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The six positions mentioned above are cited so that whoever reads this book understands that inquiry into the knowledge of the soul is inquiry into a matter deep, subtle, and fine.
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Just as I described the difficulty of investigating the validity of creation ex nihilo and the meaning of the Creator of existing things — so too, in its own meaning, this soul perplexes many people in its subtlety.
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I say: for this reason you find the sage praising one who grasps the true meaning of the rational soul in the human person — saying: 'Who knows the spirit of humans — does it ascend upward? And the spirit of the animal — does it descend downward to the earth?' (Qoh 3:21).
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I should clarify that 'who knows?' is not an expression of doubt about whether some souls ascend and others descend — it is an encomium for one who knows this to be so.
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I say to the hearer: this is like saying 'who knows Reuben the scholar and who knows Simeon the worshipper?' — for by saying this you are certainly affirming learning for Reuben and worship for Simeon; your question about who knows them is an encomium or a mark of excellence for such a person.
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So the sage's statement 'who knows the noble ascending soul and the base descending soul' is a confirmation that the two souls are indeed thus — and 'who knows' means: whoever grasps this has attained wisdom, grown strong, and succeeded.
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I also say that 'who knows?' expresses wonder and praise precisely when the two souls are compared to the conditions of the two bodies — as he says: 'As for the conditions of the two bodies, we find them'
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— 'equal to the senses in body and accidents; yet we do not doubt that there is a difference between the two spirits — and who knows it and grasps it?'
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This is clear from his statement before: 'For the fate of humans and the fate of animals is the same fate — as one dies, so dies the other; they all have one spirit' (Qoh 3:19).
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And then he continued: 'Who knows the spirit of humans — does it ascend upward?' This interpretation is confirmed by the following addition: 'And the advantage of humans over animals is nothing' (Qoh 3:19).
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It is impossible that the sage meant that the human soul is not superior to the animal soul in the first place — for no sage would say this, as it would negate wisdom.
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And even the ordinary person who has a modicum of reason would not say this — for he sees himself as more noble than the animals in matters too lengthy to detail.
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Rather, what he meant is that the human body is not superior to the animal body in any way — for it too is composed of four elements, as he said after: 'All go to one place' (Qoh 3:20). The superiority, then, is: 'Who knows the spirit of humans?'
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This is like saying: 'In terms of their stone-nature, there is no difference between ruby and flint — both are stone; but who knows the luminous brilliance inside the ruby and the chalk inside the flint — that one has attained.'
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I also say: 'who knows?' can be read as an affirmation — like 'perhaps he knows and will return' (Jonah 3:9), meaning: one who knows understands that this soul is elevated and this soul is lowly.