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Gilgul (also Gilgul neshamot or Gilgulei HaNeshamot; Heb. גלגול הנשמות‎, Plural: גלגולים‎ Gilgulim) is a concept of reincarnation or "transmigration of souls"^[1] in Kabbalistic esoteric mysticism. In Hebrew, the word gilgul means "cycle" or "wheel" and neshamot is the plural for "souls." Souls are seen to cycle through lives or incarnations, being attached to different human bodies over time. Which body they associate with depends on their particular task in the physical world, spiritual levels of the bodies of predecessors and so on. The concept relates to the wider processes of history in Kabbalah, involving cosmic Tikkun (Messianic rectification), and the historical dynamic of ascending Lights and descending Vessels from generation to generation.

The esoteric explanations of gilgul were articulated in Jewish mysticism by Isaac Luria in the 16th century, as part of the metaphysical purpose of Creation.

History in Jewish thought

Reincarnation is an esoteric belief within many streams of modern Judaism but is not an essential tenet of traditional Judaism. It is not mentioned in classical sources such as the Hebrew Bible, the classical rabbinic works (Mishnah and Talmud), or Maimonides' 13 principles of faith. Kabbalah, however, teaches a belief in gilgul; hence, the belief is universal in Hasidic Judaism, which regards the Kabbalah as sacred and authoritative.

Among well-known rabbis who rejected the idea of reincarnation are Saadia Gaon, David Kimhi, Hasdai Crescas, Jedaiah ben Abraham Bedersi (early 14th century), Joseph Albo, Abraham ibn Daud, and Leon of Modena. Among the Geonim, Hai ben Sherira argued with Saadia Gaon in favour of gilgulim.

Rabbis who believed in the idea of reincarnation include, from Medieval times, the mystical leaders Nahmanides and Bahya ben Asher; from the 16th-century Levi ibn Habib, and from the mystical school of Safed, Solomon Alkabetz, Isaac Luria, and his exponent Hayyim ben Joseph Vital; and from the 18th-century: the founder of Hasidic Judaism, the Baal Shem Tov, later Hasidic Masters, and the Lithuanian Jewish Orthodox leader and Kabbalist the Vilna Gaon; and - amongst others - from the 19th/20th-century: Yosef Hayyim, author of the Ben Ish Hai.

The 16th century mystical renaissance in communal Safed marked an important development in Kabbalistic thought, with a significant impact on mystical circles and Jewish spirituality.^[2] It was also the time when Kabbalah was most widely disseminated.^[3] In this context, Isaac Luria taught new explanations of the process of gilgul and identification of the reincarnations of historic Jewish figures, which Hayyim ben Joseph Vital compiled in his Shaar HaGilgulim.

Shaar haGilgulim lists possible reincarnations: "One who has sexual relations with an animal is reincarnated as a bat, one who has relations with a menstruant non-Jewish woman, one who commits adultery is reincarnated as a donkey, with his mother as a she-ass, with a man as a rabbit or hare". Tzaddikim can reincarnate as a fish, because "fish do not have to be ritually slaughtered before being rectified via eating". David Roskies in The Shtetl Book mentions the following beliefs: "The soul of a tsadek becomes the soul of a fish. The soul of a butcher who eats treyf meat becomes the soul of a black crow. The soul of a dishonest khazn becomes the soul of a dog. Because his prayer was as pleasing to the Lord as a dog’s bark. The soul of an informer becomes that of parrot. Because he acted like a parrot: spoke the wrong things at the wrong time to the wrong people." According to Shaar haGilgulim, a soul can even reincarnate in an inanimate object like a stone.^[4]

Historian Nathaniel Deutsch mentioned a widely reported anecdote as a modern example of the gilgul belief. In 2003, two fish cutters claimed to have encountered a talking carp at the New Square Fish Market in Rockland County, New York. The incident occurred in a Hasidic community of about 7,000 members. "The story goes that a 20-pound carp about to be slaughtered and made into gefilte fish for Sabbath dinner began speaking in Hebrew, shouting apocalyptic warnings and claiming to be the troubled soul of a revered community elder who recently died."^[4]^[5]

