Reincarnation is a solid pillar of Jewish tradition comes as a surprise to many

[Svarupa]

The fact that reincarnation is part of Jewish tradition comes as a surprise to many people. Nevertheless, it's mentioned in numerous places throughout the classical texts of Jewish mysticism, starting with the preeminent sourcebook of Kabbalah, the Zohar :12

As long as a person is unsuccessful in his purpose in this world, the Holy One, blessed be He, uproots him and replants him over and over again. (Zohar I 186b)

All souls are subject to reincarnation; and people do not know the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He! They do not know that they are brought before the tribunal both before they enter into this world and after they leave it; they are ignorant of the many reincarnations and secret works which they have to undergo, and of the number of naked souls, and how many naked spirits roam about in the other world without being able to enter within the veil of the King's Palace. Men do not know how the souls revolve like a stone that is thrown from a sling. But the time is at hand when these mysteries will be disclosed. (Zohar II 99b)

The Zohar and related literature 13 are filled with references to reincarnation, 14 addressing such questions as which body is resurrected and what happens to those bodies that did not achieve final perfection, 15 how many chances a soul is given to achieve completion through reincarnation, 16 whether a husband and wife can reincarnate together,17 if a delay in burial can affect reincarnation,18 and if a soul can reincarnate into an animal. 19

The Bahir, attributed to the first century sage, Nechuniah ben Hakanah, used reincarnation to address the classic question of theodicy -- why bad things happen to good people and vice versa:

Why is there a righteous person to whom good things happen, while [another] righteous person has bad things happen to him? This is because the [latter] righteous person did bad in a previous [life], and is now experiencing the consequences? What is this like? A person planted a vineyard and hoped to grow grapes, but instead, sour grapes grew. He saw that his planting and harvest were not successful so he tore it out. He cleaned out the sour grape vines and planted again. When he saw that his planting was not successful, he tore it up and planted it again. (Bahir 195)20

Reincarnation is cited by authoritative classic biblical commentators, including Ramban21 (Nachmanides), Menachem Recanti 22 and Rabbenu Bachya.23 Among the many volumes of the holy Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, known as the "Ari,"24 most of which come down to us from the pen of his primary disciple, Rabbi Chaim Vital, are profound insights explaining issues related to reincarnation. Indeed, his Shaar HaGilgulim, "The Gates of Reincarnation," 25 is a book devoted exclusively to the subject, including details regarding the soul-roots of many biblical personalities and who they reincarnated into from the times of the Bible down to the Ari.

The Ari's teachings and systems of viewing the world spread like wildfire after his death throughout the Jewish world in Europe and the ffice:smarttags" /><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comMiddle East</st1:place>. If reincarnation had been generally accepted by Jewish folk and intelligentsia beforehand, it became part of the fabric of Jewish idiom and scholarship after the Ari, inhabiting the thought and writings of great scholars and leaders from classic commentators on the Talmud (for example, the Maharsha, Rabbi Moshe Eidels ),26 to the founder of the Chassidic Movement, the Baal Shem Tov, as well as the leader of the non-Chassidic world, the Vilna Gaon. 27

The trend continues down to this day. Even some of the greatest authorities who are not necessarily known for their mystical bent assume reincarnation to be an accepted basic tenet.

One of the texts the mystics like to cite as a scriptural allusion to the principle of reincarnation is the following verse in the Book of Job:

Behold, all these things does God do -- twice, even three times with a man -- to bring his soul back from the pit that he may be enlightened with the light of the living. (Job 33:29)

In other words, God will allow a person to come back to the world "of the living" from "the pit" (which is one of the classic biblical terms for Gehinnom or "Purgatory") a second and even third (or multitude of) time(s). Generally speaking, however, this verse and others are understood by mystics as mere allusions to the concept of reincarnation. The true authority for the concept is rooted in the tradition.

This is an excerpt from Soul Searching, Targum Press, by Yaakov Astor.

