Human and Animal Souls in Jewish Thought

The Bible and most other divinely inspired religious texts tell us that animals and humans are different on the level of the soul, with humans supposedly having a greater measure of the divine. However, many non-believers would argue that animals are more sensible than humans, for example, in how they treat the planet.

1. Biblical Perspectives

Human and Animal Souls in Jewish Thought

Torah

Genesis 1:26–27

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

This passage suggests a distinct status for humans, created in the image of God, unlike animals.

Genesis 2:7:

“Then the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

This verse emphasizes the divine breath that animates humans, implying a unique, God-given soul distinct from that of animals.

Human and Animal Souls in Jewish Thought

2. Rabbinical Teachings and Views

Talmud, Tractate Sanhedrin 38a:

“Our Rabbis taught: Man was created on the eve of Sabbath. Why? So that heretics should not say: There was a partner with Him in the work of creation. Another answer: In order that if a man becomes too proud, it may be said to him: The gnat preceded thee in the order of creation.”

This teaching highlights the special status of humans in the order of creation, even though animals were created first, humans were created with a unique purpose and soul.

Midrash Rabbah, Genesis 14:9:

“Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said: The soul of man is superior to that of a beast, for the soul of man comes from the upper spheres, whereas the soul of the beast comes from the lower spheres.”

This midrash distinguishes between the divine origin of the human soul and the earthly origin of animal souls.

Talmud, Tractate Chagigah 16a:

“Three things were said concerning the human being: he is like the ministering angels, he has understanding like the ministering angels, and he stands on two feet like the ministering angels; he is like the beasts, he eats and drinks like the beasts, and he reproduces like the beasts.”

This passage contrasts the spiritual and intellectual capacities of humans, likened to angels, with their physical and biological similarities to animals.

3. The Zohar and Mystical Texts

Human and Animal Souls in Jewish Thought

Zohar I, 47b

“The Holy One, blessed be He, breathed into him the breath of life, and he became a living soul. This soul comes from the supernal light, the light of the Divine.”

The Zohar reinforces the idea that the human soul is a part of the divine light, unlike the souls of animals.

Tanya, Likutei Amarim, Chapter 1:

“Every Jew has two souls, one animal soul derived from the klipah (the shell) and sitra achra (the ‘other side’), and the second soul is truly a part of God above.”

This Chabad Chassidic text discusses the dual nature of the human soul, with one aspect being similar to that of animals and the other being a divine spark unique to humans.

4. Philosophical and Ethical Perspectives

Maimonides

Guide for the Perplexed, Part I, Chapter 7:

“The rational faculty is peculiar to man. Through it he can apprehend the immaterial and divine, which is not the case with animals. The difference between man and the lower animals consists in the formers’ rational faculty.”

Maimonides emphasizes the rational and intellectual aspect of the human soul that sets it apart from animals.

Rabbi Akiva

1. Created in the Image of God

Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) 3:14:

“Beloved is man, for he was created in the image of God; even more beloved is he that it was made known to him that he was created in the image of God, as it is said: ‘For in the image of God He made man’ (Genesis 9:6).”

Rabbi Akiva emphasizes that being created in the image of God bestows a unique dignity and value upon every human being. This divine image is not attributed to animals, highlighting the unique spiritual status of humans.

2. The Value of Human Life

Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 37a:

“Therefore, the first human being was created alone, to teach you that whoever destroys a single soul, it is as if he destroyed an entire world. And whoever saves a single soul, it is as if he saved an entire world.”

This teaching by Rabbi Akiva underscores the infinite value of each human life, reflecting its unique divine nature. The creation of a single human being at the beginning of time signifies the unparalleled significance of each person, a status not accorded to animals.

Human and Animal Souls in Jewish Thought

3. The Ethical Implications of Human Dignity

Talmud Bavli, Bava Metzia 58b:

“Rabbi Akiva taught: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’ (Leviticus 19:18) — this is a great principle of the Torah.”

