What is Kabbalah? - Kabbalah: A Delicate Flower
The Zohar states that there are three layers to the Torah: the garment, the body, and the soul.
The 'garment' refers to the Torah narrative, the stories about Adam and Eve eating from the forbidden tree, Noah surviving the devastating flood, Abraham's interactions with G-d, and the journeys of the Children of Israel through the wilderness. Garments are the most external and visible aspect of a person, and similarly, the narrative is the most external and readily accessible layer of the Torah.
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The 'body' refers to the mitzvot (commandments) of the Torah. The mitzvot consist of 248 positive precepts, corresponding to the 248 limbs of the human body, and 365 prohibitions, corresponding to 365 primary sinews. When a Jew fulfils a mitzvah, he sanctifies the corresponding limb utilized to perform that mitzvah. For instance, through giving Tzedokah (charity), the right arm is sanctified, by rising when a Torah scholar or one's parent approaches, the legs are sanctified, and by donning Tefillin, the left arm and head are affected. Thus, the mitzvot are seen as a metaphysical body, or more specifically, the limbs of the King - G-d.
