Description: Chapter 1 - 01
Derech Hashem
Section III – Chapter 1 - 01
We now begin the third section of Derech Hashem. This section deals with understanding the nature of a person’s neshamah, and with Ruach Hakodesh and Nevuah, and the miracles which are outside the natural world, that Hashem performs.
We have already discussed that a human is unique in that he is a blend of two worlds, which are essentially a universe apart from each other. He contains within himself both a physical side, a guf, and a neshamah which is spiritual.
Every person has a ‘nefesh’ which is a life force, just as all animals have as well. This ‘nefesh,’ develops in a person shortly after conception, and causes the embryo to develop and grow, and builds it into the physical body of whatever species it is. With this ‘nefesh’ a person is capable of thinking and feeling. Obviously, there is a great divide between the mental capacity of an animal and the capacity of a human, and between animals themselves there is a great gap, as we know primates have a much greater mental capacity than insects or birds. All this, even in a human, is a function of the ‘nefesh’. In a human, it has diverse capabilities, such as imagination, memory, logical thought, desire, and all the other powers of intellect, each one working within its limitations.
This isn’t what the neshamah is. The neshamah is an elevated, spiritual part of our existence, which only is bound to our bodies in order to enable them to connect with the spiritual worlds. Through a neshamah, our actions have the ability to create great spiritual force and affect the worlds. Through the neshamah, a person receives ‘shefah’ from spiritual sources, and from his neshamah it spreads to the nefesh, and then to the guf. The nefesh is bound to the neshamah as well, yet the neshamah guides and controls the nefesh. In essence, a person has two ‘neshamos’ of sorts, one the spiritual neshamah, and one the nefesh.
Because of the fact that the guf is bound to the nefesh, it is limited in its capacity to experience ruchniyos, as long as a person is still alive. The actions done by the body affect the neshamah and either bring it closer to Hashem or further away.
Although we call the ‘nefesh’ and ‘neshamah’ a singular force in the body, truthfully, it has many components, so much so that it would be more accurate to look at it as a chain with many links. The different parts are linked together and connect a person to the higher spiritual planes. It is possible that at times a person has more connections, or links, and other times he has less, although he won’t feel any less alive or energetic. This is the concept of the ‘neshamah yesairah’ which we receive on Shabbos, it is another link in our neshamah to spiritual forces, namely, of Shabbos.
The neshamah is divided into five parts, called, ‘nefesh, ruach, neshamah, chayah, and yechidah.’
Derech Hashem
Section III – Chapter 1 - 01
We now begin the third section of Derech Hashem. This section deals with understanding the nature of a person’s neshamah, and with Ruach Hakodesh and Nevuah, and the miracles which are outside the natural world, that Hashem performs.
We have already discussed that a human is unique in that he is a blend of two worlds, which are essentially a universe apart from each other. He contains within himself both a physical side, a guf, and a neshamah which is spiritual.
Every person has a ‘nefesh’ which is a life force, just as all animals have as well. This ‘nefesh,’ develops in a person shortly after conception, and causes the embryo to develop and grow, and builds it into the physical body of whatever species it is. With this ‘nefesh’ a person is capable of thinking and feeling. Obviously, there is a great divide between the mental capacity of an animal and the capacity of a human, and between animals themselves there is a great gap, as we know primates have a much greater mental capacity than insects or birds. All this, even in a human, is a function of the ‘nefesh’. In a human, it has diverse capabilities, such as imagination, memory, logical thought, desire, and all the other powers of intellect, each one working within its limitations.
This isn’t what the neshamah is. The neshamah is an elevated, spiritual part of our existence, which only is bound to our bodies in order to enable them to connect with the spiritual worlds. Through a neshamah, our actions have the ability to create great spiritual force and affect the worlds. Through the neshamah, a person receives ‘shefah’ from spiritual sources, and from his neshamah it spreads to the nefesh, and then to the guf. The nefesh is bound to the neshamah as well, yet the neshamah guides and controls the nefesh. In essence, a person has two ‘neshamos’ of sorts, one the spiritual neshamah, and one the nefesh.
Because of the fact that the guf is bound to the nefesh, it is limited in its capacity to experience ruchniyos, as long as a person is still alive. The actions done by the body affect the neshamah and either bring it closer to Hashem or further away.
Although we call the ‘nefesh’ and ‘neshamah’ a singular force in the body, truthfully, it has many components, so much so that it would be more accurate to look at it as a chain with many links. The different parts are linked together and connect a person to the higher spiritual planes. It is possible that at times a person has more connections, or links, and other times he has less, although he won’t feel any less alive or energetic. This is the concept of the ‘neshamah yesairah’ which we receive on Shabbos, it is another link in our neshamah to spiritual forces, namely, of Shabbos.
The neshamah is divided into five parts, called, ‘nefesh, ruach, neshamah, chayah, and yechidah.’