(Rabbeinu Sa’adia (892-942), the Hebrew name of Said al-Fayyumi, was a prominent Jewish exilic and philosopher.)

The essence of the soul is a topic that has captivated and mystified the heart and mind of mankind for centuries. All different civilizations and cultures deal with the mystery of the soul in one way or another. But in our day today, with all of the advances of science and thought in the modern world, can we come to any conclusion or agreement on the essence of the soul? What is the ultimate essence of the soul? What is its function and meaning? Why is it so important for us to expound and consider such a deep and metaphysical topic?

Professor Scholem in his book Jewish Mysticism in the Middle Ages writes, "From a historian's point of view, the sum of religious phenomena known as the Essence of the Soul by Sa’adia, as a hidden creation which operates every being (motions of life, growing things, inanimate things, the sophisticated laboratories prove that energy even in an inanimate object is kinetic). The mystery of the soul has occupied almost every researcher of philosophy, both Jewish and Non-Jewish, from Aristotle, who wrote in his essay called, "On the Soul," that the definition of the soul is "a principle of forces the being and form of a natural body that is natural and alive, according to its capability and ability." (Second Book, Chapters 1 and 2) to Sa’adia Gaon, who delved into very basic philosophical concepts and questions including the foundational philosophy of the soul. They all have expounded into this topic.

Rabbeinu Sa’adia Gaon, who stood for, and still stands for to many as a world Torah authority, gleans from Judaic sources his well-known statement: "Israel is not a nation but for her Torahs." (Torahs is in plural from, meaning, the Written Law and the Oral Law.)

From this direction, he takes issue with Karaite (during his time there was a conflict between those who believed in Kara, meaning only the written text--Five Books of Moses to the Sa’adia, who believed in both the oral and written text) During his time, the time that there was an argument between the traditional believers to the Karaites that claimed based upon the original biblical text. Sa’adia quotes the Karaite point of view and argued greatly against their interpretation and explanation of the simplistic text which Sa’adia proved the understanding as a great early edition to penetrate a very deep meaning of the text while he built upon the biblical view of the sentence and quoted other quotations from other sentences that proved his point of view. In order to prove his claim, Sa’adia used simple logic without getting too complicated. The research regarding this issue is built upon real evidence where he created his own set of problems, he said, "The research regarding into the depths of the soul is something that is very sensitive and very deep, because there are many opinions and directions which prove indirectly that it is still hidden from our eyes."

After bringing six different points of view, Sa’adia brings the seventh path. He is apologetic of using other viewpoints which he refutes one by one. In this way he emphasizes how problematic this study is. The fundamental question in the study of the soul deals in the struggle in maintaining the differences among the various domains on all of their respective levels in relationship to the power that is propelling the "engine" of the machine of man called the soul. Even in the "living" category or domain, which includes the groups that have the ability of speaking and listening, there are mechanisms in the main character that is called the soul. Our eyes see that the characteristics of the body are, generally speaking, similar, and the discernment between them is external, only what the eye sees. Or, perhaps, man merits receiving a unique superiority (i.e. the questions is, is there a difference in eating between man and animal? From a physiological standpoint the process is identified. But there are still essential characteristics which sense a difference, in eating there are essential characteristics that influence the understanding and the ability of control in different systems. For example, man can get up in the morning and say, "I will fast today," in contrast to an animal--this example was taken from the book of renowned Profession Abraham Tewarski from Pittsburgh.) Such superiority separates man from the rest of the living realm, similar to the fundamental difference between plant life and inanimate objects.

The Rambam also raises a similar question in Chapter One of his renowned, Eight Chapters, in his introduction to the Ethics of the Fathers. This problem is a key question in religious awareness since man’s mission depends on his keeping of G-d’s commandments, which is only possible to fulfill by creatures who possess freedom of choice. This allows for the creation of a being who can exercise free will and has the ability to judge and choose alternatives (free choice). In opposition to this are the other living creations (who, according to scientists, behave only according to their instinct and therefore in the area of free will, it is clear and definite that there is a uniqueness attributed to man. In his discourse and credence, it is not surprising that Rav Sa’adia Gaon built on Scriptural sources (Scriptural,--Mikraot or Karah, in Hebrew, comes from the mouth, because Rav Sa’adia’s intention here is to prove to the readers that the group of Karaites, who only believed in the written Torah, were wrong) the book of Kohelet, (Ecclesiastes), in particular, as it deals with similar philosophical questions.

