[Avodah] What is it that sets man apart from the animal?

[Yitzchok Levine]

I am sure that by now you are well aware that I 
am a big fan of RSRH.  However, there are times 
when I simply cannot sing his praises loudly 
enough. This is the case with his commentary on 
the Parsha Bereshis.  It is so full of masterful 
insights into the nature of our world, that I 
recommend that if you do not have the new 
commentary that was published by Feldheim 
recently, then you get it. It is more than worth the money! YL

Below is a selection from Bereshis 2

7 Then God formed man, dust of the ground, and 
breathed into his countenance the breath of life, 
and thus man became a living personality.

What is it that sets man apart from the animal? The living individuality
of the animal depends on earthly matter; like its body, so its soul,
too, was taken from the earth. Not so man. In the creation of man,
only the inert material was taken from the earth; only when God breathed
into him the breath of life did he become a living individual. Herein lies
the nobility and immortality of man, and this is the whole source of his
freedom. That which gives the animal its individuality emanates from
the earth and must eventually return to the earth. Not so that which
makes man a “living personality.” Man’s preeminence over the animal
is not only in his spirit, but also in his vitality. His vitality is linked not
to his body, but to his spirit. When he received a spirit he received life,
his soul adhering to the spirit. When the spirit departs from the body,
the vital soul is not buried with the remains; for man’s soul is bound
up with his spirit, not his body. This is why his physical survival and
health do not depend on his body alone. Of the many dangers to the
life of an animal, not all are dangers to man. The survival of a man
cannot be predicted with the same degree of accuracy as the survival
of an animal. Adom Yeish lo Mazel (Bava Kamma 2b): there is something in
man that defies prediction. A man’s spirit will sustain him, even if it
appears that all hope is lost; for the spirit sustains life. Who can gauge
the power of an unbroken spirit? Who can calculate how long it can
keep the body alive?

Thus man is composed of two elements that are completely different
from each other. One of these was taken from the earth. But man does
not belong to the earth; rather, the earth — as its name, Adama, implies
— has been given to man to rule. So, too, man’s body, which is Ahfar min ha
Adama, is subject to man’s control. His true, living, spiritual essence is
not dependent on the body; hence, even while he is physically combined
with the earthly element, he can and should exercise control over the
earthly in him. The Afar, the earthly element, in him cannot be released
from the realm of physical compulsion and is subject to the influence
of earthly factors. But the Nishmas Chaim, which God breathed into man and
which first made man a human being, imparts to man of the dignity
of its source and releases him from all physical compulsion; it grants
him freedom and elevates his body, too, into the realm of freedom.

Man’s body lay inert and lifeless, his countenance open to absorb,
like an animal, the requirements of individual life; and God breathed
into his countenance the breath of life. The spark of life was given to
man through his head, into his countenance. Thus man was distinguished
in his outward appearance, too, from all the creatures in the
world. He is, as a result, a complete contrast to the plant. A plant’s
existence depends on the earth — below. An animal’s life depends on
its heart — the center. A man’s life depends on his head — the crown;
his life depends on his spirit. Man looks upward; all his power is from
above — when he hopes, when he anticipates, when he thinks. The
spark of life was breathed into his countenance. This spark bears man,
and is what keeps him upright: with the disappearance of consciousness
he falls.
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