References

^ Trachtenberg, Joshua (13 February 2004) [Originally published 1939]. "Glossary of Hebrew Terms". Jewish Magic and Superstition. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press (published 2004). p. 333. ISBN 9780812218626.
^ Horwitz, Daniel M. (2016). A Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism Reader. U of Nebraska Press. p. 223. ISBN 978-0-8276-1286-0. Throughout most of the sixteenth century, this community attracted a very impressive array of kabbalistic thinkers, whose scholarship abounded in virtually every aspect of Jewish life. Among them were Moses Cordovero, Elijah de Vidas, Eliezer Azikri, and above all Isaac Luria (1534–72), whose ideas formed the basis for a whole new kabbalistic school of thought (although, as we will see, some of his ideas have roots in earlier Jewish tradition)
^ Karp, Jonathan; Sutcliffe, Adam (2017). The Cambridge History of Judaism: Volume 7, The Early Modern World, 1500–1815. Cambridge University Press. p. 465. ISBN 978-1-108-13906-9. The most important influences upon mystical speculation and practice in eastern Europe, however, emanated from the two prominent "schools" that had flourished in sixteenth-century Safed, those of Moses Cordovero and Isaac Luria. It is hard to overstate the influence that these two original kabbalistic figures had upon the subsequent history of Kabbalah. By the end of the seventeenth century, various combinations and configurations of their teachings became firmly rooted in eastern Europe, and began to transform its spiritual landscape.
^ ^a ^b Deutsch, Nathaniel (2011). The Jewish Dark Continent: Life and Death in the Russian Pale of Settlement. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0674047280.
^ Kilgannon, Corey (15 March 2003). "Miracle? Dream? Prank? Fish Talks, Town Buzzes". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 19 April 2020.

External links

Jewish view of reincarnation
Ask the Rabbi - aish.com Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
"Gilgul Neshamot - Reincarnation of Souls", essay on gilgul by Rav Avraham Brandwein
Sefer Nishmath Hayyim by Menasseh Ben Israel Archived 2010-02-21 at the Wayback Machine

[1] Trachtenberg, Joshua (13 February 2004) [Originally published 1939]. "Glossary of Hebrew Terms". Jewish Magic and Superstition. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press (published 2004). p. 333. ISBN 9780812218626.

[2] Horwitz, Daniel M. (2016). A Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism Reader. U of Nebraska Press. p. 223. ISBN 978-0-8276-1286-0. Throughout most of the sixteenth century, this community attracted a very impressive array of kabbalistic thinkers, whose scholarship abounded in virtually every aspect of Jewish life. Among them were Moses Cordovero, Elijah de Vidas, Eliezer Azikri, and above all Isaac Luria (1534–72), whose ideas formed the basis for a whole new kabbalistic school of thought (although, as we will see, some of his ideas have roots in earlier Jewish tradition)

[3] Karp, Jonathan; Sutcliffe, Adam (2017). The Cambridge History of Judaism: Volume 7, The Early Modern World, 1500–1815. Cambridge University Press. p. 465. ISBN 978-1-108-13906-9. The most important influences upon mystical speculation and practice in eastern Europe, however, emanated from the two prominent "schools" that had flourished in sixteenth-century Safed, those of Moses Cordovero and Isaac Luria. It is hard to overstate the influence that these two original kabbalistic figures had upon the subsequent history of Kabbalah. By the end of the seventeenth century, various combinations and configurations of their teachings became firmly rooted in eastern Europe, and began to transform its spiritual landscape.

[Deutsch-4] Deutsch, Nathaniel (2011). The Jewish Dark Continent: Life and Death in the Russian Pale of Settlement. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0674047280.

[5] Kilgannon, Corey (15 March 2003). "Miracle? Dream? Prank? Fish Talks, Town Buzzes". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 19 April 2020.

