In this concluding installment of the series, we explore the intriguing mechanisms of reincarnation and look at specific examples from Cain and Abel, Moses and Jethro, Balaam, Terach, Job, Deborah, Tamar, and others. Also, can a male soul reincarnate in a female body, or vice versa? And how many total souls are meant to exist across all time? Plus: What is a dybbuk and does Judaism have a notion of “exorcism”? Who did Cain and Abel marry? And did God make other humans besides Adam and Eve?
Tag Archives: Sha’ar HaGilgulim
Reincarnation in Judaism, Part 2
As we continue exploring the Jewish conception of the afterlife, we uncover where exactly is “Gehinnom” and what is “Abadon”? We address the great theodicy question: why do good and innocent people suffer? Can a person experience “Hell on Earth”? And what does reincarnation have to do with it? Plus: which iteration of a person will resurrect at the End of Days? And why is it that people do not remember their past lives?
For Part 1 of this series, see here.
See also ‘Perspectives on Hell’ and ‘Understanding Resurrection of the Dead’.
Reincarnation in Judaism
Where do we find reincarnation in Tanakh? How many times might a person reincarnate? And how does reincarnation fit into the greater picture of the afterlife, the world of resurrection, and what happens to a soul after death? Also: does Judaism subscribe to the notion of an eternal hell? Find out in this class as we dive into Biblical reincarnation and answer the big questions about the transmigration of souls and the afterlife.
For a written summary and more information, see here.
See also ‘An Honest Look at Death and Afterlife’.
On the ‘Origins and Kabbalah of Kaddish’, see here.