Hayom Yom 1 Adar 1 - Every soul has its individual duties

The daily Hayom Yom with Rabbi Yosef Katzman

תּוֹרָה אוֹר, דִבּוּר הַמַּתְחִיל לֹא תִהְיֶ' מְשַׁכֵּלָה, סְעִיף הַמַּתְחִיל וְהִנֵּה אַחַר

"בִּמְסִירַת נֶפֶשׁ בפ"ע"

"פֵּרוּשׁ הָרָאשֵׁי תֵּיבוֹת הוּא "בִּפְנִימִית עַצְמוּתוֹ

[In the above note, the Rebbe spells out the unusual meaning of an abbreviation that appears in the Hebrew text of Torah Or.]

כְּתִיב: יֵצֵא אָדָם לְפָעֳלוֹ וְלַעֲבֹדָתוֹ עֲדֵי עָרֶב

It is written, “A man goes out to his work and to his labor until evening.”

הִנֵּה כָּל נְשָׁמָה בִּירִידָתָהּ לְמַטָּה, יֵשׁ לָהּ מְלָאכוֹת כְּלָלִיּוֹת וּפְרָטִיּוֹת

Every soul [is assigned] both general and particular tasks when it descends to this material plane.

וְזֶהוּ יֵצֵא אָדָם לְפָעֳלוֹ

This mission is alluded to by the phrase, “A man goes out to his work.”

דִּיצִיאַת הַנְּשָׁמָה מֵעֲמִידָתָהּ בִּשְׁמֵי רוֹם בְּאוֹצַר הַנְּשָׁמוֹת

That is, the soul leaves its standing in the treasure-store of souls in the celestial heights,

וִירִידָתָהּ מִדַּרְגָא לְדַרְגָא עַד בּוֹאָהּ לְהִתְלַבֵּשׁ בְּגוּף וְנֶפֶשׁ הַטִבְעִית וְהַבַּהֲמִית

and descends level after level until it becomes enclothed in the body and in the natural, animal soul.

הוּא בִּשְׁבִיל אָדָם לְפָעֳלוֹ בִּמְלָאכוֹת הַכְּלָלִיּוֹת לְהַגְבִּיר הַצּוּרָה עַל הַחוֹמֶר

The goals [of this descent] are (a) man’s “work” — his overall tasks of empowering [spiritual] form over [tangible] matter,

לְהָאִיר אֶת הָעוֹלָם בְּאוֹר תּוֹרָה וְנֵר מִצְוָה

and illuminating the world with the light of the Torah and the lamp of the mitzvos —

וְלַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ שֶׁהִיא מְלָאכָה הַפְּרָטִית

and (b) his “labor,” his particular tasks.

דְּכָל נְשָׁמָה יֵשׁ לָהּ עֲבוֹדָה פְּרָטִית בְּמוֹחִין וּבְמִדּוֹת כְּפִי טִבְעָהּ וְעִנְיָנָהּ

For every soul has its individual duties in the realm of intellect and emotion, based upon its nature and inclinations….

עֲדֵי עָרֶב

[These endeavors continue] “until evening” —

בְּעוֹד יֵשׁ זְמַן לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב הַיּוֹם לַעֲשׂוֹתָם

only as long as one can still take action, as it is written, “[…the commandments that I command you to do] today, to perform them.” [And on this phrase the Sages comment, “They can be performed today (i.e., in This World), and not tomorrow (i.e., in the World to Come).”]

וּבְעוֹמֶק הָעִנְיָן בֵּאוּר הַכָּתוּב

From a deeper perspective, the above verse may be understood

דְקָאֵי עַל כְּלָלוּת עִנְיַן הָעֲלִיָּה שֶׁנַּעֲשֶׂה עַל יְדֵי יְרִידַת הַנְּשָׁמָה לְמַטָּה דְיֵצֵא אָדָם

[…] as alluding to the soul’s [heightened] ascent following its descent (“a man goes out”) to the material realm.

דְבַעֲלוֹת הַנְּשָׁמָה מִהְיוֹתָהּ לְמַטָּה מְלוּבֶּשֶׁת בְּגוּף

When the soul ascends after having been clothed in a body in This World below,

לְפָעֳלוֹ הִיא עוֹסֶקֶת בָּעוֹלָם הַבָּא בְּאוֹפֶן הִתְעַסְּקוּתָהּ בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶה

[it proceeds] “to its work:” its activities in the World to Come echo its [former] work in This World.

וְאִם הָיָה קוֹבֵעַ עִתִּים לַתּוֹרָה

If, [while in This World,] that person had set aside regular hours for Torah study,

גַּם שָׁם מַכְנִיסִים אוֹתוֹ בְּאָהֳלֵי תוֹרָה

that soul is allowed in the other world, too, to enter the tents of Torah study.

וְלַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ, אִם עָסַק בַּעֲבוֹדָתוֹ כָּרָאוּי

Moreover, [when the soul ultimately ascends,] it proceeds "to its labor:” if, [while in This World,] it engaged in its labors of Divine service properly,

אָז הִנֵּה עֲלִיָּתוֹ עֲדֵי עָרֶב

it then ascends “until erev.”

שֶׁעוֹלֶה בְּעִילּוּי אַחַר עִילּוּי עַד הַנּוֹעַם וְהָעֲרֵיבוּת דְּעַצְמוּת אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא

It ascends level after level, until it apprehends the pleasant sweetness (areivus) of the Essence of the [infinite] Ein Sof.

Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in English