Rav Chaim of Volozhin’s Sefer Nefesh HaChayim on the Definition of Tzelem Elokim

Are you aware of the profound powers you hold as a being created in the divine image of God? We explore the concept of Tzelem Elokim and grapple with deep questions about our divine likeness that will challenge your perspectives and inspire you to realize your own power. We delve into Rav Chaim of Volozhin’s primary work, which is the Nefesh HaChayim inspiring idea,  that we, mirroring God, hold the strings of the world's destiny. Unleashing the power of our thoughts, words, and actions, we can influence the rise and fall of nations and open new doors of opportunity. As we discuss the implications of this theory, brace yourself for a surge of exciting confidence and the thrilling realization of your ability to shape your own destiny. With such power comes great responsibility, so join us as we journey to understand and harness our divine potential.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

It feels like we can make a split in time, as if, how people say before the common era, there's a way that things change and how we actually keep track of time. It feels like with this idea we can say before that vart BTV and after that vart. At least that's how I felt when my brother told it to me, and then again I heard it on air of Shabbos from Yosef Mizrachi. This idea from the Nephishachahim that is so constitutional that it totally changes our entire View of self and what we can accomplish. Hopefully you will see that I don't believe any of those Phrases. Our words were exaggerations. Great Nephishachahim of Chaim Velozhener.

Speaker 1: 0:47

Right at the beginning of his Savior, he poses the following question we are special. We are different human beings, jews and Gentiles. We are in Adam, living, breathing, choice-making organism, but what we are crowned with is our Salem Elohim. What is Salem Elohim mean? That's his question. You're in a likeness of God. You have been created in the form, in a certain likeness to the all-powerful Creator. In what way are we comparable to Hashem? Is it that we can speak? We have the Rahm and Malala. Is it that we have free will? Is it just this idea that we have a similar, god forbid, blasphemous type of talk of exoskeleton or form of makeup.

Speaker 1: 1:38

Hardly can't imagine that Zock drip Chaim Velozhener, that I call a spark, who is Elohim because he is Baal Kheiches cool. He is the ultimate puppeteer. He is all of all the powers underneath his control in his dominion. He is the omnipotent, supreme God. As Dr Chaim came to dim you and that Kavya Chobar, who is Baruch Esa other, the Hishlett Arabi revolvan cojas volumas in this bar. God created us and gave to us that we are Balco, host coulomb. We are also in Charge of the powers of the world, that we run everything in a way, through our thoughts. We change how Hashem interplays with the world and through our actions and with our Dibor, nations and powers will rise and will fall. New doors will open. We are Balco is cool. It sounds blasphemous, if not for the great Rob Chaim saying it, that now it's so true it must be spread. We are hapeisach vah sayersho comma alpha revolvos cojas volumas, alpico parthesitre anagos that we change how Hashem interplays with the world and we open new doorways. And with everything, in every moment and with all of our Words and with all of this, it is Keeelu who Gam cane Habal coax shalahem kivayachal, as if you are literally like God, omnipotent and in charge Of the world. How's that furlough confidence boost?

Speaker 1: 3:11

The Yishlutum were supposed to be a dominating, powerful force in this world all humans, all mankind. And it's not Balco, they learned. It says Adam Doesn't even just mean Jewish, but a thinking. You're Gentile, you change the entire World and you literally have God-like powers. That's what it means. Selam eloquem and the great power comes great responsibility. Because the next, next chapter, spoiler alert, rebchaim, says therefore, if one should have an illicit thought, a lewd thought, it may be like bringing a heartlet inside of the holy of holies, because a person's brain and his thoughts and his feelings, it's really the center of the world. Once we understand this, that we are created in the likeness, the form of God, that that means that we are a ball, kaikhe skulam, we are in charge of the powers of the world and we create our destiny. Strive forth with a new confidence, a new excitement, knowing that you can accomplish anything that you set your mind to. You truly are God.