> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.thehiddenorchard.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # The Nefesh - Soul Series pt. 1 - URL: https://www.thehiddenorchard.com/the-nefesh/ - Published: 2023-09-29T15:22:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-08-07T15:31:16.000Z - Description: Some people are inclined to contemplate the essence of their souls. Others can live their entire lives - even lives of intellectual activity - without taking an interest in their souls at all. - Author: James - The Hidden Orchard - Tags: Mysticism and Spirituality, Soul [Part 1](https://www.thehiddenorchard.com/the-nefesh/) | [Part 2 ](https://www.thehiddenorchard.com/the-ruach/) | [Part 3](https://www.thehiddenorchard.com/neshamah/) | [Part 4 ](https://www.thehiddenorchard.com/chaya-the-soul-series-pt-4/) | [**Part 5**](https://www.thehiddenorchard.com/soul-series-yechidah/) Understanding the soul is perhaps one of the most important learning journeys a person can undertake. But not everyone is interested in such a journey. On this, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz wrote; > “Some people are inclined to contemplate the essence of their souls. Others can live their entire lives - even lives of intellectual activity - without taking an interest in their souls at all. These different attitudes are influenced by personality certainly, but also by our inner world of experiences”¹. In this multi-part series, we'll compile lessons from ancient tradition and modern sources to get better acquainted with the expressions of the human soul² and how these are revealed in daily life. The ancient midrash³ tells us the human soul is comprised of five levels. In this series we will explore, in descending order, the Yechidah, Chaya, Neshamah, Ruach, and Nefesh. ## The Nefesh Though considered the lowest level of the soul, the Nefesh is the vital, animating life force behind all living and sentient organisms. Unlike the other levels of the soul, the Nefesh is innately oriented to the body and is considered to be a component of physicality. The human body functions as a result of a significant number of autonomic processes that are not controlled by the conscious mind. Among these are; respiration, circulation, digestion, hormone production, and many more. The Nefesh is the intelligent lifeforce behind these processes. While these are not fully governed by the conscious mind, many of these functions can be influenced and guided by the mind, and soul, as we will explore in this series. ### "Animal" Soul It is traditionally taught that animals indeed have a Nefesh, though this is not the same as that of a human. This is because each creation has its own Nefesh corresponding to the functional capabilities of the particular organism. In this tradition, animals and humans have soul-similarities, but humans are not simply more advanced animals. 💡 In Chasidic thought, even inanimate objects are comprised of some degree, or **spark* of soul. Associated with the physical world⁴ called 'Assiyah', whicvh means *action*, the Nefesh plays a heavy role in our actions and deeds. In addition, the primary occupation of the Nefesh is oriented toward the acquisition of the materials, resources, and conditions for survival. (ie; food, drink, sleep, etc). When we find ourselves seeking these in excess, there is often an imbalance that may need investigation. ### Inner Conflict Jewish tradition expects that the physicality-oriented Nefesh will be a source of opposition to the spiritually-oriented Neshamah. An example is that the Nefesh may often prefer comfort, even though a life of comfort stifles spiritual, physical, and emotional growth. Thus the battle for spiritual development can be won by developing oneself away from a temporally-dominant lifestyle. The New Testament, speaks of this idea through the language of the *lusts of the flesh*; > “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.” - 1 Peter 2:11 ### Physical Locus Unlike other levels of the soul, the Nefesh is the only one we can attempt to locate as it is generally associated with the body. I see this as part of the energetic biofield that is enmeshed around the human body. The Torah tells us the “*Soul is in the blood*” (Deut. 12:23), thus wherever the blood travels, the Nefesh can be found. In this, there is an affinity of form between the concepts of “Energy”, and “Qi.” ### Chinese Tradition It is interesting to me that practitioners of Chinese Medicine view *Qi*, though related to the word "Spirit", as a way to describe how fascia enables or inhibits the flow of fluids and electrical information throughout the body. There seems to be an ancient understanding of the connection point between soul and body. This is not the first time these traditions have shared these ideas⁵. Of late, modern medicine has begun to explore these traditions over the past few decades, adding further insight and guidance for understanding.