There is a verse in Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3, verse 21, "Who knows the spirit of man that ascends up high and the spirit of animal that descends down below." In asking "who knows," the author can be interpreted to respond in such a manner that does not offer a satisfactory answer, but rather poses the question as a research assignment that invites the investigators to ponder the superiority of man over animal--something that only unique individuals can discover. This verse appears after an external comparison is made between man and animal, whose bodies are basically similar. However the behavior that proceeds as a result of human thought highlights the differences between them so that it will be understood also by lay people.

This leads us to conclude that man is superior to animal as regards to the soul’s characteristics as opposed to their material beings, which are equal in both creatures.

In essence, the soul is capable of a certain control and has the ability to lead and direct as an individual seeks to satisfy the demands of its body. The soul can provide strength to follow its paths according to its will. Because the premise of free will is fundamental in the creation of man, there are no predetermined influences upon man’s course. So says the author, (Section 3): "As regards the soul, it was created as all things are renewed and it is nullified so that there could not be existence before that of the Creator." In this vein, the combination of these two components, creation and free will, indicates that there was not merely an on-time creation in the world whose functioning stems from the power of that time. Rather, there is an on-going renewal in creation because of the unique soul that joins in a new body with each new person in the world. (See Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Sanhedrin 91a--"When is the soul given to man, from the time of command (i.e. the determination for that person to be born) or from the time of creation? It is said, from the time of creation.) From this, Rabbeinu Sa’adia Gaon determines, "G-d does not create it (the soul) until the body is formed completely" as it states: "(G-d fashions) the spirit of man within him (Zechariah 12, 1)."

In relationship to the negation of spiritual influence from hidden worlds on the spiritual independence of the soul of man, Rav Sa’adia points out, in opposition to those who say the orbs in heaven and planets have a type of spirituality (see Rambam Guide to the Perplexed), that there is no understanding to those same orbs, which work like any other physical body.

With regard to the question from the verse, "And the enlightened ones will shine like the shining of the firmament," which compares the clarity of the superior soul to the similar shining of the firmament, this does not apply to the spiritual benefit. It is merely a descriptive example. The clearness (purity) of the soul of a righteous man and its views are very similar to the tangible description of the shining of the firmament. This is the opposite of the soul of an evil man, which is dirtied by its enslavement to physical things that disturb its independent path in the course of life.

The strength of the soul is to lead and not to enslave, and its superiority over the soul of an animal, as we said beforehand, is derived from the verse at the end of Ecclesiastes, "And the spirit will return to the G-d who gave it." The power of choice that was given to the soul is derived from the verse in Ecclesiastes (Chapter 11), "And knows that on all of these, G-d will bring to justice."

The body uses tools and is like an intermediary in the hands of the soul. There is no spiritual, understanding ability from the body itself without the soul. The proof of this is that man is a limited creation, like the example of the blind man who cannot see. The blind man uses his imagination to conjure up different visions, despite the fact that he has no intermediary of sight. (The body is like the blind person, and the soul is the sight.) From here we see that the soul allows this ability.

In the opinion of Rav Sa’adia, it is speaking about a number of powers that work from the soul regarding its connection to the body. There are three foundations: power of discernment, power of desire, and the power of anger. Our language calls the soul by three different names (corresponding to the three different powers): soul (nefesh), spirit (ruach), and higher soul (neshama). The expression "soul" corresponds to the power of the desire as it says, "Because your soul desired (Deuteronomy, Chapter 12)." "Spirit" identifies here with the power of anger, meaning the trait of anger, an emotion that is in the part of one who is awake and one who reacts. "Higher soul" identifies with power of discernment, the analytical ability, that the author names the power of cleverness, as it says, "And the neshama (soul) of the Almighty understands…. (Job 33)." The author did not randomly call these things "powers" and not "souls." The Rambam does not name these things "souls" this in his Eight Chapters (Chapter 1) because it is speaking about powers that work from the power of only one soul.

It seems from this reason, that the soul carries the responsibility, and therefore we can talk only about one soul (its powers work in harmony, like to differentiate between the engine of a train, the engine is the center that moves and every one works in its own area. One soul operates in many different directions, in the brain, which operates the power of sight and the power of hearing etc, they are concentrated under one center for communication. There is between them--each one and together--an ability to see and to hear in harmony, each one works in its own area with a different area when there is a certain center that directs all of the areas.) This soul that we talk about has not only powers that work in harmony, but we also bear witness on her standards (i.e. the moment when a mistake is created, it creates a certain friction creating two opposing forces, and this is not possible).

Sa’adia adds that additional names for the soul exist, specifically three that appear in Chapter 14. They are Chaya, animal and Yechida, unique one (in addition to nefesh). But in addition, there are opinions of wise men of Kabbalah, who say that those names are speaking about the higher levels, one higher than the next, which are also higher than the neshama. According to the opinion of the author, they are terms running after the soul. The term chaya means, the up keeping of the power of creation and as for the term Yechida, there is nothing similar to it in all the creations of G-d (therefore it cannot be described).

