{
    "language": "en",
    "title": "Derech Etz Chayim (Ramchal)",
    "versionSource": "https://www.sefaria.org",
    "versionTitle": "Sefaria Community Translation",
    "actualLanguage": "en",
    "languageFamilyName": "english",
    "isBaseText": false,
    "isSource": false,
    "direction": "ltr",
    "heTitle": "דרך עץ חיים (רמח\"ל)",
    "categories": [
        "Kabbalah",
        "Ramchal"
    ],
    "text": [
        "Sefer Derech Etz Chaim, which is an introduction to the sefer Pitchei Chochma based on the sefer Etz Chaim of R' Chaim Vital....",
        "The creator and guide of man, made him (man) and engineered him (man) ready to understand and comprehend a comprehension greater than that of the ministering angels.  Our Rabbis of blessed memory have already stated ( Bereishit Rabbah 17) \"He (G-d) said to them (angels), 'His (man's) wisdom is greater than yours!' And when he so chooses understanding (G-d) in his manner, G-d will lead him to an understanding that grasps until the highest heavens, ideas that power the world, ideas that have been hidden by The Ancient of Days.\"",
        "...Behold, that goodness is in his hands and he controls the decision, whether to educate himself and understand or to remain naked of all wisdom, even though the heart and mind are contained within his body.  It is readily apparent that there are two things created sharing similar functions: Man's intellect and and The Torah that imparts the intelligence.  With regards to The Torah it is stated (Jeremiah 23:29): \"'Is not My word like a fire?', says Hashem.\"  He made it known to us, the truth of the matter, that The Torah is literally like a singular light given to the Jewish people to find illumination with, not like other foreign wisdoms and secular information which are merely facts which can be comprehended though intellectual toil.  However, The Torah is divinely holy whose existence is elevated in the highest heavens.  When a person involves himself in The Torah below (this world) it illuminates his soul granting him access to lofty treasures, treasures of The Creator, in a reciprocating manner.  As man works to understand The Torah works to change man.",
        "As in the words of King Solomon (Mishlei 6:23): \"...and The Torah is a light\" - literally light and not just wisdom nor analogous to light, literally light, as this it's reality above. So, when The Torah enters the soul, the light enters, as the ray of the sun enters a house.  Furthermore, accurately analogous to The Torah is fire and as with a coal, the fire is contained within it and just needs a burst of oxygen to ignite the flame to expose it's many colors which were hidden prior.",
        "...The Torah is similar is this manner in that all its words and letters are like coals that seem to be extinguished. However, when one exerts effort to study it only then does each letter burst into a flame exposing the many colors, which are the ideas latent within the letter.  This has already been explained in the Zohar on the subject of the alphabet.  This idea is not just an analogy but a depiction of the reality that all the visible letters of The Torah are a representation of 22 supernal lights and these lights illuminate the letters lending sanctity to a Torah scroll, Tefillin, Mezuzot and Kitvei Kodesh. Accordingly, the more sanctity invested into those writings, the greater the influence and shine are imparted via the letters.  Therefore, a Sefer Torah with one mistake invalidates the whole preventing the ability to influence and draw holiness to the congregation during its reading.",
        "Returning the matter at hand, for the lights loom over the letters and include all the possible sepicific aspects contained in each letter, per my memory.  However, only a indivual contained light is apparent to the soul peering at the letters, similar to a coal.  With the effort to understand, read over and over and redouble the effort to understand, the lights begin dance in the soul as a flame ignites via a coal.  This is all encapsulated in what the Tanna (Pirkei Avot 5:22) says: \"Turn it over and [again] turn it over, for all is therein...\" - that it is necessary to examine and reexamine words of Torah until the lights are revealed as with revealing the flame within the coal.  ",
        "As previously mentioned, in the dance of the flame different colors become apparent and so too there are big ideas included in this flame of light.  Another idea expressed in the flame is the varied perspectives in Torah. It has been accepted by the Kadmonim that each root of the souls of Israel is contained within The Torah so that there are six hundred thousand explanations to the Torah corresponding to the six hundred thousand root souls.  This is the idea of The Torah bursting into sparks.   At first the light (Torah idea) ingnites to reveal all the different lights regarding the matter at hand.  In turn each of those lights themselves illuminate a path within the six hundred thousand perspectives of the six hundred thousand souls of Israel.  This is the secret of the verse (Jeremiah 23:29): \"... and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?\"  Although The Torah is infinite as well as each letter contained within, it is necessary to the fan the flame and then it will ignite.  ",
        "Correspondingly the human mind is fashioned in the same manner.  It too has the ability to comprehend relative to the effort it uses to comprehend.  As it is stated (Proverbs 2:6): \" For the Lord gives wisdom: out of his mouth come knowledge and understanding.\"  This is so, because all creations are an outcome of the speech of of G-d, as it is written (Psalms 33:6): \" Through the word of Hashem the heavens were made.\"  Subsequently, this mouth is the source and life force of all creations.  The breath that flows from the mouth, which is the sustenance that permeates all creations, is all from that source that brought them into existence. Therefore it is stated (Devarim 8:3): \"... that man does not live by bread only, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord does man live.\"  This life force is the \"breath\" that enclothes itself in food as a necessity for man to live.",
