Tafsiran yang Mengutip untuk Pengkhotbah 7:3

You should so be aware that the scientists are divided in their views about the nature of the soul. They have written innumerable volumes about this subject. Some of them [Maimonides in his introduction to Pirke Avot, chapter 1] claim that the soul is a single force which however has three sub-categories. 1) the category which houses our desires, something we have in common with all the animals. 2) the source of growth, something possessed both by animals and all manner of plants. 3) the ability to think coherently, the soul of wisdom. All these functions are part of a single soul. Other scientists-philosophers [Avraham Ibn Ezra in his commentary on Kohelet 7,3] claim that there are three distinct souls operating within man all of which are distinct from one another. The intelligent soul is an entity of its own, the potential to grow is an independent force. The animal kind of soul, which is the seat of all desires, i.e. the desire to eat, drink, procreate or simply indulge in sex, as well as the desire to sleep, are all part of the animalistic soul in man and constitute a separate soul. They are a part of what man has in common with the animal kingdom. The seat of that particular soul is the liver. This “soul” is called on occasion נפש, and on occasion רוח Its seat is in the liver. In Deut. 12,20 it is called נפש when the Torah writes כי תאוה נפשך לאכול בשר, “when your “soul” desires to eat meat, etc.” On the other hand, we find that Solomon writes in Kohelet 7,9 אל תבהל ברוחך לכעוס, “do not let your spirit be eager to become angry.” He also wrote in Proverbs 29,11 כל רוחו יוציא כסיל, “a fool vents all his feelings.”
The נפש הצומחת is the force that enables man to grow physically. He shares such a force with all the trees, etc. Just as trees possess such built-in powers, man too possesses such a growth potential. As distinct from the seat of all desire which is presumed to be in the liver, this force does not have a specific location but is present in all parts of man‘s body. It remains active until a certain point in is life. The soul of intelligence is something exclusive to man, something he shares with beings in the higher worlds, beings which live forever in their sacred domains The seat of this soul is in man’s brain, and it is generally referred to as נשמה. This is what the Torah described in our verse as the נשמת חיים which G-d “blew” into Adam’s nostrils. We also have a verse in Isaiah 42,5 נותן נשמה לעם עליה, “He gives a soul to the people on it (earth).” There are numerous similar verses throughout the Bible.
According to the view of the philosophers who believe that each person has three separate souls, we find support for our sages in Sanhedrin 65 who report that the famous teacher Rava created a human being. When he brought this creature before Rabbi Zeyra, Rabbi Zeyra spoke to him whereas the creature could not answer back. Thereupon Rabbi Zeyra said to that creature (Golem): “you are man-made; go back to the dust you have been made of.” This passage in the Talmud is proof that man has three distinct souls. Rava, who was familiar with Kabbalah, and had studied the Sefer Yetzirah, had infused this creature with the “soul” which governs motion. He was unable, however, to provide his creature with the power of speech. The power of speech stems from the soul called חכמה.

Yea the thought of my spirit within me, was אשחרך I will seek Thee early. Man has נפש soul and רוח spirit, as I explained in Koheleth.⁹In his commentary on Koheleth 3:21, I. E. says that נפש is common to all living creatures, but נשמה is peculiar to human beings alone;—the difference between רוח and נפש is not explained there. On Koheleth 7:3, he remarks that the life of man manifests itself in his vegetable, animal and intellectual nature, or as explained there by I. E. himself, in his appetitive, נפש, sensitive, רוח, and deliberative capacities נשמה.

עזי נפש Greedy. The word נפש is mostly used in Scripture to express the appetitive soul;¹²Comp. I. E. on 26:9, Note 9, and Eccles. 7:3. Three kinds of נפש, soul, are mentioned there; one of them, which is mostly understood by נפש, is נפש הצומחת or נפש המתאוה, the vegetative or appetitive soul. comp. ונפשו מאכל תאוה and his soul (abhorreth) dainty meat (Job 33:20). All these dogs are useless; they do only harm, because of their strong, insatiable appetite, called עזות נפש greediness;^12aLit., Strength of appetite. they can never have enough. The words which follow contain the explanation of the figure used here.