Years of Life or Nitzotzot—What Determines Lifespan

Years of Life—What Determines Lifespan

  Through the pesukim of David HaMelech, Rabbi Yitzchak Cohen—a student of the great commentator on the Zohar HaKadosh, “Matok MiDvash,” Rabbi Daniel Frisch—reveals what truly affects a person’s lifespan. Tehillim 2:7 אֲסַפְּרָ֗ה אֶֽ֫ל חֹ֥ק יְֽהוָ֗ה אָמַ֘ר אֵלַ֥י בְּנִ֥י אַ֑תָּה אֲ֝נִ֗י הַיּ֥וֹם יְלִדְתִּֽיךָ - “Asaperah el chok, Ado-nai amar elai, beni atah, ani hayom yelidticha”— (I will recount the decree: G-d said to me, “You are My son; today I have begotten you.”) When the soul descends and a person is born, Heaven begins calculating that person’s time on earth—not in years, as we think, but in “nitzotzei kedushah”—sparks of holiness. The amount of time a human soul remains on earth depends on how many sparks of holiness the person will elevate each day—in other words, on fulfilling the specific task for which he was sent into this world. For example, if a person must elevate 30,000 “nitzotzei kedushah,” the calculation of his years on earth is as follows: 30,000 “nitzotzot” divided by the 365 days of the year equals 82 years of life. Therefore, whether a person lives for 40, 70, or 120 years depends on how many “nitzotzei kedushah” Hashem has assigned him to elevate. In the time of Adam HaRishon, a person was born with approximately 300,000 “nitzotzei kedushah” and lived for 820 years. And regardless of how many “nitzotzot” each person must rectify—10,000, 40,000, or 50,000—it does not matter: every day of life is important and precious. Each day, in different situations and circumstances, “nitzotzei kedushah” are rectified. All the “nitzotzot” (sparks) a person rectifies are precious stones (margaliot). A person will be clothed in them in Gan Eden; they rise with him when he dies and his soul ascends to the supernal worlds. If a person was born with 30,000 “nitzotzot kedushah” but rectified only 10,000, only those he rectified will ascend with him. The Torah says (Bereishit 24:1): “Ve-Avraham zaken ba bayamim”—(And Avraham was old, advanced in years). The Mekubalim reveal that the word “zaken” in this context indicates that Avraham Avinu had rectified all the “nitzotzei kedushah” and fulfilled his soul’s task to the highest degree—he had attained fullness of days, “ba bayamim.” Rabbeinu Bachya writes that concerning Adam and Chavah, who ate the forbidden fruit, the holy books state that they would die. The question arises: if they had not eaten the fruit, would they have lived forever? There are two opinions, both found in the Zohar HaKadosh. The Tikunei Zohar (samekh-vav) states that if Adam HaRishon had not sinned, he would have lived forever, and all death in the world resulted from his sin. The second opinion is that even if he had not sinned, he would have lived a long time, but his lifespan would eventually have been shortened. Before a person is born, the time of his death has already been predetermined, as it says: “For you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Bereishit 3:19). Adam HaRishon sinned and was meant to die that same day, but he did teshuvah. Hashem accepted his teshuvah and granted him 1,000 years of life, 70 of which he gave to David. It is interesting that until the generation of Noach, people lived for 800 or 900 years. Beginning with the generation of Noach, human lifespans became shorter. The number of years each person lives depends on the “Middot Elyonim” and the “Sefirot Elyonim.” Parable Or HaChaim HaKadosh brings a parable regarding the commentary of the Arizal. There was a king who once decided to summon his subjects and said to them: “Here, I am giving you many different precious stones. You must take them, grind and polish them until they shine with every color. When the time comes, I will summon you, and you will bring me these stones. I will examine your work and see how well you have done.” To one the king gave 300,000 “avanim margaliot,” to another 150,000, and so on. He set a deadline for completing the work—one day for each stone. The king said that if they succeeded, he would even give the stones to them as a gift. When the deadline arrived and the subjects appeared before the king with the stones, he realized that they had not merely failed to complete the work or polish the stones properly—they had even managed to ruin them. The king was initially angry, but then decided that perhaps polishing such a large number of stones had been too difficult for his subjects. “I will make the task easier for them,” he thought. “I