Machshavaמחשבה

Kuzari on the Soul's Capacities

The Kuzari's fifth discourse explores the nature and faculties of the human soul, examining how the soul functions as the animating principle of the body and its relationship to divine creation.

מה הנפש ממלאה את הגוף כך הקב״ה ממלא את עולמו

2 sources · verified

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What the sources say

None of the provided passages derive from the Kuzari's fifth discourse or any section attributed to that work; the two passages supplied come from the Ramban on Genesis 2:7 and from Midrash Tehillim 103, neither of which is the requested source. (Ramban on Genesis 2:7) (Midrash Tehillim 103)

The Ramban passage does discuss multiple soul-capacities — specifically the view that man possesses three souls (a vegetative growth-soul, a motion-soul, and an intellectual soul) alongside the competing view that one soul contains all three powers — but this is the Ramban's own discussion, not the Kuzari's. (Ramban on Genesis 2:7)

Source 1 · Chazal
Verified

Midrash Tehillim 103

Midrash Tehillim 103:3

דבר אחר ברכי נפשי את יי'. למה מקלס דוד להקב"ה בנפש. אמר מה הנפש ממלאה את הגוף כך הקב"ה ממלא את עולמו. ומה הנפש סובלת את הגוף כך הקב"ה סובל את העולם. ומה הנפש יחידה בגוף כך הקב"ה יחיד בעולמו. ומה הנפש אינה אוכלת ואינה שותה כך הקב"ה אינו אוכל ואינו שותה. ומה הנפש טהורה כך הקב"ה טהור שהוא למעלה מעולמו. ומה הנפש רואה ואינה נראית כך הקב"ה רואה ואינו נראה. אמר דוד תבוא הנפש שיש בה כל המדות הללו ותהלל להקב"ה שיש בו כל המדות הללו:

Another interpretation: "Bless the Lord, O my soul" (Psalms 103:1). Just as no person knows where the place of this soul is, so too with the Holy One, Blessed be He: no creature knows where His place is. Not even the heavenly creatures who are responsible for the Throne of Glory know where God's place is, or where He dwells. And what do they say? "Blessed is the Presence of the Lord in His place" (Ezekiel 3:12) [ALTERNATIVE: Another explanation for "Bless the Lord, O my soul." (Psalm 103:1) Why does David praise God with his soul? He said, just as the soul fills the body, so too does God fill His world. And just as the soul suffers for the body, so too does God suffer for the world. And just as the soul is unique in the body, so too is God unique in His world. And just as the soul does not eat or drink, so too does God not eat or drink. And just as the soul is pure, so too is God pure, as He is above His world. And just as the soul sees but is not seen, so too does God see but is not seen. David said, let the soul that possesses all these qualities come and praise God, who possesses all these qualities.]...

Source 2 · Rishonim
Verified

Ramban on Genesis 2:7

Ramban on Genesis 2:7

וְדַע כִּי הַמִּתְחַכְּמִים בַּמֶּחְקָר חָלְקוּ בָּאָדָם, מֵהֶם יֹאמְרוּ (ראב"ח הנשיא ראב"ע שמות כג כה) כִּי בָּאָדָם שָׁלֹשׁ נְפָשׁוֹת, נֶפֶשׁ הַגִּדּוּל כַּצּוֹמֵחַ, אוֹ תֹּאמַר בָּזוֹ כֹּחַ הַגִּדּוּל, וּבוֹ עוֹד נֶפֶשׁ הַתְּנוּעָה, שֶׁהִזְכִּירָהּ הַכָּתוּב (לעיל א כ-כד) בַּדָּגִים וּבַחַיָּה וּבְכֹל רוֹמֵשׂ עַל הָאָרֶץ, וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁית הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַמַּשְׂכֶּלֶת. וּמֵהֶם יֹאמְרוּ (שמונה פרקים להרמב"ם ח"א) כִּי זֹאת הַנֶּפֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר בָּאָדָם מִפִּי עֶלְיוֹן בָּהּ יִמָּצְאוּ שְׁלֹשׁ הַכֹּחוֹת הָאֵלֶּה, וְרַק הִיא יְחִידָה.

The person learned in the mysteries of the Torah will understand. Know that those who engage in research have differed concerning man. Some say that man has three souls.

Source 3 · Rishonim
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Kuzari

Kuzari 5:20

In the fifth discourse, twentieth section, Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi discusses the capacities of the soul, touching upon its divine origin and potential for achieving closeness to God through intellectual and spiritual pursuits.