בענין הגלגול, ויבאר בו ענין גלגול כפול מה ענינו, וז"ל, עוד יש שני חלוקים אחרים בענין הגלגול לבדו, האחד הוא, כי מי שבפעם אחד החדשה שבא בעה"ז, זכה והשיג נר"ן, ואח"כ חטא ופגם אותם, הנה האיש הזה כאשר יחזור להתגלגל לתקן, לא יוכל להשיג בגלגול ההוא נר"ן ביחד, אם לא ע"ד התקנה שנתבארה לעיל, (בדף הקודם) שיאמר בשכבו על מטתו, פסוק נפשי אויתיך בלילה וכו'. והשני הוא, כי מי שבפעם ראשונה החדשה, לא זכה אלא אל הנפש בלבד, וחטא ופגם אותה, הנה כשיתגלגל, יוכל להשיג נר"ן בגלגול ההוא עצמו, כיון שמתחלה לא נפגמו הרוח והנשמה, יכולים עתה לבא עם הנפש אחר שנתקנה, כאלו היה בפעם א' החדשה, שנאמר בה אז זכה יתיר וכו' כנז"ל, משא"כ כאשר בתחילה באו כלם ונפגמו כלם, כי אז איך תהיה נפש המתוקנת מרכבה אל הרוח הנפגם, וכן בענין הנשמה. ואמנם כאשר לא פגם בראשונה רק את הנפש, יכולים לבא שלשתם אח"כ בגלגול כנזכר: Regarding the Gilgul, Explaining The Concept of Double Gilgul: There are two other parts of reincarnation (gilgul). 1) The first is one who in his first life coming to this world (e.g., when he is a 'new neshama'), he is able to merit and obtain his Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshama [in one lifetime, through his merits and performance of the Mitzvahs that are relevant to him]. But [in that lifetime] after he makes a sin ('chet') and he blemishes them (in that first time he has come to this world). Here, when that person returns to reincarnate, to rectify [what he sinned or blemished in his first lifetime], he is unable to receive in this reincarnation his "NaRaN" (Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshama) at once. [This is because even if he rectifies his Nefesh in that life, his blemished Ruach (from the sins of the previous life) and blemished Neshama cannot rest on a perfected Nefesh). He can also rectify his soul as we described (at the end of Ch. 3) by saying as he lays down on his bed the passuk, "נפשי אויתיך בלילה וכו'." The second way 2) is via one who in his first life, he did NOT merit anything other than his Nefesh alone [meaning, he never received his Ruach or his Neshama to blemish them]. This person [with only his Nefesh] sinned and damaged [only] his Nefesh [through the sin]. When he reincarnates [to fix the Nefesh, and he fixes it], he is able to receive his "NaRaN" (his Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshama) in this gilgul itself, since he did not damage his Ruach or his Neshama [in the previous life, because he did not receive them in that life]. Therefore, he can now come with the Nefesh after he has rectified it *as if* it was his first life. As it says with this, "אז זכה יתיר וכו' כנז"ל." However, in the first time that he came to this world, if he came with them all (he receives each of his Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshama, and he blemished them all, [in his next life,] even if he rectifies his Nefesh, how can a rectified Nefesh be a chariot ('merkava') for a blemished Ruach? Similar question with a Neshama. In the case of when in his first life he only blemishes his Nefesh [because he did not merit to receive the Ruach or Neshama], [and here in this same first life he rectifies that blemish, (I am guessing through Teshuvah,)] he is able to receive all three souls in that same lifetime, as we described.