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 {{More citations needed|date=July 2007}}
 {{Kabbalah}}
-'''Gilgul'''/'''Gilgul neshamot'''/'''Gilgulei Ha Neshamot''' ([[Hebrew language|Heb.]] {{Script/Hebrew|גלגול הנשמות}}, Plural: {{Script/Hebrew|גלגולים}} ''Gilgulim'') is a concept of [[reincarnation]] in [[Kabbalah|Kabbalistic]] esoteric mysticism. In [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]], the word ''gilgul'' means "cycle" or "wheel"  and ''neshamot'' is the plural for "souls." [[Soul]]s are seen to cycle through [[Life|lives]] or incarnations, being attached to different human [[Human body|bodies]] over time. Which body they associate with depends on their particular task in the physical world, [[spirituality|spiritual]] levels of the bodies of predecessors and so on. The concept relates to the wider processes of history in Kabbalah, involving cosmic [[Tohu and Tikkun|Tikkun]] (Messianic rectification), and the historical dynamic of ascending [[Ohr|Lights]] and descending [[Ohr|Vessels]] from generation to generation.
+'''Gilgul''' (also '''Gilgul neshamot''' or '''Gilgulei HaNeshamot'''; [[Hebrew language|Heb.]] {{Script/Hebrew|גלגול הנשמות}}, Plural: {{Script/Hebrew|גלגולים}} ''Gilgulim'') is a concept of [[reincarnation]] or "transmigration of [[soul]]s"<ref>{{cite book|last=Trachtenberg|first=Joshua|author-link=Joshua Trachtenberg|orig-date=Originally published 1939|chapter=Glossary of Hebrew Terms|title=Jewish Magic and Superstition|date=13 February 2004 |publication-place=Philadelphia|publisher=[[University of Pennsylvania Press]]|publication-date=2004|page=333|isbn=9780812218626}}</ref> in [[Kabbalah|Kabbalistic]] esoteric mysticism. In [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]], the word ''gilgul'' means "cycle" or "wheel"  and ''neshamot'' is the plural for "souls." Souls are seen to cycle through [[Life|lives]] or incarnations, being attached to different human [[Human body|bodies]] over time. Which body they associate with depends on their particular task in the physical world, [[spirituality|spiritual]] levels of the bodies of predecessors and so on. The concept relates to the wider processes of history in Kabbalah, involving cosmic [[Tohu and Tikkun|Tikkun]] (Messianic rectification), and the historical dynamic of ascending [[Ohr|Lights]] and descending [[Ohr|Vessels]] from generation to generation.
 The esoteric explanations of ''gilgul'' were articulated in [[Jewish mysticism]] by [[Isaac Luria]] in the 16th century, as part of the [[Metaphysics|metaphysical]] purpose of Creation.
 ==History in Jewish thought==
-Belief in reincarnation among Jewish mystics first existed in the [[Ancient World]], among differing explanations given of the afterlife, although with a universal belief in an immortal soul.<ref>''Essential Judaism: A Complete Guide to Beliefs, Customs & Rituals'', By George Robinson, Simon and Schuster 2008, page 193</ref> Today, reincarnation is an esoteric belief within many streams of modern Judaism, but is not an essential tenet of traditional [[Judaism]]. It is not mentioned in traditional classical sources such as the [[Hebrew Bible]], the classical rabbinic works ([[Mishnah]] and [[Talmud]]), or [[Maimonides]]' [[Jewish principles of faith#Maimonides' 13 principles of faith|13 principles of faith]]. [[Kabbalah]] (Jewish mysticism), however, teaches a belief in ''gilgul'', [[transmigration of souls]], and hence the belief is universal in [[Hasidic Judaism]], which regards the Kabbalah as sacred and authoritative.
+Reincarnation is an esoteric belief within many streams of modern Judaism but is not an essential tenet of traditional Judaism. It is not mentioned in classical sources such as the [[Hebrew Bible]], the classical rabbinic works ([[Mishnah]] and [[Talmud]]), or  [[Maimonides]]' [[Jewish principles of faith#Maimonides' 13 principles of faith|13 principles of faith]]. Kabbalah, however, teaches a belief in ''gilgul''; hence, the belief is universal in [[Hasidic Judaism]], which regards the Kabbalah as sacred and authoritative.
