Nefesh haChayim Gate 1 - 001 Man Is An Image of G-d

1] The Nefesh HaChaim begins the sefer with the concept that man was created b’tzelem elokim, “in the image of G-d”, and that this matter is one of the most exalted matters in Creation.

The concept of tzelem elokim requires explanation. First of all, Hashem has no body, so how is man created “in His image”?

Additionally, we can ask: why is the fact that we are a tzelem elokim considered one of the most exalted matters in Creation? How does this affect us so much?

The fact that we are a tzelem elokim is not just an intellectual matter. It is relevant to or actual avodah (service towards G-d. Only people are created with a tzelem elokim; animals were not created with a tzelem elokim. Animals do possess a life spirit, but they do not possess the tzelem elokim.

Tzelem elokim means that all of our 248 limbs and 365 sinews are created to resemble Hashem’s image, and therefore, all of our 248 limbs and 365 sinews – our body – are parallel to the 248 limbs and 365 sinews that are above in Heaven. The concept of tzelem elokim thus reflects our avodah that we must perfect ourselves and come to resemble Hashem. Our 248 limbs represent the 248 negative commandments, while our 365 sinews represent all the positive commandments; and since the purpose of our body’s makeup is to eventually come to represent the image of Hashem, it follows then that the purpose of all our mitzvos is to come to resemble Hashem through perfecting ourselves.

When we fulfill the mitzvos, we are therefore radiating the tzelem elokim with the more we fulfill them. And in contrast, when we don’t do the mitzvos, our tzelem elokim withers, and this resembles a death-like kind of existence.

The concept of tzelem elokim thus connotes to us an avodah: how much tzelem elokim are we revealing in our life?

2] We can ask the following. Which aspect in our life reveals our tzelem elokim? It is found in our power of speech. Man is different than animals in that only man possesses the power of speech, so it must be that through speech we can reveal our tzelem elokim.

(Although there is a concept of speech by animals and by trees, this is not the actual power of speech. The lower form of speech which animals and trees possess is called sichah, while human speech is called dibbur, and the speech of Hashem is also called dibbur. Therefore, only “dibbur” is considered real speech, and thus only humans have the tzelem elokim, because only humans possess dibbur).

However, this still needs understanding. Our speech is not at all like the speech of Hashem. Of course, we can definitely get our speech to resemble more and more the speech of Hashem, which is when we purify our speech. But where can we find the root of the tzelem elokim in us? Where is it precisely revealed?

The root of our speech is our power of bechirah, free will. We choose when we will speak. Before Hashem created man, He said, “We will make man”; He chose to make man, and He used speech to decide this. Therefore, our speech, which comes from Hashem, is rooted in a preceding power: free will. Thus, our bechirah\free will is what reveals our tzelem elokim.

We were created b’tzalmeinu u’kedumuseinu: “In Our image, and in Our form.” We were created in the tzelem (image) of Hashem, and in the demus (form) of Hashem. Tzelem refers to our neshamah (soul), while demus refers to our guf (body). When a person dies, he loses his demus\body - but he still remains with his tzelem\soul.

If not for these words of the Nefesh HaChaim, we would think of our body as a purely physical existence, and we would only view our body as something that we try to make look attractive. But the Nefesh HaChaim reveals to us that our entire physical body – all its parts – is supposed to resemble a Heavenly form.

We learn as well from his words that all of Creation is meant as a tool for us to attain our true form – that our own physical form should resemble the Heavenly form. Anything in Creation can somehow help us serve to improve our form.

Even a person’s house is meant to complete his form. A man’s wife as well helps him complete his form, as man is called “half a body” until he marries. Our avodah is to build and develop our true form. Our true form is: to recognize the existing reality of Hashem. As it is written, “All my bones will speak of Hashem.”

A person’s money as well is supposed to complete a person’s form. For this reason, “The righteous endear their money”, and the Sages as well state, “One who steals monetarily from his friend is considered as if he stole his soul.”

The purpose of Creation is to reveal Hashem. The revelation of Hashem happens precisely through man, when he attains perfection. This is the entire “sugya”[1] of life; there are no other “sugyos” besides for this! All of the sugyos we learn in life are all essentially about this one point: that man’s purpose is to reveal Hashem.

(This is also called sod ha’echad, “the secret of oneness” – that all of life, essentially, is about “one” thing alone: to reveal Hashem. Just as Adam was originally alone before Chavah, so must we return to the state of “alone” – the oneness we had with Hashem, which was when Hashem was utterly revealed in Creation.)

So the way we reveal our tzelem elokim is when we utilize our free will. What is the deep way in how we use our free will? It is when we realize that everything in Creation is all about one thing alone: to reveal Hashem. It is that when I choose to act good, it’s not that I’m choosing between good and evil – it’s rather that I’m choosing good because it’s the only choice in Creation. The entire Creation, in essence, is all about revealing Hashem’s oneness; by taking everything and unifying it with Hashem.

3] For this reason, the Sages said that the mitzvah to love our fellow Jew contains the entire Torah. We have to unify with all of Creation; how? We do not have to literally go and love every animal, rock, and plant. Rather, we must love the soul of every Jew, and through that, our love will include the entire Creation. When we love another Jew’s soul, it is about realizing that Creation is all about unity – unifying with Hashem. If we love a Jew in this way, then we realize the secret of unity, and then we are truly unifying with all of Creation.

All of Creation represents the ideal form of man. When we unify with all of Creation – through love for every Jew’s soul [with the above perspective], we thus gain our true form.

In the future, this perspective will be revealed to all, but even nowadays, we can somewhat touch upon this perspective.