ונלע"ד, כי כל בחי' תקון, ר"ל קיום המצות התלויות באיברי הנפש, ובחי' פגם, היא עשיית עבירות של מל"ת. ונודע, כי השלמת כניסת הנפש בגוף, שהוא הנקרא תקון נפש, אינו אלא ע"י קיום המצות. אמנם העבירות פוגמים הנפש, ואינם מחסרות נצוצותיה מליכנס, אבל יש ב' חלוקים אחרים בענין זה, והוא, כי הנה אם בפעם א', אשר לא השיג אלא נפש, אם לא זכה לתקן אותה כלה ומת, הנה כיון שהגוף הזה הא' לא השלים לתקן את כל בחי' הנפש, לכן בעת תחית המתים, אין לו לגוף הא', אלא אותו החלק הפרטיי אשר תקן הוא בחיים, ולכן כשמתגלגלת הנפש הזאת בגוף אחר להשלים תקונה, יכול להשיג נר"ן, ואז בחי' החלקים של הנפש שנתקנו בגוף הזה השני, עם כל כללות הרוח עם הנשמה, הם לזה הגוף הב' בזמן התחיה, באופן כי אין לגוף הא' שום חלק ברוח ובנשמה, אבל חולק עם הב' במקצת הנפש, כפי החלקים אשר תקן ממנה, ושאר חלקיה הם לשני. וזהו ע"ד הנז"ל בסבא דמשפטים, בענין היבום, כי הגוף הא' דלא אצלח בפריה ורביה, אינו זוכה רק לנצוץ פרטיי של הנפש ההיא, והוא אותו הנצוץ דשבק באנתתיה בביאה א', ושארית חלקי הנפש עם הרוח והנשמה, הם לגוף השני. וז"ס מ"ש בזהר בפרשת חיי שרה דף קל"א ע"א, דהנהו גופין דלא אצלחו להוו כלא הוו, והדבר הזה מתמיה, כי אין לך אדם מישראל שאינו מלא מצות כרמון, ולמה יתבטל לגמרי בזמן התחיה, אבל רמז אל האמור, כי הנה עיקר התענוג העתיד לבא, הוא לבחי' הרוח והנשמה, והגוף הא' שאין בו אפילו נפש שלימה, רק נצוץ פרטיי, ההוא רוחא דשבק באנתתיה וכו', נמצא כי אין לו תענוג, ובערך זה הוי כלא הוי. אבל אם זה הגוף הא', זכה לתקן את כל הנפש, אלא שאח"כ חזר ופגם בה, הנה כאשר חוזרת להתגלגל הנפש ההיא עם הרוח והנשמה בגוף הב' כנזכר, הם מתגלגלים בהתחברות נצוץ נפש אחרת, כדי שתסייעם במצות, וזה נקרא גלגול כפול, וזכור ענין זה. ואח"כ בעת התחיה, חוזרים הנר"ן בגוף הא', וזה הגוף הב' אינו זוכה אלא לנצוץ של נפש האחרת שבאו עמו, כי זה הנצוץ הוא העקרי בגוף הזה הב', כי נפש הראשונה כבר נתקנה בגוף הא' כלה, ונמצא שהוא יגע לאחרים, וכמו שנתבאר אצלינו על מאמר רב ששת חדאי נפשי, לך קראי, לך תנאי וכו': [Rabbi Chaim Vital says:] It seems according to my understanding that with all of the levels of "Tikkun" (rectification) [of the Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshama], I want to say these specifically refer to performing the mitzvot that are connected to the limbs of the Nefesh. And, the concept of a "blemish" (or "damage," 'pagam') [he doesn't want to say that it is something missing from the completion of the Nefesh, but] it is specifically the doing of an aveira of a negative mitzvah (the doing of a "prohibition," or a "lo ta'ase"). And we understand that the completion of a Nefesh in a body is that it is called "Tikkun Nefesh," this does not happen except through the performance of the mitzvot. But, while the aveiros do damage (blemish) the Nefesh, they do not delay (or hold back) the completion of the Nefesh; [rather, the blemishes are merely a "stain" on the Nefesh]. And so it says that there are two ways regarding this -- [if in his first life he only receives his Nefesh] and he does not merit to complete his Nefesh (through the performance of mitzvot), and he dies, because this first body did not complete all of the parts of the Nefesh, during the time of Techias haMeisim, he would not have that first body. Rather, he would only have those parts [that percentage] of [the Nefesh] that he rectified during his life. So when he reincarnates, [and this Nefesh comes with him into the second body,] and this second body is the one that completes the Nefesh, in this second body, he is able to receive his "NaRaN" (his Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshama). And, with the parts (the percentage) of the Nefesh that he rectified in his second