Judaism and reincarnation

[dybmh]

♡♡♡♡

Are there verses in Torah, that teaches Reincarnation?

"The subject of gilgul neshamot, the reincarnation of souls, is not mentioned explicitly in the Torah. "

"There is a reason why we do not find any explicit mention of gilgul in the Tanach (only by insinuation and hint). God wants man to be completely free to do whatever he wants, so that he can be totally responsible for his actions. If a person were to be explicitly told that he will surely reincarnate if he fails to rectify his actions, he might remain indifferent and apathetic. He might not do all he could to accelerate his personal evolution. Thinking that he could have no influence on the course of his life, he might renounce all responsibility and leave all in the hands of "fate."

by: Rav Avraham Brandwein, Dean
Yeshiva Kol Yehuda Zvi

Gilgul Neshamot - Reincarnation of Souls

 

[Ehav4Ever]

Do all jews believe in reincarnation? or just some?

I know judaism believe in some form of hell and heaven also.

Greetings. Just as a side note. It is always important to put something in your title like, "Question for Jews Only" when referencing what Jews beleive. Otherwise you will have people who are not Jewish telling you what Jews believe - when in reality Jews are the best source for what Jews believe (or know) and even why.

 

[Ehav4Ever]

Reincarnation isn't taught in the Tanakh just because some rabbis believe iit. What the Scriptures and clergy say are different.

With all due respect. The person who started the thread didn't ask what Christians think. Their specific question was and I quote. "Do all jews believe in reincarnation? or just some?" As a Christian you are not a valid source of inforamtion for the question. Besides, as you admitted in another thread you don't read/understand Hebrew. Therefore you are not in a position to say what is or is not addressed in the Hebrew Tanakh.

You may be an expert in the Christian bible and Christian theology about the Christian bible but not in matters Jewish.

 

[InvestigateTruth]

"The subject of gilgul neshamot, the reincarnation of souls, is not mentioned explicitly in the Torah. "

"There is a reason why we do not find any explicit mention of gilgul in the Tanach (only by insinuation and hint). God wants man to be completely free to do whatever he wants, so that he can be totally responsible for his actions. If a person were to be explicitly told that he will surely reincarnate if he fails to rectify his actions, he might remain indifferent and apathetic. He might not do all he could to accelerate his personal evolution. Thinking that he could have no influence on the course of his life, he might renounce all responsibility and leave all in the hands of "fate."

by: Rav Avraham Brandwein, Dean
Yeshiva Kol Yehuda Zvi

Gilgul Neshamot - Reincarnation of Souls

So, do you personally know any Jews who believe in reincarnation?

 

[dybmh]

So, do you personally know any Jews who believe in reincarnation?

Sure, I do. Most of the religious Jews I hang out with believe in it too.

 

[Rival]

So, do you personally know any Jews who believe in reincarnation?

It's a pretty standard Orthodox Jewish belief. It's not like something only a handful of Jews believe in. Tumah rather casually mentions it here There Is No Evil, There Is No Problem | Religious Forums

 

[james dixon]

can one live in hell while living in the here and now as well?

 

[Ehav4Ever]

♡♡♡♡

Are there verses in Torah, that teaches Reincarnation?

There are sources that say that there, but you would have to look at a Hebrew text of the Torah and know the methods that exist in Jewish thought of how to read the Torah in Hebrew. The sources that claim that it is were reading the text in Hebrew and the earliest expressions of the concept was described in Hebrew.

For example, the below section of the Torah, called Shemoth. It is one of the sources from the Torah that is considered by some to allude to four (גלגולי הנשמות) or "reincarnations" if you will but the description of definition is not really the same as what you find in Eastern religions.

I have underlined in red and blue four statements in the Torah that some consider an allusion to a type of "reincarnation."

 

[InvestigateTruth]

Sure, I do. Most of the religious Jews I hang out with believe in it too.

