It is well known that on Shabbos Friday night, an additional neshama—an extra spirit and soul enters into a person. What is not so well known, however, is that this happens in three different stages—with three different parts. What follows is an elaboration of this.
In Shaar HaKavanos (Drushei Tosefes Shabbos, no. 2), Rav Chaim Vital writes that the extra soul that is received comes in three parts and three stages. The three parts are nefesh, ruach and neshama.
The extra nefesh comes to us at the moment of Kabbalas Shabbos
The extra ruach comes to us at the recitation of Barchu.
The extra neshama comes to us at the recitation of “Ufros aleinu—Spread over us Your shelter of peace.”
The Parameters
The exact parameters of these three parts is a debate among various Rishonim, however the most common understanding is as follows:
The nefesh generally refers to the aspects of the guf, body. It is linked to instincts and the physical. Thus on Shabbos, we have an extra portion of this section of the general neshama.
The ruach is the middle soul—the “spirit” or the interconnector. It contains the moral virtues and the ability to subtly distinguish between good and evil. On Shabbos, the ruach is enhanced.
The neshama is the higher soul, or “super-soul.” This separates man from all other lifeforms. It is strongly related to the intellect and allows us to perceive the existence, presence and benevolence of Hashem. It helps us achieve greater dveikus (devotion) to Hashem.
The Gemara in Beitzah 16a tells us that Hashem said to Moshe Rabbeinu: “I have a precious gift in My treasury house and Shabbos is its name, and I wish to give it to Israel and make it known to them.” The Gemara elaborates that the gift referred to here concerns the neshama yeseira—additional soul. Therefore, one should be exceedingly joyful when reciting the section of Ufros Aleinu.
The Zohar (Parshas Bereishis page 48a) elaborates further: “At the time when Israel blesses and invites this ‘shelter of peace,’ and they say, “Spread over us the shelter of peace,” since it is a holy covering, an exalted divine shelter spreads over Israel and covers them like a mother over children, and all evil things are concealed from before them, and Israel sits beneath the holiness of Hashem, and then this ‘shelter of peace’ gives new souls to all.”
How To Further Activate the Ufros Aleinu Neshama
Each person possesses vast storehouses and wellsprings of various forms of wisdom, qualities and pursuits. The Holy One does not skimp upon these at all. He provides them to us—bountifully and particularly so on Shabbos. Rav Nosson Wachtfogel, zt”l, explains that there are, however, blockages that must first be removed in order to access these vast storehouses and wellsprings.
The ability to achieve dveikus is contained deep within the soul of man, like all other qualities such as wisdom and other pursuits.
Dveikus Is a Sixth Sense That Klal Yisroel Is Endowed With
Dveikus is a sense, similar to that of seeing and hearing. It is part of the nature of man—it is just that the blockages to achieving it must first be removed.
The essence of our service in this world is to remove the blockages. We must develop and actualize this internal ability within us. We must take these storehouses and wellsprings of goodness from potential to reality.
The key to actualizing this inherent ability of dveikus is through honoring our ability and obligation of tefillah—prayer. We can start with having kavana in Ufros Aleinu.
Most people erroneously believe that prayer is merely the recitation of words. In the best of situations, some people perceive prayer as the presentation of our requests to Hashem. The truth is that both are incorrect, and prayer represents something that is vastly different in its entire essence.
Tefillah Is Like Nevuah
Prayer is something that is almost akin to prophecy itself. This, in fact, is the wording of the Shulchan Aruch in Orach Chayim 98:1. There, the Shulchan Aruch provides us with an entire five step process. The steps that are practiced during tefillah are:
To focus in his heart upon the meaning of the words that he expresses.
To picture the Shechina present before him.
To remove all other thoughts until his thoughts and intent are pure in his prayer.
To think as if he were standing before a king of flesh and blood, how much more so, before the King of kings who knows our innermost thoughts.
This is what the righteous and men of action would do—they would divest themselves of the physical and embrace the spiritual/intellectual power to the point where they would reach the level of prophecy.
The True Parameters of Tefillah
It would appear that we are lacking the aleph bais of what tefillah is about—a world that we certainly must enter.
The Navi Yeshayahu (1:18) states: “Come now, let us debate,” says Hashem. “If your sins prove to be like crimson, they will become white as snow; if they prove to be as red as crimson dye, they shall become as wool.” The Targum translates the word “debate” as tefillah—prayer.
Rav Nosson Wachtfogel, zt”l,explains that from this pasuk, we can catch a glimpse of the true parameters of tefillah. It is an argument—no different than the back and forth that exists in Torah study between study partners. Tefillah is, thus, the back and forth that exists in the debates of learning—but with the difference that we are carrying on discussions with Hashem—the Creator of the world.
The more we deal with the King—the closer we become to Him. This is true with all forms of communication. The back and forth brings hearts together. Communication removes walls. If a matter remains unresolved, one continues in communication until it is resolved. This is what Chazal meant in Brachos (32b), “If a person prayed and was not answered—he should go back and pray again.” A person should always be consistent—when communicating with the Creator of the world.
We Can Now Better Access The Neshama Yeseira
Through understanding the true nature of tefillah as more than just recitation of words, but rather as a profound form of communication with Hashem akin to prophecy, we can better access and activate the neshama yeseira granted to us on Shabbos. Tefillah is a back-and-forth debate with Hashem—similar to the discussions between study partners in Torah learning. This deep form of connection helps remove the blockages that prevent us from accessing our spiritual potential.
Creating Optimal Conditions
When we approach the prayer of “Ufros Aleinu” with proper kavana and understanding that we are engaging in real communication with the divine, we create the optimal conditions for receiving that extra portion of the neshama. The five-step process outlined in the Shulchan Aruch for proper tefillah—focusing on the words’ meaning, visualizing the divine presence, removing distracting thoughts, maintaining awareness of standing before the King of kings and embracing our spiritual over physical nature—serves as a practical framework for accessing the enhanced spiritual capacities of the neshama yeseira.
Meaningful Tefillah
Just as consistent communication breaks down walls between people, consistent and meaningful tefillah throughout Shabbos can help us maintain and deepen our connection to this additional neshama yeseira. By approaching tefillah—particularly Ufros Aleinu—with the understanding that we are engaging in a divine dialogue rather than mere recitation, we can more fully actualize the precious gift of the neshama yeseira and achieve greater dveikus with Hashem on Shabbos.
The author can be reached at [email protected]
