(ד) פִּקּוּדָא חֲמִישָׁאָה כְּתִיב, (בראשית מ''ו ע''ב) יִשְׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם שֶׁרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָה. בְּהַאי קְרָא אִית תְּלַת פִּקּוּדִין. חַד לְמִלְעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. וְחַד לְאִתְעֲסָקָא בִּפְרִיָּה וּרְבִיָּה. וְחַד לְמִגְזַר לִתְמַנְיָיא יוֹמִין וּלְאַעֲבָרָא מִתַּמָּן עָרְלָתָא. לְמִלְעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וּלְאִשְׁתַּדָּלָא בָהּ וּלְאַפָּשָׁא לָהּ בְּכָל יוֹמָא לְתַקְּנָא נַפְשֵׁיהּ וְרוּחֵיהּ.
(ה) דְּכֵיוָן דְּבַר נָשׁ אִתְעַסַּק בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא (נח ס''ב ע''א) אִתְתַּקַּן (ש''כ ע''א) בְּנִשְׁמָתָא אָחֳרָא קַדִּישָׁא. דִּכְתִיב שֶׁרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה. נֶפֶשׁ דְּהַהִיא חַיָּה קַדִּישָׁא. דְּכַד בַּר נָשׁ לָא אִתְעַסַּק בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא לֵית לֵיהּ נַפְשָׁא קַדִּישָׁא. קְדוּשָׁא דִּלְעֵילָא לָא שַׁרְיָא עֲלוֹי. וְכַד אִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּהַהוּא רְחִישׁוּ דְּרָחִישׁ בָּהּ זָכֵי לְהַהִיא נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה, וּלְמֶהֱדַר כְּמַלְאָכִין קַדִּישִׁין. דִּכְתִיב, (תהילים ק״ג:כ׳) בָּרְכוּ יְיָ מַלְאָכָיו, אִלֵּין אִנּוּן דְּמִתְעַסְּקִין בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא דְּאִקְרוּן מַלְאָכָיו בְּאַרְעָא.
(ו) וְדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְעוֹף יְעוֹפֵף עַל הָאָרֶץ. הַאי בְּהַאי עָלְמָא. בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא תָּנִינָן דְּזַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֶעְבַּד לוֹן גַּדְפִין כְּנִשְׁרִין וּלְאַשָּׁטָא בְּכָל עָלְמָא דִּכְתִיב, (ישעיהו מ׳:ל״א) וְקּוֵֹי יְיָ יַחֲלִיפוּ כֹחַ יַעֲלוּ אֵבָר כַּנְּשָׁרִים. וְהַיְנוּ דִכְתִיב וְעוֹף יְעוֹפֵף עַל הָאָרֶץ דָּא אוֹרַיְיתָא דְּאִקְרֵי מַיִם יִשְׁרְצוּן וְיִפְקוּן רִחֲשָׁא דְּנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה מֵאֲתַר דְּהַהִיא חַיָּה יִמְשְׁכוּן לָהּ לְתַתָּא כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר. וְעַל דָּא אָמַר דָּוִד (וישב קי''ב ע''ב) (תהילים נ״א:י״ב) לֵב טָהוֹר בְּרָא לִי אֱלהִים, לְמִלְעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וּכְדֵין וְרוּחַ נָכוֹן חַדֵּשׁ בְּקִרְבִּי:
(4) 4. The fifth precept is found in the verse, "Let the waters swarm abundantly with moving creatures that have life" (Genesis 1:20). This verse contains three precepts. The first is to study the Torah; the second is to beget children: and the third is to circumcise a male child on the eighth day of life and remove the foreskin. It is necessary to study the Torah with great effort at all times, in order to better one's spirit and soul.
(5) 5. As a person labors in the study of the Torah, he is endowed with an additional holy soul, as it is written, "moving creatures (lit. 'soul') that have life." This refers to the holy living creature (Malchut). If a person does not delve in the study of the Torah, he does not receive this holy soul, and the holiness of above does not rest upon him. However, when he does study the Torah, he merits that living soul by his mouthing the words of the Torah. Thus he becomes like the angels of above. As it is written, "Bless Hashem, you angels of His" (Psalms 103:20). This refers to those who study the Torah and are called "His angels" on earth.
(6) 6. And it is also written, "And let birds fly above the earth" (Genesis 1:20). This refers to this world, but as far as the other world is concerned, we have learned that the Holy One, blessed be He, will provide them with wings like those of the eagles to allow them to meander around in all the worlds. As is written, "But they that wait upon Hashem shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles" (Isaiah 40:31). Thus it is written, "and let birds fly above the earth," because the Torah that is called "the waters" (Genesis 1:20) abounds, bringing forth expressions of the living soul, that is aroused from its place of living creature, to be drawn down below, as we have learned. And this is what King David referred to, when he said, "Create in me a clean heart, O Elohim" (to study and learn the Torah), and then "renew a steadfast spirit within me" (Psalms 51:12).