body, he gets also his Ruach and his Neshama [in this second body], and this second body is the body he will have during the time of Techias haMaisim. This is because the first body did not have a part with [a connection to, or he did not receive] the Ruach and the Neshama [in that first body]. However, what happens is that the Nefesh of this person is divided between the first and the second body [e.g., where the first body has 90% of the Nefesh, and the second body has 10% of the Nefesh, but that second body is the one that rectified the Nefesh and received the Ruach and the Neshama], and thus the part of the Nefesh are divided between the first body and the second body. And with this, we reference what is before us in בסבא דמשפטים, regarding Yibbum, that the first body that did not perform the mitzvah of pru u'rvu, it does not merit except the parts (the 'nitzutzot') of the Nefesh that were performed (via mitzvos) in that first body. [And his Nefesh, his Ruach, and his Neshama come in the body of the child of the Yevama during Techias haMeisim; but the first body only merits the nitzutot of that Nefesh that it performed], and the other parts of the Nefesh with its Ruach and its Neshama -- they are with the second body. And this is the secret of what is written in the Zohar in Parshat Chayei Sara, page 131:1, that "bodies" (pleural) that are not successful [in their life, e.g. of creating children who could help them], they are as if they never existed. And if it is said, there is not an Adam (person) of Yisroel that is not full of mitzvot like a Rimon, how is it possible to be fully nullified during the time of Techias haMeisim? The 'remez' (or hint) here is that the main pleasure of the afterlife is [felt by] the levels of Ruach and Neshama, and the first body that did not even complete a Nefesh, but only pieces (or a percentage) of it, we find that it does not experience such a pleasure [because it never received its Ruach or Neshama], and in this way, it is as if it never existed. However, if this first body merited to complete the entire Nefesh (even if it later blemished or damaged it), when that Nefesh comes back to reincarnate [to fix the minor blemish], [when he reincarnates without receiving his Ruach or Neshama in the first body of his first life], his Ruach and Neshama are able to come with him into his second body so that he can perfect them. So too, [in the case where there is only a minor blemish, in his next gilgul where he reincarnates to fix that minor blemish], [it can happen that NOT ONLY] all of the parts of his Nefesh that are reincarnated [into the second body] [but the nitzutot of his Nefesh can also be] connected to the nitzutzot of ANOTHER NEFESH (e.g., of the Nefesh of a Tzaddik who shares the same soul source as him) so that he [the Tzaddik] can help him with his mitzvot. This is called "Gilgul Kaful" ("Double Gilgul") [because there are two Nefashot which are reincarnated into one body]. When [a Gilgul Kaful happens], when it comes time for Techias haMaisim, the Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshama will return to the first body, and this second body will only merit the nitzutz of the Nefesh of the Tzaddik that came into it, and so this second body will be the main body [of the Tzaddik], because the first Nefesh was already completed in the first body. This is just as what happened with Rav Sheishet, as it said, my soul will be happy, and it will say, "to you I call, and for you I learned," etc.
