[Avodah] Yaakov's division of his family into two camps

[Mordechai Torczyner]

On Tue, December 5, 2006 10:49 pm, Litke, R Gary wrote:
: There are also ma'amarei chazal (including some in the Zohar, I'm
: told) to the effect that one's neshomo first appears at age 12/13 and/or
: 20. Seems that we are discussing a process, not sudden appearances. When
: the process ripens it becomes fully a 'yetzer tov' or a 'neshomo'; not
: to say there is no yetzer tov whatsoever before that time.

The Ben Ish Chai writes (Rav Pealim I Sod Yesharim 3) that the neshamah fully enters the body only at Bar/Bat Mitzvah. This is part of his explanation of the nature of mitzvos performed in one's minority. As I recall, it also ties into how we handle the question of sefiras ha'omer for one who becomes a gadol during the omer, according to the Bahag that counting the omer is one long mitzvah.

Be well,
Mordechai


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