-Among well-known rabbis who rejected the idea of reincarnation are [[Saadia Gaon]], [[David Kimhi]], [[Hasdai Crescas]], [[Jedaiah ben Abraham Bedersi]] (early 14th century), [[Joseph Albo]], [[Abraham ibn Daud]] and [[Leon of Modena]]. Among the [[Geonim]], [[Hai Gaon]] argued with [[Saadia Gaon]] in favour of ''gilgulim''.
+Among well-known rabbis who rejected the idea of reincarnation are [[Saadia Gaon]], [[David Kimhi]], [[Hasdai Crescas]], [[Jedaiah ben Abraham Bedersi]] (early 14th century), [[Joseph Albo]], [[Abraham ibn Daud]], and [[Leon of Modena]]. Among the [[Geonim]], [[Hai ben Sherira]] argued with [[Saadia Gaon]] in favour of ''gilgulim''.
-Rabbis who believed in the idea of reincarnation include, from Medieval times: the mystical leaders [[Nahmanides]] and [[Bahya ben Asher]]; from the 16th-century: [[Levi ibn Habib]], and from the mystical school of [[Safed]], [[Shlomo Halevi Alkabetz]], [[Isaac Luria]], and his exponent [[Hayyim ben Joseph Vital]]; and from the 18th-century: the founder of [[Hasidic Judaism]], the [[Baal Shem Tov]], later Hasidic Masters, and the [[Lithuanian Jewish Orthodox]] leader and Kabbalist the [[Vilna Gaon]]; and - amongst others - from the 19th/20th-century: [[Yosef Hayyim]] author of ''Ben Ish Hai''.
+Rabbis who believed in the idea of reincarnation include, from Medieval times, the mystical leaders [[Nahmanides]] and [[Bahya ben Asher]]; from the 16th-century [[Levi ibn Habib]], and from the mystical school of [[Safed]], [[Solomon Alkabetz]], [[Isaac Luria]], and his exponent [[Hayyim ben Joseph Vital]]; and from the 18th-century: the founder of [[Hasidic Judaism]], the [[Baal Shem Tov]], later Hasidic Masters, and the [[Lithuanian Jewish Orthodox]] leader and Kabbalist the [[Vilna Gaon]]; and - amongst others - from the 19th/20th-century: [[Yosef Hayyim]], author of the ''Ben Ish Hai''.
+The 16th century mystical renaissance in communal [[Safed]] marked an important development in Kabbalistic thought, with a significant impact on mystical circles and Jewish spirituality.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Horwitz |first=Daniel M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JPTNCwAAQBAJ |title=A Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism Reader |publisher=U of Nebraska Press |year=2016 |isbn=978-0-8276-1286-0 |pages=223 |language=en |quote=Throughout most of the sixteenth century, this community attracted a very impressive array of kabbalistic thinkers, whose scholarship abounded in virtually every aspect of Jewish life. Among them were Moses Cordovero, Elijah de Vidas, Eliezer Azikri, and above all Isaac Luria (1534–72), whose ideas formed the basis for a whole new kabbalistic school of thought (although, as we will see, some of his ideas have roots in earlier Jewish tradition)}}</ref> It was also the time when Kabbalah was most widely disseminated.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Karp |first1=Jonathan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MXQ6DwAAQBAJ |title=The Cambridge History of Judaism: Volume 7, The Early Modern World, 1500–1815 |last2=Sutcliffe |first2=Adam |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2017 |isbn=978-1-108-13906-9 |pages=465 |language=en |quote=The most important influences upon mystical speculation and practice in eastern Europe, however, emanated from the two prominent "schools" that had flourished in sixteenth-century Safed, those of Moses Cordovero and Isaac Luria. It is hard to overstate the influence that these two original kabbalistic figures had upon the subsequent history of Kabbalah. By the end of the seventeenth century, various combinations and configurations of their teachings became firmly rooted in eastern Europe, and began to transform its spiritual landscape.}}</ref> In this context, Isaac Luria taught new explanations of the process of ''gilgul'' and identification of the reincarnations of historic Jewish figures, which Hayyim ben Joseph Vital compiled in his ''[[Shaar HaGilgulim]]''.
