Man is a Tree of the Field - from Aryeh Kaplan / Chaim Vital

I read “Meditation and the Bible” by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan for the first time in October 2011, following a recommendation of a friend, in response to my value claim of the concept and practice of meditation that Buddhism brought to mankind.  Two years later, I came back to re-read the first third of that book, looking for a particular excerpt, that follows below, for my class on Teshuvah, the fifth blessing of Shemonei Esrei, and then continued to re-read the rest of that fascinating, unforgettable book. 

That special excerpt that I sought is not even by Aryeh Kaplan, but a quoted piece from “The Gates of Holiness” by Rabbi Chaim Vital (1543-1620), the disciple of the Ari, the master Kabbalist Rabbi Isaac Luriah (1534 – 1572).  It is chilling to think that Rabbi Kaplan himself had not lived much longer than the Ari, leaving a rich legacy that transformed lives of many people.

An excerpt from THE GATES OF HOLINESS

It is taught that there is a single Light, in the form of a Man, which radiates through all the four Universes, Atzilut, Beriyah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, reaching down to the physical elements.  This Light is bound to the Lights of the Supernal Man, which are called the Ten Sefirot.  These are clothed in this Light, which is called the “Light of the Quarry of Souls,” and in it are included all souls below. 

These souls descend to the physical world, clothing themselves in physical bodies.  Their roots, however, remain attached to their source, from which they were hewn, and only the branches of these roots descend.  They do so by reaching down and clothing themselves in physical bodies in the physical world.

The case resembles branches of a tree. The branches are attached to the trunk of a tree, but when they are bent over, they can touch the ground, even though they are still attached to the tree trunk. 

When a person commits a sin for which the punishment is being “cut off” (koreit), the branch is cut off from the body of the tree.  It then remains separated, and remains in the physical world like the spirit of any other animal.  This is the deeper meaning of the verse, “That soul shall be cut off …” (Numbers 15:31)

This is also the inner meaning of the verse, “Man is a tree of the field” (Deut. 20:19).  It is also the mystical reason why the names of some saints are doubled in the Bible, as “Abraham, Abraham” (Gen. 22:11), “Jacob, Jacob” (Gen. 46:2), and “Moses, Moses” (Ex. 3:4). The first name corresponds to the Root, that remains on high, attached to the Tree, [while the second name is the branch that rests in the physical world].

This Root is also referred to as a person’s Mazal (destiny).  The sages teach that Moses saw the Mazal of Rabbi Akiva, sitting and teaching.  The word Mazal comes from the root Nazal, meaning “to flow downward.”  This is because spiritual sustenance (Shefa) flows downward (from the Mazal) to the branch which has descended and clothed itself in a physical body.

This Root is very high, originating at the very top of the Universe of Atzilut.  The branch is very long, descending through all the universes until its lower end is clothed in the physical body. 

In each level, in every Universe, this branch leaves a root.  Therefore, there is no soul that does not have an infinite number of roots, one above the other.  Through a person’s deeds, he can be worthy of elevating them all.

(Meditation and the Bible, pp 47-48)

…..

The rest of the excerpt deals with the individual elevating himself via meditation through the higher and higher spiritual levels to reach the highest Universe, in order to attach himself to G-d and to attain prophecy. 

The vision of Ezekiel is called the “Workings of the Chariot” or Vehicle.  This is because each level is a vehicle for the next. 

At the beginning of this vision, “the heavens were opened” (Ez. 1:1). This refers to the gates of the firmaments, which are the Lights consisting of the substance and the vessels of that Universe.

From there the prophet entered the realm of the Husks (Klipot). Regarding this, he said, “I saw, and behold, a stormy wind came from the north, great cloud and flashing fire” (Ez. 1:4).

Ezekiel thus ascended to heaven, and it was there that he bound himself so as to be able to perceive, as it is written, “The heavens were opened, and I saw visions of G-d.” When he reached the level of the Husks, however, he found it very unpleasant, and did not bind himself there, but instead, rended them apart and passed through them.  Even though he did not bind himself to these evil forces, however, it was necessary that he see them. This is also the deeper meaning of Elijah’s experience: “the Lord was not in the wind… not in the earthquake was the Lord… not in the fire was the Lord, and after the fire a still small sound.” (I Kings 19:11-12) (Meditation and the Bible, pp 54-55)