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Judaism and Reincarnation
How prevalent is the Jewish belief in reincarnation today? How
does it differ from the Asian belief? What do the Rabbis think
of it?
The root of the word " Torah" is the verb "to instruct". Torah's
primary function is to teach us how to live Jewishly, in harmony
with G-d's will. As such, the basic levels of scriptural
interpretation lead to a practical understanding of mitzvot and
related Jewish values.
" Many Jews are surprised to learn, or may even wish to deny,
that reincarnation...is an integral part of Jewish belief..."
The Torah, however, is a multi-layered document. Many of its
deeper levels of interpretation are not readily accessible; and
they may not lend themselves to obvious, practical application
in daily life. As such, these more esoteric aspects of Torah are
not of interest to significant segments of the Jewish
population, including some rabbis and scholars.
Consequently, many Jews are surprised to learn, or may even wish
to deny, that reincarnation - the "revolving" of souls through a
succession of lives, or "gilgulim" - is an integral part of
Jewish belief. But this teaching has always been around. And it
is firmly rooted in source-verses.
Examples abound. Ramban, one of the greatest commentators on the
Torah (and on the Talmud), and a seminal figure in Jewish
history, hints several times that reincarnation is the key to
penetrating the deep mysteries involved in the mitzvah of yibum
(the obligation of the brother of a childless, deceased man to
marry the widow). In his explanation of Gen 38:8, he insists
that Yehudah and his sons were aware of the secret of
reincarnation, and that this was a major factor in their
respective attitudes towards Tamar.
" The responsibility lies with us..." The Jewish understanding
of reincarnation is different from Buddhist doctrines. It in no
way leads to fatalism. At every point of moral decision in his
life, a Jew has complete free choice. If not for freedom of
choice, how unfair it would be of G-d to make demands of us -
especially when reward and punishment is involved! Reincarnation
does not imply pre-determination. It is, rather, an opportunity
for rectification and soul-perfection.
The holy Ari explained it most simply: every Jew must fulfill
all 613 mitzvot, and if he doesn't succeed in one lifetime, he
comes back again and again until he finishes. For this reason,
events in a person's life may lead him towards certain places,
encounters, etc., in ways that may or may not make sense. Divine
providence provides each person with the opportunities he needs
to fulfill those particular mitzvot necessary for the perfection
of his soul. But the responsibility lies with us. At the actual
moment of decision in any given situation, the choice is ours.
One of the ways in which heaven maintains our ability to
exercise complete freedom of choice is by not allowing us
conscious knowledge of previous incarnations. Consequently, it
might seem to some people that there is little practical benefit
in being aware of this doctrine. Furthermore, many scholars
contend that these mystical concepts can easily be
misunderstood, or carried to erroneous and misleading
conclusions. We can therefore understand why this and similar
subjects are only hinted at in scripture, and why some knowledge
and a great deal of determination are often required in order to
gain access to this information.
For an in-depth English treatment of the Jewish doctrine of
reincarnation, see the running translation and commentary of
Shaar Gilgulim on www.KabbalaOnline.org.
About the author:
Yerachmiel Tilles is the Co-founder of Ascent-of-Safed
(www.ascent.org.il) and its educational director for 18 years.
He is the creator of www.ascentofsafed.com and
www.kabbalaonline.org, and currently the director of both sites.
He is also a columnist for numerous chasidic publications and a
staff rabbi on www.AskMoses.com
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