For Jews: what is the Soul?

[LAGoff]

I see a 'problem' indeed. Some animals are said to be nefesh chaya (1:20, 24), and so is Man. (2:7) You would think that after God breathed the nishmat chayyim (2:7) into Man, 'he'd' become something more than a nefesh haya-- maybe a nishmat chaya? But no. It just says 'he' became a nefesh chaya. (2:7)
I just looked at these early chapters in Genesis in regards to the use of these two words / terms. Maybe we can learn more about this from their appearance in other places in the Hebrew Scriptures (Tanakh)
But for now, maybe there is a simple solution. There's an ancient prayer called Nishmat Kol Chai. (the breath of all life). The 'Nishmat' seems to refer to all living creatures. So maybe Genesis is just saying that man is a TYPE of nefesh and a TYPE of nishama ('breath'); and that animals have a nefesh and a 'breath' (neshama), but it is different than ours in that our 'breath' (neshama) is Godly and so that makes our nefesh and neshama ('breath') Godly too, perhaps.
Don't ask me to translate nefesh! All I can say is that in Exodus 31:17 it says that on the seventh day (shabbat), God sabbathed (shabbat) and nafashed (vayinafash). The root of vayinafash is nafash, which is the same root from which we get nefesh. Maybe you can make something of this?

 

[gnostic]

Perhaps it's your question with all its window dressing sucked from Genesis.

But I'll make you a deal. Define soul and I'll tell you is I believe in it.

I mainly understood the soul in the perspective of the Christian, because I was taught that the soul was spirit of the human, a soul of person that can be saved through the messages of Jesus and his disciples, since I was 15 in 1981.

But since 2000, I have tried to not interpret the Hebrew scriptures with Christian preconceptions. In another word, since the Hebrew scriptures, I have tried rethink on how to get as close as possible the original context as possible, which were mean for Jewish readers, not Christian readers.

So if I get stuck, I come here, hoping that any Jew in this forum, can help me to find the original contexts.

I don't know of any Jew to whom I can ask in person, because in the 55 year of my life, I have never personally met a Jew.

If you can help, then I'd appreciate it. If not, don't sweat it.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

I see a 'problem' indeed. Some animals are said to be nefesh chaya (1:20, 24), and so is Man. (2:7)

Some? Animals?

1:20 ... let the waters swarm with the swarm of living creatures ...
1:24 ... let the earth bring forth living creatures of each kind, cattle and crawling things and while beast of each kind.​

So I too "see a 'problem' indeed," that being your decision to limit נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה to animals, and only some animals at that.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

I don't know of any Jew to whom I can ask in person, because in the 55 year of my life, I have never personally a Jew.

Wow. Interesting.

If you can help, then I'd appreciate it. If not, don't sweat it.

If my math is correct, a week from tomorrow you'll be celebrating your 15th anniversary here at RF. That is a lot of time on the web, and I find myself wondering: "How on earth could a person with such experience not think of googling "Judaism soul" and thereby avail himself of the readily available information? It's possible that his question is rhetorical. It's also possible that it's simply unserious. But it's really difficult to believe that it reflects an intellectual quest to learn of the various Jewish attitudes about the "soul".

 

[gnostic]

Wow. Interesting.



If my math is correct, a week from tomorrow you'll be celebrating your 15th anniversary here at RF. That is a lot of time on the web, and I find myself wondering: "How on earth could a person with such experience not think of googling "Judaism soul" and thereby avail himself of the readily available information? It's possible that his question is rhetorical. It's also possible that it's simply unserious. But it's really difficult to believe that it reflects an intellectual quest to learn of the various Jewish attitudes about the "soul".

Ok. If you don’t wish to share your perspective, then I’ll withdraw my earlier question to you.

 

[dybmh]

But what do the Jews think the “soul” is?

