“And man became a living soul.” (Bereishis 2:7)
Onkelus defines “a living soul” as a speaking spirit.
The Torah testifies that this is the essence of man; the faculty of speech separates man from animal. (Rav Aharon Kotler Mishnas Rav Aharon)
Anyone familiar withIsraelrecognizes the underbelly of society here — the cat population. Israeli cats are amazingly resilient. They know how to forage for food (thanks to the Cohens’ son who left their garbage out) how to find refuge from the cold (the Silvers’ carriage) and shelter from the sun (Birnbaums’ shed). They even know how to protect their young while streaking across the street inches away from an approaching car. Healthy instincts innovative traits and concern for offspring. What advantage does man have over all of these?
Speech.
Man must choose between good and bad. The deciding factor in his choice is his ruach — the spirit of his soul. The other parts of his soul the nefesh and neshamah merely influence the choices of the ruach. (ibid.)
