Soul Life - Jewish Sources

the LORD God formed man from the dust of the earth. He blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being.

My God! the soul which You bestowed in me is pure; You created it, You formed it, You breathed it into me and You preserve it within me. You will eventually take it from me, and restore it in me in the time to come.⁵This statement refers to the time when the dead will be resurrected. So long as the soul is within me I give thanks to You, Adonoy my God,⁶Thus it is said, “I will praise Adonoy with my life, I will sing to my God with my being” (Psalms 146:2). and God of my fathers, Lord of all creatures, Master of all souls. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Who restores souls to dead bodies.⁷This is a reference to God’s restoring of the soul each morning following its departure while the person sleeps.

This did not satisfy Rav Shimi bar Ukva, who said to Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi: I meant to say to you as follows: Corresponding to whom did David say these five instance of “Bless the Lord, O my soul”? He answered him: He said them about none other than the Holy One, Blessed be He, and corresponding to the soul, as the verse refers to the relationship between man’s soul and God. The five instances of “Bless the Lord, O my soul” correspond to the five parallels between the soul in man’s body and God’s power in His world. Just as the Holy One, Blessed be He, fills the entire world, so too the soul fills the entire body.
Just as the Holy One, Blessed be He, sees but is not seen, so too does the soul see, but is not seen.
Just as the Holy One, Blessed be He, sustains the entire world, so too the soul sustains the entire body.
Just as the Holy One, Blessed be He, is pure, so too is the soul pure.
Just as the Holy One, Blessed be He, resides in a chamber within a chamber, in His inner sanctum, so too the soul resides in a chamber within a chamber, in the innermost recesses of the body.
Therefore, that which has these five characteristics, the soul, should come and praise He Who has these five characteristics.

(9) By five names is the soul/nefesh called: nefesh, ru’ach, n’shamah, chayah (living one), y’chidah (unique one). Nefesh – this is the blood . . . Ru’ach – for she rises and falls, [as in:] “Who knows if the ru’ach of human beings goes upward?” [Ec 3:21]. N’shamah – this is the visage/character

Chayah – that all the limbs die and (i.e., unless) she lives in the body. Y’chidah – that all the limbs are two by two [but] she is singular in the body.

... And on this the Torah says (Exodus 13:7) "there will not be seen and there will not be found" - it will not be seen b'maaseh (in action) and will not be found b'machshava (in thought), rather one should anul it in his heart. The mitzvot have 3 categories: mitzvot of speech, of the heart and of action, as it is written (Deuteronomy 30:14) "in your mouth and in your heart to do it". Comes the Torah (instructing us) to anul it in the heart, corresponding to the mitzvot which are dependent on the heart. Comes the 'kabbalah' (instructing us) to eradicate it from the house or to burn it, corresponding to the mitzvot of action. And to say 'kol chamira', corresponding to mitzvot of speech. In this way the 3 categories of mitzvot are fulfilled through the prohibition of chametz, teaching you that the prohibition of chametz incorporates all the mitzvot... Just as the 'kabbalah' comes (instructing us) to eradicate chametz and (livdok) to check the house in nooks and in cracks, so too we are obligated to search and check the chambers of our inner being for bad (machshavas) intentions and bad (hirhurim) thoughts. Just as bedikat chametz (checking for chametz) is not valid by sunlight, nor by moonlight, nor by the light of a torch, but only by the light of a candle, so too the bedikah (checking) of the yetzer hara must be by the light of the neshama (soul) which is called 'ner' (candle), this is what is written (Proverbs 20:27) "the candle of Hashem is the soul of man, which searches the chambers of one's inner being.

As Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: The Holy One, Blessed be He, gives a person an additional soul on Shabbat eve, and at the conclusion of Shabbat removes it from him, as it is stated: “He ceased from work and was refreshed [vayinafash]” (Exodus 31:17). Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish expounds the verse as follows: Since he ceased from work, and now Shabbat has concluded and his additional soul is removed from him, woe [vai] for the additional soul [nefesh] that is lost.

(7) the LORD God formed man from the dust of the earth. He blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being.

The spirit of God formed me; The breath of Shaddai sustains me.

Let all that breathes praise the LORD. Hallelujah.

