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style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE"><FONT
face=Arial><FONT size=3>On Tue, December 5, 2006 10:49 pm, Litke, R Gary
wrote:<BR>: There are also ma'amarei chazal (including some in the Zohar,
I'm<BR>: told) to the effect that one's neshomo first appears at age 12/13
and/or<BR>: 20. Seems that we are discussing a process, not sudden appearances.
When<BR>: the process ripens it becomes fully a 'yetzer tov' or a 'neshomo';
not<BR>: to say there is no yetzer tov whatsoever before that
time.</FONT><BR></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
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face=Arial>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.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Be well,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Mordechai</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Congregation Sons of Israel, Allentown, PA <A
href="http://www.sonsofisrael.net">www.sonsofisrael.net</A><BR>HaMakor -
References on Torah Topics - <A
href="http://www.hamakor.org">www.hamakor.org</A><BR>WebShas - An Index to the
Talmud - <A
href="http://www.webshas.org">www.webshas.org</A></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>