זוהר, תצוה ו׳Zohar, Tetzaveh 6

Segment 1א׳

אֶת חַג הַמַּצּוֹת תִּשְׁמֹר, רִבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח, (ישעיהו ב׳:כ״ב) חִדְלוּ לָכֶם מִן הָאָדָם אֲשֶׁר נְשָׁמָה בְּאַפּוֹ כִּי בַמֶּה נֶחְשָׁב הוּא. הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ. אֲבָל מַאי חִדְלוּ לָכֶם מִן הָאָדָם, וְכִי אַזְהַר לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְאִתְמָנְע מִשְּׁאָר בְּנֵי נָשָׁא. אוּף אִינּוּן נָמֵי לְגַבֵּיהּ, יִשְׁתַּכְחוּן בְּנֵי נָשָׁא דְּלָא יִקְרְבוּן אִלֵּין בְּאִלֵּין לְעָלְמִין. אֶלָּא הָא אוּקְמוּהָ בְּמַאן דְּאֲשְׁכִּים לְפִתְחָא דְּחַבְרֵיהּ לְמֵיהָב לֵיהּ שְׁלָם.

R. Judah discoursed in connection with this theme on the words: “Cease ye from man, whose breath (neshamah) is in his nostrils, for wherein is he to be accounted of?” (Isa. 2, 22). ‘This verse,’ said he, ‘has already been explained; but what is the particular significance of the expression, “cease ye from man”? Must one, then, avoid any intercourse with men? If that were so, there would be no social life whatsoever, and assuredly it was not thus ordained! It has, however, been expounded as applying to the man who rises up early to pay court to his neighbour (instead of going to prayers),

Segment 2ב׳

וַאֲנָא אוֹקִימְנָא לֵיהּ בִּקְרָא אַחֲרָא, דִּכְתִּיב, (משלי כ״ז:י״ד) מְבָרֵךְ רֵעֵהוּ בְּקוֹל (רכ"ו ע"ב) גָּדוֹל בַּבֹּקֶר הַשְׁכֵּם קְלָלָה תֵּחָשֶׁב לוֹ. וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּכֹלָּא שַׁפִּיר. אֲבָל מַאי חִדְלוּ לָכֶם מִן הָאָדָם אֲשֶׁר נְשָׁמָה בְּאַפּוֹ. הָכָא פָּקִיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְבַר נָשׁ, וְאַזְהִיר לֵיהּ לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא מֵאִינּוּן בְּנֵי נָשָׁא, דְּסָטוּ אָרְחַיְיהוּ מֵאֹרַח טָב לְאֹרַח בִּישׁ, וּמְסָאֲבֵי נַפְשַׁיְיהוּ בְּהַהוּא מְסָאֲבוּ אַחֲרָא.

which thought I have connected with another verse, namely: “He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him” (Prov. 27, 14). But although this explanation is satisfactory as far as it goes, the question still remains, What is the meaning of the expression, “Whose breath (neshamah) is in his nostrils”? It is this: the Holy One commands man to guard himself against those men who have turned from the good to the evil way, and have polluted their souls by the impurity of the “other side”.

Segment 3ג׳

דְּהָא כַּד בָּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְבַר נָשׁ, עָבֵד לֵיהּ בְּדִיּוּקְנָא עִלָּאָה, וְנָפַח בֵּיהּ רוּחָא (נ"א נשמתא) קַדִּישָׁא, דְּכָלִיל בִּתְלַת כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא, דְּאִית בֵּיהּ נֶפֶשׁ רוּחַ וּנְשָׁמָה, וְעֵילָּא מִכֹּלָּא נְשָׁמָה, דְּאִיהִי חֵילָא עִלָּאָה לְמִנְדַּע, וּלְמֵטַר פִּקּוּדוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וְאִי הַהִיא נִשְׁמְתָא קַדִּישָׁא אָעִיל לָהּ בְּפוּלְחָנָא אַחֲרָא, הַאי אִיהוּ מַסְאִיב לָהּ, וְנָפִיק מִפּוּלְחָנָא דְּמָארֵיהּ. בְּגִין דִּתְלַת חֵילִין אִלֵּין, כֻּלְּהוּ חַד, נֶפֶשׁ רוּחַ וּנְשָׁמָה מִשְׁתַּתְּפֵי כַּחֲדָא, וַהֲווּ חַד, וְכֹלָּא כְּגַוְונָא דְּרָזָא עִלָּאָה. (על דא נאמר (שם י"ג) הולך את חכמים וגו')

For, when the Holy One created man, He made him on the supernal pattern and breathed into him a holy breath consisting of a triad, as has already been established, whose several names are nephesh, ruah, and neshamah, the highest being the neshamah, for it is the superior energy by means of which man can apprehend and keep the commandments of the Holy One. But when he lets his soul participate in the “strange worship”, he defiles that soul and departs from the worship and the ways of his Lord. For these three aspects of the soul, nephesh, ruah, and neshamah, are all one, being merged one in the other on the pattern of the supernal mystery.