Before I begin this week’s lesson, let’s quickly review what we have learned over the past three weeks. In my first article, we established that the soul has three garments – thought, speech and action -- and we choose when to put them on or take them off. The second article taught us that even when we don’t feel like it, or we are not in the “mood”, we always can get into the thoughts and garments we choose to put on. In article number three, we learned that the only way to take control of our thoughts, since we are always thinking, is to consciously insert the thoughts we want.Thoughts are continuous and always connected to the soul. Unlike speech, where there is a time to speak and a time to be quiet, thought is constant and more deeply attached to the soul. Because the garment of thought is always on, and is closest to the soul, thoughts have the greatest influence on a person. Also, the stain that comes as a result of ones one’s thoughts, for the good or the opposite, will be deeper on one’s soul.
We see in clothes. When a person puts on nice clothing, he actually changes his mood and feels good and honorable. Garments in the Talmud are called “my honor’, they bestow honor. An ordinary person, when he puts on honorable clothing, will feel and will be treated admirable.
So it goes with the clothing of the soul -- garments will manipulate the actual soul positively or negatively. Every speech, action, or thought will have a positive effect on the soul and the same is true with the negative.
With enough repetition, the garments of our soul, which we are always in control of, will eventually mold and shape the actual soul for now and all eternity.
The spark of G-dliness inside ourselves, that defines who we are and remains alive even after we leave this world, will be formed forever, by the habits and garments we regularly decided to place over our souls.
A person’s service to G-d, is judged by the choices he makes regarding the clothing of the soul.
What he is left with to stand before G-d, is the result of these choices.
After a while, with enough routine and habit, the thoughts that come automatic because of our past choices, will express the character and nature of what our souls have become. For a person who has decided to be involved in wisdom, intellectual thought comes to his mind. A person who decided to think happy and joyous thoughts, cheerful and joyful thoughts will start flowing automatically.
For some people, the thought to murder never enters their minds, for others, the thought to contribute to society in a positive way will never enter their minds. In the end, what we think is a result of how we trained ourselves to think.
The fact that thoughts manifest the personality and character traits of the soul, brings a special seriousness and attention to the content of one’s thought. Proper thoughts reflect a healthy soul, while empty, vain thoughts reflect an empty and confused soul. Even when these are irregular once in a while, thoughts are a reflection of the character of a soul.