The Kabbalah: its doctrines, development, and literatureGinsburg, Christian D. (Christian David)
Religion
The Kabbalah: its doctrines, development, and literature
Ginsburg, Christian D. (Christian David)
Cabala
The transmigration of the soul into another body, however, is
restricted to three times; and if two souls in their third residence in
human bodies are still too weak to resist all earthly trammels and to
acquire the necessary experience, they are both united and sent into
one body, so that they may be able conjointly to learn that which they
were too feeble to do separately. It sometimes, however, happens that
it is the singleness and isolation of the soul which is the source of
her weakness, and she requires help to pass through her probation. In
that case she chooses for a companion a soul which has more strength
and better fortune. The stronger of the two then becomes as it were the
mother; she carries the sickly one in her bosom, and nurses her from
her own substance, just as a woman nurses her child. Such an
association is therefore called pregnancy (עיבור), because the
stronger soul gives as it were life and substance to the weaker
companion. [23]
As the world, like all other living beings, is a further expansion of
the Deity’s own substance, it too must ultimately share that
blessedness which it enjoyed in its first evolution. This is indicated
in the letter ב with which the history of the creation begins (i.e.
ב״ראשית), and which is also the first letter in the word blessing
(ב״רכה). [24] Even the archangel of wickedness, or the venomous beast
(חוייא בישא), or Samäel (סמאל), as he is called, will be restored
to his angelic nature and name, inasmuch as he too, like all other
beings, proceeded from the same infinite source of all things. The
first part of his name (סﬦ), which signifies venom, will then be
dropped, and he will retain the second part (אל), which is the common
name of all the angels. This, however, will only take place at the
advent of Messiah. But his coming is retarded by the very few new souls
which enter into the world; as many of the old souls which have already
inhabited bodies have to reenter those bodies which are now born, in
consequence of having polluted themselves in their previous bodily
existence, and the soul of the Messiah, which, like other souls, has
its pre-existence in the world of the Sephiroth, cannot be born till
all human souls have passed through their period of probation on this
earth, because it is to be the last born one at the end of days. Then
the great Jubilee year will commence, when the whole pleroma of souls
(אוצר הנשמות), cleaned and purified shall return into the bosom of
the Infinite Source; and they shall be in “the Palace which is situate
in the secret and most elevated part of heaven, and which is called the
Palace of Love (היכל אהבה). There the profoundest mysteries are;
there dwells the Heavenly King, blessed be he, with the holy souls, and
is united with them by a loving kiss. (Sohar, ii, 97 a.) “This kiss is
the union of the soul with the substance from which it emanated.”
(Ibid., i, 168 a.) Then hell shall disappear; there shall be no more
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