{"id":73909,"date":"2020-04-29T13:23:32","date_gmt":"2020-04-29T10:23:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=73909"},"modified":"2020-04-29T13:23:32","modified_gmt":"2020-04-29T10:23:32","slug":"nefesh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/nefesh\/","title":{"rendered":"Nefesh"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Our Chapter represents a separate unit in the prophecies of Ezekiel that deals with the question of individual as opposed to collective (especially transgenerational) retribution. The key message is stated succinctly but forcefully: \u201cThe person (<\/span>nefesh<\/span><\/em>) who sins, he shall die\u201d (Ezekiel 18:4, repeated in verse 20). This divine declaration clearly contradicts the earlier divine declaration: \u201cI, the Lord your God, am an impassioned God, visiting the guilt of the parents upon the children\u2026\u201d (Exodus 20:4).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In Talmud Bavli Makkot 24a, we find a remarkably unflinching contrasting of these two verses. Moses said that the guilt of the parents shall be visited upon the children, but Ezekiel came and annulled this, saying \u201cThe person who sins, he shall die\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

It should be noted that the Hebrew word \u201c<\/span>nefesh<\/span><\/em>\u201d, translated in the above quotation as \u201cperson\u201d, has a broader and highly significant range of meanings, occurring 754 times in the Hebrew Bible. In Genesis Chapter 1 \u201c<\/span>nefesh<\/span><\/em>\u201d is repeatedly used to refer to animals as \u201cliving creatures \u2013 <\/span>nefesh hayah<\/span><\/em>\u201d (verses 20, 21 and 24); seemingly meaning the \u201cbreath of life\u201d or the \u201clife-force\u201d that animates all living creatures. Significantly, in first describing the creation of Adam, Genesis 2:7 states: \u201cThe Lord God formed man from the dust of the earth. He blew into his nostrils the breath of life (<\/span>nishmat hayyim<\/span><\/em>), and man became a living creature (<\/span>nefesh hayah<\/span><\/em>)\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A later Biblical text (Job 12:10) says of God: \u201cIn His hand is the life of every living being (<\/span>nefesh kol hai<\/span><\/em>) and the spirit of all flesh of man (<\/span>ve-ruah kol besar ish<\/span><\/em>)\u201d. This suggests that it is \u201cspirit \u2013 <\/span>ruah<\/span><\/em>\u201d that animates flesh. Indeed, according to Scripture, death occurs when the \u201c<\/span>nefesh<\/em> <\/span>\u2013 breath, life-force\u201d leaves the body (see Genesis 35:18). In the Hellenistic period, the multivocal Hebrew term, \u201c<\/span>nefesh<\/span><\/em>\u201d was translated by the Greek \u201cpsyche\u201d and later by the Latin \u201canima\u201d, both of which are normally rendered as \u201csoul\u201d in English. In Rabbinic literature, \u201c<\/span>nefesh<\/span><\/em>\u201d is normally used to refer to \u201csoul\u201d as distinct from \u201cbody \u2013 <\/span>guf<\/span><\/em>\u201d. Though essentially separate, only when the body and soul operate together could the complete human being fall into sin. And only together as a resurrected body and soul could the individual person rightly face God in the Final Judgement.*\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Rabbinic Sages (Pesiqta de-Rav Kahana, Shuva, 24:7) discuss the question of the punishment for sin. Ezekiel\u2019s answer: \u201cThe person (<\/span>nefesh<\/span><\/em>) who sins, he shall die\u201d (Ezekiel 18:4) is seen as particularly harsh. But God\u2019s answer is more forgiving — Repentance (<\/span>teshuvah<\/span><\/em>): \u201cGood and upright is the Lord. Therefore, He shows sinners the way\u201d (Psalms 25:8) \u2013 by showing sinners how to repent their sins.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our Chapter, which deals so intensely with retribution for sin, ends on a similar more positive note: \u201cFor it is not My desire that anyone shall die\u2014declares the Lord God. Repent, therefore, and live!\u201d (Ezekiel 18:32).<\/span><\/p>\n

*See Marc Bregman, in <\/span>Journal of Theological Studies <\/span><\/i>42 (1991), pp. 125-138.<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":73911,"id":73911,"title":"ez18-soul","filename":"ez18-soul.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez18-soul.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/nefesh\/ez18-soul\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"ez18-soul","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":73909,"date":"2020-04-29 10:21:42","modified":"2022-10-15 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