욥기 32:7의 인용 해설

Many philosophers have cited various proofs for this. I will quote only two from a large selection of such proofs.
The first miraculous aspect of that soul is the fact that it is able to know many things which transpire in the universe, be it in the atmosphere, on earth or in the waters, without the benefit of eyesight, a sense of hearing or any other sensory organs to guide it. The five sensory organs or abilities are something which serve only the physical part of creatures such as the animals.or even human beings. They are like tools in the hands of an artisan. Whereas the physical eye perceives that the sun is high in the sky, the “eye” of the נפש החכמה, the spiritual soul, recognises that the sun is 170 times the size of our globe as the great scholar Rabbi Moses ben Maimon has written at the beginning of the third chapter of his Sefer Hamada. Whereas the physical eye sees many shapes inside the water, the “eye” of the spiritual soul is well aware that the true appearance of these shapes in the water is quite different from how they appear to the physical eye of a beholder. If the five senses had been intended to serve our spiritual soul to perceive and define the phenomena in this world, then whatever is at the periphery of the universe would be devoid of meaning and useless as none of the five senses with which living creatures have been equipped would be able to perceive and evaluate such phenomena (compare Jeremiah 16,19).
The spiritual soul of man as a tool of perception does not deceive him, neither is it limited in its ability to deliver a true picture of things as they are. The function of the spiritual soul within man’s body is simlilar to that of the sailor (or captain) on board of a ship. When such a captain leaves the boat, he does not cease to be a captain. Similarly, when the spiritual soul departs from man’s body when the body dies, it lives on. On the other hand, the so-called soul which is merely נפש חיה in the language of the Torah, is unable to exist on its own once the body it has inhabited has died. One of the reasons for this is that the five sensory organs contain elements of physical matter and it is impossible for such phenomena to be active unless they are within their “habitat,” i.e. a body made up of similar matter. The spiritual soul, on the other hand, is not subject to such limitations as it originates in an abstract world, a world in which physical matter is not needed. It possesses insights both into celestial matters as well as into matters which are earthly in nature. It is able to do all this only because it is of a purely spiritual character. When this spiritual soul is interested in acquiring knowledge about earthly matters, it uses man’s five senses in order to acquire such knowledge. When the same soul is desirous of expanding its knowledge about supra-terrestrial matters it employs its intelligence and its wisdom. Once this spiritual soul leaves the body it has inhabited until the death of that body it can no longer use the terrestrial “soul” i.e. its five senses to perceive matters that pertain to the terrestrial universe. seeing that it has lost touch with these senses which have expired together with the body they inhabited. All of this is proof that the spiritual soul of man survives after the death of its body.
The second remarkable phenomenon is this: When a child is small it knows absolutely nothing. As the child grows up it is able to absorb progressively more knowledge and wisdom from its spiritual soul. Whatever such an individual acquires from its spiritual soul will not escape from any of the three parts he is composed of, neither from his body, nor from his נפש חיה, (a combined form of body and primitive life-force) nor from his spiritual soul. He does not have a fourth part. By rights, a person ought to acquire more and more intelligence and knowledge in proportion to his physical growth and good health, seeing that this appeared to have been the process by which he matured for the first 2 decades of his life. By the same token we could reason that a person who has a weak body must necessarily lag behind in intellectual and spiritual achievements. In practice, however, we frequently observe the very reverse to be the case. Frequently we notice that people who suffer physical afflictions do not simultaneously lose their intellectual and spiritual powers. They remain mentally and spiritually at their best until the day the body dies. This proves conclusively that the acquisition of wisdom and knowledge, i.e. abstract forms of values, is quite independent of the body or even the נפש חיה of a person combined with his physical prowess. If this is so, this is proof positive that man’s mental and spiritual capacities are due to a higher form of soul, that which we have called the נפש החכמה, the spiritual soul. The body has absolutely no share in the mental and spiritual development of a person except that it serves as the vessel, the container within which such mental and spiritual forces are able to function and to make it the base of their operations.
Dead people do not possess any mental or spiritual energy. The existence of such mental and spiritual energy is exclusively due to the living. It is clear then that what we have called נפש, or נפש חיה, is a phenomenon that lives only within what we call “nature,” for it is certainly true that this “natural soul” is able to absorb חכמות, wisdoms of a variety of degrees. When the body dies it dies as part of “nature,” and “nature” is unable to receive any input from such a dead body (i.e. the wisdoms it used to possess).
We have therefore established two remarkable principles: 1) man is composed of two major components or essences. Part of man’s essences lives as an integral part of “nature,” in fact due to the existence of “nature.” Without nature that part of man simply could not exist. 2) The second part of man’s essence dies through the very fact that it is bound to “nature.” This second part is the body. The reason both the soul and the body share such experiences is that they have been joined together so that (to a limited degree) each one has to share the experiences of the other. The body gets an inkling of what life’s potential is all about because it has become joined to the soul. The soul experiences what death is all about because it has become tied to the mortal body. Death may be considered as a punishment for the soul who has allowed itself to be misled by the body. It follows that essentially the soul is supposed to live forever; its death is incidental. The reverse is true of the body which essentially is mortal but lives temporarily by merit of the soul it hosts.
Once body and soul part company, each one resumes its natural destiny, i.e. the body dies and the soul lives on forever. In both cases this separation means that a temporary, unnatural union or partnership has been broken up, each partner returning to its essential habitat.
Although we have indulged in quoting philosophers and a few of their arguments concerning the nature of the soul, and we have even cited some of their more impressive arguments to prove their theories, the major foundation of our beliefs remains our holy Torah which is the source of our life. All true philosophers derive their wisdom only from the Torah. True wisdom is always the fruit, i.e. the product of profound Torah-study. The matter of the survival of the soul after the death of the body is made plain by the very fact that the soul G-d infused in Adam was called נשמת חיים, “a soul of life.” This means that the soul was “hewn” from the very source of life. The reason is that we know that the soul is derived from the source of wisdom, the emanation חכמה. The word חיים when part of the term נשמת חיים, reminds us of Job 32, 7-8 אמרתי ימים ידברו, ורוב שנים יודיעו חכמה.אכן רוח-היא באנו. “I thought: “let age speak; let advanced years declare wise things. But, truly it is the spirit in men.” We find that in Job the words חכמה and רוח appear side by side. The author is trying to tell us that רוח, “the spirit, the soul,” is the source of חכמה, wisdom. If our verse saw fit to call the soul נשמת חיים, this is an allusion to Kohelet 7,12 והחכמה תחיה בעליה, “and wisdom (the emanation of wisdom) preserves the life of those who possess it.” This is also what G-d assured the prophet of when He told him to promise the High Priest Yehoshua that his soul would be in the company of the angels if he would observe G-d’s commandments (Zachariah 3,7) The wording is ונתתי לך מהלכים בין העומדים האלה, “and I shall enable you to be able to walk amongst these who are stationary.” We have explained repeatedly that the angels are spiritually stationary as they do not possess an evil urge the defeat of which would enable them to make spiritual progress.
If you correctly understand the verse in Kohelet which Solomon said in his great wisdom you will also understand the lofty spiritual plateau, its foundation and its mystical significance. Although at first glance the verse ומותר האדם מן הבהמה אין, “man’s advantage over the beasts is nil,” in Kohelet 3,19 sounds rather banal, it contains deep insights. What Solomon meant was that the very advantage that man enjoys over the animals is derived from a domain called אין. The advantage of man over the beasts derives from the intelligent soul man possesses which derives from חכמה which symbolises the letter י which combines with the letter א and which in turn symbolises the uniqueness of the Creator, i.e. the רצון, “the Will” of the Creator. The words ויפח באפיו, “He blew into Adam’s nostrils,” are to alert us to the fact that this soul was not part of the basic four elements the terrestrial universe is made of [although רוח, “wind or spirit” is one of those four elements. Ed.]. Man’s soul shares five characteristics with G-d (compare Berachot 10). It is similar to G-d in all its virtues, at the same time being superior to the soul of the angels. The reason is that the soul of man was created on the first day of creation as compared to the angels who were created only on the second day. It is an accepted rule that phenomena which were created sooner are superior to those which were created later. We have an explicit statement in Sanhedrin 93 that the righteous are superior to the angels.
To sum up: whatever man’s mouth can tell about the attributes (virtues) of G-d to the extent that he is the Creator is possible only because the soul of man is a direct creation of this Creator. A famous unnamed scholar has said: ”know your souls so that you may gain knowledge about your G-d.”

