[m.; pl. nefashot”];soul, essence of life; the state of being alive; as in “Ki HaDam hu HaNefesh,” “For Blood is the essence of life,” or “Yesh arbaah matzavei metziut: Domem, Nefesh, Chai, Medaber; Dugmaot hem: sela, eitz, tzvi, ben-adam,” “There are four states of being: Silent, Living, Animated, Speaking; examples are: a rock, a tree, a deer, a human being.”