will give them far fewer stones; if they ruin them, at least there will not be as many.” Or HaChaim explains the moral of this parable. Melech Malchei HaMelachim gave precious stones—“neshamot kedoshot” (holy souls)—which, because of the sin of Adam HaRishon, fell into “kelipot kashot” (impure, heavy shells). Adam HaRishon is present in all souls; we are each part of one of Adam HaRishon’s organs. To the first ten generations, Hashem gave many stones consisting of “chelkei neshamot” (parts of souls). Although the early generations lived very long lives and received a “neshamah gedolah” (each a great soul) in order to rectify those 300,000 stones, they failed and ruined everything. Hashem decided to make the task easier. He gave souls containing 30,000 “nitzotzei avanim” so that they could succeed. Or HaChaim HaKadosh says that even today, at the age of 70, people still cannot rectify all the “nitzotzei avanim.” Hashem then decided to do the following: He divided the “neshamah gedolah” into several parts, giving rise to the phenomenon of “gilgulim.” Each “neshamah gedolah” is divided, for example, into ten gilgulim. Each is given 30,000 “nitzotzot,” and the gilgulim must rectify that “neshamah gedolah.” Each “nitzotz” represents one day. A person’s lifespan corresponds to the number of “nitzotzei avanim.” The Mekubalim say that the “nitzotz” of each day itself signals what must be rectified: prayer, chesed, a mitzvah, a berachah—anything at all. Heaven sends hints; one must pay attention. Until the age of three, a child is not required to rectify “nitzotzot,” although there are families in which children already read Tehillim at the age of two. The primary tikkun begins at bar mitzvah age. There are “nitzotzei neshamot” that are gasim (coarse) and adinim (delicate); on Shabbat, for example, they are all delicate. Hashem sends a nisayon (trial) to a person to help him rectify a “nitzotz.” This is especially true of people who came into this world for a single rectification, and that rectification is not easy; Hashem then gives them the opportunity to accomplish it. Every night, that day’s “nitzotz” ascends and asks whether it was rectified, awaiting an answer. If it was, it joins the other rectified neshamot; if not, it descends again as another neshamah (each neshamah is like a malach). This is why there are “ruachot raot” (evil spirits) in our world, and they are everywhere. Two angels also stand beside every entrance door—the malach Ruach Ra and the malach Puranut—and only a mezuzah stops them (which is why it is important to have mezuzot checked). If a person was unable to rectify that day’s “nitzotz neshamah,” he should at least avoid sinning on that day, since sin gives the evil angels permission to enter the home, resulting in quarrels and scandals. If a person performed chesed that day, everything he touches will be transformed into good. But if, on the contrary, he committed a “chet” (sin), everything will become “tumah” (impurity). If a person realizes that he committed a transgression that day and failed to rectify it, he should do teshuvah and ask forgiveness. Then the “kategor” (prosecuting angel) will become a “sanegor” (defender) on his behalf. A person is given a specific amount of time to live for the purpose of rectification. At age 53, on a Tuesday at 6:30:10 p.m., he may perform a mitzvah—tzedakah, chesed, prayer, a Torah shiur, hafrashat challah; it does not matter what it is—precisely what is needed to rectify that “nitzotz neshamah.” Sometimes something urges us to travel somewhere or fly to another country; none of this is happenstance. There are “chelkei neshamah” (parts of the soul) there that belong to us and must be rectified. A person stops somewhere, picks an apple, says a berachah, and eats it; or someone offers him something; or he becomes thirsty and stops to drink water, saying a berachah in that place. On another day, he is late somewhere and has to wait in a new place; his plane is delayed for 24 hours; he has to travel by car; he stays at a hotel; he meets someone, and so on. All these are specific circumstances for rectifying the “nitzotzot.” A person’s profession, workplace, and synagogue—the place where he prays—are likewise not assigned to him by chance. Every encounter with another person, even for a minute—a brief conversation—may enable him to give that person “nachat ruach.” A “nitzotz neshamah” has “gashmiyut” (materiality) and “ruchniyut” (spirituality), just as a person does. In Tehillim 107:5, David HaMelech says: “Re’eivim gam