-With the 16th-century rational systemisation of [[Cordoveran Kabbalah]] by Alkabetz, and the subsequent new paradigm of [[Lurianic Kabbalah]] by Luria, Kabbalah replaced [[rationalism]] as the mainstream traditional Jewish theology, both in scholarly circles and in the popular imagination. Isaac Luria taught new explanations of the process of ''gilgul'' and identification of the reincarnations of historic Jewish figures, which were compiled by Hayyim ben Joseph Vital in his ''[[Shaar HaGilgulim]]''.
+''Shaar haGilgulim'' lists possible reincarnations: "One who has sexual relations with an animal is reincarnated as a bat, one who has relations with a menstruant non-Jewish woman, one who commits adultery is reincarnated as a donkey, with his mother as a she-ass, with a man as a rabbit or hare". [[Tzaddik]]im can reincarnate as a fish, because "fish do not have to be ritually slaughtered before being rectified via eating". [[David Roskies]] in ''The Shtetl Book'' mentions the following beliefs: "The soul of a tsadek becomes the soul of a fish. The soul of a butcher who eats treyf meat becomes the soul of a black crow. The soul of a dishonest [[hazzan|khazn]] becomes the soul of a dog. Because his prayer was as pleasing to the Lord as a dog’s bark. The soul of an informer becomes that of parrot. Because he acted like a parrot: spoke the wrong things at the wrong time to the wrong people." According to ''Shaar haGilgulim'', a soul can even reincarnate in an inanimate object like a stone.<ref name=Deutsch>{{cite book |last1=Deutsch |first1=Nathaniel |author1-link=Nathaniel Deutsch |title=The Jewish Dark Continent: Life and Death in the Russian Pale of Settlement |date=2011 |publisher=Harvard University Press |location=Cambridge, Mass |isbn=978-0674047280}}</ref>
-The idea of ''gilgul'' became popular in Jewish folk belief, and is found in much [[Yiddish literature]] among [[Ashkenazi Jews]].
+Historian [[Nathaniel Deutsch]] mentioned a widely reported anecdote as a modern example of the gilgul belief. In 2003, two fish cutters claimed to have encountered a talking carp at the New Square Fish Market in [[Rockland County, New York]]. The incident occurred in a Hasidic community of about 7,000 members. "The story goes that a 20-pound carp about to be slaughtered and made into gefilte fish for Sabbath dinner began speaking in Hebrew, shouting apocalyptic warnings and claiming to be the troubled soul of a revered community elder who recently died."<ref name=Deutsch/><ref>{{cite web |last1=Kilgannon |first1=Corey |title=Miracle? Dream? Prank? Fish Talks, Town Buzzes |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/15/nyregion/miracle-dream-prank-fish-talks-town-buzzes.html |website=The New York Times |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200419144240/https://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/15/nyregion/miracle-dream-prank-fish-talks-town-buzzes.html |archive-date=19 April 2020 |date=15 March 2003}}</ref>
-==In Kabbalah==
-{{See also|Divine providence (Judaism)|Sephirot}}
-The essential [[Kabbalistic]] text in regards to ''gilgul'' is called [[Shaar ha Gilgulim|Sha'ar Ha'Gilgulim]]<ref>''Sha'ar Ha'Gilgulim, The Gate of Reincarnations'', Chaim Vital</ref> (''The Gate of Reincarnations'')[https://web.archive.org/web/20070928135440/http://www.safed-kabbalah.com/ShaarGilgul/Introduction.htm], based on the work of Rabbi [[Isaac Luria]] (and compiled by his disciple, Rabbi [[Chaim Vital]]). It describes the deep, complex laws of reincarnation. One concept that arises from Sha'ar Ha'gilgulim is the idea that ''gilgul'' is paralleled physically by pregnancy. In Kabbalah, any higher spiritual truth is seen to be reflected in lower forms in this physical World. This is because the Divine lifeforce for this realm first descends through the chain of higher realms.
