“He breathed in his nostrils the breath of life”: this is the holy soul which derives from the life above. “And the man became a living soul”: he was provided with a holy soul from the supernal “living being” which the earth brought forth.
Now, as long as that holy soul is attached to a man, he is beloved of his Master, he is guarded on all sides, he is marked out for good above and below, and the holy divine presence rests upon him.
But if he perverts his ways the divine presence leaves him, the super-soul does not cling to him, and from the side of the evil serpent a spirit arises which can abide only in a place whence the heavenly holiness has departed, and so a man becomes defiled and his flesh, his facial appearance and his whole being, is distorted.
Observe that because this “living soul” is holy, therefore when the holy land absorbs it, it is called “super-soul” (neshamah); it is this which ascends and speaks before the holy King and enters without let or hindrance in all gates, and therefore it is called “speaking spirit”.1v. Targum Onkelos, in loco.
Hence the Torah proclaims, “Keep thy tongue from evil”, etc. (Ps. 34, 14), because if a man’s lips and tongue speak evil words, those words mount aloft and all proclaim “keep away from the evil word of so-and-so, leave the path clear for the mighty serpent”. Then the holy soul leaves him and is not able to speak:
it is in shame and distress, and is not given a place as before. Hence it is written, “Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles” (Prov. 21, 23). For that soul which was vocal is reduced to silence on account of the evil word. Then the serpent gets ready, and when that evil word finds its way to him, then many spirits bestir themselves, and one spirit comes down from that side and finds the man who uttered the evil word, and lights upon him and defiles him, and he becomes leprous.
וַיִפַּח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים, דָּא נִשְׁמְתָא קַדִּישָׁא, דְּאִתְמַשְּׁכָא מֵאִינּוּן חַיִּים דִּלְעֵילָּא. וַיְהִי הָאָדָם לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה, אָדָם אִתְכְּלִיל בְּנַפְשָׁא קַדִּישָׁא, מֵחַיָּה עִלָּאָה. דְּאַפִּיקַת אַרְעָא דִּכְתִּיב, (בראשית א׳:כ״ד) תּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה, נֶפֶשׁ דְּהַהִיא חַיָּה עִלָּאָה.
“He breathed in his nostrils the breath of life”: this is the holy soul which derives from the life above. “And the man became a living soul”: he was provided with a holy soul from the supernal “living being” which the earth brought forth.
תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּכָל זִמְנָא דְּהַאי נִשְׁמְתָא קַדִּישָׁא, אִתְדַּבְּקַת בֵּיהּ בְּבַר נָשׁ. רְחִימָא הוּא דְּמָארֵיהּ. כַּמָה נְטוּרִין נַטְרִין לֵיהּ מִכָּל סִטְרִין, רְשִׁימָא הוּא לְטָב לְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא, וּשְׁכִינְתָּא קַדִּישָׁא שַׁרְיָא עֲלוֹי.
Now, as long as that holy soul is attached to a man, he is beloved of his Master, he is guarded on all sides, he is marked out for good above and below, and the holy divine presence rests upon him.
וּבְזִמְנָא דְּאִיהוּ אַסְטֵי אָרְחוֹי, שְׁכִינְתָּא אִסְתְּלָקַת מִנֵּיהּ, וְנִשְׁמְתָא קַדִּישָׁא לָא אִתְדְּבָקַת בֵּיהּ. וּמִסִּטְרָא דְּחִוְיָא בִּישָׁא תַּקִּיפָא, אִתְּעַר רוּחָא חַד, דְּשָׁט וְאָזִיל בְּעָלְמָא, דְּלָא שַׁרְיָא אֶלָּא בַּאֲתַר דִּקְדוּשָּׁה עִלָּאָה אִסְתְּלַּק מִתַּמָּן. וּכְדֵין אִסְתְּאַב בַּר נָשׁ, וְאִתְפְּגִים בִּבְשָׂרֵיהּ, בְּחֵיזוּ דְּאַנְפּוֹי בְּכֹלָּא.
But if he perverts his ways the divine presence leaves him, the super-soul does not cling to him, and from the side of the evil serpent a spirit arises which can abide only in a place whence the heavenly holiness has departed, and so a man becomes defiled and his flesh, his facial appearance and his whole being, is distorted.
