{"id":44448,"date":"2018-11-21T23:23:08","date_gmt":"2018-11-21T21:23:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=44448"},"modified":"2022-06-15T14:33:46","modified_gmt":"2022-06-15T11:33:46","slug":"adam-v-nefesh-another-view","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/adam-v-nefesh-another-view\/","title":{"rendered":"Adam v. Nefesh: Another View"},"content":{"rendered":"
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What distinguishes an <\/span>Adam<\/span><\/em> from a <\/span>Nefesh<\/span><\/em>?<\/span><\/p>\n

A curious dichotomy appears throughout <\/span>Leviticus<\/span>. Some activities connected to the sacrificial order (<\/span>korbanot<\/span><\/em>) feature the noun <\/span>adam<\/span><\/em>, while others\u2014our chapter in particular\u2014utilize <\/span>nefesh<\/span><\/em>, inviting the question: What distinguishes one from the other?<\/span><\/p>\n

Philologically speaking, <\/span>adam<\/span><\/em> derives from <\/span>adamah<\/span><\/em>, earth, while <\/span>nefesh<\/span><\/em> means breath\u2014as in the verb <\/span>vayinafash<\/span><\/em> (Exodus 31:17); literally, to take a breather. The two come together most notably in Genesis 2:7, which describes God\u2019s creation of humankind from earthly matter into which He then inspired a breath of life. (The biblical\u00a0<\/span>nefesh<\/em> <\/span>is synonymous with both <\/span>neshama<\/span><\/em> and\u00a0<\/span>ru\u2019ah<\/span><\/em>.<\/span><\/i>)<\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps this is the distinction we see: <\/span>Adam<\/span><\/em> signifies the physical dimension of man, while <\/span>nefesh<\/span><\/em> designates his spirituality.<\/span><\/p>\n

When addressing the voluntary offering of sacrifice (1:2), bodily impurity (5:3, 7:21, 13:2), or the infliction of corporal injury (24:17, 21), the Torah speaks of <\/span>adam<\/span><\/em>; however, when speaking of the human proclivity to sin (4:2, 27; 5:1), swear falsely (5:4), or embezzling from the tabernacle (7:27) \u2014 all spiritual failings\u2014it utilizes <\/span>nefesh<\/span><\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Just as body and soul unite at birth, they separate at death, each returning to its point of origin. As described in Ecclesiastes (12:7) and often recited at funerals: \u201cThe matter returns to the earth, as it was, while the spirit returns to God who granted it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":79615,"id":79615,"title":"zech12-soul","filename":"zech12-soul.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/zech12-soul.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/the-human-soul\/zech12-soul\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"zech12-soul","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":79614,"date":"2020-09-05 17:27:48","modified":"2022-06-15 11:33:43","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":728,"height":546,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/zech12-soul-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/zech12-soul-300x225.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":225,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/zech12-soul.jpg","medium_large-width":728,"medium_large-height":546,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/zech12-soul.jpg","large-width":728,"large-height":546,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/zech12-soul.jpg","1536x1536-width":728,"1536x1536-height":546,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/zech12-soul.jpg","2048x2048-width":728,"2048x2048-height":546,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/zech12-soul.jpg","post_full_size-width":728,"post_full_size-height":546,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/zech12-soul-560x420.jpg","home_baner-width":560,"home_baner-height":420}},"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"","main_caption":"Adam v. 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