The Three Garments of the Soul
and
The Manifestations of the Ruach
By
James Scott Trimm
Concerning the manifestations of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) Paul writes:
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each man, as it is profitable for him.
8 There is a word of wisdom that is given for it by the Spirit: and for another, a word of knowledge by the same Spirit,
9 For another, has trust by the same Spirit; for another, gifts of healing by the same Spirit,
10 And for another, power, and for another, prophecy, and for another, discerning of the Spirit, and for another, kinds of tongues, and for another, the interpretation of tongues.
11 Now all these [things], the same Spirit works and distributes to every man as He wills.
(1Cor. 12:7-11 HRV)
These nine manifestations fit neatly into three groups which correspond perfectly with the Chasidic teaching of the “Three Garments of the Soul”. The Baal Shem Tov taught that the Soul has three garments, these are three ways in which the nefesh elokit (divine soul) expresses itself in this world:
“And Hashem spoke to Moshe saying: Speak to the B’nai Yisrael and say to them, When you come over the Yarden into the land of Canaan, then shall appoint for yourselves cities that will be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer who kills an person unintentionally shall flee thereto. And they shall be to you cities for refuge from the avenger…” (Bamidbar 35:9-12.)
Reb Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev taught in the name of the Baal Shem Tov, that the three cities of refuge (there were three cities of refuge on each side of the Jordan) represent the three garments of the soul: thought, speech and action.
And as Rebbe Zalman writes in the Tanya:
In addition, every divine soul (nefesh elokit) possesses three garments, viz., thought, speech and action, [expressing themselves] in the 613 commandments of the Torah. For, when a person actively fulfils all the precepts which require physical action, and with his power of speech he occupies himself in expounding all the 613 commandments and their practical application, and with his power of thought he comprehends all that is comprehensible to him in the Pardes of the Torah— then the totality of the 613 “organs” of his soul are clothed in the 613 Commandments of the Torah.
(Tanya; Likutei Amarim; Chapter 4)
These three garments of the soul are derived from the Torah:
But the word is very near unto you:
in your mouth and in your heart,
that you may do it.
(Deut. 30:14 HRV)
The first century Jew Philo of Alexandria understood this passage similarly saying:
(236) It is worth while, therefore, to examine what is meant by this purification which may be accomplished in three ways. Now it may almost be said that both offences and good actions are perceived to exist in three things; in intention, or in words, or in actions. On which account Moses, teaching in his hortatory admonitions that the attainment of good is not impossible nor even very difficult, says, (237) “It is not necessary to soar up to heaven, nor to go to the borders of the earth and sea, for the attainment of it, but it is near, yea, and very Near.”(Deut. 30:10.) And then in a subsequent passage he shows it all but to the naked eye as one may say, where he says, “Every action is in thy mouth, or in thy heart, or in thy Hands:”(Deut. 30:14.) meaning under this symbolical expression, in thy words, or in they designs, or in thy actions. For he means that human happiness consists in wise design, and good language, and righteous actions, just as the unhappiness arises from the contrary course.
(On the Change of Names 236-237)
(183) Moreover, Moses delivers to us very beautiful exhortations to repentance, by which he teaches us to alter our way of life, changing from an irregular and disorderly course into a better line of conduct; for he says that this task is not one of any excessive difficulty, nor one removed far out of our reach, being neither above us in the air nor on the extreme borders of the sea, so that we are unable to take hold of it; but it is near us, abiding, in fact, in three portions of us, namely, in our mouths, and our hearts, and our hands; (Deut. 30:11.) by symbols, that is to say, in our words, and counsels, and actions; for the mouth is the symbol of speech, and the heart of counsels, and the hands of actions, and in these happiness consists. (184) For when such as the words are, such also is the mind; and when such as the counsels are, such likewise are the actions; then life is praiseworthy and perfect. But when these things are all at variance with one another life is imperfect and blameable, unless some one who is at the same time a lover of God and beloved by God takes it in hand and produces this harmony. For which reason this oracular declaration was given with great propriety, and in perfect accordance with what has been said above, (Lev. 26:12.) “Thou hast this day chosen the Lord to be thy God, and the Lord has this day chosen thee to be his people.”
(On the Virtues 183-184)
And yet, what need is there, either of long journeys over the land, or of long voyages, for the sake of investigating the seeking out virtue, the roots of which the Creator has laid not at any great distance, but so near, as the wise lawgiver of the Jews says, (Deut. 30:14.) “They are in thy mouth, and in thy heart, and in thy hands:” intimating by these figurative expressions the words, and actions, and designs of men; all of which stand in need of careful cultivation.
(Every Good Man is Free 68)
Likewise the three manifestations of the Spirit follow this same pattern of the three garments:
The manifestations of the Word of Wisdom, Discerning of the Spirit and the Word of Knowledge are the Ruach manifesting itself through the garment of thought.
The manifestations of Power, Faith and Gifts of Hearing are the Ruach manifesting itself through the garment of action.
And the manifestations of Tongues, Prophecy and Interpretation of Tongues are the Ruach manifesting itself through the garment of speech.
The Ruach HaKodesh is manifested through the three garments by which our nefesh elokit (divine soul) is expressed in this world.
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