Glossary · Torah Ohr · Likkutei Torah
Klos hanefesh
כלות הנפש
The expiring of the soul (klos hanefesh)
The soul’s expiring: a longing for G‑d so intense that the soul would leave the body to be absorbed in Him, like a flame rising to its source; Knesses Yisrael is called kallah from it.
Where it’s explained
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 9, ¶1Knesses Yisrael is called kallah (bride) from “my soul longs, even expires (kalsah)”: her longing is to cleave to her source in klos hanefesh. Each soul, “the lamp of G‑d,” by nature rises like a flame; but “against your will you live,” in ratzo vashov, so the main service in the body is to long and expire toward Him. There are two kinds of klos hanefesh, the two brides of the Talmud.
שיש בטבעה לעלות למעלה כאור הנר וכשלהבת העולה מאליה לדבקה בו ית׳ בכלות הנפש ממש
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 5, ¶8When a person takes to heart that the whole world is under time and G‑d is above time, his heart burns like fire and his soul expires to cleave to Him; teshuvah in klos hanefesh is above time and the world, so “teshuvah preceded the world.” Klos hanefesh comes from “I, Havayah, have not changed.”
אלא הענין שהתשובה בכלות הנפש הוא למעלה מהזמן והעולם
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 1, ¶7Because G‑d does not change, the soul should pour itself out into its Father’s bosom, longing and expiring in true bittul to Him alone. “You, sons of Yaakov, have not expired”: even one who contemplates this may lack klos hanefesh, because the soul is too weak to leave its sheath and prison.
הנה הסבה היא חלישת כח הנפש שאין בכחה לצאת מנרתקה ומאסרה
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 8, ¶13In Atzilus the soul is in full union and bittul; when it descends past the curtain into Beriah, a world of limitation, it is called kallah, its soul expiring: “when shall I come and see” the revelation of the Or Ein Sof.
ע״כ כלתה נפשה מתי אבוא ואראה התגלות אור א״ס
Stated differently
Whether klos hanefesh is love born of contemplation or a love given from above, not from a person’s effort
ובחי׳ כלה הוא בחי׳ כלתה נפשי שהוא בחינת רשפי אש האהבה מחמת התבוננות בינה לבא“Bride” (kallah), klos hanefesh, is the fiery flashes of love that come from contemplation (“Binah is the heart”), the revealed world.
שמחמת התבוננות הזה בא לידי תשובה בכלות הנפשContemplating that G‑d is above time brings one to teshuvah in klos hanefesh.
אשר אינה באה מעבודת האדם ויגיעתו כ״א השפעה עליונהThe higher love above higher awe is ahavah rabbah, which does not come from a person’s work but is a supernal gift: when one reaches higher awe it comes of itself, and it is klos hanefesh to its root, ahavah betaanugim.
The level of klos hanefesh: ahavah rabbah itself, above ahavah rabbah and without limit, or bounded by the soul’s grasp
ממילא תבוא עליו האהבה הזאת המופלגת והיא כלות הנפש לשרשו והיא אהבה בתענוגיםThe love above higher awe is ahavah rabbah, a supernal gift; it is klos hanefesh to its root, and it is ahavah betaanugim.
והאהבה זו היא ג״כ בלי שיעור וגבול עד כלות הנפש ממש וכמ״ש כלתה נפשי [וצ״ל דבחי׳ זו גבוה מאהבה רבהThis love is without measure or limit, to the point of klos hanefesh; this level should be said to be higher than ahavah rabbah, like ahavah betaanugim, which is above ahavah rabbah.
על בחי׳ השגות וכלות הנפש ל׳ כלתה נפשי כו׳ שהוא בבחי׳ קץ וגבול שלכל נשמה יש גבול להשגתה“To every end I have seen a limit” refers to comprehension and klos hanefesh, which are bounded, for every soul has a limit to its grasp; only the mitzvah is “exceedingly broad,” a vessel for the limitless.
