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From: ksc@uclachem.UUCP (Kim Cary)
Newsgroups: net.religion,net.religion.jewish
Subject: Re: Jewish concept of "nefesh"
Message-ID: <127@uclachem.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 25-Feb-86 15:35:20 EST
Article-I.D.: uclachem.127
Posted: Tue Feb 25 15:35:20 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 28-Feb-86 20:57:26 EST
References: <1305@mtuxo.UUCP>
Organization: UCLA Chemistry Department
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Xref: lsuc net.religion:735 net.religion.jewish:1869

> 1. The Oral Tradition prescribes 30 days from birth before a newborn is
> 	considered a nefesh. A newborn who dies without having lived on
> 	earth for 30 days is not mourned.
> 2. Nefesh is indeed what one is, and not something one has. This is
> 	because in the Jewish tradition, the mind is the soul is the person.
> 	Biological functions necessary to support the mind are indeed a
> 	component of nefesh, but the mind is indispensable: no mind
> 	means no soul means no person.
> 					Adam Reed (ihnp4!npois!adam)

Would you post your references for these statements, particularly for
the 30 days and the "nefesh"=mind concept?  Thanks.

Does this tradition attempt to account for why *circumcision*
(a physical sign of a living being's covenant relation to his God)
is prescribed by the Scripture for the 8th, and not the 30th day?

					Kim Cary (uclachem\!ksc@ucla-cs)