1) Aren't we really the intersection between our soul and our body? If so, how come Adam and Eve were setup by God to be identified ONLY with their higher selves and not their bodies as well? Shouldn't they have been set up to be identified with this intersection that includes both soul and body?
2) Why and/or How did Adam and Eve choose to disobey God from their higher selves? Isn't this the ideal state? If not, which is?
1) We are ALL of ourselves: body and soul, intellect and emotions, but our most essential identity is found in the intersection between our soul and our body since this there is where we are making choices, whereas both our soul and body individually were given to us by God. This said, the locus of our sense of self was by default situated in the most lucid and broad seeing part of ourselves ie our souls. By making a decision from our lower selves ie our bodies we de facto moved the locus of self into that lower self.
2) Great question. Famously asked by the Arizal. The Higher Self was hijacked by the ego and therefore rationalized separation from God for a “Higher motive” of coming close to Him by moving away and then working to return.
See this essay on the subject by Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler (d. 1953).
Hey Rab, loved this XL... Couple of questions:
1) Aren't we really the intersection between our soul and our body? If so, how come Adam and Eve were setup by God to be identified ONLY with their higher selves and not their bodies as well? Shouldn't they have been set up to be identified with this intersection that includes both soul and body?
2) Why and/or How did Adam and Eve choose to disobey God from their higher selves? Isn't this the ideal state? If not, which is?
Great questions Kevin!
Some initial answers:
1) We are ALL of ourselves: body and soul, intellect and emotions, but our most essential identity is found in the intersection between our soul and our body since this there is where we are making choices, whereas both our soul and body individually were given to us by God. This said, the locus of our sense of self was by default situated in the most lucid and broad seeing part of ourselves ie our souls. By making a decision from our lower selves ie our bodies we de facto moved the locus of self into that lower self.
2) Great question. Famously asked by the Arizal. The Higher Self was hijacked by the ego and therefore rationalized separation from God for a “Higher motive” of coming close to Him by moving away and then working to return.
See this essay on the subject by Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler (d. 1953).
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tAl6gW2AbpsOgU9c4xNRvYpzj4mbS2kp/view?usp=drivesdk