“Soul Activity” p: 173

AyinBase, Ayin Beis, with R' Paltiel Tuesday 10 Elul 5772 

Page 173 – middle of the page (line starts, 'kuli...') For text, see picture below.

The Rebbe is saying that we will look at the levels of the name in greater detail.

There is the body of man and the soul is dressed in it. Then there is thought and speech... these are levels that tell us about the name.

In thought there is a paradox. On the one hand you can change garments... the body is a garment to the soul, but it cannot be changed... yet in thought there is also the element where there is substantial connection – one can change the thoughts, but not be without thought. Speech is different. One can speak and not speak...

to us the body seems like a primary presence. The soul compliments the body so that it is alive, but we see the body as the one that walks and does things in the world... However when you look at the situation more truthfully, 'when a car moves, the gasoline is not aware of what it is being used for, it burns. In the body we land up being concerned with the most external aspect'...

But when we walk, it is not the body that walks. It is a soul inspiration. It is the soul that understands what walking is and translates it on the body level... all our activities are really nefesh/soul activities. The body is merely a garment for the soul and does not know what it is doing...

This is similar to the principle of the name. The name is what brings a person into a bigger environment, like the body brings the soul into a worldly environment. A soul without a body is not a human being...

Thought is a garment for the sechel/mind of man – this is so sechel can be part of the physical arena. Without 'thought' it remains only part of the soul.