Some say the Guf comes from Jewish mysticism and is referred to as The Chamber of Guf or the Treasury of Souls and located in the Seventh Heaven. You will find it interesting to note: Seven Heavens is part of the evolution of many major religions such as Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and Catholicism.
It is also mentioned in the Talmud; a collection of Jewish laws and traditions cumulative from the first Jewish divisions of the Old Testament, also known as The Oral Torah or Oral Law before written form. The Oral Law is the decree which was given to Moses from God (some agree this declaration was given on Mount Sinai, others argue it was passed to Moses on Mount Sinai and at the Tabernacle). No one seems to dispute however, that these laws included but not limited to; instructions to Moses regarding dietary restrictions and how people are to observe the Sabbath (which definitively relates to the Commandments).
Therefore, if we believe Moses received all this from God on Mount Sinai, then it was not just the Ten Commandments he held as he descended the mountain, but an impregnable amount of knowledge!
I found no dispute that God’s “oral” commandments were passed down through generations, eventually finding their way to the Torah (the central concept in the religious Judaic tradition or the first five books of the twenty-four within the cannon of the Hebrew Bible). The Torah also states these instructions or declarations by God were in existence before the creation of the world. This, of course would make sense (even within the mind of a human) when thinking of an artist, for example. They would prepare and set out “colors” and “brushes” needed to complete their masterpiece before beginning. Therefore, if we are created in His image, reason would tell us God, being the first “artist”, would form His plan for “creation” before carrying it out.
Enoch describes our Creator, not in a human form, but rather as somewhat of a celestial radiance. We must keep in mind that Ancient writings are translated. We also must remember that the written word did not come about for centuries after man walked the earth. There is a lot to consider and mounds of information and misinformation to be found. If there is a Guf (Guff, Guph) then I would venture to say it may very well be one of the Heavens. Let us assume, for a moment, this is true. Then it begs questions; Are there good souls and bad souls? Do souls control us? Are they “placed” within everyone or just a chosen few? Does the Devil have the power to influence our souls as he has the power to put thoughts into our minds? Does the soul “complete” the procreation of a human? Is it the soul that determines what is right and what is wrong? I am certain people have more questions however, these are what have intruded my thoughts. Perhaps we can find a bit of the answer within the following quote by Paulo Coelho:
“Really important meetings are planned by the soul long before the bodies see each other. Generally speaking these meetings occur when we reach a limit, when we need to die and be reborn emotionally. These meetings are waiting for us, but more often than not we avoid them happening. If we are desperate, though, if we have nothing to lose, or if we are full of enthusiasm for life, then the unknown reveals itself, and our universe changes direction.”
You may find this quote a bit whimsical, however, like a poem, there is much more said than what first meets the eye. I read quite a few varied opinions regarding the question of good souls versus bad, and have concluded that we all are given a good soul, period. It is a gift from our Maker. It perpetuates the calm we feel, after a battle between good and evil. The soul is “the voice” of reason we hear and feel within. There are some who choose to ignore its message and others who abide and choose good. Life is choice and the consequences that follow. Those who choose evil, continue to bruise their soul, until it’s final release from the body-of-bondage and wrong choices…
The soul, being immaterial and immortal distinct from the body, was not found in Judaism but developed as a result of Persian and Hellenistic philosophies. Although the Hebrew refer to the translation of the writings or Oral Torah to be “soul”, in older English Bibles the translation is “living being”, which is also found in the Targum (the Aramaic translation of the Hebrew Bible). Could it be that the soul given to each of us is but the breath of life from our Creator? He blew into Adam “breath of life” and so it should be that all humans must take their first breath of life.
Last thoughts, from the original writings:
“And the Lord God created man in two formations; …, and from the four winds of the world, and mixed from all the waters of the world, and created him red, black, and white; and breathed into his nostrils the inspiration of life, and there was in the body of Adam the inspiration of a speaking spirit, unto the illumination of the eyes and the hearing of the ears”. For others to say that the Soul and the Spirit are the same must be seriously offensive to God. For Jesus gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit so that we would no longer have to be constantly “fed”, we were given this gift in order to have a part of God dwelling within us. The Holy Spirit guides us, protects us and teaches us, as those of old (i.e., Moses, Abraham, etc.).
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