Rabbi Akiva’s interpretation of this verse emphasizes the ethical treatment of others, grounded in the recognition of their divine nature. The command to love others as oneself is based on the understanding that all humans are created in God’s image, a concept not applied to animals.

4. The Role of Torah and Wisdom

Avot de-Rabbi Natan, Chapter 31:

“Rabbi Akiva said: ‘If the Torah had not been given, we could have learned modesty from the cat, honesty from the ant, chastity from the dove, and good manners from the rooster.’ But now that the Torah has been given, it is the best source of instruction for human behavior.”

This teaching illustrates the idea that while animals can exhibit certain ethical behaviors, the Torah provides a higher and more comprehensive guide for human conduct. The capacity to study and internalize Torah wisdom is a unique aspect of the human soul.

5. The Role of Spiritual Growth in Humans

Midrash Bereshit Rabbah 61:1:

“Rabbi Akiva said: ‘Happy are you, O Israel! Before whom do you purify yourselves, and who purifies you? Your Father in Heaven, as it is said: “I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean” (Ezekiel 36:25).’ And it says: ‘The hope of Israel, the Lord’ (Jeremiah 17:13). Just as a mikveh (ritual bath) purifies the impure, so does the Holy One, Blessed be He, purify Israel.”

This midrash highlights the capacity for spiritual purification and growth inherent in humans, a divine attribute not shared by animals. The ability to engage in repentance and seek spiritual elevation is a testament to the unique nature of the human soul.

Human and Animal Souls in Jewish Thought

5. Spinoza’s Views on Humans and Animals

1. The Nature of God and Substance

Ethics, Part I:

“By God, I understand a being absolutely infinite, that is, a substance consisting of infinite attributes, each of which expresses eternal and infinite essence.”

Spinoza’s concept of God as an infinite substance implies that everything, including humans and animals, is part of this single substance. This pantheistic view blurs the distinctions between humans and animals in traditional theological terms.

2. The Human Mind and the Idea of God

Ethics, Part II, Proposition 11:

“The human mind is the idea of the human body.”

Spinoza asserts that the mind and body are two aspects of the same substance. The human mind is simply the idea of the human body. This idea does not inherently place humans in a different category from animals, as both are expressions of the same substance.

3. Human and Animal Minds

Ethics, Part III, Proposition 57, Scholium:

“The mind is not at liberty to recall the past or to foresee the future except in so far as it imagines the past in the present, or the future in the present. Thus, in these respects, it differs from the minds of animals solely in degree, not in kind.”

Spinoza acknowledges differences between human and animal minds but sees these differences as matters of degree rather than fundamental nature. Both humans and animals possess minds, but human minds have greater capabilities.

4. Conatus and Self-Preservation

Ethics, Part III, Proposition 6:

“Each thing, as far as it can by its own power, strives to persevere in its being.”

Spinoza’s concept of conatus, the inherent drive in every being to persevere in its existence, applies to both humans and animals. This universal striving is a key characteristic of all living things, reflecting their shared essence.

5. Rationality and Emotions

Ethics, Part IV, Preface:

“The power by which individual things, and consequently man, preserve their being is the actual essence of such individual things.”

While Spinoza recognizes that humans have rationality, he does not see it as a metaphysical distinction from animals. Instead, he views rationality as part of the same natural process that governs all beings.

6. Knowledge and Blessedness

Ethics, Part V, Proposition 42:

“Blessedness is not the reward of virtue, but virtue itself; nor do we enjoy it because we restrain our lusts; on the contrary, because we enjoy it, we are able to restrain them.”

Spinoza’s view of blessedness and virtue as inherent to understanding and living in accordance with nature applies to humans uniquely because of their capacity for rational thought, but it does not create an ontological divide between humans and animals.

These texts collectively highlight some of the Jewish perspectives on the unique spiritual and intellectual nature of the human soul, contrasting it with the more earthly and instinctual souls of animals. This distinction underscores the special role and responsibilities of humans in creation.