Behold it has been explained from the two verses that we mentioned - [as well as] from the words of the Sages, may their memory be blessed - that the soul of the evildoers goes down to the pit. And it has also been stated (Proverbs 15:24), "For an intelligent man the path of life leads upward, in order to avoid the pit below." And it has also been stated (Ecclesiastes 3:21), "Who knows if the spirit of men does rise upward and if a beast’s spirit does sink down into the earth?" The explanation [of this] is who can recognize the righteous ones and the evildoers in this world? For there are are evildoers whose actions are in the dark, and people will not know it about them; and there are righteous ones that fear the Heavens in private, like the matter that is stated (Micah 6:8), "and walk humbly." And he called the soul of an evildoer, the soul of a beast, because it follows its physical desire like a beast. And [this is] like the matter that is stated (Jonah 4:11), "who do not yet know their right hand from their left, and many beasts as well!" But he called the righteous ones, "the spirit of men" - like the matter that is stated (Ezekiel 34:31), "you are men." And the explanation of the wording of the verse is like this: Who knows the spirit of men - which are the righteous ones - which goes above; for there are many righteous people that a person cannot determine in this world that they are truly righteous, and that their souls will arise above, like the matter that is stated (I Samuel 16:7), "man sees only what is visible, but the Lord sees into the heart." And also since there are many righteous ones whose fear of the Heavens is secret, and their righteousness is not known, and like the matter that is stated, (Micah 6:8), "and walk humbly with your God." "And the beast's spirit, etc." is that there also many evildoers that a man would not recognize from their actions, like the matter that is stated (Isaiah 29:15), "who do their work in dark places and say, 'Who sees us, who takes note of us?'" And they, may their memory be blessed, likewise explained in Midrash Kohelet (Kohelet Rabbah 3:21) that the "spirit of men" is the righteous ones, "and the beast's spirit" is the evildoers. But a person cannot say that he is in doubt whether the soul of a man rise up; for behold it is written (Ecclesiastes 12:7), "and the spirit returns to God who bestowed it." And also how can he doubt whether the spirit of a beast descends below? Is the spirit of a beast not from the earth? So how could it rise? And it is explained in the Torah that the soul of man is supernal. As it is written about the spirit of an animal that it is from the ground, as it is stated (Genesis 1:24), "Let the earth bring forth living spirits according to their specie." But about the spirit of man, it is written (Genesis 2:7), "and He blew into his nostrils a living soul." Therefore the soul of man rises above with the death of the body; since all things return to their source, like the matter that is stated (Ecclesiastes 12:7), "And the dust returns to the ground as it was, and the spirit returns to God who bestowed it." And it is stated about the soul of the righteous one (Zechariah 3:7), "and I will permit you to move about among these ones standing." Its explanation is among the angels that are standing and enduring - as it is stated (Psalms 148:6), "And He made them stand forever." And it is [also] stated (Daniel 7:16), "approached one of the standing." And they, may their memory be blessed, said (Shabbat 152b), "The souls of the righteous are hidden under the Throne of Glory, as it is stated (I Samuel 25:29), "the life of my lord will be bound up in the bundle of life." And all men of heart will consider this world like a temporary dwelling; so they will only use it for the service of the Creator, may He be blessed, and prepare provisions for their souls. For if a man lives many years - even if he lived twice a thousand years - since there is a number to his years, the number will end, and his end will be as if they had not been. But the world of repayment has no end, like the matter that is stated (Job 16:22), "For a few more years will pass, and I shall go the way of no return." Even more so, since the days of man are like a passing shadow, like the matter that is stated (Psalms 90:10), "The span of our life is seventy years, etc." And it is [also] stated (Psalms 144:4), "his days are like a passing shadow." And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Kohelet Rabbah 1:3), "Not like the shadow of a tree or the shadow of a wall, but rather like the shadow of a flying and passing bird." It means to say a person is obligated to compare in his heart, this world to the shadow of a bird that if flying and passes over in a small instant - especially since a man does not know whether he is here today but in the grave tomorrow. And it would come out in his efforts today for tomorrow, that he has taken pains for a world that is not his. And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Sanhedrin 100b), "Grieve not about tomorrow’s trouble, because you know not what a day may bring."

And Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani further says that Rabbi Yonatan says: With regard to anyone who performs one mitzva in this world, the mitzva will precede him and walk before him in the World-to-Come, as it is stated: “And your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your reward” (Isaiah 58:8). And with regard to anyone who commits one transgression, that transgression will shroud him and lead him on the Day of Judgment, as it is stated: “The paths of their way do wind, they go up into the waste, and are lost” (Job 6:18).

