(ד) וְהָעִנְיָן, כִּי הָאָבוֹת – הֵן הֵן הַמֶּרְכָּבָה, וְעַל כֵּן זָכוּ לְהַמְשִׁיךְ נֶפֶשׁ־רוּחַ־נְשָׁמָה לִבְנֵיהֶם אַחֲרֵיהֶם עַד עוֹלָם מֵעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת דִּקְדוּשָּׁה שֶׁבְּאַרְבַּע עוֹלָמוֹת אֲצִילוּת־בְּרִיאָה־יְצִירָה־עֲשִׂיָּה, לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד כְּפִי מַדְרֵגָתוֹ וּכְפִי מַעֲשָׂיו.
(ה) וְעַל כָּל פָּנִים, אֲפִילוּ לְקַל שֶׁבְּקַלִּים וּפוֹשְׁעֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נִמְשָׁךְ בְּזִיוּוּגָם נֶפֶשׁ דְּנֶפֶשׁ דְּמַלְכוּת דַּעֲשִׂיָּה, שֶׁהִיא מַדְרֵגָה הַתַּחְתּוֹנָה שֶׁבִּקְדוּשַּׁת הָעֲשִׂיָּה.
(ו) וְאַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן, מֵאַחַר שֶׁהִיא מֵעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת קְדוֹשׁוֹת, הִיא כְּלוּלָה מִכּוּלָּן, גַּם מֵחָכְמָה דַעֲשִׂיָּה, שֶׁבְּתוֹכָהּ מְלוּבֶּשֶׁת חָכְמָה דְּמַלְכוּת דַּאֲצִילוּת, שֶׁבְּתוֹכָהּ חָכְמָה דַאֲצִילוּת, שֶׁבָּהּ מֵאִיר אוֹר־אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא מַמָּשׁ, כְּדִכְתִיב: ״ה׳ בְּחָכְמָה יָסַד אָרֶץ״, וְ״כּוּלָּם בְּחָכְמָה עָשִׂיתָ״.
(ז) וְנִמְצָא, כִּי אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא מְלוּבָּשׁ בִּבְחִינַת חָכְמָה שֶׁבְּנֶפֶשׁ הָאָדָם – יִהְיֶה מִי שֶׁיִּהְיֶה מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, וּבְחִינַת הַחָכְמָה שֶׁבָּהּ, עִם אוֹר־אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא הַמְלוּבָּשׁ בָּהּ, מִתְפַּשֶּׁטֶת בְּכָל בְּחִינוֹת הַנֶּפֶשׁ כּוּלָּהּ, לְהַחֲיוֹתָהּ מִבְּחִינַת רֹאשָׁהּ עַד בְּחִינַת רַגְלָהּ, כְּדִכְתִיב: ״הַחָכְמָה תְּחַיֶּה בְעָלֶיהָ״.
(ח) [וְלִפְעָמִים מַמְשִׁיכִים פּוֹשְׁעֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נְשָׁמוֹת גְּבוֹהוֹת מְאֹד שֶׁהָיוּ בְּעִמְקֵי הַקְּלִיפּוֹת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּסֵפֶר גִּלְגּוּלִים]:
(4) The explanation is as follows: The Patriarchs were truly the “chariot” of G–d,3 Bereishit Rabbah 47:6; Zohar III:252a; Torah Or 23d ff. This expression signifies absolute self-abnegation and submission to G–d and the Divine will (just as the chariot is totally submitted to the will of the charioteer), thereby becoming a vehicle for Divinity on earth. Cf. below, chs. 23, 29, 34, 37. and therefore they merited [the blessing of] transmitting to their descendants, coming after them forever, a nefesh, ruach, and neshamah from the ten holy sefirot of the four worlds of Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah, to each according to his station and according to his works.
(5) Even the most worthless of worthless men and the sinners of Israel are thus endowed, at the time of marital union, with, at any rate, a nefesh d’nefesh of malchut d’Asiyah (royalty in world of Action), which is the lowest grade of holiness [in the world] of Asiyah.4 Malchut is the lowest of the ten sefirot in each of the Four Worlds; nefesh is the lowest aspect of the soul. Thus a nefesh of the nefesh of malchut is the lowest order of a soul.
(6) Nevertheless, since the latter is of the ten holy sefirot it is compounded of them all, including chochmah d’Asiyah (wisdom of the world of Action), wherein is clothed chochmah d’malchut d’Atzilut (wisdom of royalty in the world of Emanation), incorporating chochmah d’Atzilut (wisdom of the world of Emanation) which is illuminated by the actual light of the En Sof, blessed is He, as is written, “The L–rd has founded the earth with wisdom”5 Proverbs 3:19. and “You have made them all with wisdom.”6 Psalms 104:24.
(7) Thus it comes to pass that the En Sof, blessed is He, is garbed, as it were, in the wisdom of the human soul, of whatever sort of a Jew he may be. [In turn,] the soul’s faculty of wisdom, together with the light of the En Sof, blessed is He, that is vested in it, spreads throughout the entire soul, animating it “from head to foot,” so to speak, as is written, “Wisdom gives life to those that have it.”7 Ecclesiastes 7:12.
(8) [At times sinners of Israel may even bring down very lofty souls which had been in the depths of the kelipot, as is explained in the Sefer Gilgulim.]8 Book on Transmigration, by R. Chaim Vital.