וְתָּא חֲזֵי, בְּגִין דְּהַאי נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה אִיהִי קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה, כַּד אַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא מַשְׁכָא לָהּ, וְאִתְכְּלִילַת בְּגַוָּוה, כְּדֵין קָרֵינָן לָהּ נְשָׁמָה. וְדָא הִיא דְּסַלְּקָא לְעֵילָּא, וּמְמַלְּלָא קָמֵי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא, וְעַיְילָא בְּכָל תַּרְעִין, וְלֵית דְּיִמְחֵי בִּידָהָא. וְעַל דָּא אִתְקְרֵי רוּחָא מְמַלְּלָא, דְּהָא כָּל שְׁאָר נַפְשָׁתָא לֵית לוֹן רְשׁוּ לְמַלְּלָא קָמֵי מַלְכָּא, בַּר הַאי.
Observe that because this “living soul” is holy, therefore when the holy land absorbs it, it is called “super-soul” (neshamah); it is this which ascends and speaks before the holy King and enters without let or hindrance in all gates, and therefore it is called “speaking spirit”.1v. Targum Onkelos, in loco.
וְעַל דָּא אוֹרַיְיתָא אַכְרִיזַת וְאַמְרַת, (תהילים ל״ד:י״ד) נְצוֹר לְשׁוֹנְךָ מֵרָע וְגוֹ', וּכְתִיב (משלי כ״א:כ״ג) שׁוֹמֵר פִּיו וּלְשׁוֹנוֹ וְגוֹ', בְּגִין דְּאִי שִׁפְוָותֵיהּ וְלִישָׁנֵיהּ מְמַלְּלָן מִלִּין בִּישִׁין, אִינּוּן מִלִּין סַלְּקִין לְעֵילָּא, וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּסַלְּקִין, כֹּלָּא מַכְרִיזִין וְאָמְרִין אִסְתֵּלָקוּ מִסּוֹחֲרָנֵיהּ דְּמִלָּה בִּישָׁא דִּפְלַנְיָא, פְּנוּן אֲתַר לְאָרְחֵיהּ דְּחִוְיָא תַּקִּיפָא. כְּדֵין נִשְׁמְתָא קַדִּישָׁא אִתְעַבְּרָא מִנֵּיהּ וְאִסְתְּלָּקַת, וְלָא יַכְלָא לְמַלְּלָא, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (תהילים ל״ט:ג׳) נֶאֱלַמְתִּי דּוּמִיָּה הֶחֱשֵׁיתִי מִטּוֹב.
Hence the Torah proclaims, “Keep thy tongue from evil”, etc. (Ps. 34, 14), because if a man’s lips and tongue speak evil words, those words mount aloft and all proclaim “keep away from the evil word of so-and-so, leave the path clear for the mighty serpent”. Then the holy soul leaves him and is not able to speak:
וְהַהִיא נִשְׁמְתָא סַלְּקָא בְּכִסּוּפָא, בְּעָאקוּ דְּכֹלָּא, וְלָא יָהֲבִין לָהּ אֲתַר כְּמִלְּקַדְּמִין. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, שׁוֹמֵר פִּיו וּלְשׁוֹנוֹ שׁוֹמֵר מִצָּרוֹת נַפְשׁוֹ. נַפְשׁוֹ וַדַּאי הַהִיא דַּהֲוַת מְמַלְּלָא, אִתְעָבִידַת מַשְׁתּוּקָא, בְּגִין מִלּוּלָא בִּישָׁא. וּכְדֵּין חִוְיָא אִזְדְּמַן, דְּכֹלָּא לְאַתְרֵיהּ אִתְהַדָּר, וְכַד הַהִיא מִלָּה בִּישָׁא סַלְּקָא בְּאוֹרְחִין יְדִיעָן, וְשָׁארִי קַמֵּיהּ דְּחִוְיָא תַּקִּיפָא, כַּמָה רוּחִין מִתְעָרִין בְּעָלְמָא, וְרוּחָא נַחְתָּא מֵהַהוּא סִטְרָא, וְאַשְׁכַּח דְּהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ אִתְּעַר לֵיהּ בְּמִלָּה בִּישָׁא, וְהָא רוּחָא מְמַלְּלָא קַדִּישָׁא אִתְעַבְּרָא מִנֵּיהּ, כְּדֵין שַׁרְיָא עֲלוֹי וְסָאִיב לֵיהּ, וּכְדֵין הוּא סָגִיר.
it is in shame and distress, and is not given a place as before. Hence it is written, “Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles” (Prov. 21, 23). For that soul which was vocal is reduced to silence on account of the evil word. Then the serpent gets ready, and when that evil word finds its way to him, then many spirits bestir themselves, and one spirit comes down from that side and finds the man who uttered the evil word, and lights upon him and defiles him, and he becomes leprous.