Kabbalah and Psychology Part 15

Elemental Soul Powers

Now that we have summarized how the four elements correspond to the signs of the zodiac, we will be able to more clearly understand how the first three--- air, water and fire---manifest in the crown of the soul. Each of the three elements (air, water and fire) is associated with one of the unconscious powers of the soul. Air is associated with faith; water with pleasure; and fire with will. As in the Tree of Life, we can correspond these to the three lines of right, left and center. Air Fire Water

Air: Faith

In the center, above water and fire, is the element of air, which

corresponds to faith. The word for air in Hebrew is ruach, literally meaning wind, or spirit. In the context of the human psyche, one of the five names of the soul is also called ruach, spirit. In fact, there are two levels of spirit, Divine spirit (ruach hakodesh) and the spirit of Life (ruach chayim). According to Kabbalah, these two elements of spirit emanate from one another (life spirit from Divine spirit), while the water element emanates from spirit in general, and fire emanates from water. In the psyche, faith is the essence of ruach. The strength of a persons faith emanates from stability and equilibrium, which derives from the center.

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Water: Pleasure

Water corresponds to the right line, as its essence is found in its

power to descend, a quality upheld by one of the fundamental laws of classical physics, which states that water can never ascend higher than its point of origin. 17 Water corresponds to the source of pleasure in the soul, as we learn from the phrase in Tanya that all types of pleasure sprout from water.18 In general, water is a life-giving force at every level of the soul. This is indicated by the phrase, , living waters. In this way, water corresponds to the simple pleasure of life itself. When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden before the primordial sin, they were in a state of infinite pleasure. Indeed, all the vegetation that God created for the pleasure of man in the Garden of Eden sprouted from the waters of the River of Eden. Of all the compound pleasures, the greatest is the pleasure of a new insight, or a eureka experience of the mind. This is referred to as a humid mind. The proper functioning of the mind requires a certain level of humidity in order to experience the pleasure of a new insight; if the mind is dry a person cannot have new insights. 19 Fire: Will In contrast to water, fire ascends to its source; therefore it corresponds to

the left line and to the power of will in the soul. Although we might think of fire as representing light, in fact, the original, primordial darkness relates to the spiritual

17

See Tanya, ch. 4. The right side, or chessed, bestows, influences and descends. Tanya, ch. 1. See Shaar HaYichud of Rabbi Dovber of Lubavitch.

18

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element of fire.20 Spiritual fire is unlimited dark energy that preceded the creation of light, while physical fire is the manifestation of spiritual fire in our world. Having descended from its elevated spiritual source, the fire that we perceive aspires to return to its origin (it leaps from the wick) and in so doing, reaches a higher point than its origin. One example of this phenomenon is the sacrifices in the Temple, which are referred to explicitly as fire. Indeed, the Zohar teaches us that the burning sacrifice ascends to the mystery of infinity.21 Earth: Consciousness Earth corresponds to the final sefirah, Malchut (kingdom),

which is the receiving principle; meaning that earth is the element that receives all the others. Relative to the super-conscious powers of the soul, earth represents the conscious powers of wisdom, understanding and knowledge, or Chochma, Bina and DaatChabad for short.

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21

Zohar II 239a; Zohar III, 26b.

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See, for example, Nachmanides commentary on the Torah, Genesis 1:1. -