Jewish Soul in a Non-Jewish Body?

[Marco19]

Shalom dear friends,

While reading this article Jewish Soul in a Non-Jewish Body?

A question popped up in my head, I'll be happy if you share thoughts...
In the article above, the author says

Abraham and Sarah, the first Jewish couple, were married for many years before they were blessed with a child, but their union generated many spiritual children. Kabbalah explains that the souls created by Abraham and Sarah—and the souls created from the unions of other righteous couples—have been distributed among the nations of the world, and it is these souls who become converts to Judaism.

Well, either you believe/practice Kabbalah or not, my question is in general how do you understand the above statement, Is it acceptable or considered by some as heresy?

Thanks in advance

 

[Sleeppy]

Very good question... Why did Elisha ask Elijah for a double portion of his spirit?

 

[Tarheeler]

Shalom dear friends,
...
Well, either you believe/practice Kabbalah or not, my question is in general how do you understand the above statement, Is it acceptable or considered by some as heresy?

Thanks in advance

I don't follow kabbalah, but I do believe that some souls, and the people they are in, are drawn to Judaism. And converts do become the spiritual children of Abraham and Sarah. There's another article on the Chabad website that speaks about the Revelation at Sinai; it is said that all Jews (past, present, and future) were present that day, including future converts. How that could be is explained through this same premise: It was the souls of those who would become Jews that were in attendance among the people that day, and they bring that lineage with them when they find themselves in a non-Jewish body.

Of course, a lot of people don't agree with it, and that's fine. We rarely agree on the best way to look at things in the Jewish world. But, as a convert, it gives meaning to the pull I felt when I started studying Judaism, and it helps to steady the sometimes rocky feelings of being adopted into a new people.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

I think that, taken literally, it's nonsense, and, taken allegorically, it's whatever you want it to be - rendering it for all intents and purposes more or less useless.

But that's just me ...

 

[Levite]

Shalom dear friends,

While reading this article Jewish Soul in a Non-Jewish Body?

A question popped up in my head, I'll be happy if you share thoughts...
In the article above, the author says

Well, either you believe/practice Kabbalah or not, my question is in general how do you understand the above statement, Is it acceptable or considered by some as heresy?

Thanks in advance

It is a legitimate Kabbalistic doctrine. Kabbalah is, of course, a nebulous and esoteric part of the tradition-- there are a lot of Kabbalistic doctrines, and one is free to subscribe to them or not, and to work with them in many ways if one does wish to subscribe to them. But this is a fairly common Kabbalistic midrash, taken quite literally in some schools of Kabbalistic thought, and less so in others.

Personally, I cannot see taking it literally. I think it's too pat an answer, and makes us too insular, and may actually be unhelpful to the way I reconcile theologies of reincarnation, free will, and compassion.

But taken metaphorically, as a midrash about converts being Jewish down to their very souls, I think it's lovely.

 

[CMike]

Shalom dear friends,

While reading this article Jewish Soul in a Non-Jewish Body?

A question popped up in my head, I'll be happy if you share thoughts...
In the article above, the author says

Well, either you believe/practice Kabbalah or not, my question is in general how do you understand the above statement, Is it acceptable or considered by some as heresy?

Thanks in advance

Is what acceptable or considered heresy?

 

[Marco19]

I don't follow kabbalah, but I do believe that some souls, and the people they are in, are drawn to Judaism. And converts do become the spiritual children of Abraham and Sarah. There's another article on the Chabad website that speaks about the Revelation at Sinai; it is said that all Jews (past, present, and future) were present that day, including future converts. How that could be is explained through this same premise: It was the souls of those who would become Jews that were in attendance among the people that day, and they bring that lineage with them when they find themselves in a non-Jewish body.

Of course, a lot of people don't agree with it, and that's fine. We rarely agree on the best way to look at things in the Jewish world. But, as a convert, it gives meaning to the pull I felt when I started studying Judaism, and it helps to steady the sometimes rocky feelings of being adopted into a new people.

Shalom Tarheeler,

as a convert, I'd like to know your personal understranding of:

And converts do become the spiritual children of Abraham and Sarah.

Is it kind of privilege/special case or treatment?

On the other hand, do you think the Jew, who simply left the faith, is not spiritual child of Abraham and Sarah even though he/she born as Jew?

 

[Marco19]

It is a legitimate Kabbalistic doctrine. Kabbalah is, of course, a nebulous and esoteric part of the tradition-- there are a lot of Kabbalistic doctrines, and one is free to subscribe to them or not, and to work with them in many ways if one does wish to subscribe to them. But this is a fairly common Kabbalistic midrash, taken quite literally in some schools of Kabbalistic thought, and less so in others.

Personally, I cannot see taking it literally. I think it's too pat an answer, and makes us too insular, and may actually be unhelpful to the way I reconcile theologies of reincarnation, free will, and compassion.

But taken metaphorically, as a midrash about converts being Jewish down to their very souls, I think it's lovely.

Thanks Levite for ur kind answer,

If we take historically and even at present, was/is there any kind of dispute or aggressive actions between Kabbalists and Orthodox Jews?

 

[Marco19]

Is what acceptable or considered heresy?

Shalom CMike,

What I meant is to know as a non-kabbalists how do you evaluate the article.

 

[Tarheeler]

Shalom Tarheeler,

as a convert, I'd like to know your personal understranding of:

Is it kind of privilege/special case or treatment?

On the other hand, do you think the Jew, who simply left the faith, is not spiritual child of Abraham and Sarah even though he/she born as Jew?

No, and no.

Judaism is open to those who choose to follow Torah and join the Jewish people; all kinds of people are drawn to Judaism, and we all have our own reasons for taking that step. Once one is a Jew, either by conversion or birth, they are always a Jew.

 

[Marco19]

either by conversion or birth, they are always a Jew.

Thanks Tarheeler,

Sorry if my qs looks rude, be sure that's not my intention

Since a convert has the free will to become/re-join, I wonder how fair it is, that a born as a Jew has no free will to be off?
This is interesting, is there any reference to Tanakh regarding this case, a Jew remains always Jew?

 

[Tarheeler]

Thanks Tarheeler,

Sorry if my qs looks rude, be sure that's not my intention

Since a convert has the free will to become/re-join, I wonder how fair it is, that a born as a Jew has no free will to be off?
This is interesting, is there any reference to Tanakh regarding this case, a Jew remains always Jew?

There are many stories in the Tanakh of Jews who committed all kinds of offenses, including turning away from the Jewish people and following other religions, and they are considered to still be part of Israel. They might be heretics and apostates, but they are still Jews.

As for it being fair, I don't know. Is it fair that I was born a man while my wife was born a woman? Or that we were both born in the US as opposed to Mexico? The life we are born into is just that, and we do with it what we wish. If a person wishes to leave to Judaism, they are free to do so; at that point I doubt that Jewish law still considers them to be Jewish is going to matter all that much to them.

 

[Levite]

Thanks Levite for ur kind answer,

If we take historically and even at present, was/is there any kind of dispute or aggressive actions between Kabbalists and Orthodox Jews?

There have often been fierce debates between mystical schools of thought and non-mystical schools of thought, especially during the Middle Ages.

Today not so much, though-- there are other things we tend to quarrel about today. There are still those who value mysticism more and less, are more or less vocal in their agreement or disagreement with Kabbalah; but I haven't heard of any knock-down drag-out fights about it.