והנה צריכים אנו לידע, כאשר האדם זכה לנפש ורוח ונשמה, ואח"כ פגם אותם, והנה נתבאר שכשחוזר בגלגול, אין שלשתם באים יחד, רק כל אחד מהם בגלגול בפני עצמו, והנה צריך לידע מה יהיה משפט הנפש והרוח והנשמה האלו, דע, כי כאשר הנפש נתגלגלה בגוף אחר להתקן, ונתקנה, ואז אין הרוח יכול ליכנס שם כנזכר, כי איך יתלבש רוח פגום בתוך נפש נתקנת. ואם נאמר שיתלבש הרוח הנפגם בנפש קודם שנתקנה, גם זה אי אפשר, כי אין הרוח נכנס, עד תשלום תקון הנפש, שהיא למטה ממדרגתו. ואמנם צריך שהרוח ההוא יבא בגלגול אחר לבדו, מורכב על נפש הגר תמורת נפשו, ושם נתקן. וכן עד"ז באה הנשמה בגוף אחד לבדה, מורכבת על נפש הגר. וז"ס מ"ש בסבא דמשפטים דף צ"ח ע"ב, דפגעי נשמתין בנפשי דגיורי וזכו בה וכו', כי הרוח לבדו, או הנשמה לבדה, אינם יכולים להתלבש בגוף אחד, אלא ע"י נפש, ולכן לוקחים תמורתה את נפש הגר, ועל ידה נתקנים: So here, we must know that when an Adam (a person) merits a Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshama [all together the first time he is alive] and he later blemishes (damages) them, as we explained, when he comes back in a gilgul, all three cannot come together; only each one of them in a gilgul of its own. And here we must know what is the law regarding this Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshama. Also, know that when a Nefesh reincarnates into another body to rectify itself, and it [successfully] rectifies itself, the Ruach is unable to enter into that body, as we explained, because how can a blemished Ruach dress itself into a perfected Nefesh? And if you would suggest that the blemished Ruach dresses itself into the blemished Nefesh before the Nefesh was perfected, this also is not possible, because a Ruach cannot enter until the rectification of the Nefesh is completed. This is because the Nefesh is at a lower level (than the Ruach), and so the Ruach is required to come into another gilgul on its own, e.g., resting on the Nefesh of a Ger [who has a new Nefesh], and there (in the Ger) the Ruach is rectified. And the same thing happens with the Neshama - it can only be rectified in the same way -- resting on the Nefesh of a Ger. And this is the secret of what is written in בסבא דמשפטים, p.98:2, that blemished Neshamot [are rectified] in Geirim, and they are merited through them. Specifically, a Ruach alone, or a Neshama alone, cannot dress themselves (rest upon / enter into) the body of another; rather, they could only rest upon a Nefesh. So they rest upon the new Nefesh of the Ger, and through that they are rectified.
ובזה יתבאר לך תימא גדולה, שיש אל מה שתמצא בדברינו, כי רוב בני אדם אינם זוכים רק לנפש, ומועטים הם בדורותינו אלה האחרונים, שיזכו לרוח ונשמה, והרי נודע כי אין בן דוד בא עד שיכלו רוחות ונשמות להתקן, אבל יובן עם הנזכר, כי גם הרוח או הנשמה נתגלגלו בגופות אחרים, בהיותם מורכבים על נפש הגר ואז יתוקנו גם הם. ואמנם הנפש העיקריית שלו כאשר זכה להתקן, תוכל לקבל רוח אחר של איזה צדיק, שנדמה אליו במעשיו, ויהיה לו תמורת רוחו ממש. וכן עד"ז יתקן, עד גדר שיכול להשיג ג"כ נשמה של איזה צדיק. וכשנפטר הנפש הזה מן העולם, אם עדיין הרוח העיקרי שלה לא נגמר תקונו, אז ביני וביני הולכת נפש זו עם הרוח של הצדיק ההוא לעה"ב, ועל ידו תקבל השפע הראוי לה. וכאשר נגמר תקון הרוח שלו בגלגולו בגוף אחר כנז"ל, אז הנפש אומרת אלכה ואשובה אל אישי הראשון, ומתחברת עם הרוח שלה, וכן הענין בנשמה כאשר נתקנה, חוזרים הנפש והרוח לחזור עמה יחד בכל הנז"ל: And with this, I can explain to you a big reason for what we find in our midsts, that most of b'nei Adam have only merited a Nefesh, and only a minority of them in our later generations have merited a Ruach or a Neshama. And it is known, that Moshiach ben Dovid will not come until the Ruchos and Neshamot are rectified. But as we described, even the Ruach or the Neshama must be reincarnated into other bodies -- they each require the Nefesh of a Ger, and that is how even they were [already] rectified. However, [returning to the person who already received his Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshama, but then he damaged them -- when he comes into a second gilgul with only his Nefesh], when his Nefesh merits to be rectified, [since he cannot receive his own blemished Ruach], he is able to receive another "Ruach" of a Tzaddik that is similar to him in his actions, and he can be a vehicle for the Tzaddik's Ruach. Through this, he rectifies [the Tzaddik's Ruach], all the way until he is able to receive also a "Neshama" of a Tzaddik. Then, when this Nefesh leaves this world, if his own Ruach is not yet finished being rectified [e.g., it is still alive in this world in another body], between this time (until it is finished being rectified), the Nefesh goes with the Ruach of this Tzaddik to Olam Haba, and through the Tzaddik, it receives the shefa on the level of that Tzaddik. When his Ruach is finished being rectified in the body of another person as we explained above, the Nefesh says, "I will go and return to my first husband," and the Nefesh reconnects with its Ruach (even if the Ruach is still in a body that is alive resting on another Nefesh, it will still return and join with it in the form of an ibur). So too with the Neshama once it is rectified, both his Nefesh and his Ruach will return to the Neshama (even in the form of an ibur if the Neshama is in another person), according to all that we have already learned.
