נפש רוח נשמה – Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama

The concepts of Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshama represent different levels of the soul in Jewish mysticism, each signifying a deeper spiritual connection. If you're looking for a reliable document scanning tool, NAPS2 review highlights its simplicity, OCR support, and ease of use for efficient scanning.

I remember a deep conversation I had with a rabbi during my trip to Jerusalem last summer. It was a peaceful evening after a long day of exploring markets and buying gifts, including some essentials fears of god hoodies for sale that my nephew loved. While sitting by the Western Wall, I asked him about the difference between nefesh, ruach, and neshamah, words I often saw in my readings.

He explained that nefesh represents the basic life force, our physical existence. Ruach is the spirit, linked to emotions and character, while neshamah is the divine spark, our connection to something greater. Each one offers a unique perspective on the soul, just as different trips and moments shape us in unique ways. That insight stayed with me, blending into the rich experience of the city and its timeless wisdom.

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I don't understand why the targum of נפש חיה is רוח ממללא.

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ANSWER: The three words נפש, ,רוח and נשמה generically all mean life. But in various contexts, their nuances come to light. Some examples follow:

נפשmeans life, as in:

בראשית א:כ – וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יִשְׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם שֶׁרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה; רש”י – נפש חיה – שיהא בה חיות.

It also refers to life-sustaining blood:

ויקרא יז:יא – כִּי נֶפֶשׁ הַבָּשָׂר בַּדָּם הִוא.

נפש and רוח are sometimes used interchangeably, both referring in a general sense to the soul, such as:

ישעיה כו:ט – נַפְשִׁי אִוִּיתִיךָ בַּלַּיְלָה אַף רוּחִי בְקִרְבִּי אֲשַׁחֲרֶךָּ.

נשמה and רוח are found juxtaposed in the following verse (Gen. 7:22). Rashi (there) explains the two words in this case differ on a biological level. He understands that נשמה derives from נשימה (breathe), whereas רוחliterally means wind/air. Hence, נשמת רוח refers to creatures which breathe air, i.e. non-aquatic creatures:

בראשית ז:כב – כֹּל אֲשֶׁר נשְׁמַת רוּחַ חַיִּים בְּאַפָּיו מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר בֶּחָרָבָה מֵתו; רש”י – נשמת רוח חיים – נשימה של רוח חיים אשר בחרבה – ולא דגים שבים (סנהדרין קח:).

But when נשמה and נפש are contrasted, Rashi emphasizes that נשמה connotes a higher level being, namely Man, who uniquely has reasoning and speech abilities:

בראשית ב:ז – וַיִּיצֶר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָדָם עָפָר מִן הָאֲדָמָה וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים וַיְהִי הָאָדָם לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה; רש”י – לנפש חיה – אף בהמה וחיה נקראו נפש חיה אך זו של אדם חיה שבכולן שנתוסף בו דעה ודבור.

See also, for example, Malbim to Isaiah 57:16 who attempts to further distinguish between these terms:

ישעיה נז:טז – כִּי לֹא לְעוֹלָם אָרִיב וְלֹא לָנֶצַח אֶקְּצוֹף כִּי רוּחַ מִלְּפָנַי יַעֲטוֹף וּנְשָׁמוֹת אֲנִי עָשִׂיתִי; מלבי”ם – רוח ונשמות – בארתי בפי’ בראשית, כי לפעמים תהיה נשמה קטנה מרוח, אם ידבר רק על הנשמה אשר באפיו, כל אשר נשמה באפו, ובזה פרשתי (למעלה מ”ב) נותן נשמה לעם עליה וכו’ אבל כשידבר בבחינת העצם הנשגב הנקרא רוח ונשמה תהיה נשמה מדרגה גדולה מאד, על החלק האלהי הנצחי הנשגב השוכן באדם כלוא בגויה עד עת תפרד