“A soul is formed in the womb of supernal spiritual realms, where it acquires its distinct identity and mission.

To fulfill this mission, it is dispatched to the physical realm, enclothed within an Animal Soul and equipped with a body.

Here the G-dly Soul is challenged by the (apparently) conflicting needs and desires of the Animal Soul; here divine reality is obscured by the dense selfhood of the body and physical world. In this arena of hidden truth and perpetual challenge, the soul can fully express and actualize its divine power.

…

The soul is provided with a compass and guidebook to navigate the challenge of physical life, and the resources to fortify it. The Torah is the divine ‘blueprint for creation’ that guides and instructs the soul on its mission in life.

The Torah is also ‘food for the soul’: by studying Torah the soul ingests and digests the divine wisdom and is supplied with the divine energy to persevere in its mission and overcome its challenges.”