The Ruach - Soul Series pt. 2
Ruach can become misaligned when we get overly fixated on beauty. Rather than praising and opening ourselves to the Author of beauty, we make beauty itself an idolatrous object of admiration and devotion. Beauty then becomes an end in itself instead of a medium to connect to the Source of beauty.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
In this series, we are exploring (3) primary levels of the soul, according to the Jewish tradition. In part 1, we looked at the Nefesh, the part of the soul associated with the physical aspect of humankind. In part 2, we are looking at the Ruach, which corresponds to our personality and emotional aspect.
Often translated as spirit, Ruach, which means 'wind', and also 'breath' - indicating a deep connection to respiration.
If the Nefesh is associated with the body - the Ruach is less so - although, it is extremely influential to the healthy function of the Nefesh and the body. One of the largest flaws of the Allopathic (modern) medical system is that it largely ignores the relationship between the body and the spirit. However, this relationship is fundamental in the Eastern systems.
According to the Zohar¹, the Ruach operates between the Nefesh and the Neshamah (the intellectual capacity for humans). Therefore, the Ruach seems to be a kind of transitional level of the soul connecting the upper and lower dimensions.