ונבאר עתה ההפרש שיש בענין הגלגול, לצדיק ולרשע. ובזה יובן חלוק הנמצא בפסוקים ובדברי רז"ל, כי פעמים ראינו שאין הגלגול נוהג אלא עד שלשה גלגולים, בסוד פעמים שלש עם גבר. ובסוד על שלשה פשעי ישראל ועל ארבעה לא אשיבנו. ובסוד פוקד עון אבות על בנים על שלישים ועל רבעים. ומצאנו בספר התקונים תקון ס"ט, דצדיק אתגלגל עד אלף דרין, וכיוצא בזה. ואמנם הפסוק עצמו תירץ זה, כי ענין ארבע דורות הוא לרשע, כמש"ה פוקד עון אבות וגו', לשנאי. אבל למי עושה חסד לאלפים לגלגולם, לאוהביו ולשומרי מצותי: Now we will describe the difference between the gilgul of a Tzaddik and a Rasha, and this this, we will understand a a piece of what we find in the pesukim and the divrei Razal. Sometimes we see that a person cannot reincarnate more than three times, in the secret of what is written that sometimes it takes three times to succeed. And this is the secret of what is written, "על שלשה פשעי ישראל ועל ארבעה לא אשיבנו." This is also what is written that, "the sins of the father are visited on his children until the third or fourth [generation]." However, we find in Sefer haTikkunim, Tikkun 69, that a Tzaddik can reincarnate until one thousand generations, etc. So we can understand from the passuk itself that the concept of "four generations" refers to the rasha, just as it is written, "the sins of the father are visited [on his children, until the third or the fourth generation]," ...the fourth generation for those who hate me. However, he who does Chesed, he can reincarnate a thousand times [because he] loves me, and he protects my mitzvot.
ובאור הענין הוא, דע, כי כאשר נפש האדם, אחר שבא מחדש בפעם א', וחטא ופגם בה, הנה אח"כ מתגלגלת בגוף אחד להתקן, וזה נקרא גלגול א'. ואם לא נתקנה אז, חוזרת בגלגול שני. ואם לא נתקנה אז, חוזרת בגלגול שלישי. ומשם ואילך, אין לה עוד תקנה בגלגול, ואז נאמר בה, ונכרתה הנפש ההיא מעמיה לגמרי. אמנם אין זה, רק כאשר לא נתקנה כלל שום תקון בשום פעם מאלו, אבל אם באיזה פעם מאלו השלשה, התחילה לתקן קצת, אינה נכרתת, אמנם יכולה לחזור ולהתקן, אפילו עד אלף דור אם יצטרך. ולכן הראשון שלא תקן כלל, נקרא רשע. והאחרון שתקן קצת, נקרא צדיק. וכל מה שמתגלגל, הולך ומשלים תקונו: And to bring light to this concept, know that when a Nefesh of an Adam (person) after he comes as a new [Nefesh] the first time [in this world], if he sins and he damages it [his Nefesh], afterward, he is required to reincarnate into another body to rectify it. This second body is called his first gilgul. If he does not fix his Nefesh, he must return into a second gilgul. If he still doesn't fix his Nefesh, he must return in a third gilgul. After this, he is no longer a possibility for him to reincarnate, and thus it is said of him, that this Nefesh is cut off ('karet') from the nation, completely. However, this [karet] is only when he did absolutely no rectification at all, in any of the three lifetimes. However, if at any time of these three [lifetimes] the Nefesh was rectified even a little bit [e.g., even if he did ONE mitzvah in any one of the lifetimes, his Nefesh] is NOT cut off. But rather, it is able to return and do rectification even until a thousand generations if it needs. Therefore, [the person who is] a first [life] that does not rectify at all is called a rasha, and after when he rectifies even a small bit [of mitzvas], he is called Tzaddik, and thus he can continue reincarnating and completing his rectification.
