| Scattered throughout the large body of Talmudic and | | | | Another, more unique form, of reincarnation is |
| later writings, one can construct a comprehensive | | | | discussed by the Sages: the reincarnation of the |
| picture of the Torah's (Bible's) understanding of the | | | | perfected soul...or a soul belonging to that of a "tzaddik" |
| hereafter. | | | | (righteous person). Normally a soul will return to attain a |
| Immortality of the soul, Resurrection, and the concept | | | | deeper, more expansive level of articulation. Yet from |
| of Heaven are all featured prominently in Jewish | | | | time to time, souls settle in this realm of existence, not |
| tradition, but they are not explicitly stated in the Torah. | | | | for themselves per se, but to help those around them |
| For this reason, a careful analysis of Jewish texts and | | | | attain their own "tikkun" (restoration or repair) and |
| commentaries is needed in order to create a clear | | | | reach their soul destiny. |
| picture of what happens to the soul after the body | | | | There are clusters of souls that gravitate toward each |
| has died. | | | | other physically as they are spiritually linked, sharing the |
| THE SOUL | | | | same soul roots. Occasionally, a "perfected" soul will |
| According to rabbinic material the soul goes on a | | | | descend to assist those souls to which it is connected, |
| journey after it departs the body. Along the way it | | | | in order to help them reach their maximum spiritual |
| may encounter such things as 'pains of the grave' | | | | potential. |
| (Hibbut ha-kever), the 'angel of silence' (Dumah), the | | | | Ultimately, the purpose of a soul's descent into various |
| 'angel of death' (Satan), 'catapult of the soul' (Kaf | | | | forms of existence is for lessons it can acquire, and |
| ha-Kela), 'purgatory' (Gehinom), and 'paradise' (Gan | | | | once these are achieved the soul re-attains its purity |
| Eden). These concepts are often expressed via | | | | and is able to enter "Gan Eden" (paradise/heaven). |
| analogies and parables by the Jewish sages, as they | | | | HEAVEN |
| felt that these concepts were beyond average human | | | | In Judaism, Heaven and Hell are not physical places - |
| understanding. | | | | they are better described as 'states' in which the soul |
| According to the Kabbalah (Jewish Mysticism), after a | | | | can reside. The blissful feeling of heaven or the |
| person passes on and sheds the physical form, the | | | | agonizing dread of hell is based on the choices we |
| soul continues to be quite conscious of the people and | | | | make. Throughout life, we can either pick heaven or |
| the universe it has left behind. But as time goes on, the | | | | choose hell. Heaven is inclusive, hell is exclusive. In the |
| soul ceases to dwell in the physical universe as we | | | | heavenly paradigm, it is me and you. In hell there can |
| know it and journeys into a non-dimensional reality. | | | | only be me or you. |
| Existence in the afterlife is a continuation of this life, | | | | To exist in heaven is to live in an embracing condition |
| organically flowing from this life into the next, minus | | | | of openness and transcendence, whereas living in hell |
| one's physical form. A person's individuality, contained | | | | is where every person we meet is suspected as an |
| as a memory unit, lives on after death. The entire | | | | enemy, and every experience we have is potentially |
| personality, which is the cumulative selfhood of the | | | | threatening. |
| soul-type, survives, including all life experiences that | | | | To live in a heavenly manner is to experience a self |
| have been imprinted on the soul. | | | | devoid of opaque ego, aggression, or resentment. The |
| The measure of survival and immediacy of "soul | | | | converse of this state is considered hell. With regard to |
| memory" capable of attaining reintegration with "gan | | | | the afterlife journey, in a manner of speaking, one |
| eden" (heaven/paradise) is commensurate with the | | | | soul's heaven is another's hell. To some degree, all |
| level of soul actualization manifested during life. If we | | | | souls return to the same place: for some souls, |
| have lived in complete harmony with our soul, the | | | | merging with the light is a transcendent elation, while |
| transition is immediate, while those who have lived a | | | | other souls - those accustomed to being ego oriented, |
| more disharmonious and misaligned existence may | | | | self centered, and selfish - experience the very same |
| need to trek a longer route in order to reach their | | | | encounter as hell. |
| destination. Eventually all souls get there, completing full | | | | Movement into the afterlife is determined by the soul's |
| circle and returning to their Source. | | | | success in developing in this life. As in this life, what we |
| REINCARNATION | | | | are when er are older is generally, though not |
| According to the sages, the 'sparks' that were one's | | | | necessarily, a reflection of who we were when we |
| soul in this life remain part of the soul in the afterlife, | | | | were younger. Similarly, in the afterlife, what is |
| while other sparks reincarnate and gradually become | | | | experienced "there" is a reflection of what was |
| individualized souls for other people. The unifying factor | | | | accomplished "here." The soul advances from one |
| between all these incarnations is that, collectively, they | | | | level of awareness to a higher one in accordance with |
| constitute "one soul." | | | | the life it led. Souls can also be assisted in their afterlife |
| Just as a tree has one root, but also has multiple | | | | journey by the actions performed in their memory by |
| branches extending in all directions, so too does each | | | | the living. |
| individual soul share the same root but unfolds and | | | | Although "Gan Eden" (Heaven or Paradise) is the |
| unravels and becomes apparent throughout many lives | | | | ultimate destination for souls, infinite levels exist within |
| as individual spiritual soul energies for different people. | | | | this destination. Most broadly, higher/deeper gan eden |
| Although the soul keeps on dividing and subdividing | | | | us dedicated to the expansive pleasure of divine |
| itself in each incarnation, it retains wholesomeness and | | | | contemplation; the less intense level of gan eden is |
| a sense of completion. | | | | more an emotional form of delight. The level the soul |
| Even after the first possesssor of the soul passes | | | | attains immediately following death depends on the |
| away and elements of soul that became exclusively | | | | measure of spiritual attainment it has reached here on |
| that person's remain his or hers, and only the | | | | earth. |
| remainder of the soul reincarnates, this "remainder" is | | | | A soul that finds itself too confused or bewildered to |
| also complete. | | | | enter higher/deeper dimensions within gan eden may |
| Contrary to popular belief, souls do not reincarnate to | | | | first experience lower grades, until it becomes fully |
| rectify previous misdeeds or to complete someone | | | | acclimated. The lower levels of gan eden serve as an |
| else's story. Rather, they exist to reach their own | | | | orientation, allowing the soul to become accustomed to |
| actualization and individuation. In each evolving | | | | its new bodiless existence, until it becomes able to |
| incarnation, the soul articulates another element of its | | | | reintegrate with the infinite light and join with eternal |
| nature. | | | | goodness. |
| Reincarnation from one human being to the next is for | | | | Heaven is the spiritual culmination of our work here in |
| the purpose of self-elevation, not so much for the | | | | this world. While for some people this is the glorious |
| correction of past life errors. Errors are amended for | | | | end of life to a mediocrity of life's middle, for others this |
| and fixed in the afterlife, not on earth. When souls | | | | evolved spiritual condition is attained, partially or even |
| descend for rectification in this world, they mostly do | | | | fully, in the present world. |
| so as other forms of life, not within the human form. | | | | |