Nature of the Soul

We have already discussed the nature of the soul briefly in the very beginning of the book. Let us probe further into the dynamics of the soul The soul is a part of G-d. The most commonly used Hebrew word for soul is “neshama” which is associated with the word neshinah which means breath. This, in turn, is related to the Biblical verse “And He blew a breath of life into his (Adam’s) nostrils.”

Obviously, the soul is not our breath of life, for a breath of life is a physical thing and the soul is totally spiritual. And even more obvious is the fact that G-d does not have a physical form, so that His blowing a breath of life into Adam’s nostrils can only be understood figuratively.

Both speech and blowing express air. It is easy to imagine that when one blows air it is much more powerful than when the air is expressed through speech. Not only is there more air and is it expressed with greater force, but it also comes deeper within, from one’s gut.

This, then, is the metaphor of G-d blowing a breath of life into Adam. G-d’s very “innards” His very “gut,” or His essence were involved in animating Adam, as opposed to other creatures which were created by G-d’s “mere” speech.

This means that, unlike the body and the physical world around that were created by G-d, the soul is a part of G-d that was “thrust” into the creation.

The soul is also unlike the spark of G-d that must be present in every physical being, even a rock. Without this divine spark nothing could possibly exist. For, if G-d would cease from creating any aspect of this world, it would revert to its original state that preceded its creation, which is, of course, utter nothingness. This spark, of divinity within all of creation, however, is not expressive of its presence, but concealed within the creation.

The soul, by contrast, never loses its divine sheen. It is always capable of releasing itself. It is therefore, in a constant state of yearning to fully express itself and its complete potential.

Let us digress for a moment and try to relate to the soul and its feeling. Imagine a person who falls into a coma and lies still for an extended period of time. Would it occur to anyone of a sound mind to say, “What’s the big deal? He doesn’t feel any pain. He doesn’t even know that he’s in a coma!”

Not only is the pain great. Thee can be no greater pain when a person is incapable of being himself/herself.

Now let us apply this to the divine soul within us that does not express itself fully because it is contained within a physical body. It is utter torture. When the soul’s ability to express itself is further hampered because of the unspiritual influences that surround us and affect us in a negative way, the torture becomes unbearable. The soul wants nothing less than to break out of these constraints and attach itself to G-d.

This explains why there are many whose thirst for G-d is so intense that their attachment to G-d through the Mitzvot is greater than for those who were always steeped in the path of Judaism.

This also explains the phenomenon where people of spirit have sought to leave this world through meditation and other spiritual exercises. Their souls were on fire. Others, inadvertently, have chanced upon spiritual experiences that motivated their souls to leave their bodies. Their souls too were ignited and were allowed to express themselves in their most natural state, which is to leave this physical world and reconnect to its G-dly source..

All this leads to the inevitable question:

From the book Safe Kabbalah, Part Three: Journeys of the Soul by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.