One

5 Teves 5782

“All the souls coming to Egypt with Jacob, those descended from him, excluding the wives of Jacob’s sons, all the souls were sixty six.” (Bereishis 46:26)

Rashi comments on this verse, “Esau had six souls [in his family], and the text calls them נַפְשׁוֹת בֵּיתוֹ, ’the souls of his household’ (Bereishis 36:6) in the plural, because they worshiped many gods [in his family, each his or her own deity]. Jacob had seventy (souls), but the text calls them נֶפֶשׁ [in the singular] because they [all] worshiped one G-d.”

“These garments of the animal soul comprise all the deeds that are done under the sun (i.e., all mundane actions)” (Lessons in Tanya, Likutei Amarim, beginning of Chapter 6)

Here too we find that the “other side” contains within it many multitudes of possible actions and motivations. The clean, holy side on the other hand, is neither subdivided into four categories, nor does it contain within it so many possible motives. Holiness knows only one form and spirit, service of Hashem with a pure heart.

“Many are the agonies of the wicked, but he who trusts in the Lord is surrounded by kindness.”

There is no upper bound to the crookednesses the wicked person can come up with. The only thing that unites them all is that he suffers at the end. The righteous person, however, goes on one straight path, but his rewards are many.