05 Sep PARSHAS NETZAVIM-VAYEILECH: WORRYING ABOUT OUR SOULS

Worrying More About
Our Souls Than Our
Bodies During the Ten
Days of Repentance
There is a halacha in
Shulchan Aruch
Orach Chaim, Siman
603: “Even someone who is not meticulous

about abstaining from bread baked by non-
Jews (the rest of the year), should be careful

about this during the Asseres Yemei Teshuva
(Ten Days of Repentance).” Many people do
eat “pas akum” (“non-Jewish bread”)
throughout the year. The Talmud discusses
whether or not the Rabbis formally adopted
such a rule on a permanent basis. The bottom
line is that if one buys kosher bread from a
non-Jewish baker, it is permissible to eat it.
Nevertheless, between Rosh Hashanah and
Yom Kippur, the Shulchan Orach says that
we may only eat Jewish baked bread.
This ruling is somewhat anomalous. Which
way is it? If pas akum is forbidden, it should
be prohibited the whole year and if it is not
forbidden, it should be permissible the whole
year!
The Tolner Rebbe tries to explain this strange

halacha in Shulchan Aruch.
Many times, the Shulchan Aruch uses the
terminology “A baal nefesh (e.g. – a person
concerned for his soul) should be strict in the
matter.” This means that something can be
perfectly permissible, but there exist certain
spiritually sensitive souls who should shun
any practice that is in any way questionable.
The term baal nefesh is not synonymous with
“chossid” or “tzaddik“, both of which are
terms that express righteousness and piety
beyond the norm. What exactly is a “baal
nefesh“? Where does it come from?
Rashi (Niddah 16b) defines a baal nefesh as
someone who is “fearful and abstains from
even a question of transgression.” It is the
type of person who is diligent when it comes
to avoiding even a doubt of prohibition, even
though according to the bottom line
halacha, the action is 100% permissible.
The Sefer HaManhig defines a baal nefesh as
“one who rules over his soul.”
In short, a baal nefesh is a person who is
worried about his soul. There is constant
tension between a person’s body (guf) and
soul (nefesh). Most people worry about their

bodies more than their souls.
Regarding ruchniyus (spirituality), we say,
“Nu, I have bitachon (confidence).”
Regarding gashmiyus (materialistic matters)
– we are not so religious that we always say,
“I have confidence.” We are worried more
about our materialistic needs than our
spiritual needs. A baal nefesh is a person who
is concerned about his nefesh, concerned
about his soul.
The Rambam writes in Hilchos Teshuva 7:6
as follows, “How exalted is Repentance.
Yesterday he was separated
from Hashem, the G-d of Israel… he cries
out and is not answered…and today he clings
to the Divine Presence… he cries out and is
immediately answered.”
When a person repents, he becomes a
different person. Just yesterday, he was
distant from the Ribono shel Olam and today
he is close to Him. That is why the Shulchan
Aruch says that during the Ten Days of
Repentance, we should be particular about
eating only pas Yisrael. During these holy
days following Rosh Hashanah, we become
different people – baalei nefesh. At least
during these 10 days, we are worried about

our souls. Let our bodies take care of
themselves – we will worry about that later.
Our main concern during this period of time
is “What is going to be with our souls?”
A baal nefesh is a person who is worried
about his ruchniyus (spirituality).
Therefore, once a person experiences Rosh
Hashanah and is transformed into this
different person, an entire new set
of halachos in Shulchan Aruch apply. The
rest of the year, kosher “Pas Akum” is
perfectly permissible. However, for a “baal
nefesh,” throughout the year and for every
one of us during the spiritually auspicious
time between Rosh Hashanah and Yom
Kippur when we become “baalei nefesh,” the
Shulchan Aruch provides us with a more
demanding standard.