by Yitzchok bar Chaim;
coomentary by Shabtai Teicher
We will speak further about children born to fathers.
Obviously, children are born to fathers and mothers,
but the Arizal is specifying here the father only. The reason will become clear
at the end of the section when he talks about Asa-el. In some children, the
dominating driving force comes from the father, and sometimes to an extreme
degree.
When a man unites with his wife in intimacy, from the
energy of the father there is drawn the son's Surrounding Light. Also, the
aspect of Internal Light is drawn from the energy of the mother.
It was mentioned earlier that all things consist of
two aspects, Light and Vessel. These two also consist of two aspects each. There
is the internal part of a vessel, and the external part. Similarly, there are
two aspects of Light; they are the Internal Light and the Surrounding Light.
The Internal Light is the aspect of light that enters
into the vessel. It is contained within the vessel under pressure because it
cannot easily expand outward. The Surrounding Light, on the other hand, does not
enter into the vessel, but hovers around it. It is much less concentrated
because it is not contained within the limited space of the vessel, although it
is always connected and associated with the vessel, and always shines upon it.  | | " The amount of light that enters into the vessel is always much more limited than the Surrounding Light..." | | |
Also, the amount of light that enters into the vessel
is always much more limited than the Surrounding Light which is not forced into
a limited space. Therefore, the Surrounding Light is considered greater and of a
higher quality than the Internal Light. That is why it is the Surrounding Light
that brings about miracles, whereas normal, everyday affairs are in the province
of the Internal Light.
The process of transmission from parent to son is the
same irrespective of whether it is Surrounding Light or Internal Light. The
Light is clothed within the NHY of the soul of the parent, as was taught
in the previous section.
Now, since the Surrounding Light is greater, it is
associated with the sefira of the right side, which is also the higher
one, called chochma and Abba. Correspondingly, the Internal Light
is associated with bina, called Imma.
Now, at the time of their unification it is possible
that both parents will concentrate upon the mitzvah and holiness.
The mitzvah is what we have been commanded "...And G-d
said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it'" (Gen.
1:28). The intimacy that derives from the long-term relationship of husband and
wife is also considered by many to be part of the completion of the mitzvah. | | " The characteristics and qualities of the children depend upon the thoughts and behavior of the parents at the time of conception... " | | |
The mitzvah should be done in purity and holiness, and
in that way it increases the holiness of husband and wife, and it increases
holiness throughout the world. This is a very important subject in the Kabbala,
but this is not the place to even begin the subject. In addition to the laws of
Family Purity that must be known, the reader may also refer to the Shulchan
Aruch, Even Ha'ezer #25 concerning the set and setting of the
mitzvah, and to the important kabbalistic book ascribed to the Ramban (Nachmanidies),
called Da'at Kedusha.
Now, the Arizal is adding here the well-known
Kabbalistic rule that when the mitzvah is performed with purity and holiness and
proper thoughts, then it also increases the holiness of the offspring. Another
important, associated Kabbalistic rule is that the characteristics and qualities
of the children depend upon the thoughts and behavior of the parents at the time
of conception.
Alternatively, the concentration of both of them may
not be for the sake of the mitzvah, but for their own pleasure, or for evil.
Marital intimacy without pleasure is just as bad as
when the partners are only thinking about satisfying their own physical desire
for stimulation and pleasure. Indeed, children born from intercourse where there
was no pleasure are likely to be damaged physically or mentally. On the other
hand, the desire that the partner's have for each other is a positive factor in
the determination of the child's level of intelligence.
However, when their thoughts and concentration are
only on physical pleasure then the quality of their unification plummets
downward towards zero. In addition, such people are likely to do other things
that are wrong: in the preparation for their meeting, in the setting of the
intimacy, and in the human dynamics of their relationship. Thus, their
unification can actually, eventually, take place in the realm of evil, G-d
forbid. They give birth to devils!
Alternatively, the concentration of the father might
be for good, whereas that of the mother is bad, or vice versa.
If both of them are thinking about (the holiness) of
the mitzvah, then the child will be a perfect tzadik in Surrounding Light
and in Internal Light. If the intentions of both of them were for evil
(purposes), then the child will be completely evil in Surrounding Light and in
Internal Light.
