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The Soul Speaks (from Hymn on the Fate of the Soul) by Nachmanides (Moses ben Nachman) (1194 - 1270) Timeline English version by T. Carmi Original Language Hebrew Jewish 13th Century From the very beginning,      before times long past,      I was stored among His hidden treasures. He had brought me forth from Nothing, but at the end of time I shall be summoned back before the King. My life flowed      out of the depth of the spheres      which gave me form and order. Divine forces shaped me to be treasured in the chambers of the King. Then He shined his light      to bring me forth      in hidden well-springs, on the left and on the right. He made me descend the steps leading down from the Pool of Shelah to the garden of the King.     -- from The Penguin Book of Hebrew Verse, Edited by T. Carmi Amazon.com	Themes   Garden   King   Light   Water   Recommended Books The Dream of the Poem: Hebrew Poetry from Muslim and Christian Spain, 950-1492, Edited by Peter Cole The Holy Letter: A Study in Jewish Sexual Morality, by Nahmanides / Translated by Seymour J. Cohen The Penguin Book of Hebrew Verse, Edited by T. Carmi Ramban Nachmanides: Commentary on the Torah (5 Vol. Set), by Ramban (Nachmanides) / Translated by Rabbi Dr. Charles Chavel The Theology of Nahmanides Systematically Presented , by David Novak
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Commentary by Ivan M. Granger

There are a few elements that catch my attention in today's poem. First, the references to light. "Then He shined his light / to bring me forth..." Light is one of the primary metaphors in sacred poetry, suggesting the Divine not framed within a mental concept. For genuine mystics, this light is not a mere concept; it is directly experienced.

This sense of light is more than a brightness one might experience on a sunny afternoon. This light is perceived as being a living radiance that permeates everything, everywhere, always. This light is immediately understood to be the true source of all things, the foundation on which the physicality of the material world is built. In other words, it is the light of manifestation and self-awareness. It is through this light that we are "brought forth from Nothing," from the great, still womb of unmanifest potential, into manifest being and self-consciousness.

Light has a particular significance within the esoteric teachings of Kabbalah. The Zohar, one of the central texts of Kabbalah, emphasizes the radiance or splendor of God beyond qualities. The "steps" and "spheres" are references to the Sephirot that form the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, through which the Eternal expresses an array of qualities that connect the transcendent with the manifest.

That final sentence -- "He made me descend the steps leading down from / the Pool of Shelah to the garden of the King." -- What does that mean? This can be understood as the passage from heaven ("the Pool of Shelah") to earth ("the garden of the King"). Once again, the journey of the soul's coming into being.

For some, this notion can feel like one of separation. The soul has left the heavenly and become engaged with the physical. But this vision can offer us more than that. By directly witnessing our shining Origin, we begin to the see the soul as a bridgeway. The individual becomes a channel through which the light and hidden waters pour out into the manifest world. In this way we each can become a humble but conscious participant in the ongoing divine act of creation and harmonizing of the realms.

Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are Copyright © 2002 - 2011 by Ivan M. Granger.
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