body – RSRH for All

1. The Torah uses the same expression, נפש חיה, to describe the life force of both Man and animals. However at the creation of animals the physical earth produced the life force as is stated תוצא הארץ נפש חיה. Contrast this to the creation of Man where the life force of Man comes directly from God as is stated in this verse וַיִּיצֶר ה’ אלקים אֶת-הָאָדָם, עָפָר מִן-הָאֲדָמָה, וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו, נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים; וַיְהִי הָאָדָם, לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה

With animals the life force itself is physical by nature. With Man, the body is physical but the life force as well as the soul is spiritual. When a person’s body dies he continues to live because his life force is drawn after his spirit.

2. Just as Man/אדם is to master the earth for the use of service to God, so is Man to master his body, derived from the earth for the service of God.

3. Man’s body is also different to animals’. By the creation of animals, they were formed as a natural extension of the physical earth – תוצא הארץ נפש חיה. By the creation of Man, the earth was the matter from which Man was formed but God Himself formed Man – וַיִּיצֶר ה’ אלקים אֶת-הָאָדָם, עָפָר מִן-הָאֲדָמָה. This underscores the special dignity and high stature of even the human body.

Beraishis 2:7, Pages 54-55

צלם means an covering or a bodily form. If God wished to appear cased in exterior visible form, representing His compassion, love and justice, He would appear in the figure he gave Man.

No man can be like God, but as אדם he must strive to be similar to God. Man should not allow anything within himself or about himself that is contradictory to God.

Man’s mission is to become holy – to work oneself up toward God’s holiness.

Beraishis 1:26, Pages 30-31

The Torah emphasizes the godlike dignity of the human body. This is a central theme of the Torah.
Man is capable of his godly mission on earth, even with his physicality and all his urges. In fact, Man was specifically designed to grow upward and become holy with his body.

It is a grave error to only see godliness in Man’s mind and spirit, thereby giving the body free reign to be involved in all sorts of depravity.

A holy body is the foundation for all growth of the spirit. The higher the spiritual and mental greatness, the more demands on keeping the body holy. As such, the first commandment the Jewish people are given is ברית מילה. Israel’s missin is to rebuild a purer Mankind, therefore their very first commandment is to dedicate the body to God.

Many of the mitzvos have this theme, such as laws of sexual relations, eating, ritual purity and cleansing oneself of ritual impurity.

Beraishis 1:27, Pages 32-33

Tag: body

Beraishis 2E Differences Between Man and Animals

Beraishis 1L בצלמנו Man Created in God’s Image