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
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
KabbalaOnline.org. (For the first article in the series, "Gate of
Reincarnations", click here).
(Also,
the English edition of "Derech Hashem" by Rabbi Moshe-Chaim
Luzzatto, "The Way of G-d", translated by Aryeh Kaplan (Feldheim,
1983), II:3:10 (page 125) plus notes 39-40 (pp. 342-3) provides an English
list of Torah sources on this topic in both scripture and Kabbalah.)