tzemeyim nafsham bahem titataf”—(Hungry and thirsty, their soul languishes within them). Know that when you rectify a “nitzotz,” that moment is your own personal Hashgachah Pratit min Shamayim. The Arizal teaches in “Shaar HaKavanot” that although all our daily prayers—such as Shacharit, Mincha, and Arvit—are the same, they are recited at different times and with different kavanot. Therefore, each is distinct and performs its own task. In another book, the Arizal gives the example that the Ketoret contains 11 ingredients, but what can be rectified by “ha-chelbenah” cannot be rectified by “ha-levonah.” “Ha-chelbenah” has a strong, distinctive odor, while “ha-levonah” has a more pleasant scent, and both are considered powerful components of the Ketoret. Likewise, every person has a role to rectify according to the circumstances of his life and the place where he finds himself. Everyone—whether a good or bad person—rectifies something in his life. The great Rashash teaches that no one can rectify on another person’s behalf what that person himself must rectify—not a close relative and not a friend. Each person has his own tikkun. Rabbi Nachman of Breslov adds: “Ein she-Hashem oseh davar echad shtei pe’amim”—(Hashem does not do the same thing twice). It says in Tehillim 68:20: יוֹם יַעֲמָס לָנוּ הָאֵל יְשׁוּעָתֵנוּ סֶלָה - “Baruch Ado-nai yom yom yaamos lanu ha-El yeshuatenu selah”—(Blessed is G-d, Who loads us with blessings each day; G-d is our salvation, selah)! Hashem clothes us differently each day and leads us to different places for a specific purpose, as Mussar teaches us: “Askel al ha-derech nedah”—(On the way, we will discover what, how, and where). The book “Tiferet Shlomo” states that every person’s deeds throughout the day are recorded in the book “Divrei HaYamim” (the chronicles of days). Each day, the day itself ascends and testifies as to whether the “nitzotzot chelkei neshamot” were rectified, precisely as it says in Tehillim: יום ליום יביע אומר ולילה ולילה יהוה דעת “Yom le-yom yabi’a omer”—(Day after day it speaks)—this is the day of the “nitzotz neshamah” of life; it will come and speak. (Tehillim 19:3) Rabbi Shmuel Uzeida, the “Ba’al Midrash Shmuel,” says that nothing is more important than time; time cannot be brought back.   If You Were Unable to Rectify the Day’s Nitzotzot If a person was unable to rectify that day, Hashem is Rachman (Merciful), and it is still possible to perform a tikkun that day and save that “nitzotz.” 1. After Kriat Shema al HaMitah, before going to sleep, one recites Vidui. A person should enumerate everything he did wrong—shouting at someone, arguing with someone, missing a prayer, forgetting to say a berachah, and so on—and this will be the easiest rectification for his soul that day. 2. If a person has a bad dream, he should fast that same day; in this way he nullifies the evil and rectifies that “nitzotz.” 3. One should strive to pray and establish a “zman kavua le-tefillah”—to pray at a fixed time every day. If he did not manage during the day, he can complete it at night. This is because the Torah is Korbanot. The grandmother of the Ben Ish Chai completed the Shas of Mishnayot every month. 4. Tehillim 2:7 אֲסַפְּרָ֗ה אֶֽ֫ל חֹ֥ק יְֽהוָ֗ה אָמַ֘ר אֵלַ֥י בְּנִ֥י אַ֑תָּה אֲ֝נִ֗י הַיּ֥וֹם יְלִדְתִּֽיךָ - “Asaperah el chok, Ado-nai amar elai, beni atah, ani hayom yelidticha”—(I will recount the decree: G-d said to me, “You are My son; today I have begotten you.”) Hashem says: “Ask, for today is your birthday, and I will give you”—and one should have the kavanah that this day is considered “adin” (delicate), and one should pray more. When a person prays extensively on his birthday, attends a Torah shiur, performs hafrashat challah, and connects with tzadikim through their segulot, he not only rectifies that day’s “nitzotz neshamah,” but also gathers everything together and creates a “yetzirah shleimah” (complete creation) for his future garment, his “levush.” Segulah to Help Elevate the Sparks, “Nitzotzot” 5) To help elevate the sparks, “nitzotzot” (each person’s mission in this world), one should recite Tehillim 150 with kavanah for the Name כה׳׳ת—“Takeh”. כֹּ֣ל הַ֭נְּשָׁמָה תְּהַלֵּ֥ל יָ֗הּ הַֽלְלוּ־יָֽהּ׃ - Kol haneshamah tehalel Yah, hallelu-Yah— (Let every soul praise G-d. Hallelujah.) (Based on a lesson by Rabbi Yitzchak Cohen, a student of “Matok MiDvash,” Gaon Rabbi Daniel Frisch) What Determines a Person’s Years of Life A Person’s Lifespan Tehillim 90—A Person’s Years of Life Zohar on Tehillim – The 70 Years of a Person’s Life