As an assumption, the soul is inside of the body, as it says in the verse, "And he created the spirit of man inside him (Zechariah)," which means that the soul does not work as a distant controller outside the body. This is an idea that Sa’adia rejects in this article. However, the question of the location of the soul inside the body does come up. Sa’adia claims that the central place in the body where the soul works, by means of its mission to the rest of the parts of the body, seems to be the heart and not the brain (see also the opinion of Rav Shneur Zalman of Liadi in his book "Tanya" in the first chapters on the topic of the center of the neshama in the brain. It seems that this is not the method Rav Sa’adia busies himself with).

The preferability of the heart (that is the home of the soul), is that it is the physical center that carries blood. Therefore, you can assume that it is also given centrality in being the main section of the soul (in the book of "Tanya" there is the definition of "the soul of animals, in the second chapter, "in the left side of the chambers of the heart, a place where there is much blood." This meant that the heart is the concentration of energy that is directed by means of messenger to all other parts of the body). It seems, apparently, in the verse, "Because the blood is the soul (Leviticus 31)." The proximity of both terms in the verse, "With all your heart and with all your soul (Deuteronomy 6:5) prove this relationship.

In consistency with the assumption of the superiority of the soul, there are those who asked about the purpose of the soul being inside the body, when the chance of failure is not smaller than the chance of success in life. And we already stated beforehand, that the soul of man in its source is pure and not physical, like any other tangible creation in this world. Its connection, then to the body is descending, is demoting (the soul is brought down into the physical body that enslaves it). This is what we ask. Even more so, in the fifth article Sa’adia brings the verse, "Because His eyes are on the ways of man, and all his footsteps He sees (Job 34)," which means that all the actions of man, whether positive or negative, are all listed in the soul. This means the soul consists either of this purity or murkiness, like is said about sin, "And he will carry his sin" or "This soul, sin is in." This is a sign that only the Creator recognizes and made about the volley in the face of man at the time when making the calculation for the future, like the Tana says in The Ethics of the Fathers on "The open book," etc.

The answer that Rav Sa’adia gives is on the claim that there is no logic to the relationship, G-d forbids, that creating intent of harm and evil if we take into account the causes of personal harm which are found in this world. The recognizable harms come often as a reaction to a previous action, or an expression from the consideration of mistaken knowledge." Causes which are not supposed to be connected, G-d forbid, to the Creator (We will take an example, the trait of vengeance, is of course a result of the decision of the creator. What did the soul do wrong, that it had to enter the body? Because the aim of the Creator is to only do good for his Creations). And especially when a creation tends to be only good and giving, to raise the created so that they will act of their own will to the lifting of their levels against the levels they were at the beginning of their creation. 

In order to achieve their rewards, the Creator understood their paths, and with clearness of aspiration (the widening of the door in the time of the absorption of a spiritual idea. These things are closed in this world as opposed to the next world in which there is the delight of understanding, which is a spiritual merit.) This lifts the delight; effort is demanded from their part. Like the article says, "Light is sown for the righteous (Tehilim 97)" and its opposite, "And the candle of evil-doers you know (Mishlei 13)." 

Only the competition of the soul in the garments of the body through the course of life, when keeping the commandments, by the hands of man, brings him to purification and in the turning of the back of your beck to Torah, the soul is contaminated and becomes ugly but still has the ability to do teshuva and creates the chance to change for the good. Also, when the soul disconnects from the body, there is not every chance for it to be lifted up, like the written verse: When an evil man dies, hope is lost (Mishlei 11)." Therefore, there is no way to get to good other than when the soul that is in the body and works by means of a tool of action, similar to the foundation of fire that comes to the hands of expression in itself and its revelation by means of lighting material.

The conclusion is, that if the soul would stay in its perfect created state, there would be no reason to be created at all, and then also the surrounding factors, heaven and earth, which were created in the garden lose ultimate value. All alternatives, which askers of the question offered beforehand, lead to a different name to the same soul which is told to us and their claim mentions the verse: "Wow, fight with his creator (Isaiah 45.)" Their assumption in the matter of lessening the body in their points, for example, the topic of impurity, that the man in his body is the source of impurity, this is no reason to lessen it. Because only when the soul goes out of the body does it becomes impure and not when it is in the body. In the view of the questioners it would have to be the opposite, that specifically when the soul is in the body it would be impure, and not when it was freed from its body. Rather, this topic of impurity in the decree of the written is a part of external competitions that does not give the source to research.

