אות - צא

When a soul comes into the world, then the action of that soul begins to be elevated. For example, if it is the soul of a sage then wisdom begins to rise and ascend higher and higher from the day of his birth until the day of his passing. And similarly if it is a soul of kingship then the strategies of war and the affairs of the kingdom are elevated. And according to the nature of the wisdom — whatever type of wisdom it is — that wisdom is elevated at the time that soul comes into the world. And similarly according to the nature of the kingship — whether it is a wicked kingship or a good kingship. The rule is: the action of that soul begins to be elevated from the day that soul arrives in the world. And there are in a person's lifetime days of ascent and days of standing and days of descent — for example if his lifetime is seventy or eighty years, then a third of his days are days of ascent, a third days of standing, and a third days of descent. That is: a third of his days he rises higher and higher with all his powers, a third of his days he stands, and afterward a third are days of descent. And days of standing is when he is in fullness — then all his powers are in their completeness and fullness. And this is the aspect of the full moon [niggud halvana]. For the moon at the time of the new moon is small, and afterward it rises and grows until it faces the sun (194). And then it is the aspect of standing. And afterward it descends and diminishes. And the property of the moon is moisture, and therefore the sea from the time of the new moon begins to rise and heighten itself higher and higher, and afterward at the end of the month falls and descends and diminishes. And know that words spoken before many people — the more numerous the people are, the more the words are sweetened. And this is the aspect of "as people say" (195) — they are words of the nations, and when they came among Israel and were spoken among them — through this they were sweetened and from them came sublime matters. And this is the aspect of sea water that is salty and impossible to drink — but when it goes through mountains of sand, through this it is sweetened, for sand sweetens water and then it is fit to drink. (And he did not explain this further.)

194. RAK: See Tosfos Yom Tov on Rosh HaShanah 2:8. 195. RAK: Berachos 2b, 5b, 48b, 62b. Shabbas 54b, 62b. And in many other places.