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[1] [2] Not all living organisms are referred to as Nefesh, arthropods ("bugs") and plants, for example, are not described in the Bible as nephesh. The primary meaning of the term נפש is 'the breath of life' instinct in the nostrils of all living beings, and by extension 'life', 'person' or 'very self'.
The Old Testament consistently uses three primary words to describe the parts of man: basar (flesh), which refers to the external, material aspect of man (mostly in emphasizing human frailty); nephesh, which refers to the soul as well as the whole person or life; and ruach which is used to refer to the human spirit (ruach can mean "wind", "breath", or "spirit" depending on the context; cf ...
The concept of an immaterial and immortal soul – distinct from the body – did not appear in Judaism before the Babylonian exile, [1] but developed as a result of interaction with Persian and Hellenistic philosophies. [2]
It is said of the former, as of the Holy Spirit, that it rests upon a person. The difference between the two in such cases has not yet been determined. Although the Holy Spirit is often named instead of God, [10] it was conceived as being something distinct. The Spirit was among the ten things that were created on the first day. [11]
In Hebrew the word for Spirit (רוח) (ruach) is feminine, (which is used in the Hebrew Bible, as is the feminine word "shekhinah" in rabbinic literature, to indicate the presence of God, Arabic: سكينة sakina, a word mentioned six times in the Quran).
Higher levels of the soul give a person emotion (ruach), logic (neshamah) and awareness of G‑dliness (chaya). Within the category of nefesh are the nefesh habehamit and the nefesh haelokit. In yeshivah, we typically spelled the word as nefesh, although I am unsure about the rest of the world.
The translation is based on the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), first published in 1989 by an ecumenical translation committee under the National Council of Churches in Christ U.S.A. whose ...
It is not mentioned in classical sources such as the Hebrew Bible, the classical rabbinic works (Mishnah and Talmud), or Maimonides' 13 principles of faith. Kabbalah, however, teaches a belief in gilgul ; hence, the belief is universal in Hasidic Judaism , which regards the Kabbalah as sacred and authoritative.