Honestly it really surprised me. But very interesting

 

[InvestigateTruth]

It's a pretty standard Orthodox Jewish belief. It's not like something only a handful of Jews believe in. Tumah rather casually mentions it here There Is No Evil, There Is No Problem | Religious Forums

Would you say, percentagewise, more Jews believed in reincarnation in old times, or there has been more in recent years?

 

[Rival]

Would you say, percentagewise, more Jews believed in reincarnation in old times, or there has been more in recent years?

I don't know. I know that it's a common belief today.

 

[Ehav4Ever]

So, do you personally know any Jews who believe in reincarnation?

There are some Jews who don't hold by the concept, or least how the word reincarnation means in English. If you were read through various Jewish literature there are differing views mainly because it deals with an area that involves hints or allusions to something that a person can only confirm in a particular way. There are some sources that explain that the sages of Israel stayed away from trying to clearly define what happens after we die because the focus should be on the life we currently live and let Hashem deal with that elements of after our current life. Even, the concept of the World to Come is something that some stay away from in order to not confuse peoples focus on doing the will of Hashem in this world.

Basically, this not one of those topics where we Jews have a required view we must take. At least in the sense of what is expressed in Hebrew as (גיגולים). YET, it is considered pretty standard among all ancient authorities that Hashem a system of reward for those who do the commands of Hashem in this world. The concept of punishment is there but is starkly different than the "hell" i.e. a location of eternal nashing of teath concept found in some religions. Again, another long story.

 

[Ehav4Ever]

Would you say, percentagewise, more Jews believed in reincarnation in old times, or there has been more in recent years?

Among Torath Mosheh Jews and Orthodox Jews the idea of life after passing from this life is common. The concept of reward and punishment is also common. Both are considered to be a basis of the Torah.

What is debatable, from some points of view, is what is called (גילגולים) i.e. the concept I described earlier that is said to be alluded to in the Hebrew text of the Torah. That part was the actual source of a few major debates concerning particular types of Kabbalah texts.

 

[Ehav4Ever]

can one live in hell while living in the here and now as well?

From a Jewish perspective, it depends on what you mean by "hell." There is really no "hell" concept, at least as it is often defined in the western world. It is possible for a person to forfeit any reward in the world to come and have it all here, so to speak. It is also possible that someone will always have less in order that they have more in the world to come. The below link may help in unpacking that.

Teshuvah - Chapter Three

 

[InvestigateTruth]

Among Torath Mosheh Jews and Orthodox Jews the idea of life after passing from this life is common. The concept of reward and punishment is also common. Both are considered to be a basis of the Torah.

What is debatable, from some points of view, is what is called (גילגולים) i.e. the concept I described earlier that is said to be alluded to in the Hebrew text of the Torah. That part was the actual source of a few major debates concerning particular types of Kabbalah texts.

If I understand you correctly, you are saying the Hebrew Bible, teaches there is a life after death, but it doesn't make it clear how it will be. Thus among Jews, how life after death will be is debatable, some may take it as reincarnation and some may take as literal resurrection and then hell and heaven, and some may just believe in life of spirit after body dies.
Feel free to correct me.

 

[firedragon]

Do all jews believe in reincarnation? or just some?

I know judaism believe in some form of hell and heaven also.

Jews in my experience generally do not talk much about reincarnation. I am not an expert on Judaism or anything, but I do know if not some, most Jews, or at least the Jewish theology has the concept of reincarnation. But it is not the same as any other concept I have known like Buddhism and Hinduism.

I maybe wrong, but the Jewish concept of reincarnation is that due to a course of outcomes in the study of theodicy, the death of an innocent/without sin has a place in this reality once more. Do you understand? If an innocent baby dies drowning of no volition the soul will be reborn to live life.

Yet maybe Jews in the forum would have already given you this or more correct information.

Peace.

 

[firedragon]

I will reserve my view of the afterlife, because I do not believe in the Biblical versions of the after-life. I acknowledged that the orthodox position is no Reincarnation, but in the fringes of reform and non-active cultural Jews I have met Jews with a very diverse views of religion and the afterlife. Not all Jews believe in the same in terms of the afterlife.

