Daily Tanya Chapter 37 Part 4: The purpose of the descent of the G-dly soul is not for its own benefit (Sunday 26th Adar)

26^th Adar

2. The purpose of the descent of the G-dly soul is not for its own benefit:

• This world is a descent in level for the G-dly soul: The spark of the G-dly soul did not descend into this world for its own sake and purpose, as in truth its embodiment in this physical world is a great descent from its previous level.
• The G-dly soul is in exile in this world: In this world, the G-dly soul is found in a state of actual exile [as it no longer experiences a connection to G-d and love and fear as it did previously prior to its descent].
• This applies even by a complete Tzadik: This would hold true even if one were to reach the level of a complete Tzadik who serves G-d with fear and love of the highest level of pleasure, nonetheless, he would fail to reach the level of attachment to G-d, and fear and love that he had for G-d, prior to his descent into this physical world. In fact, he doesn’t even reach a fraction of his previous state of emotions, and the two levels cannot be compared to each other at all. The reason for this is because the physical body cannot contain the level of emotions experienced by the soul in heaven prior to its descent below.

3. The entire purpose of the descent of the G-dly soul below is to elevate and refine the animal soul and world:

• The purpose of the descent is to fix the animal soul and world: Rather, the entire purpose of the descent of the G-dly soul below to this world, to become invested within a physical body and animal soul, is simply for the sake of fixing them alone.
• Its job to separate it from evil: The job of the G-dly soul is to separate its body and animal soul from the three levels of complete impurity. This is accomplished through guarding the 365 negative commands and their offshoots.
• Its job to elevate and unite it with G-d: Likewise, its purpose is to elevate the animal soul, together with its corresponding portion in this world, and to connect them and unite them with the infinite light of G-d. This connection and unity with the animal soul and its corresponding parts of the world is accomplished through the performance of the 248 positive commands, of which the animal soul is a partner in, as it is the animal soul which performs all of the actions of the commands.
• The G-dly soul needs no elevation: In addition to the fact that this world does not cause any elevation in the G-dly soul, it furthermore essentially does not even need an elevation, as it states in the Eitz Chaim that the G-dly soul does not need any fixing at all. Its entire purpose of coming down here is to draw down the G-dly light to fix its body and animal soul. In this respect, it is exactly similar to the descent of the Divine presence into exile in the lower world in order to refine the sparks.