Daily Zohar # 4808 – Vayakhel – And He rested (Vayinafash)

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Hebrew translation:

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Zohar Vayakhel
Continued from previous DZ
#191
And when this lower part of the Shabbat Ruach is adorned and properly preserved, it ascends upward and unites with the upper part. And this point (Nekudah), which is Malchut, receives everything from the Ruach (of Shabbat), from both the upper and lower parts, and she becomes included from all sides. And because she is adorned on Shabbat both from above and below, all the other days (the six weekdays, corresponding to Chessed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, and Yessod) draw their strength from her, and she (Malchut) is granted dominion, both from above and from below. And in the mysteries of the Book of King Solomon, this secret is recorded, and the holy luminary (Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai) established it. Fortunate is the portion of Israel!
#192
It is written: “וַיִּנָּפַשׁ” “And He rested (Vayinafash)” (Exodus 31:17). And it has been explained: “Woe, for the soul (Nefesh), has been lost.” And this interpretation is correct. But if so, it should have said: “Woe to the body,” since it is the body from which the soul has departed. and yet, in “Vayinafash,” only the soul (Nefesh) is mentioned. He answers: the secret of the matter is this: A person possesses a Nefesh (soul), which draws and receives within it the Shabbat spirit (Ruach) from the eve of Shabbat. and this Ruach dwells within this Nefesh and rests inside it for the entire Shabbat. At that time, this Nefesh is elevated to a state of greatness (גדלות, Gadlut) and experiences a higher benefit than it ever had before.

Notes:
The low level of a human soul is called Nefesh, and on Shabbat (from Friday evening), it can receive the level of Ruach. During Shabbat, this Ruach dwells within the Nefesh, elevating it to a much higher state of divine connection. Shabbat transforms the soul, giving it a spiritual enhancement beyond its normal capacity. When Shabbat ends, the departure of this Ruach leaves a void, which is why “Vayinafash” also hints at a sense of loss.
This passage teaches that Shabbat is not just a time of physical rest but a time when the soul itself is elevated and infused with higher spiritual energy. The experience of Shabbat creates a deep spiritual transformation, and its departure leaves a longing for the return of that higher state. The Havdalah process helps retain some of the extra soul we receive on Shabbat.

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