Hell?, of course, is mentioned in the mentioned in the Tanakh, but in the Hebrew it is not translated literally as 'Hell.' Yes 'Sheol' can be translated as just the grave in comparability with the Jewish belief in Resurrection.

Are you sure?

As I know, the orthodox view is to believe in reincarnation. Just that Judaism has a different concept of reincarnation, but it is still that.

 

[Ehav4Ever]

If I understand you correctly, you are saying the Hebrew Bible, teaches there is a life after death, but it doesn't make it clear how it will be. Thus among Jews, how life after death will be is debatable, some may take it as reincarnation and some may take as literal resurrection and then hell and heaven, and some may just believe in life of spirit after body dies.
Feel free to correct me.

• Life after death. According to Torath Mosheh and Orthodox Judaism. A given based on doing the commands of Hashem. For Jews, as a nation, 613 mitzvoth and non-Jew the 7 mitzvoth,
• What it is like. Not debatable, but beyond human/physical compression. Not detailed with the exception of earthly allusions. The sages of Israel, generally, do not try to provide detailed explainations because to understand it, as we are now, is beyond our capabilities. Consider it like this. If the universe is 14 Billion years old and I may only live, in this world, to about 120 years - in concept it is impossible for me to take in 14 billion years worth of history, existance, micro/macro-processes, etc. That is given with the limited amount of understanding we have of the entire breath of the universe. There isn't enough time to pack on that in. So, by like token trying to understand something that is not bound by time is beyond full compression while being physical in nature as we are. Thus, the world to come is beyond full human comprehension. At least, that is one way of looking at it based on a statement from the Torah that man cannot fully view/understand Hashem and be living.
  • It must be understood that we all can strive to understand the source of creation, Hashem, and the reality we are in that Hashem created. Yet, we are limited by time and also our ability to experience the fullness of the reality.
• The concept of a person dying and part of/fully their soul returning to this world in a different form/body once, twice, three times, four times, before the time of the Age of the return of Davidic rule in Israel - which that age is not a part of the world to come. The soul returning to a new body over and over again is the debatable part, for Torah based Jews.
  • I.e. we agree on the return of the Davidic rule, in English called the messianic age, and the resurrection of the dead agreed. Souls returning prior to the resurrection of the dead multiple times. Debatable.
  • Those who say have their sources and those who say no have their sources.
  • The multiple return of souls who did not correct certain misteps against the Torah is not a requirement/foundation of the Torah thus either view could be right. It all depends on what is the reality. I.e. that part is in the hands of Hashem, not ours. We don't decide on the mechanics.
• Heaven and hell. We don't have a heaven in hell concept. These are terms that are foreign.
  • We have concepts of reward and punishment. Yet, there is not location where people are eternally punishment. The going concept is that there is no need for such a place.
  • Reward - gaining the world to come. a) reward in this world The reward in the world to come depends on the type of mitzvoth a person did and at what level they did them.
  • Punishment - having no place in the world to come. b) no reward in this world and no reward in the world to come. c) reward given here (riches, fame, success) based on what few/minimal amount of good they done and no reward in the world to come.
  • Geihinam - There is a concept that there is a process by which those who merit the world to come are "cleansed" so to speak after they die from the character traits (traits they developed and never dealt with) that held them back from fully being who they were created to be. Geihinam is considered to be that process. Again, we don't have specifics because this is not the focus of the Torah.
  • All of the above is totally in the hands of Hashem.

I hope my attempt above is able to make it clear.

 

[Tumah]

So all jews except reform jews believe in reincarnation?

No. What I was trying to say is that most Jews probably don't know that reincarnation is a belief found in Rabbinic sources. In the Orthodox denomination, I'd say most do believe in it, but there's also a stream of rationalists that don't.

 

[Tumah]

There was a time when I probably would have agreed with you. Not so much any more.

On which point?