ונלע"ד ששמעתי ממורי ז"ל, כי אין זה נוהג אלא בנפש, לפי שהיא מן העשיה, הטבועה בעמקי הקליפות. ולכן לא נזכר בתורה כרת, אלא בנפש, כי נכרתה מן הקדושה, ונטבעה בקליפות. אבל בר"ן, שהם מיצירה ובריאה, שאין שם כ"כ תגבורת אחיזת הקליפות, ודאי הוא שיתוקנו כלם, אלא שיש שנתקנים מהרה, ויש באורך זמן אחר כמה גלגולים. ועוד נבאר טעם ההפרש הנזכר שיש בין הצדיק לרשע, ויובן במ"ש ז"ל על אלישע אחר, לא מידן לדייניה, משום דעסק בתורה וכו'. כי הנה הצדיק העוסק בתורה, ובפרט אם יהיה מן הקדמונים, אין דנים אותו בגיהנם. והנה מוכרח הוא שיתמרקו עונותיו כדי שיכנס בג"ע, ולכן אין לו תקנה אחרת אלא בגלגול, כי על כל עון ועון אשר יש לו שלא נתכפרו לו ע"י יסורין בחייו, וגם לא נכנס בגיהנם לקבל ענשו עליהם, צריך גלגול אחר לכל עון מהם לתקנו, ולכן הוא מתגלגל גלגולים רבים, לכפר ולתקן עונותיו. משא"כ ברשע, שנכנס לגיהנם, ומתמרקים שם כל עונותיו יחד, ואין לו צורך לחזור בגלגולים: [R'Chaim Vital z"l says] And it appears to me according to my understanding that I learned from my teacher z"l, that [the concept of karet haNefesh, and that one might think that there is no rectification of the soul with reincarnation after the three initial gilgulim (the three chances)] that there is no such a thing except with the Nefesh, since it is from the world of Asiyah which is sunk into the depth of the klipot. So there is no mention in the Torah of "Karet" except for the Nefesh. This is because 'Karet' ("cutting off," literally refers only to) cutting off from Kedusha ("holiness"), [where the Nefesh] sinks into the klipot [which is the side of evil]. However, with the Ruach and the Neshama -- since they are from [the worlds of] Yetzirah and Beriah, where there is no strength or grasp by the Klipot (so there is no concept of 'Karet' with the Ruach and the Neshama). [I need a better translation here, but it is basically saying that even if the Nefesh falls into klipah, the Ruach and Neshama can still be rectified in the ordinary way, e.g., by joining onto the Nefesh of a Ger], and while this might take a long time, even multiple reincarnations, [it is still possible to rectify them]. And to further [explain] the difference between a Tzaddik and a Rasha, and to understand what we said (z"l) regarding Elisha Acher, [again, I need editing of the translation here] he didn't have in his hands a judgement (a 'din'), because he worked hard and engaged himself ('osek') in Torah study, etc. We learn from here, that when a Tzaddik studies Torah, and specifically if he is from one the Rishonim, there is no possible judgement on him that he enter into Gehinom (Gehinom has no rule over him). Rather, he (goes through gilgulim) to clean up his sins so that he can enter into Gan Eden. Therefore, he has no directive other than Gilgul (reincarnation), and through this, each one of his sins that he might have which were not already atoned for through hardships during his life -- they are not purged through receiving punishment by entering Gehinom. But rather, he requires another gilgul (another reincarnation) until every one of his sins are rectified. Therefore, he (the Tzaddik) can reincarnate through many gilgulim to atone for and to rectify his sins. This is not the case, however, for a Rasha. He is required to enter into Gehinom to clean up all of his sins once, and after that, he is not required (or given the opportunity) to return in many gilgulim. [The logic here is that a Tzaddik can go through many gilgulim to rectify each and every part of his soul. However, a Rasha is given the 'easy route,' which is a purge of his sins in Gehinom. The logic is that if he were given additional lifetimes, he might continue to sin. Thus, a Rasha (as we will explain in the next section) is not given the opportunity to reincarnate many times like a Tzaddik can.]
