It's got all these different parts – arms, legs, eyes, ears – each with its own specific job and limitations. But the soul… well, that's something else entirely. According to Da'at Tevunot, the soul exists outside the physical realm. It's not just another part of the body; its ways are completely different.
So, if the soul is so separate, why do we say it "sees" with our eyes or "hears" with our ears? The text explains that it's because the soul animates the body. It's the engine driving the whole operation. While it's only the soul that truly sees – the body is just an inanimate vessel – the soul is affected by the way the eye is designed to perceive. It's like the soul is borrowing the body's senses.
But get this: the way the soul sees is not the way the eye sees. It's a completely different kind of perception, something we, trapped in our physical forms, can't fully grasp. We only call it "seeing" because the soul uses the eye as its instrument.
Da'at Tevunot emphasizes that the soul is a unique creation, distinct from the physical body. It was created to interact with the body's limbs and functions according to their nature. It understands the rules of the physical world and acts accordingly. That’s why we experience the world through our senses.
Now, here's where it gets really interesting. The text draws a parallel between the soul's relationship to the body and God's relationship to the world. Just as the soul uses the body's senses without being limited by them, God acts according to specific qualities in the world without actually possessing those qualities in the same way.
Think about it. We might describe God as merciful or just. But these are human terms, limited by our understanding. God, in His perfection, transcends these qualities. He chooses to act in ways that we perceive as merciful or just, but His essence is beyond our comprehension. Because God—perfect in His perfection—acts according to these qualities, we use these names, descriptions, and appellations. But according to His perfection, He has no relationship from the aspect of Himself with any of these ways and activities.
Just like the soul interacting with the body, God interacts with the world through specific channels and manifestations. We perceive these interactions as divine attributes, but they don't define God's true nature.
So, what does all this mean? Perhaps it's a reminder that the world we perceive is only a limited glimpse of a much greater reality. Our souls, like God, are connected to something beyond the physical, something we can only begin to understand through faith, study, and perhaps, a little bit of wonder.