⁶ ## Achieving Harmony Considering the body and soul levels create a vast network of interconnected systems, an imbalance in the Nefesh can influence the function and expressions of the higher levels of the soul, causing multi-leveled misalignments. Therefore, it is important that we begin by taking care of the body as best we possibly can to prevent a root-level disconnect between the emotional (Ruach) and intellectual (Neshamah) levels of the soul. ## Elevating the Nefesh ### Balance In essence, the elevation of the Nefesh begins by carefully balancing our physical drives. Over-eating, drinking too much, etc., can dampen our spiritual acuity. ### Deeds A powerful way to develop the Nefesh is to develop an awareness of the quality of our deeds, and our motives behind them. The Torah details a long list of things we should do, as well as things to avoid. We should begin by taking inventory of our habits, striving to replace the bad with the better. Tradition suggests something similar to, 'fake it until you make it' where, adding a healthy new habit, like prayer, until one begins to grasp the deeper mechanisms behind it. You may find, as the Nefesh is the densest of the souls, and the one most occluded from the light of the Creator, it will not be surprising to find that building a new *physical* habit can be very difficult at first. ### Emotional Coherence As we will learn in this series, theNefesh is connected to the Ruach level of the soul. Though the Ruach is of a higher and more refined level, the Nefesh can bring a negative influence if not managed. For example, overdrive in a particular physical desire may result in an emotional imbalance, which can fed back into the imbalance of the Nefesh. This is why Jewish tradition views physical illness as spiritual in nature, too. ### Charity Another way to rectify and elevate the Nefesh is to engage in a positive activities that run counter to the Nefesh's self-centeredness. This is similar to encouraging a toddler to share their toys with another, eventually they will begin to understand *why* they should do so. This is partly why the Lubavitcher Rebbe encouraged the giving of $1 dollar bills on a regular basis. ### With All of Your Soul A staple prayer in Orthodox Judaism, the *Shema* (Deuteronomy 6:5), gives us a glimpse of this in the opening lines. We're urged to 'love the Creator with all of our *Nefesh'*. This is precisely because the Nefesh will put up the greatest resistance to this plan. While this path may look different for everyone, most of us in the west have been trained to ignore the unseen and hidden dimensions of our existence. The essential goal, then, will be to look beyond the physical world and recognize the various domains of spiritual growth. [Part 2 - The Ruach](https://www.thehiddenorchard.com/the-ruach/) ## Sign Up For Free Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **Notes:** ¹ [The Soul](https://www.amazon.com/Soul-Adin-Steinsaltz/dp/1592644767/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?crid=9XK8XPD9T1EN&keywords=the+soul+adin&qid=1669215126&sprefix=the+soul+adin%2Caps%2C85&sr=8-1&ref=thehiddenorchard.com) \- Adin Steinsaltz ² [The Human Soul](https://www.thehiddenorchard.com/the-human-soul/) ³ Genesis Rabbah 14:9 ⁴ [5 Worlds - Jewish Cosmology](https://www.thehiddenorchard.com/5-worlds-jewish-cosmology/) ⁵ [The Deep Connection Between Chinese Medicine and Tefillin](https://www.thehiddenorchard.com/the-deep-connection-between-chinese-medicine-and-tefillin/) ⁶ [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4654789/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4654789/?ref=thehiddenorchard.com) --- ## Looking for more like this? Exploration of the Soul, available on Amazon.com ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/42/83/428353f5-28f5-49d6-91c9-54e532499977/content/images/2023/08/ecover.jpg) #### ****Exploration of the Soul** ****Discovering the Nature of the Human Soul, Through the Wisdom of the Bible and Jewish Literature.** [Available on Amazon in Paperback or Kindle](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CDKB8FCV?ref=thehiddenorchard.com)