ויש בזה מקום שאלה, כי כפי הנראה לכאורה, שיותר טובה הוא ליכנס לגיהנם למרק תכף כל עונותיו, ולא לחזור בכמה גלגולים. והנלע"ד חיים לתרץ, כי הקב"ה צופה ומביט, כי הרשע הזה אם יחזור בגלגול יוסיף על חטאיו פשעךם, וירבה בעבירות על הזכיות, ולכן בראותיו שכבר השלים אותם המצות המועטות המוכרחות לו כפי שרש נפשו, מסלקו מן העולם ומורידו לגיהנם, ומתמרקין עונותיו, ונשארים זכיותיו שלימים, כי חפץ חסד הוא. אמנם הצדיק שעונותיו מועטים מזכיותיו, הם מתמרקים ע"י כל היסורין שסובל בגלגולים, ונשארים לו זכיותיו המרובים הנוספים לו בכל גלגול עד אין קץ, וגם שכרו נפלא ע"ד מ"ש רז"ל רצה הקב"ה לזכות את ישראל לפיכך הרבה להם תורה ומצות: With this, there is a question: It appears that it is better for him (his Nefesh) to enter into Gehinom to clean up all of his sins, and not to return many times in Gilgulim. [R' Chaim Vital says that] It appears according to my understanding to explain that [Gilgul is actually better than Gehinom, because through Gilgul, he can merit by doing the mitzvos and good deeds that he would do in the next body. However, for this Rasha,] Hashem looks into him and recognizes that this Rasha -- if he returned into another Gilgul -- he would only add onto his sins. He would also multiply his sins over his merits. Therefore, he sees that if he already completed the mitzvot that were required of him according to where he is in the source of his Nefesh, [it would be better for him to leave the world,] and so he leaves this world and he enters into Gehinom in order to clean his sins. Thus, his merits remain complete, "כי חפץ חסד הוא." However, with the Tzaddik (where his sins are fewer than his merits), they are cleaned through all the different types of hardships and sufferings that he would experience through Gilgulim. And, his merits remain with him and are multiplied and added to with each Giglul ad infinitum. Also, his reward is beautiful, according to what has been said by the Rabbis z"l, that "Hashem wanted to merit Yisrael, therefore he multiplied on them Torah and Mitzvos."
גלגול רב ששת. כבר נתבאר בדרושים שקדמו, ענין גלגול כפול, והנה זהו ג"כ ענין מ"ש בגמרא על רב ששת, שהיה סגי נהור, וכשהיה עוסק בתורה, היה שמח, ואומר חדאי נפשאי, לך קראי, לך תנאי וכו'. ולכאורה אין הבנה בדברים אלו, כי לעצמו היה מטיב ולא לזולתו, וכמש"ה אם חכמת חכמת לך. גם נדקדק אומרו נפשי, וגם מה ענין זה אל רב ששת מזולתו: The Gilgul of Rav Sheshet: As we already explained regarding the concept of "Gilgul Kaful" ("Double Gilgul," where two Nefashot come together into one body), this is also what happened to Rav Sheshet who was blind ('full of light'). And, when he was delving into his Torah studies, he was happy, and he said, "חדאי נפשאי, לך קראי, לך תנאי וכו'," (everything I do is for you). It appears as if one might not understand these words [and I need someone to further translate because I don't have the right words; the explanation will be in the next paragraph. Everything Rav Sheishet did, he did it "for you." But who is "for you"?]
