The eighth precept is to love the proselyte who comes to be circumcised and to be brought under the wings of the “Divine Presence” (Shekinah), which takes under its wings those who separate themselves from the impure “unholy region” and come near unto her, as it is written: Let the earth bring forth a living soul according to its kind.
Think not that the same “living soul” which is found in Israel is assigned to all mankind. The expression “after its kind” denotes that there are many compartments and enclosures one within the other in that region which is called “living”, beneath its wings.
The right wing has two compartments, which branch out from it for two other nations who approach Israel in monotheistic belief,1Al. “are most closely related to Israel.”. and therefore have entrance into these compartments. Underneath the left wing there are two other compartments which are divided between two other nations, namely Ammon and Moab. All these are included in the term “soul of the living”.
There are besides under each wing other concealed enclosures and divisions from whence there emanate souls which are assigned to all the proselytes who enter the fold-these are indeed termed “living soul”, but “according to its kind”: they all enter under the wings of the Shekinah, and no farther.
The soul of Israel, on the other hand, emanates from the very body of that tree and from thence flies off into the very bowels of that earth. This is hinted in the words: “For ye shall be a delightsome land” (Mal. III 12). It is for that reason that Israel is called a “darling son”, for whom the bowels, as it were, of the Shekinah yearn, and that the children of Israel are called “those who are born from the womb”, and not merely from the outer wings. Furthermore, the proselytes have no portion in the celestial tree, much less in the body of it; their portion is only in the wings and no more. The righteous proselytes, therefore, rest underneath the wings of the Shekinah and are united to it there, but penetrate no further, as has already been explained. Therefore we read: Let the earth bring forth a living soul according to its kind, namely, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after its kind, that is to say, all derive their soul from that source called “living”, but each according to its kind, from the grade appropriate to itself.
פִּקּוּדָא תְּמִינָאָה לְמִרְחַם גִּיּוֹרָא (על) דְּעָאל לְמִגְזַר גַּרְמֵיהּ (יתרו ע' ע"א) וּלְאָעֳלָא תְּחוֹת גַּדְפוֹי דִשְׁכִינְתָּא. וְאִיהִי אָעִילָא לוֹן תְּחוֹת גַּדְפָהָא לְאִנּוּן דְּמִתְפָּרְשָׁן מִסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא מְסָאֳבָא וּמִתְקָרְבִין לְגַבָּהּ. דִּכְתִיב תּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה לְמִינָהּ.
The eighth precept is to love the proselyte who comes to be circumcised and to be brought under the wings of the “Divine Presence” (Shekinah), which takes under its wings those who separate themselves from the impure “unholy region” and come near unto her, as it is written: Let the earth bring forth a living soul according to its kind.
וְאִי תֵימָא דְּהַאי נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה דִכְלִילָא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לְכֹלָּא הִיא אִזְדַּמְּנַת. הֲדַר וְאָמַר לְמִינָהּ. כַּמָּה אַכְּסַדְּרִין וְאִדְרִין דָּא לְגוֹ מִן דָּא אִית לָהּ לְהַאי אֶרֶץ דְּאִיהִי חַיָּה תְּחוֹת גַּדְפָהָא.
Think not that the same “living soul” which is found in Israel is assigned to all mankind. The expression “after its kind” denotes that there are many compartments and enclosures one within the other in that region which is called “living”, beneath its wings.
גַּדְפָא יְמִינָא אִית לָהּ תְּרֵין אַכְּסַדְּרִין. וּמֵהַאי גַּדְּפָא אִתְפָּרְשָׁן לִתְרִין אוּמִין (משפטים צ"ה ע"א) אָחֳרָנִין דְּאִנּוּן קְרֵיבִין בְּיִחוּדָא (נ"א ביחוסא) לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְאָעֳלָא לוֹן לְגוֹ אַכְּסַדְּרִין אִלֵּין. וּתְחוֹת גַּדְפָא שְׂמָאלָא אִית תְּרֵין אַכְּסַדְּרִין אָחֳרָנִין וּמִתְפָּרְשָׁן לִתְרֵין אוּמִין אָחֳרָנִין דְּאִנּוּן עַמּוֹן וּמוֹאָב. וְכֻלְהוֹן אִקְּרוּן נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה.
