What do the three branches in the chief butler’s dream symbolize?

Question: In the chief butler’s dream it says: “And on the vine were three branches” (Genesis 40:10). What does the Ben Ish Chai learn from this?

Answer:

The Ben Ish Chai explains that the three branches hint at three spiritual levels found in a person:

1. Nefesh: a spiritual level connected to a person’s life and actions.

2. Ruach: a higher spiritual level.

3. Neshamah: an even higher spiritual level.

These three levels are known by the abbreviation NaRaN: Nefesh, Ruach and Neshamah.

According to the Kabbalah cited by the Ben Ish Chai, these three levels exist in the Jewish people in a special way.