nefesh

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Pronunciations

nefesh (NEH-fesh) listen

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Definitions

  • n. The soul; neshama.

  • n. An innocent person.

  • n. A weak, cowardly person.

Example Sentences

  • "Within the argument of Zionism and the Right of Return, when you convert you are part of the tribe. Whether the politics take into account your nefesh and neshama is another issue, but when you join the Jewish people, you are (to quote the great Liam Gallagher) one of us." (source)

  • "A nefesh handed the druggist a prescription. The druggist gave him three little bottles of pills.
    'All these?' asked the nefesh. 'What are they for?' 'The red ones calm your nerves; the white ones relieve your headaches; the blue ones are for asthma.' 'Amazing. Such little pills, and each one knows exactly what to do.'" (NJY)

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew
  • Yiddish

Etymology

  • TH נֶ֫פֶשׁ‎ > Y נפֿש

      • Who Uses This

      • Religious: Jews who are engaged in religious observance and have some Jewish education

      Regions

      • North America

      Dictionaries

      • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).
      • The New Joys of Yiddish, by Leo Rosten and Lawrence Bush (New York, 2003[1968]).

      Alternative Spellings

      nayfish, neyfish, nafish, nepesh

Notes

  • See also neshama.

    "Often used interchangeably with neshamah. However, in kabbalistic philosophy, the nefesh is the level of the soul that is connected with physical awareness, while neshamah is the part of the soul that resides in a person’s character." (JPS)

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