Q:
What does it mean nefesh habehamis, the animal soul?
A:
The animal soul is not a soul. The animal soul means the state of existence that animals have. Now everybody, even human beings have a nefesh behamis. There’s an animal existence. We have certain reflexes that continue to control our functions even without any thought. But in addition to the instincts and reflexes of animals, human beings have also a neshama which is capable of using judgment.
And therefore, we all have a neshama kedosha and a nefesh behamis. That’s all. The neshama kedosha is expected to be in control. However by constant disuse, by failure to use the seichel and the bechirah, after a while the nefesh habehamis gains control.
And that’s what it says in Mishlei (29:21), מְפַנֵּק מִנֹּעַר עַבְדּוֹ וְאַחֲרִיתוֹ יִהְיֶה מָנוֹן. mefanek minoar avdo, if you fondle your slave when he’s young, Veachariso yehiyeh manon, the end will be he’ll be your master. That’s how some translate manon. He’ll be your master. It means if a man fondles his slave, he spoils his slave. You have a slave. When the slave says, “Master, you want a drink of water,” he says, “No, I’ll get it myself.” After a while, the master says, “I’ll bring a drink of water for the slave.” After a while, the slave lies on the couch and the master is serving the slave. You can spoil a slave.
In the olden days, some people spoiled their slaves and they were sorry later. And so when they became old, the masters became old, so he said, “Look,” he said, “Mamrei, all the years, I was serving you. Now I’m old and weak, so Mamrei get up and serve me.”
Mamrei said, “What do you mean? He he he he! He he! I should serve you?! Oh my! He! I’m out of practice!”
And so the possuk says, מפנק מנער עבדו – if he fondles and spoils his slave, the Yetzer Hara, the nefesh habehamis, he spoils it from youth, he gives into the Yetzer Hara, ואחריתו יהיה מנון. Manon means adon, master. The end will be the nefesh habehamis will be his master. The body becomes his master. And after a while, you’re not able to control it anymore.
Suppose a man was riding on a donkey, these were little donkeys in the near east, big as a Shetland pony, a big collie dog. He sits on the little donkey. His feet almost touch the ground. He thinks, “It’s a pity, such a little donkey I should sit. So I’ll walk with the donkey.” After a while, he thinks, “Look, it’s not right. The donkey has to walk such a big distance. I’ll pick it up and carry him.”
And so, when people see a man carrying a donkey, they don’t know who is the donkey. And so when people train their donkeys to be the masters over them, after a while the donkey is mounted on him the rest of his life. So מפנק מנער עבדו – if he spoils his slave from his youth, אחריתו יהיה מנון.
So that’s why you have to watch out for your appetite. If you give in constantly, your stomach is going to eat you into the grave chalilah. That’s what happens to very many people. By yielding to his stomach, he gets into an early grave. By yielding to desire for thrills, he gets an early grave.
Many people have died young. Many… The majority of those who have died young were the result of yielding to their bodies and finally they couldn’t control their bodies anymore. All the drunks are slaves of their stomachs. They’re accustomed to guzzle liquids and now they can’t stop. That’s what it says. That’s the nefesh habehamis.
So you have to watch out and always keep in mind that you should be in charge, not the nefesh habehamis.
(August 1984)
