From: Sean in Sidney
Dear Rabbi,
What is the soul?
Dear Sean,
The Torah states that “G‑d formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into him the breath of life, and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). This soul was extremely lofty. The Midrash says Adam’s soul was so elevated that the angels mistook him for G‑d and wanted to proclaim him “holy” (Genesis Raba 8:9). In fact, the Talmud (Sanhedrin 38b) metaphorically relates that Adam reached from one side of the world to the other, and from earth to heaven. Obviously our Sages were not referring to Adam’s physical size, rather to his tremendous spiritual stature.
The above-mentioned verse hints to different aspects of the soul: man became a “living soul” (nefesh), G‑d “breathed” into him (ruach), the “breath of life” (neshama). In addition, there are two other dimensions of the soul, chaya (life) and yechida (oneness). Therefore the Sages taught (Genesis Raba 14:9) that “the soul has five names: nefesh, ruach, neshama, chaya, and yechida.”
Rav Sa’adya Gaon (10th century) understood this statement literally, meaning the soul is one entity whose different names describe its different attributes. Nefesh suggests the soul’s role in driving the physical needs and desires responsible for growth, as in the verse “when your nefesh desires to eat meat” (Deuteronomy 12:20). Ruach describes the aspect that generates emotions, as in the verse, “be not hasty in your ruach to be angry” (Ecclesiastes 7:9). Neshama denotes the aspect of intellect and thought, as in the verse, “the neshama…gives men understanding” (Job 32:8). The soul is also named chaya since it derives its vitality from G‑d, and yechida referring to its uniqueness.
The Kabbalists, however, understood that these five names refer to five different levels of the soul that are connected like links in a chain, each level parallel to the spiritual sphere in which it exists. The highest level (yechida) is attached to G‑d, and the lowest level (nefesh) resides in the blood. The nefesh, or “animal soul”, common to all living creatures, generates metabolism and maintains life. Ruach, the first level of the “human soul”, engenders feelings and personal qualities. The neshama pulls man towards G‑d, to the performance of good deeds, to be pious and humble and to seek spiritual knowledge and achievement. The levels of chaya and yechida are far above the human realm, belonging to the esoteric.
The soul’s role as connector between G‑d, the purely spiritual, and man’s purely physical body was described by the mystics with the allegory of a glassblower. When the glassblower breathes into the glass, the outermost layer of air impacts the vessel, fixing its form, and comes to rest there (nefesh means rest). This outer layer of air is animated by, and connected to, the wind (ruach) that precedes it. In turn, this wind is an extension of the breath (neshima) of the glassblower. Finally, the breath is a manifestation of the life (chaya) of the glassblower, while yechida would correspond to the glassblower’s soul (The Way of G‑d, part 3, chapter 1).
According to this, it’s not coincidental that glassblowing originated in the Middle East!
Sources:
- The Way of G‑d, part 3, chapter 1