 

HARE KRISHNA. Also it is beleved that the early Christians, right up until the third or fourth century believed in reincarnation.

[sanatan]

What you've posted is very informative, but isn't it from an offshoot of Judaism that is rarefied, esoteric and mystical, rather than what was referred to as "mainstream Judaism" in the other thread?

 

Yes, Origen was an early Christian church father who believed in reincarnation, but if I'm not mistaken, recanted on that belief...I'll check up on it.

 

Mainstream conservative Christians would rather sweep such historical aspects of faith under the rug.

[krishnadasa]

Good info!

[realist]

 

What you've posted is very informative, but isn't it from an offshoot of Judaism that is rarefied, esoteric and mystical, rather than what was referred to as "mainstream Judaism" in the other thread?

 

Yes, Origen was an early Christian church father who believed in reincarnation, but if I'm not mistaken, recanted on that belief...I'll check up on it.

 

Mainstream conservative Christians would rather sweep such historical aspects of faith under the rug.

 

You could all do what I did if this subject interests you, just humbly ask Jewish people down the local shopping centre and in the process tell them about Krishna. By the way all of them believe in reincarnation saying that as long as we have unfinished business and desires in this material world, then we must come back and take birth again.

 

I also found out that most detest 'so called' Christians and Muslims because of the many attempts of genocide against their faith over the last thousand years or so

[suchandra]

 

What you've posted is very informative, but isn't it from an offshoot of Judaism that is rarefied, esoteric and mystical, rather than what was referred to as "mainstream Judaism" in the other thread?

 

Yes, Origen was an early Christian church father who believed in reincarnation, but if I'm not mistaken, recanted on that belief...I'll check up on it.

 

Mainstream conservative Christians would rather sweep such historical aspects of faith under the rug.

 

It is very implausible that Egyptian religious beliefs and practices had no influence on ancient Judaism at all. Egypt was one of the most powerful cultures in the region and exercised widespread influence. The real question would seem to be just how extensive the influence was and how much of what is currently regarded as "Jewish" may have roots in ancient Egypt.

 

 

The judgment scene from the Book of the Dead of the royal scribe Hunefer (ca 1285 bCE). From left: Anubis brings Hunefer into the judgment hall; his heart is weighed and Thoth makes note of the favorable verdict; Horus conducts Hunefer into the presence of Osiris. (Source: National Geographic, Ancient Egypt)

[sanatan]

 

You could all do what I did if this subject interests you, just humbly ask Jewish people down the local shopping centre and in the process tell them about Krishna. By the way all of them believe in reincarnation saying that as long as we have unfinished business and desires in this material world, then we must come back and take birth again.

 

I'm not the outgoing preacher-type at all, another grievous shortcoming.

 

 

I also found out that most detest 'so called' Christians and Muslims because of the many attempts of genocide against their faith over the last thousand years or so

 

Yes, the Jews have been badly ******-over throughout history; little wonder Israel is such a militant state.

 

 

 

It is very implausible that Egyptian religious beliefs and practices had no influence on ancient Judaism at all. Egypt was one of the most powerful cultures in the region and exercised widespread influence. The real question would seem to be just how extensive the influence was and how much of what is currently regarded as "Jewish" may have roots in ancient Egypt.

 

 

The judgment scene from the Book of the Dead of the royal scribe Hunefer (ca 1285 bCE). From left: Anubis brings Hunefer into the judgment hall; his heart is weighed and Thoth makes note of the favorable verdict; Horus conducts Hunefer into the presence of Osiris. (Source: National Geographic, Ancient Egypt)

 

From my dim memories of long-past readings about Egyptian religious practices, they did hold some views much similar to those of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity: belief in one earthly lifetime, in-detail concepts and descriptions of the post-death judgement process, and very large importance placed on the body, with belief in a transformation of the physical body into a spiritual or subtle one that lives eternally.