        "...The wisdom bestowed in the heart of man from G-d must be roused via oral articulation, and only then as with a flame of fire requiring oxygen does the wisdom awaken to reveal the intellect and comprehension latent within, for without this awakening the only aspect apparent is the wisdom.  Comprehension, being the ability of the intellect to tie two ideas together, and Da'at, being the outcome of that ability, are activated via the energy imparted onto them by the supernal breath.",
        "...Subsequently, Chochma (wisdom) is a building block of reality which the mouth only articulates, as oppsed to Da'at (knowledge) and Tevuna (comprehension) which are renewed with breath.  As Elihu says (Iyov 32:8): \"But there is a spirit in man: and the breath (nishmat) of the Almighty gives them understanding.\"  The expression \"nishmat\" aforementioned is from \"neshima (breath)\" as seen in (Isaiah 30:33): \"...the breath (nishmat) of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone...\" and not \"neshama (soul)\".  Comprehension is activated by breath, not days or years (age).  ",
        "It is therefore incumbent on man to contemplate, for without contemplation wisdom will not knock at his door rather only leave him in the dark and left to his own devices man will lead himself down a path of vanity and opacity.  A man that chooses this path will need to give an accounting to The King of Kings in due time for not using his wisdom to gain in this world.  This lack of focus is a defining strategy of the evil inclination, who sinks unrelenting effort to cause man to fail, because discovery of the truth strengthens the soul to distance itself from the evil inclination and therefore in turn nothing weakens the soul as lack of knowledge does.    ...",
        "If man was mindful of this knowledge sinners wouldn't exist, temptation wouldn't even wield power, similar to its irrelevance to angels.  G-d wanted man to conquer or to be conquered via temptation and his subsequent choices, and therefore gave us this knowledge that remains latent as a flame is within a coal.  Our sages of blessed memory have said (Bava Batra 78b): \"Wherefore they who speak in similes (Hamoshlim) say, Come to Ḥeshbon...\"(Bamidbar 21:27), 'Hamoshlim' (who speak in similes) - refers to those that control their inclination, \"Bo'oo Heshbon (Come to Heshbon) - Come and let us calculate the account (heshbono) of the world!  Those that do not control their inclination will never prioritize this - However, those that do control their inclination will practice this and teach others to act as well.",
        "If man spends most of his time thinking about his temporal situation, why doesn't he invest even a minute amount of time on more important thoughts: What is he? Why is he in the world? Or what is The King of All Kings requesting of me?  What it the purpose of everything?  This is the strongest antidote that can be fashioned against our inclination and it is so easy, yet its impact is so significant. All that is needed is to clear the mind from everything else for at least an hour to think about the aforementioned.  Introspecting, one should ask, what did the forefathers do that endeared them so to G-d?  What did Moses do?  What did King David do and all the spiritual giants that preceded?  These questions will breed answers that direct one to do good and in turn better ones life.",
        "Then his thoughts will lead him to what his current situation is and whether his life's direction are in line with the ones that preceded him or not.  If he finds his ability to contemplate these matters overpowered by his inclination for this it should lead him to cry out like Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai who cried out like a raven as found in Tikkunei Zohar 10: \"Woe to those humans that HaKadosh Baruch Hu is shackled with them in exile, 'And he looked both ways and saw there wasn't a man in sight\" rather every person was too busy with their own things to take notice..........",
        "The general idea is that someone who doesn't ponder these things will find it very difficult to reach perfection and vice versa. The sages are constantly engaged in this exercise and therefore find success in their endeavors.  Those with limited capability should nevertheless set times to take to heart these matters, whether a maximum or minimum effort, and see success in their quest towards perfection.",
        "After understanding the task of your requirement to introspect, I will now illuminate for you the items to ponder and research.",
        "The first item to investigate is the intention of Blessed is His Name: For what and why was this magnificent creation (our existence) created? Do not say, what is man to plumb the thoughts of The King?  Scripture testifies (Tehillim 92:6) 'Your thoughts are very deep' seemingly this would put our efforts as a haughty attempt to unearth the intentions of The Creator.  However, the opposite is said there (Tehillim 25:14) 'The secret of Hashem belongs to those that fear Him and His covenant is made known to them'. This secret is one that includes all things which He has done and is doing, and the laws of nature that find their instruction therein for everything is directed towards one purpose being the secret mentioned in the verse.  The laws that were set with this purpose in mind are outlined the the covenant mentioned at the end of the verse. 'His convenant is made know to the' - this is the covenant, set in place, by which all things strictly abide by and is hinted to in the word 'Breishit (In the beginning' Brit Eish (covenant of fire), as explained in the Tikunnim:Tikun 21.  ",
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