How Anger Destroys the Mind, Body, and Soul

Anger takes a serious toll on a person in more ways than one. When an individual is mentally stressed, it becomes incredibly difficult to feel joy, to stay calm, or to experience inner peace. Further, anger harms our important relationships.

In this article we will focus on the spiritual impact of anger.

Many of the insights below are based on the classic Jewish book of ethics “Erech Apayim.” There, it brings a powerful teaching from the Zohar, stating that someone who gives in to anger is considered as if they are worshipping idols. The Tanya (by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi) explains: “Because in the moment of anger, faith departs from him. If he truly believed that this moment was sent from Heaven, he wouldn’t be angry at all.”

When a person gets angry, it’s as if they are denying that this situation is from G-d. They’re essentially saying: “This isn’t fair- I don’t deserve this!” which implies that G-d is being unjust. That in itself is a kind of heresy. If he denies that G-d is in control, it’s as though he believes there are other forces in the universe apart from G-d's will.

The Talmud says something very similar: “Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri: He who tears his clothing in anger, smashes his possessions in anger, or throws away his money in anger- regard him as one who serves idols. For this is how the evil inclination works: today it tells him ‘do this,’ tomorrow ‘do that,’ until eventually it says ‘serve idols,’ and he does...” (Shabbat 105b).

A person who doesn't just feel anger but expresses it destructively, indicates that they are no longer in control. They are fully overtaken by emotion- and the gap between losing control and spiritual collapse is dangerously narrow.

The descent happens fast. If you look at someone who is enraged, you'll notice that their face turns red, blood rushes to the head, and when the blood rises to the brain, reason descends to the feet.

According to Jewish thought, the neshama (soul) resides in the brain, while the nefesh (animal soul) lives in the blood. As it says in Deuteronomy 12:23: “The blood is the life-force.” The neshama is the highest, most spiritual part of the human being. The nefesh is the lowest, and also exists in animals.

When a person gets angry and “the blood rushes to the head”, the animal soul floods the brain and temporarily takes over. This is why the person loses control, because they’re no longer driven by the soul, but by raw instinct. In this state people may do unthinkable things such as hitting a friend, injuring someone, or even murder-sometimes over a parking space or a line at the supermarket!

Countless women are victims of domestic abuse. Isn’t anger to blame for so many of these tragedies? Regarding children, verbal anger can sometimes spill over into physical violence. Even if no physical harm is done, yelling or humiliating someone in public is likened in Jewish law to shedding blood.

If people would only remind themselves regularly of the damage anger causes to their health, relationships, and their soul, they’d feel a genuine desire to work hard to overcome it.

The Talmud teaches: “There are three whom G-d loves: one who does not get angry, one who does not get drunk, and one who does not insist on having things his way” (Pesachim 113b).

How do we begin? The fight against anger can be divided into three stages:

Stage 1:Before the anger rises – preparing yourself with the right mindset and tools.
Stage 2:During the moment of anger – learning how to pause and regain control.
Stage 3:After anger – reflecting, repairing, and growing from the experience.

Each stage brings us closer to emotional mastery, and to the person we truly want to be.