In kabbalah, the divine soul (; ''nefesh ha'elokit'') is the source of good inclination, or ''

yetzer tov There is no established formulation of principles of faith that are recognized by all branches of Judaism. Central authority in Judaism is not vested in any one person or group - although the Sanhedrin, the supreme Jewish religious court, would ...

'', and Godly desires. The divine soul is composed of the ten sefirot from the side of holiness, and garbs itself with three garments of holiness, namely Godly thought, speech and action associated with the

613 commandments The Jewish tradition that there are 613 commandments ( he, תרי״ג מצוות, taryag mitzvot) or mitzvot in the Torah (also known as the Law of Moses) is first recorded in the 3rd century AD, when Rabbi Simlai mentioned it in a sermon that i ...

of the Torah. Because its desire is to cleave to Godliness, it is usually in conflict with the ''

nefesh habehamit In kabbalah, the animal soul (; ''nefesh habehamit'') is one of the two souls of a Jew. It is the soul that gives life to the physical body, as stated in Tanya, and is the source of animalistic desires as well as innate Jewish characteristics such ...

'', whose desire is initially for physical pleasures.Likkutei Amarim ch. 9, Tanya

Reluctance of the soul to be born

In Pirkei Avot 4:22 it is stated: Regarding this, Bartenura explains that the soul does not desire to leave the pure place where souls reside before coming down to earth. An angel forces it to leave its heavenly abode and enter the mother's womb, after which an angel again forces it to come out and be born. On the same passage, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, notes that "against your will you live" seems to conflict with "against your will you die." "Against your will you live" makes sense according to Bartenura, because the soul was on a much higher level before it came to this world; at that time it was blissfully cleaving to Godliness. How, then, can it be said that "against your will you die," when the soul returns to God? He resolves it by explaining that the soul was convinced to descend when it was informed of the Divine Intention to "make a dwelling for God in the lower realms." This can only be accomplished by studying Torah and performing

mitzvot In its primary meaning, the Hebrew word (; he, מִצְוָה, ''mīṣvā'' , plural ''mīṣvōt'' ; "commandment") refers to a commandment commanded by God to be performed as a religious duty. Jewish law () in large part consists of discus ...

on earth. Despite being reluctant to leave the Heavens, its most powerful, core and essential desire is actually to cleave to God; and because of that, it also yearns to cleave to and be in accord with the Divine Will. The soul therefore descends, in order to create the "dwelling place in the nether realms" and fulfill the Divine Will. Likewise, it is reluctant to die and leave the world, because the

can only be fulfilled while enclothed in a physical body.

Battle with the animal soul

In the Tanya

In the Tanya, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi stated that the ''nefesh ha'elokit'' is "literally a part of God above."Likkutei Amarim ch. 2, Tanya This is supported by quoting the morning prayer "Elokai neshamah", which says "the soul You gave me is pure. ...You blew it into me," then quoting a phrase of the

Zohar The ''Zohar'' ( he, , ''Zōhar'', lit. "Splendor" or "Radiance") is a foundational work in the literature of Jewish mystical thought known as Kabbalah. It is a group of books including commentary on the mystical aspects of the Torah (the five ...

that "one who blows, blows from within him."''Lessons in Tanya'' on Likkutei Amarim ch. 2 notes that while the Tanya cites the Zohar for this phrase, it has since been lost and is missing from newer editions of the Zohar. This is taken to mean, "from His innermost."

Unique to Jews

The Tanya also notes that this soul is unique to Jews alone. He cites various verses (Exodus 4:22: "My firstborn son, Israel", Deuteronomy 14:1: "You are children to the your God") showing that Jews are considered God's children, and then links it to a mystical statement that "a child is derived from the brain of his father." It then cites Maimonides (Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 2:10) who says, "He is the Knowledge, and He is the Knower," thus proving that the Jewish Divine soul is derived from the

Divine Thought Divinity or the divine are things that are either related to, devoted to, or proceeding from a deity.divine

, which is the same as God Himself.

Relation to human anatomy

The Tanya states that the ''nefesh ha'elokit'' resides primarily in the brain, from which it spreads throughout the body. It is also manifest, albeit to a lesser extent, in the right ventricle of the heart, from which it may take control of the left ventricle of the heart where the ''

'' is primarily manifest.

Allegorical terms

Because the ''nefesh ha'elokit'' is derived from God Himself, it is commonly referred to as a "prince" or a "princess" in many allegories. The

Parable of the Harlot and the Prince In kabbalah, the animal soul (; ''nefesh habehamit'') is one of the two souls of a Jew. It is the soul that gives life to the physical body, as stated in Tanya, and is the source of animalistic desires as well as innate Jewish characteristics such ...

from the

(part II, 163a) is one example. Another example is th
Parable of the Princess and the Peasant

Reluctance of the soul to be born

Battle with the animal soul

In the Tanya

Unique to Jews

Relation to human anatomy

Allegorical terms

See also

References

Further reading