If the father's intentions were for good, but that of
the mother was bad, then the Surrounding Light of the child will be righteous,
but the Internal Light will be wicked. With the passage of time the Surrounding
Light will overcome the Internal Light, and he will be completely righteous.
This is because the Surrounding Light includes the Internal Light, and it [the
Surrounding Light] will overturn it to purify it.
The Surrounding Light includes the Internal Light
because they were originally like one light. Some of the original light entered
into the vessel, but most of it remained outside. Thus, the light that is inside
the vessel was once included within the greater light that remained outside. | | " There are some children who are very sharp and they cannot stay still, whereas some children are lazy and move very heavily..." | | |
Since the Surrounding Light is greater than the
Internal Light, the former will conquer the latter and change it entirely, if
necessary, into something good. The quality of the two Lights, in turn, will
influence the child's character and behavior, and even many of the things that
will happen to him throughout his life.
If the father's intentions are for evil, but the
mother's is for good, then the Surrounding Light will be bad and the Internal
Light good. However, after a time the Surrounding Light that is bad will
overcome the good Internal Light and it will also become bad.
Nevertheless, it seems from the following words of the
Arizal that the situation is not clear-cut black and white. There are degrees.
There are other factors.
If you want to know if the power of the father or of
the mother will dominate, then you can recognize it by the lightness or
heaviness of the son.
It is not clear-cut that the power of the father
always dominates. There are other factors that alter the determination. It is
possible for the power of the mother to sometimes dominate. These other factors,
however, are not the subject of the Arizal here. Rather, he wants to describe
now how it can be known if the light coming from the father will dominate, or
vice versa, and the consequences upon the child.
The Internal Light is limited and it is not dynamic,
but the Surrounding Light moves around outside and propels a person to the place
that it wants. Consequently, if you see a person who is "light like an eagle and
runs like a deer" in all his activities and quick in all his work, it is because
the Surrounding Light that comes from the energy of the father dominates over
him.
Yehudah ben Tayma said, "Be bold like a panther,
light like an eagle, swift as a deer and strong like a lion to do the will
of your Father who is in Heaven" ( Mishna Avot 5:20).
On the other hand, if you see someone who is lazy and
moves heavily, it teaches that it is the Internal Light from the side of the
mother that is dominant.
Now, everything goes according to their deeds, by
which I mean that if the father's intention at the time of intercourse was for
the mitzvah, then this child will be quick to do the work of Heaven, and he will
be very great in Torah. However, if his father's intentions were [only] for his
own enjoyment, then he will be quick in the tasks of this world.
The opposite is also true. If he is slow moving, when
his mother's intention was for the mitzvah, then he will be lazy to do the work
of this world. However, if her concentration was not upon the mitzvah, then the
son will be lazy in the work of Heaven.
Having said this it is possible to understand why
there are some children who are very sharp and they cannot stay still, whereas
some children are lazy and move very heavily.
The children of the first group are those heavily
influenced by the Surrounding Light. The second are those influenced by the
Internal Light. | " High magnitudes of Surrounding Light
...can produce a power capable of overriding natural law..." | | |
This is the reason that Asa-el the brother of Yoav was
unfathomably light upon his feet.
The story of Asa-el the brother of Yoav is told in
Chapter Two of Samuel II.
The sages said that he could run over the stalks of
grass without bending them.
In other words, he ran so swiftly that his weight
never came to rest upon the surface. Before it could rest, he was already gone
from there. It seems to us that the sages are speaking here metaphorically.
However, the Arizal is insisting that we take their words here literally.
Definitely a Midrash of the Sages cannot digress from
its simple meaning. However, with what was mentioned here it is understandable.
The energy of his father was over-dominating, and there was no maternal energy
within him at all. The Surrounding Light was totally augmented within him, and
he was almost able to fly through the air.
It seems to me that the point of the Arizal here is to
teach that high magnitudes of Surrounding Light, combined with proper intentions
and thought patterns at the time of conception, can produce a power capable of
overriding natural law and provide an instrument for wondrous miracles.
(End of Chapter Ten) Click to link to the previous article in this series,
Gate of Reincarnations, Fathers and Teachers 10:1
Click to link to the next article in this series,
Gate of Reincarnations, Summary of the Soul 11:1
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