Whether klos hanefesh is the love present always, though hidden, in every Jew, or the revealed love, as against the hidden natural love
בחי׳ כלות הנפש שיש בכל ניצוץ נשמות ישראל ליכלל ולידבק בה׳ ית׳ ואהבה זו ישנה בהם בתמידותKallah is the klos hanefesh in every spark of the souls of Israel, present constantly, even in the least and in transgressors, though not felt; it is as a makif from above.
שהיא האחוה והאהבה הקבועה תמיד בנפש בתולדתו רק שהיא מוסתרתThe love fixed in the soul from birth, hidden, is “my sister” (achosi), of the hidden world; “bride” (kallah), klos hanefesh, is the fiery love from contemplation, of the revealed world.
Main sources
Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 9, ¶1Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 5, ¶8Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 8, ¶13Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 40, ¶1Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 22, ¶24Likkutei Torah, Masei 10, ¶3Torah Ohr, Yisro 1, ¶7
Where it appears
In 142 paragraphs of 96 maamarim.
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 1 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 9 ¶1 ¶4 ¶6 ¶7 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Behar 2 ¶22 ¶24
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 2 ¶2 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Nasso 2 ¶5 ¶22 ¶29
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 6 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 4 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 6 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 6 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 20 ¶2 ¶29
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 22 ¶23 ¶24
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 23 ¶11 ¶21 ¶22 ¶23
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 38 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 40 ¶1 ¶2 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 4 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, V’Zos HaBerachah 4 ¶4 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 1 ¶3
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 3 ¶14
- Torah Ohr, Terumah 1 ¶4 ¶12
- Torah Ohr, Vayechi 1 ¶3 ¶11
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 1 ¶4 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 10 ¶2 ¶4 ¶8 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Matos 5 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Nasso 7 ¶8 ¶10 ¶16
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 3 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 5 ¶8 ¶13 ¶19 ¶24
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 12 ¶15
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 4 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 16 ¶12 ¶13 ¶17
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 24 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Tazria 4 ¶5
- Torah Ohr, Tetzaveh 2 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 1 ¶1 ¶2 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 7 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 3 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 9 ¶21
- Likkutei Torah, Emor 4 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 29 ¶5
- Torah Ohr, Vayishlach 4 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Emor 1 ¶39
- Likkutei Torah, Acharei 1 ¶17 ¶21
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 11 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 20 ¶16
- Likkutei Torah, Behar 1 ¶4 ¶7 ¶17 ¶26
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Savo 1 ¶6 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 5 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 10 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Nasso 1 ¶17
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 3 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 2 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 8 ¶13 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 34 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Sukkos 4 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Yom Kippur 1 ¶2
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 10 ¶4 ¶5
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 16 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 6 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, V’Zos HaBerachah 3 ¶6
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 2 ¶20
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 28 ¶2
- Torah Ohr, Beshalach 4 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Pinchas 1 ¶15
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 13 ¶5 ¶19
- Likkutei Torah, Balak 3 ¶36
- Likkutei Torah, Kedoshim 2 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 1 ¶3 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Pinchas 4 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 9 ¶11 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 6 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Sukkos 3 ¶10 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 7 ¶40
- Torah Ohr, Ki Sisa 1 ¶22
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 9 ¶8
- Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 7 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Behaaloscha 6 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 25 ¶13
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 6 ¶5
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 3 ¶2 ¶3
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 11 ¶10 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, V’Zos HaBerachah 2 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 5 ¶38
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 1 ¶6
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 5 ¶16
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 9 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Pinchas 3 ¶12 ¶20
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 19 ¶38
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 10 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Nasso 4 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 1 ¶7 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 2 ¶20
- Torah Ohr, Beshalach 3 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 21 ¶21
- Torah Ohr, Shemos 7 ¶16
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 3 ¶16
- Torah Ohr, Vayakhel 1 ¶35
- Likkutei Torah, Bechukosai 2 ¶13
Written with AI from the paragraphs of Torah Ohr and Likkutei Torah, each entry checked by a second AI reader and every Hebrew quote checked by code; not yet reviewed by a person. Our English: CC BY-NC 4.0.