I'm not talking about your personality or your quirks, but the very engine that drives your being. What are the key components?

Our sages pondered this deeply. They weren’t doctors, not in the modern sense. But they were astute observers of the human condition, both physical and spiritual. And in Vayikra Rabbah – Leviticus Rabbah, a fascinating collection of Midrashic teachings on the book of Leviticus – we find a truly remarkable list. A blueprint, almost, of the soul’s earthly dwelling.

Ten things, it says, serve the soul. Ten vital organs, each with its own specific role.

First, the esophagus, for food. Makes sense, right? Nourishment is fundamental. Then, the trachea, for the voice. That crucial link between our inner thoughts and the world outside. Think about it: without a voice, how much of ourselves would remain locked away?

Next, we have the liver, for anger. Now, that’s an interesting one. We tend to think of anger as purely emotional, but here it's tied directly to a physical organ. And the lung, for drinking. It was understood that the lungs help absorb liquids in the body, which are then expelled when one exhales.

Then comes the intestine, to grind. Perhaps not the most glamorous job, but certainly essential for processing and extracting what we need. The spleen, for laughter! Isn't that wonderful? To locate joy, that most ephemeral of feelings, within a specific part of our body?

And the stomach, for sleep. The seat of rest and rejuvenation. The gall bladder, for jealousy. Another one that links a potentially negative emotion to a physical place.

The kidneys, to think. The seat of wisdom. The heart completes. It completes the thoughts.

It’s quite a list, isn’t it? A fascinating blend of the physical and the emotional, the mundane and the profound. But here's the kicker.

Above all of these, the text tells us, is the neshamah, the soul. The very essence of who we are. The Holy One, blessed be He, says: ‘I placed you above them all, and you go out and rob, extort, and sin?’

Ouch.

What a powerful rebuke! God gives us this incredible gift – this intricate, interconnected system of body and soul – and what do we do with it? Do we use it for good? Do we strive to live up to the potential that's been placed within us?

The message is clear. We are more than just the sum of our parts. We are beings with a purpose, a responsibility. And our actions have consequences, not just for ourselves but for the world around us.

So, the next time you feel that twinge of anger in your liver, that burst of laughter from your spleen, that moment of quiet contemplation from your kidneys… remember the neshamah that sits above it all. Remember the gift we've been given.

And ask yourself: are we living up to it?