Rebbi says: Do not look at the jug but rather at what is in it. For there are new jugs full of old, and old that do not have even new within them: As because of the quality of the old wine, it will not go bad in the new vessel. So [too], if the young ones have become wiser than the elders. every man should learn from the younger ones first. And this is the difference between the words of Rabbi Yose ben Yehuda and the words of our holy Rabbi, peace be upon him: As Rabbi Yose would say that if the elders and the young ones are both wise, one should learn with the elders - since (generally, the wisdom of) [that the wisdom of] the elders is ripe. And our Rabbi, peace be upon (would say [that]) with wisdom, we only go with the greater. And [so,] if it is found that the young ones are [more] understanding and their words are correct and their wisdom is greater, one should learn in front of them. And Elihou said both of these things, as it is stated (Job 32:7-8), "I said, let age speak; let advanced years declare wisdom.' But truly it is the spirit in men, the breath of the Almighty that gives them understanding." As at first, he would say like the words of Rabbi Yose ben Yehuda - that "advanced years declare wisdom." [But] after he saw that he was younger than his colleagues, the elders, he said that "it is the spirit in men." And sometimes it is the young one who is wiser than the elder and his wisdom is more ripe than [the latter]. And his words are refined and the matters are clear. Hence, it is better to go after a young one who is wise than an elder who is honored but is not like [the first] in wisdom.

Rebbi says: Do not look at the jug but rather at what is in it. For there are new jugs full of old, and old that do not have even new within them: As because of the quality of the old wine, it will not go bad in the new vessel. So [too], if the young ones have become wiser than the elders. every man should learn from the younger ones first. And this is the difference between the words of Rabbi Yose ben Yehuda and the words of our holy Rabbi, peace be upon him: As Rabbi Yose would say that if the elders and the young ones are both wise, one should learn with the elders - since (generally, the wisdom of) [that the wisdom of] the elders is ripe. And our Rabbi, peace be upon (would say [that]) with wisdom, we only go with the greater. And [so,] if it is found that the young ones are [more] understanding and their words are correct and their wisdom is greater, one should learn in front of them. And Elihou said both of these things, as it is stated (Job 32:7-8), "I said, let age speak; let advanced years declare wisdom.' But truly it is the spirit in men, the breath of the Almighty that gives them understanding." As at first, he would say like the words of Rabbi Yose ben Yehuda - that "advanced years declare wisdom." [But] after he saw that he was younger than his colleagues, the elders, he said that "it is the spirit in men." And sometimes it is the young one who is wiser than the elder and his wisdom is more ripe than [the latter]. And his words are refined and the matters are clear. Hence, it is better to go after a young one who is wise than an elder who is honored but is not like [the first] in wisdom.