Translation:Likutei Moharan/67

“Vayiven Hashem Elohim et Hatzela (The Lord God Fashioned the Rib) that He took from the man into a woman, and He brought her to the man.” (Genesis 2:22)

According to one opinion, this teaches that God gave her an extra measure of understanding; according to another opinion, this teaches that He braided Chavah’s hair and brought her to the man. (Niddah 45b)

The soul is most precious. One must be careful with it and guard it well.

One must therefore be very cautious when some new honor and glory come one’s way. This is because glory is “the mother of all living things” (Genesis 3:20) and the root of all souls. When the soul passes away, it is taken up into glory, its root, as in “the glory of God will gather you in” (Isaiah 58:8). The souls pass away and are gathered into glory because that is their root. Therefore, when new honor comes to a person, he has to be cautious and on guard, since it’s coming may be because his time has come, God forbid; so that his soul might be taken up into glory, its root.

Nevertheless, “the measure of goodness is greater,” and so in most instances honor is beneficial. In other words, when a new soul comes to a person, it comes cloaked in glory, which is “the mother of all living things.” Thus most times that a person receives new honor, it is for good—i.e., the honor brings him a new soul.

In sum, glory is the root of the souls. Therefore, new honor sometimes comes to a person so that some soul might pass away, God forbid; so that the soul might be taken up into glory. Yet, in most cases honor is beneficial—i.e., being the root of all souls, it brings a person a new soul. One must therefore take great care to receive the honor with abundant holiness, only for the sake of God, since honor and glory are the root of all souls.