Glossary · Torah Ohr · Likkutei Torah
Yeridah letzorech aliyah
ירידה לצורך עליה
Descent for the sake of ascent (yeridah letzorech aliyah)
The soul’s descent from its source into a body and animal soul is for a higher ascent than before, through Torah, mitzvos and teshuvah; so too other descents, as the weekdays for Shabbos.
Where it’s explained
- Torah Ohr, Beshalach 4, ¶1Before coming into this world the soul stood before G‑d in love and awe, in constant ratzo and shov. In the physical body its love and awe are hidden; they wake only at times, and are no match for what it had before. This descent is for an ascent, which comes through Torah study and the mitzvos.
וירידה זו היא צורך עלייה שתתעלה בעסק התורה וקיום המצות
- Likkutei Torah, Yom Kippur 2, ¶3In its source the soul is “pure” (tehorah), G‑dliness itself; it then comes down step by step, created in Beriah, formed in Yetzirah, breathed into a physical body in Asiyah. The descent is for an ascent above its source, through the mitzvos: “Who has sanctified us with His mitzvos” raises it to the higher holiness (kodesh), above purity.
ואמנם הנה נודע דירידה צורך עליה היא והיינו למעלה ממקור חוצבה בבחי׳ טהור הנ״ל
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 4, ¶2Before descending the souls delighted in the radiance of the Shechinah in Gan Eden, so what is gained? The descent is not only for reward in the World to Come: “one hour of teshuvah and good deeds in this world” is better than all its life, being absorbed in the King’s body. Before, in the higher Gan Eden, the soul grasped only Beriah; through Torah and mitzvos it receives a light of Atzilus. Here the gain is also refining the animal soul, through fiery love in prayer.
אלא הירידה היא צורך עליה גם בעודן בעוה״ז מלובשות בגוף הגשמי
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 7, ¶13Though the souls are by themselves higher than the angels, the Torah was given to them only as clothed in body and vital soul. The aim of the descent is to raise the soul from “He and His vessels” to “He and His life-force,” absorbed in the King’s body as the soul is one with the body it feels; from its root in thought alone, a garment, such union could not come.
ירידה זו צורך עלייה היא דהיינו להעלותה מבחי׳ איהו וגרמוהי לבחי׳ איהו וחיוהי
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 9, ¶3The principle reaches beyond the soul: the lights of Or Ein Sof descend level by level through the six weekdays for the sake of the ascent on Shabbos, by refining the garments of nogah during the week.
והנה תכלית ירידות המדרגות והשתלשלות הארות אור א״ס ב״ה בששת ימי המעשה הוא כדי שיהיה עליה ביום השבת
Stated differently
Whether the descent is for the soul’s own ascent, or for the refinement of the animal soul while the soul itself needs nothing
אבל ע״י הירידה זאת היא עולה למעלה מעלה בבחי׳ סובב כולא עלמיןThe descent is for an ascent above the level of Machshavah, which is memalei; through this descent the soul rises very high, into sovev kol almin, which encompasses and is not clothed in the worlds.
וזהו ירידה צורך עליה ע״י תשובה לעלות לעלוי זה להכלל במהותו ועצמותוDescent for ascent is through teshuvah, to rise to being included in His very essence: even one who has not sinned has become physical and far removed, and by reflecting from the depths of the heart on how far he came down he rises.
והנשמה אינה צריכה תיקון לעצמה ואינה צריכה להמשכה ולא להתפלל כללThe purpose of the descent is birurim: to bring everything to bittul through the inner and encompassing lights of Torah and mitzvos. The soul needs no repair for itself, no drawing-down, not even to pray; the main reason for its descent is to transform the intellectual soul within the animal soul.
לא ירדה בשביל עצמה כי הנשמה א״צ תיקון לעצמה אלא עיקר ירידתה להתלבש בנה״בThe soul did not come down for its own sake, since it needs no repair for itself; the main purpose of its descent is to be clothed in the animal soul, to subdue and transform it until it has no will but for its Father in heaven.
הוא צורך עליה דהיינו כדי לברר ולהפריד הרע שבנה״ב מלבושי נוגה כו׳ (כי הנשמה א״צ תיקון לעצמה כו׳)Says both in one paragraph: through Torah and mitzvos the soul receives a light of Atzilus it never grasped in the higher Gan Eden; and the descent of the G‑dly spark into the exile of the body is for an ascent, to separate the evil of the animal soul from the garments of nogah, for the soul needs no repair for itself.
Main sources
Torah Ohr, Beshalach 4, ¶1Torah Ohr, Yisro 7, ¶13Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 4, ¶2Likkutei Torah, Yom Kippur 2, ¶3Likkutei Torah, Yom Kippur 2, ¶5Likkutei Torah, Reeh 12, ¶7Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 4, ¶2
Where it appears
In 18 paragraphs of 16 maamarim.
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 6 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Yom Kippur 2 ¶3 ¶5 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 1 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 12 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 4 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 4 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, V’Zos HaBerachah 4 ¶3
- Torah Ohr, Beshalach 4 ¶1
- Torah Ohr, Vayeishev 5 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 6 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 14 ¶7
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 7 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 9 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 32 ¶39
- Likkutei Torah, Pinchas 3 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Behar 2 ¶2
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.