A Hebrew noun meaning breath, breath of life, blast, spirit, inspiration. It describes the life-breath that comes directly from God — the animating force that distinguishes living creatures from inert matter. While ruach (spirit/wind) has broader usage, neshamah is more specifically the divine breath imparted to humans.
In Genesis 2:7, God breathes the neshamah of life into Adam's nostrils — this is the most intimate act of creation. God doesn't merely speak humans into existence (as with other creatures) but breathes into them mouth-to-mouth, like a parent breathing life into a newborn. This makes humanity uniquely God-breathed among all creation. Job 32:8 declares 'it is the breath of the Almighty that gives understanding' — connecting God's breath not just with biological life but with consciousness, wisdom, and spiritual comprehension. Psalm 150:6 closes the Psalter: 'Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!' — the breath God gave is to be returned to Him as praise. The neshamah theology establishes human dignity: every person carries God's own breath.