The Three Garments of the Soul and Manifestions of the Spirit

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)
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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