(Gen. 6:5:) AND THE LORD SAW THAT HUMAN EVIL HAD BECOME GREAT ON THE EARTH. Let our master instruct us: How great is the judgment against the wicked in Gehinnom? Thus have our masters taught (in 'Eduy. 2:10): THE SENTENCE of the wicked in Gehinnom IS TWELVE MONTHS. These < words> are from the Mishnah.⁹⁷See ySanh. 10:3 (29b); PRK 10:4. Where is it shown from Scripture? Where it is written (in Is. 66:23): AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS WHENEVER A MONTH < FALLS > IN ITS MONTH, i.e., from that month to the same month < in the following year >. Ergo: twelve months. Thus it is stated (in Esth. 3:7): FROM DAY TO DAY AND FROM MONTH TO MONTH < EQUALS > [TWELVE MONTHS]. How were they judged? By fire and by snow, since it is stated (in Prov. 31:21): SHE IS NOT AFRAID FOR HER HOUSEHOLD BECAUSE OF SNOW. This is Gehinnom.⁹⁸Perhaps because Mount Zalmon, a name which means “darkness” and can designate Gehinnom, is a place of snow in Ps. 68:15 [14]. Cf. M. Pss. 68:9. Now they take that < wicked one > out of the snow and cast him into the midst of the fire. David said (in Ps. 40:3 [2]): AND HE RAISED ME UP FROM THE PIT OF DESOLATION, FROM THE MIRY MUD. And why is it called by the name MIRY MUD (YWN)? Because when they take them and cast them into the fire, they cry: Vay (WY). Then after that they cast them into the snow, and they cry: Vay. Its name is therefore called MUD (YWN), a place where they say: Vay, vay (WY)! And where do they deliver their souls? Hezekiah the son of R. Hiyya said:⁹⁹See M. Prov. 21. In the midst of the snow, as stated (in Ps. 68:15 [14]): IT SNOWS IN ZALMON. And what basis is there for you to compare the sentencing of the wicked to Gehinnom with the sentencing of the generation of the flood?¹⁰⁰See Gen. R. 28:8; 33:7; Lam. R. 1:14 (40); Seder ‘Olam R. 4. < The basis is > that, just as the judgment of the former is to fire and to snow, [so the judgment of the latter was to fire and snow. Where is it shown that it was to fire?] Where it is stated (in Job 6:17): THROUGH ITS HEAT THEY ARE OBLITERATED FROM THEIR PLACE. And where is it shown that it was to snow? Where it is stated (in Gen. 7:12): AND THERE WAS RAIN UPON THE EARTH. And why so? Because by the measure with which a person measures one will measure out for him.¹⁰¹Sot. 1:7; TSot. 3:1; Matthew 7:2 // Luke 6:38; cf. Gal. 6:7. See what is written (in Gen. 6:2):¹⁰²See Gen. R. 26:5; Lev. R. 33:9. THE SONS OF GOD SAW THE HUMAN DAUGHTERS: These were the virgins. (Ibid., cont.:) THAT THEY WERE FAIR: These were the unmarried. (Ibid., cont.:) THEY TOOK WIVES FOR THEMSELVES: These were the married. (Ibid., cont.:) WHOMEVER THEY CHOSE, even including males and cattle. R. Huna said in the name of R. Idi: The verdict against the generation of the flood was not sealed until they wrote gamika¹⁰³The word is Greek. {i.e., marriage contracts} for males and cattle. For that reason the waters came over them in the form of a woman. Thus it is stated (in Job 6:18): THE WAYS OF THEIR COURSE¹⁰⁴These words may also denote ways of living. TURN ASIDE. Now TURN ASIDE must imply a woman, since it is stated (in Ruth 3:8): < NOW IT CAME TO PASS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT > THAT THE MAN WAS STARTLED. SO TURNED HE ASIDE, AND HERE WAS A WOMAN. And WAYS < can > only < denote > {a woman} [women], since it is stated (in Gen. 18:11): THE WAY OF WOMEN < HAD CEASED FOR SARAH >. So also THEIR COURSE (derekh), since it is stated (in Gen. 31:35): FOR THE PERIOD (derekh) WOMEN IS UPON ME. Hence one may say: In the manner that they sinned retribution was exacted from them. You know yourself that it is so. See what is written (in Gen. 7:11): ON THAT DAY ALL THE SPRINGS OF THE GREAT ABYSS BURST FORTH. What is the meaning of GREAT? < That > the Holy One said: Just as they have sinned greatly, so I have exacted retribution from them greatly. Where is it shown? From what they read on the matter (in Gen. 6:5): AND THE LORD SAW THAT < HUMAN EVIL > HAD BECOME GREAT….