The right wing has two compartments, which branch out from it for two other nations who approach Israel in monotheistic belief,1Al. “are most closely related to Israel.”. and therefore have entrance into these compartments. Underneath the left wing there are two other compartments which are divided between two other nations, namely Ammon and Moab. All these are included in the term “soul of the living”.
וְכַמָּה אִדְרִין סְתִימִין אָחֳרָנִין וְהֵיכָלִין אָחֳרָנִין בְּכָל גַּדְפָא וְגַדְפָא. וּמִנַּיְיהוּ נָפְקוּ רוּחִין לְאַפְרָשָׁא (שלח לך קס"ח ע"א) לְכָל אִנּוּן גִּיּוֹרִין דְּמִתְגַּיְּירִין. וְאִקְרוּן נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה, אֲבָל לְמִינָהּ. וְכֻלְּהוּ עָאלִין תְּחוֹת גַּדְפוֹי דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא וְלָא יַתִּיר.
There are besides under each wing other concealed enclosures and divisions from whence there emanate souls which are assigned to all the proselytes who enter the fold-these are indeed termed “living soul”, but “according to its kind”: they all enter under the wings of the Shekinah, and no farther.
אֲבָל נִשְׁמְתָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל נָפְקָא מִגּוֹ גּוּפָא דְּהַהוּא אִילָנָא, וּמִתַּמָּן פָּרְחִין נִשְׁמְתִין לְגוֹ הַאי אֶרֶץ גּוֹ מְעָהָא לְגוֹ לְגוֹ. וְרָזָא (מלאכי ג׳:י״ב) כִּי תִהְיוּ אַתֶּם אֶרֶץ חֵפֶץ. וְעַל דָּא יִשְׂרָאֵל בֵּן יַקִּיר דְּהָמוּ מְעָהָא עֲלֵיהּ וְאִקְרוּן (ישעיהו מ״ו:ג׳) הָעֲמוּסִים מִנִּי בָּטֶן וְלָא מְגַדְּפִין לְבַר. וְתוּ גִּיּוֹרִין לֵית לוֹן חוּלָקָא בְּאִילָנָא עִלָּאָה כָּל שְׁכֵּן בְּגוּפָא דִּילֵיהּ. אֲבָל חוּלָקָא דִלְהוֹן בְּגַדְפִין אִיהוּ וְלָא יַתִּיר. וְגִיּוֹרָא תְּחוֹת גַּדְפֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא וְלָא יַתִּיר (לך לך צ"ו ע"א) גֵּירֵי הַצֶּדֶק אִנּוּן דְּתַמָּן שָׁרָאן וְאִתְאַחֲדָן וְלָא לְגוֹ כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר. וּבְגִין כָּךְ תּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה לְמִינָהּ. וּלְמָאן, בְּהֵמָה וָרֶמֶשׁ וְחַיְתוֹ אֶרֶץ לְמִינָהּ כֻּלְהוּ שָׁאֲבִין נֶפֶשׁ מֵהַהִיא חַיָּה, אֲבָל כָּל חַד לְמִינָהּ כְּדְקָא חָזֵי לָהּ:
The soul of Israel, on the other hand, emanates from the very body of that tree and from thence flies off into the very bowels of that earth. This is hinted in the words: “For ye shall be a delightsome land” (Mal. III 12). It is for that reason that Israel is called a “darling son”, for whom the bowels, as it were, of the Shekinah yearn, and that the children of Israel are called “those who are born from the womb”, and not merely from the outer wings. Furthermore, the proselytes have no portion in the celestial tree, much less in the body of it; their portion is only in the wings and no more. The righteous proselytes, therefore, rest underneath the wings of the Shekinah and are united to it there, but penetrate no further, as has already been explained. Therefore we read: Let the earth bring forth a living soul according to its kind, namely, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after its kind, that is to say, all derive their soul from that source called “living”, but each according to its kind, from the grade appropriate to itself.