With regard to troubles that pass over man in the course of his life, the cause of this is that either man himself invites these upon himself through his free choice, or that he places himself as subject to their harm from lack of smartness, like the words of the written, "Suddenly they pass and they are punished (Mishlei 27)." And under these hardships man does not have control over them, conditions of competition are upheld that were sent to man to test his standing in them for his good in the end like the article says: "For your suffering and for your tests are to benefit you in your end (Deuteronomy 8)," and so, "Praiseworthy is the man who You give hardships…to quiet him from bad days (Psalms 94)."

The line which carries till now was the assumption that the soul is the operator and the body in what is being operated and as a result of this that the burden of responsibility is on the soul which is the operator. Since Rav Sa’adia Gaon illustrates different methods, opinions are in split. Karaites, who place the responsibility on the body or on the bones on their reliance on the Biblical sources, and this easily pushes these vouchers away, arrives at the conclusion that the carriers of the responsibility, whether for reward or punishment are the soul and the body mutually. 

This relies on what sages say (Talmud, Sanhedrin 91a), "If a man comes to say, body and soul are able to extricate themselves from judgment, how can the body say that the soul sins, because from the day that the soul separates from me (the body) I am placed like a silent rock into a grave. And the soul says, the body sins, because from the day that I separated from it behold, I was flying in the air like a bird…" and it is brought down there in the continuation a parable of the lame and the blind man who were appointed as guards of an orchard to prevent the stealing of fruit. 

It is speaking about two people who are each limited in their own area, but with joint cooperation between them they are able to reach complete operations and this is how they end up eating the fruit. The Talmud finishes, "Even the Holy One Blessed be He brings the soul into the body and judges them as one, as it says, "Hashem will call to the heavens from above (the soul) and to the earth, body, to judge his nation (Psalms.)" So, when the time comes the two components will bear the results together.

The duration of the period of life and the test is in the decision of the Creator from the beginning of the creation of man and the changes in the additions or the lack of them from the consideration of the Creator, blessed be His name.

After the separation of the soul from the body there will be a period of time that the soul will carries the pain, like the pain of separation of man from his home and destroyed dwelling place. Any separation, even between a mother and a baby after delivery, causes sorrow to the parties involved for a period of time. After this every soul, in accordance with its path in life, this is her fate in this time period. The pure soul, should merit its rest in it being hidden under the Throne of Honor, and the turbid soul, her fate will be lack of rest and wandering with no goal.

The duration of the souls being in limbo after their separation from the body is done with a secret calculation of the Creator until the judgment that will unite the souls with their bodies and will bring them to court for all their deeds, is when they are still living (at the time of the making of the calculation the soul and body are complicated, this is the time of receiving the punishment).

Rav Sa’adia Gaon does not agree to the belief of the reincarnation of souls after their separation from the body, the view that looks through broad avenues from Appleton and Yimdlinos, the Greeks and the early Turks (Gumfrup Prutz, the Book of the Wise Men of Greece, 1,5) and until, wise sages of the Kabbalah, like it is brought down in the Zohar (Pinchas-Raih Mehamnuta 216) Rav Chaim Vital (in the Gate of the Reincarnated, introduction 14) he fences this view that is not talking about the reincarnation on the first soul itself, rather, "From the roots of the souls there are sparks hat need rectification" and are reincarnated to reach this correction (like it is brought in the book, Make for Yourself a Rabbi, by Rav Chaim David HaLevi of blessed memory, Part 4).

As opposed to this, Rav Sa’adia Gaon and in his footsteps, Rav Chasdai Krashkesh in his book, Light of G-d (article 4, 87) and so too Rav Yosef Albo in his Sefer Haikrim (article 4, chapter 29) negate this belief. Rav Sa’adia Gaon brings opinions in different fashions about reincarnations when in principle they are the identity in the possibility of wandering souls from body to body. Part of them pushes this nullification and in a different part which exhibits Karaite views are built on the verses, which he opposed their interpretation. For example, a verse which they place on it: "A wandering (yeshovev) will rest (Psalm 23)," who the Karaites explained as coming from the language of "return (shuv)"--returning to the body--that the soul will return to a different body--he (Rav Sa’adia) rejected this interpretation. The significance of the expression is from the language of rest and comfort, calmness and resting of the soul from worry to which it has a tendency towards. He brings proofs, as is his way from chapters that bring show this as true seeming explanation.

In conclusion of the description of the soul, the main focus in Jewish thought, in its being judged in the personal ness of man, the crown of creation, in accordance to the molds of behavior, he can prove that this indeed is truth. This is the job of the soul in the body of man, to prove worth of the worldly creation, that according to the view of our sages was created to help man for this purpose. It is understood that this topic stands in the center of interest of Rav Sa’adia Gaon in his approach to clarify the meaning of the soul of man.