Body and Soul

There is a Pasuk where Hashem reprimands Adam, and tells him, כי עפר אתה ואל עפר תשוב, “You are dust, and you shall return to the dust.”

Rabbi Twerski points out that this is a clear reference to the two principle elements that make up a human being. There is the body and there is the soul. The body comes from the dust and has a limited life span of up to 120 years. We have an obligation to care for the body by getting proper rest and eating nourishing foods.

The soul, however, comes from the כסא הכבוד, Throne of Glory. It is בצלם אלוקים, in the image of G-d. Just as Hashem is eternal, so is the soul. Being that it is completely spiritual, it needs spiritual nourishment. This nourishment is the Torah that we learn, and the Mitzvot that we perform. Our soul needs at least the same attention as the body. The more attention we give it, the higher we go spiritually. This is what gives a person feelings of contentment and purpose. The satisfaction of bodily needs are fleeting. They give temporary pleasure. Fulfilling the needs of the soul give lasting pleasure. This is why the greater the צדיק, the more detached he is from the material world, and the more attached he is, to the spiritual world; the world of the soul.