nᵊshâm•âhꞋ; breath—which must be distinguished from ðÆôÆùÑ and øåÌçÇ.

The notion that ðÀùÑÈîÈä means "soul" or "essence," is a modern reform derived entirely from Qa•bâl•âhꞋ. In the Bible, by contrast, ðÀùÑÈîÈä always means "breath" — even when used figuratively (e.g., I•yovꞋ 27.10 & Tᵊhil•imꞋ 150.6). Rabbinic attempts based on bᵊ-Reish•itꞋ 2.7 to define ðÀùÑÈîÈä as "Divine Essence" collide with the reality of paramedics, nurses and doctors who do the same "miracle." bᵊ-Reish•itꞋ 2.7 uses ðÀùÑÈîÈä to teach that man was created by é‑‑ä, not a literal "breathing of Divine Essence Breath into" as believers (Jewish, Christian and Muslim) in the "Poof!" theory of creation argue.

In fact, the Hellenist conflation of ðÀùÑÈîÈä as one's "essence," universal among today's Jews, is a relatively recent and shocking reform — deriving from "Medieval Jewish Philosophy… [in which] Descriptions of the soul followed Platonic and Aristotelian views, with later Greek thought supplying the models by which man's soul was related to heavenly substances" (Ency. Jud., "Soul," 15.171). The Hellenist roots are firmly documented prior to the 4^th century C.E. by Hellenist Greek-speakers of the LXX, who conflated ðÀùÑÈîÈä and ðÆôÆùÑ, rendering both as ψυχή—which explains the modern blurring of the terms.

An unfortunate by-product of this Hellenist conflation is the interpretation of the "Jewish neshama" as racist exceptionalism: the belief that the "Jewish neshama," makes genetic, DNA, i.e., racially-defined Jews (born of a Jewish mother) a superior – chosen – race.

The origin of this QaꞋbâl-ist apostasy traces at least as far back as the early 12^th century C.E. Spanish rabbi Yᵊhud•âhꞋ ha-Lei•wiꞋ, positing that "a divine yet 'natural' endowment… apparently related to the Jewish soul, made the Jew a superior being (Kitab al Khazari 1.95; 2.14)" ("Soul," Ency. Jud. 15.173). His fellow Spanish contemporary, rabbi Av•râ•hâmꞋ Bar-Khiyâ, "believed that the rational soul in all its purity was to be found among the elect of Israel alone" (ibid.).

Unlike the dark racist slant threading through the superstitious QaꞋbâl-ist beliefs of many Orthodox Jews today, the earlier rabbis were correct. It is true that only one who does his or her utmost to keep Tor•âhꞋ is granted ki•purꞋ, resulting in a healthy ðÆôÆùÑ. And, the converse is no less true: a healthy ðÆôÆùÑ can, therefore, occur only within Yi•sᵊr•â•eilꞋ – namely, Yᵊhud•imꞋ and geir•imꞋ. However, it is in response to doing one's utmost to keep Tor•âhꞋ (which, by definition, is only Yi•sᵊr•â•eilꞋ) that é‑‑ä cleans the ðÆôÆùÑ, not the contradictory blasphemy of a "Jewish neshama" making a "Jew" superior!

The notion of a "Jewish neshama" has been widely perverted into bald racism, expressed today among Jews of all persuasions, from the most Ultra-Orthodox Jews to atheist Jews, believing intransigently that a "Jewish neshama" resides only in those defined racially: born of a Jewish mother, and that the "Jewish neshama" remains in every "Jew" no matter their behavior, corruption, hypocrisy or perversions — even in every atheist born of a Jewish mother. Particularly the Orthodox, because they believe they have a "Jewish neshama," think nothing, for example, of engaging "Shabbos goyim" in "kosher" hotels (an inescapable contradiction of terms) to serve them on Sha•bâtꞋ.

Your ðÀùÑÈîÈä is a physical element of your physical body. Being physical, your physical body and everything physical about you is constrained to the physical universe. Your ðÀùÑÈîÈä, by definition as physical breath, does not, cannot, transition into the non-dimensional, spiritual (i.e., non-physical), domain of hâ-o•lâmꞋ ha-bâꞋ.

See related terms ðÆôÆùÑ and øåÌçÇ.