Q&A: The Creation of Man and His Uniqueness Compared to Other Living Creatures
The Creation of Man and His Uniqueness Compared to Other Living Creatures
Question
Only regarding man does it say, “And He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,” and also, “In the image of God He made man.”
I would appreciate an explanation, in your understanding, of what is unique about man in this respect, and how his soul and the image of God within him are expressed.
I have my own explanation, and I have written articles and a book about it, “Who Am I, the Human Being.”
I would be happy to expand the discussion.
Answer
I didn’t understand what the question is. Don’t you see what is unique about man? He has choice and free will, and he has intellect. That is why he is commanded, whereas other creatures are not.
Discussion on Answer
I would appreciate your response to what I wrote most recently about nefesh, ruach, neshamah, chayah, and yechidah.
According to Kabbalah and the Sages: a human being has a nefesh—like all animals, the animal soul in the language of Kabbalah; ruach—creative self-realization; and neshamah, chayah, and yechidah—a part of God; one who breathes, breathes from himself. Spirituality is within the human soul, along with cleaving to God and His commandments.
A person can feel this within himself, reaching connection to his spiritual “I” through the limitations of Jewish law, which sharpens the feeling of the soul.
And that is my recommendation to those who wonder about the reality of God and His commandments.
The way to connect is through actions, and that is also a logical proof, because why else do we have this spiritual soul?
The verses about the image and the breathing from God are clearer this way,
because intellect is not something that characterizes God, who has no body and no bodily form.
It may be that this is why man has the power of choice, as you noted.
Beyond the level of IQ, other animals also have intellect to a certain degree.