“He placed His spirit within her”

Imagine a teacher and a student, most likely their relationship will not last a lifetime. The teacher and student may loose interest in each other. They will move on to other experiences and relationships.

What can the teacher do to maintain the connection? The kabbalists have a formula: The Teacher gives the student a spirit from within himself; the spirit pulls the student back to the teacher, who is then awakened by his own spirit to share even more of his spirit with the student.

They explain: the teacher should give part of his essence to the student. The teacher’s spirit which is now within the student yearns to reunite with the teacher who is its source. The spirit will continuously pull the student back to the teacher to hear more, because that is were the spirit is comfortable.

Ten years down the line when he’s pulled back to his teacher, who has since lost interest in teaching this student, he begins to talk and the teacher is awakened at once. The student’s words move him to once again be interested in sharing his great wisdom.

How did the teacher regain his interest? It can’t be because of the student, for the teacher is by now very removed from the student. The secret is that the teacher was inspired by his own spirit, the spirit that he left within the student. He hears himself in the student’s voice, and he is awakened to open up and share even more.

And so the cycle continues, teacher gives the student a spirit, the spirit pulls the student back to the teacher, who is then awakened by his own spirit to share even more of his spirit to the student.

And the cycle continues

[In kabalistic terminology: Z”a gives of itself to Malchut. The spirit of Z”a within Malchut draws Malchut back to Z”a, and awakens Z”a to share even more of itself with Malchut]

(Vayigash, Ateres.)