Kabbalah Library

685. “And the women her neighbors gave it a name saying, ‘A son was born to Naomi.” By this, Naomi found what she had lost, since the soul of Machlon was incarnated in the newborn son.

From here, “And the women her neighbors gave it a name,” meaning that that soul that wandered off from the body of the dead, to come and incarnate in the son is who is born from the levirate marriage, has no permission to shine and expand, and has no power to see, unless with the help of the neighbors, who are the rest of the souls, which were not built in sons in this world, and are waiting for a redeemer, as it is written, “Will return to the days of his youth,” without power.

686. At the time when that body that is built from the levirate marriage is born, promptly, “And the women her neighbors gave it a name.” The name is the soul. “And the women her neighbors gave it a name” means that those neighbors called that body that was now built, Name, meaning they called the soul of Machlon to be completed in that body, since sometimes, the soul is ready there, and sometimes it is not ready to clothe in that body because she walks and roams the world, and then the neighbors call the soul to clothe in that body.

687. When the desire awakens, when the soul of the dead dresses in the body that is born from the levirate marriage, the soul goes to the tombs of the fathers and the tombs of the Hassidim until Boaz here awakens, the brother [of the deceased], to marry his wife [the dead brother’s wife], and the rest of the souls, the neighbors, call her and she comes and is completed in that place, in the son that is born from the levirate marriage.

688. It is written, “If He were to set His heart on it,” meaning on marrying his wife, then “He will collect to Him his spirit and soul,” meaning he will be clothed in the newborn son. Thus, should the neighbors not call the soul, but she comes by herself?

It is different here because there was a nearby redeemer who was not actually a brother. Hence, there is greater benefit that when that redeemer who is called “near” awakens, the soul will be ready as soon as he awakens for her. Thus, here, when he is a faraway brother, who is not actually a brother, the neighbors must call her, since the thought does not help because it is a faraway thought that does not come from an actual brother.

But with a nearby thought from a real brother, the neighbors do not need to call her. Rather, the soul comes by herself in that awakening of the marrying brother, so as to be built there. For this reason, “And they called that body, Name,” which is the soul, so the soul would be built there, so she would clothe in the body of the newborn.

689. In several places, the Creator deals with Hesed [kindness] with these souls that have no rest since they did not do Hesed and did not bear a son through levirate marriage or through incarnation.

690. What becomes of those souls that go without sons into that world? The Creator brings them down to the bottom world, and from there deals Hesed with them. He brings them down to the land Avadon [perdition/limbo/doom], where anyone who goes down there is lost completely. It is written about them, “I will destroy that soul.”

691. Happy is he who tries to know of that world where the souls are. One who knows of it and tries to know it, there is no end to his wisdom.