Editing The Five General Levels of Love (section)

== Levels of Love in the Soul ==
The Zohar learns from the verse "Only with your forefathers did Hashem desire" that Hashem's love for the forefathers is because they devoted themselves to Him with complete bitul (self-nullification) "like a chariot." The Reishis Chochmah learns from this that due to Hashem's great love and endearment for them, He gave their children Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshamah, and through these important parts that we have from Him, He connects with us. The Tzemach Tzedek explains, based on the Shelah, that the five expressions in the Midrash (the three expressions that Reish Lakish brings: devekah, cheshikah, and chafitzah, and the two expressions that Rabbi Abba bar Elisha adds - ahavah and dibur) correspond to the four letters of the name Havayah in the soul and the kotz (tip) of the Yud, which are the five elevations of Malchus from its place to Keter (and are hinted at in the verse "Behold My servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted, and lifted up, and be very high").

Nefesh: This is the level of "Malchus" in the soul, and is hinted at in the word "devekus" because this is how a person merits it. When he cleaves to Elokus and loves Hashem, his love "burns and consumes" physicality, and through this, the level of "Nefesh" shines within him. The Zohar compares this to the blue light in a candle that burns and consumes the wick, and through this, the candle illuminates with white light.

The meaning of the word "devekus" is the connection of two things that, although they are currently connected, it is possible to separate them (like "As the belt clings to the loins of a man").

Ruach: This is the level of "Tiferes" in the soul, and is hinted at in the word "cheshek." The reason for this is that the attribute of Tiferes includes the three lines hinted at in the vowelization of the name Havayah in Tiferes (the regular vowelization: sheva, cholam, kamatz): cholam - Tiferes, sheva - Gevurah, kamatz - Chesed.

The meaning of "cheshek" is that although it refers to two different things, the connection is with a constant embrace and tightening (like "The hooks of the pillars and their bands of silver").

Neshamah is the level of "Binah" in the soul, and is hinted at in three ways in the verse "And all nations will call you fortunate, for you shall be a land of desire":

"And they will call you fortunate" hints at "the world of freedom," the World to Come, the level of Binah. The word "to Me" is in Binah. Chefetz is the inner will (Chochmah and Keter), and if so, "land of desire" is the land that receives from Chochmah and Keter - the supernal land (that is, Binah).

The meaning of "chefetz" is a strong inner will, whose entire aim is one and is unable to think of anything else. As it is written regarding Shechem, "For he desired the daughter of Yaakov and did not delay the matter" - he had no other desire in the world except this desire alone, and it was as if he would die from his love for her.

Chayah corresponds to the love called "dibur" (speech), as Onkelos translated "to a living soul" - to a speaking spirit.

Yechidah is what is called "ahavah" ("love" plain, without addition, in the manner of "Any hyssop that has an accompanying name is invalid. Hyssop - this is kosher. Greek hyssop, blue hyssop, Roman hyssop, desert hyssop - invalid"), as explained in the Midrash on the verse "Its interior is lined with love."

The nature of this love is understood from Likkutei Torah that it is the aspect of the tip of the Yud (of Hashem's name) which points upward and hints that it is drawn upward to Ein Sof, blessed be He. That is, the four levels of love stem from the four letters of the name Havayah in the soul, while this love is from the tip of the Yud, which is high above the name Havayah and is the source of all aspects of love.

This love is revealed specifically in baalei teshuvah (and not in tzaddikim), because this aspect cannot be drawn down through regular service of "arise and do" but only through uprooting the will from its opposite. That his pain will grow greatly and he will come and reach the aspect of "with all your might" which is beyond what the soul can bear, depth within depth, beyond the realm of comprehension and beyond reason and knowledge, which is like the flame of a burning candle rising by itself, and because of it, even the lightest of the light gives his soul for the sanctification of Hashem's name.

For this love is from the aspect of the indwelling of the light of Ein Sof, blessed be He, literally, which is clothed in Chochmah, and it is like a flame that rises by itself and of itself, and it is the "nature" of the soul that is imprinted in the nature of his divine soul not to be separated from His unity and oneness, blessed be He. And when he arouses this love within himself, it is fulfilled in him "and Hashem your God will turn the curse into a blessing for you," and intentional sins are transformed into merits.