Every material thing that exists can be described in terms of its outer dimension, the body, and its inner dimension, a divine spark. The soul is an advanced divine spark that exists in animals and people. According to Torah it exists, at least partially, in the blood ( Leviticus 17:11 ).

I am trying to determine if the Jews believe that the soul is spirit or life or breath?

Does humans have "spirits"?

All humans have both soul and spirit. That's what seperates us from animals. Animals have a soul; they react on impulse and instinct. We humans react on impulse and instinct, but we also have emotional and intellectual faculties. That is described by our Soul and Spirit. Our inner dimension, our divine spark, is much more complex than animals. But we have an animalistic aspect as well.

hoping that any Jew in this forum, can help me to find the original contexts.

Maybe a quote from the Talmud would help? Our sages taught regarding Psalm 103. Here the "soul" that is described is the human soul which has both soul and spirit.

Berakhot 10a:24-25:

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.​

 

[Ehav4Ever]

This may help.

 

[Ehav4Ever]

How about someone just answer the OP question. Such a simple question.

It was answered. The OP did ask what "Jews say" on the topic and that has been provided.

 

[Brian2]

It was answered. The OP did ask what "Jews say" on the topic and that has been provided.

But gnostic could go away and be none the wiser about whether Jews say we have a soul or not.

 

[Ehav4Ever]

But gnostic could go away and be none the wiser about whether Jews say we have a soul or not.

Let's let Gnostic speak for themselves in that area. Yet, in either case the answer has been given pretty clearly in several formats, the last one being a video that explains certain perspectives. If Gnostic needs further clarifications they can ask and a Jew can answer them.

 

[Mark La Buda]

I know that in Christian teachings, Christians believe that the soul is a spirit of human, that when he or she die, the soul is then rewarded in heaven or punished eternally in hell.

But what do the Jews think the “soul” is?

Take for instance, in Genesis 2:7, in the King James Version, God crested man from dust, breath life into the body, and then -

​

- the body became a “living soul”.

The translation of the Septuagint from 1851 translation by Lancelot Brenton, also used the word living "soul":

​

I am assuming that Jews would disagree with this translation, or with teaching that is a spirit of man.

In English translation but from Jewish translations, this one is from Jewish Publication, the 1985 translation (NJPS), which used the word "being", not "soul":

​

Then there is the Dead Sea Scrolls of Genesis:

​

And in the Orthodox Jewish Bible:

​

Does "nephesh" means "soul" or "being"?

The “soul” is not some inter self or invisible spiritual being. Humans, like animal, do not have a soul, we are a soul.-Genesis 2:7; Exodus 1:5; Leviticus 24:17, 18; Joshua 11:11; Ezekiel 18:4, 20; Revelation 16:3. (Not inclusive)

God speaks of “my soul” as if He were a physical being. (Psalms 11:5; 24:4; Isaiah 1:14; 42:1; Jeremiah 12:7; 14:19; 32:14; Lamentations 3:20; Matthew 12:18; Hebrews 10:38) Furthermore, God is spoken of as having eyes, hands, and so forth. Such scriptures help the reader in understanding.-Leviticus 26:11, 30; Psalms 24:4; Isaiah 42:1.

 

[Brian2]

The “soul” is not some inter self or invisible spiritual being. Humans, like animal, do not have a soul, we are a soul.-Genesis 2:7; Exodus 1:5; Leviticus 24:17, 18; Joshua 11:11; Ezekiel 18:4, 20; Revelation 16:3. (Not inclusive)

God speaks of “my soul” as if He were a physical being. (Psalms 11:5; 24:4; Isaiah 1:14; 42:1; Jeremiah 12:7; 14:19; 32:14; Lamentations 3:20; Matthew 12:18; Hebrews 10:38) Furthermore, God is spoken of as having eyes, hands, and so forth. Such scriptures help the reader in understanding.-Leviticus 26:11, 30; Psalms 24:4; Isaiah 42:1.

I would say that the soul is defined too simply by some religions.

• Post #27 has an interesting video about it.