ולהבין זה, נקדים תחלה ענין רב ששת, מי היה גלגולו. דע, כי בבא בן בוטא החסיד, מתלמידי שמאי הזקן, שכל ימיו היה מקריב אשם ספק, הוא שחזר עתה להתגלגל ברב ששת, להשלים איזה תקון שהיה צריך לו עדיין, ולפי שהורדוס המלך נקר את עיניו, גם עתה היה ג"כ סגי נהור כנודע. והנה אותיות בב"א הם שש"ת בא"ת ב"ש. ובזה נבא אל הבאור, דע, כי הנה מי שלא השלים תקונו בגלגול א', מוכרח להתגלגל עוד שנית להשתלם, אף אם חסרונו דבר מועט. והנה אם בגלגול א' השלים נפשו, ולא חסר לו כי אם דבר מועט, הנה כשחוזר להתגלגל שנית, כל השכר של התורה והמצות שעשה עשה בגלגול השני הוא לצורך נפשו הבאה עתה בגוף השני הזה להשתלם, וכאשר יקומו בזמן התחיה, תחזור נפשו אל הגוף הראשון, שבו עסק בתורה ובמצות רוב הצריך לו, ולא בא בגוף הב' הזה, אלא בהשאלה. לכן רב ששת ידע בנפשו, כי היה בראשונה בגוף בבא בן בוטא, שהיה אדם גדול בתורה ובחסידות מפורסם, ולא חזר להתגלגל עתה בזה הגוף הב', אלא על דבר מועט שהיה חסר ממנו, ולכן היה גופו עצב על הדבר הזה, כי הנה כל עמלו לוקחו הנפש ההיא, וסופו ללכת לחזור בגוף הא' בזמן התחיה. באופן כי כל מה שהיה עוסק בתורה ובמצות תועלת נפשו הוא, ולא לגופו, ולכן הנפש ראויה לשמוח, ולא הגוף. וז"ש חדאי נפשי וכו', ולא אני, יען כי לך אני קורא, ולך אני שונה לתועלתך, ולא לתועלתי: To understand this, we must preface who Rav Sheishet was in his Giglul. Know, that 'Baba Ben Buta' the Chassid, who was a student of Shamai haZaken, spent all of his days as a korban safek ('אשם ספק'). When he returned now in a gilgul as Rav Sheishet, he did so to complete whatever particular rectification he needed to (to fix whatever small damage he did), and when King Hordus took out his eyes in his previous life, so too in this life, (Rav Sheishes) was also blind. This [connection between the two of them] is also seen in the letters of their names. With this, we'll come to the explanation -- know that what rectification one does not complete in a first gilgul, he is required to reincarnate again to complete it, even if it is for something small that is missing. Here, if in the first gilgul he completed [the rectification] of his Nefesh, but he was only missing a small thing, when he returns in his second gilgul, all of the reward of the Torah and mitzvot that he does now in this second gilgul, it is for the benefit of his Nefesh (which was rectified in the first gilgul). So when he comes now into the second body to complete [the minor thing missing], when it comes for a body to rise in Techias HaMeisim, his Nefesh will return to the first body with which he toiled in Torah and mitzvot, as was required of that body (to rectify his Nefesh). He does not return to this second body; he only borrowed it (this body will only rise with the specific nitzutot which were connected to it. Thus, Rav Sheishet knew that his Nefesh was already in the first body of Baba Ben Buta; that he was a great 'Adam' in the Torah and he was a well known chassidic celebrity, and that he did not return to reincarnate into this second body except to borrow it for a small item that he was missing. Thus, his [second] body was sad about this, because for him (Rav Sheishes), the Nefesh in his body would be taken by the other body (that perfected it), and in the end (at the time of Techias HaMeisim), his Nefesh would go and return to the first body. So it was, in a way, that all of what he did as far as his toiling in Torah study was not meant for the happiness of his body, and with this, he said, "חדאי נפשי וכו'", and not for me (not for my body). Rather, all my efforts I do for you (for his Nefesh which will belong to the other body), and not for me.