-===Expression of divine compassion===
-[[File:Safed BW 1.jpg|thumb|150px|left|The Ark in the [[Ari Ashkenazi Synagogue|Ari (Isaac Luria) Ashkenazi Synagogue]] in [[Safed]]. Luria fully expounded the Kabbalistic doctrine of gilgul]]
-In Kabbalistic understanding of ''gilgul'', [[reincarnation]] is not fatalistic or automatic, nor is it essentially a punishment of sin, or reward of virtue. In Judaism, the [[Jewish eschatology|Heavenly realms]] could fulfill [[Maimonides]]' [[Jewish principles of faith|Principle of faith]] in Reward and Punishment. Rather, it is concerned with the process of individual [[Tikkun olam|Tikkun]] (Rectification) of the soul. In Kabbalistic interpretation, each Jewish soul is reincarnated enough times only in order to fulfill each of the [[613 Mitzvot]]. The souls of the righteous among the Nations may be assisted through ''gilgulim'' to fulfil each of their seven mitzvot, the [[Seven Laws of Noah]]. As such ''gilgul'' is an expression of Divine compassion, and is seen as a Heavenly agreement with the individual soul to descend again. This stress on physical performance and perfection of each [[Mitzvah]], is tied to the [[Lurianic]] doctrine of Cosmic Tikkun of Creation. In these new teachings, a Cosmic catastrophe occurred at the beginning of Creation called the "Shattering of the Vessels" of the [[Sephirot]] in the "World of Tohu (Chaos)". The vessels of the Sephirot broke and fell down through the spiritual Worlds until they were embedded in our physical realm as "sparks of holiness" (Nitzutzot). The reason in Lurianic Kabbalah that almost all Mitzvot involve physical action, is that through their performance, they elevate each particular Spark of holiness associated with that commandment. Once all the Sparks are redeemed to their spiritual source, the [[Mashiach|Messianic Era]] begins. This [[Metaphysics|metaphysical]] theology gives cosmic significance to the life of each person, as each individual has particular tasks that only they can fulfil. Therefore, ''gilgulim'' assist the individual soul in this cosmic plan. This also explains the Kabbalistic reason why the future eschatological [[Utopia]] will be in this World, as only in the lowest, Physical realm is the purpose of Creation fulfilled.
-===Spiritual dimension of all Creations===
-[[Image:Glass of Water.JPG|thumb|right|alt=Water pouring into a glass|The [[sefirot]] consist of lights invested in vessels, similar to water poured into a glass. While taking on the shape of the glass, the water is essentially unchanged.]]
-In [[Kabbalah]], from its initial Medieval form onwards, Creation is described as a descending [[Seder hishtalshelus|Chain of spiritual Worlds]] of cause and effect. The new 16th-century Kabbalistic paradigm of [[Isaac Luria]] extends the meaning of this with the concept of the holy sparks. Creation is a continuous process of Divine vitality. All physical and spiritual Creations only continue to exist due to the [[Divine immanence|immanent]] Divine [[Ohr]] ("Light"), from God's Will to create, that they constantly receive. This immanent flow forms the spark of holiness in any Created form. This teaches that the true essence of anything is only its Divine spark within, that gives it continual existence. If the light were to be withdrawn, the creation would cease to exist. This complete dependence on Divinity is hidden in this lowest physical realm, but the [[Merkabah|souls and angels]] of successively higher spiritual realms are nullified to the Divine Unity, in successively higher degrees. This explains the statement of Isaac Luria that even stones possess a subtle form of soul. With the focus in [[Lurianic Kabbalah]] on Cosmic [[Tohu and Tikkun|Tikkun]] rectification, accordingly every leaf also possesses a soul that "came into this world to receive a rectification".
-===Above-conscious root of Gilgul===
-th-century Lurianic doctrine was the first time that Kabbalah focused on gilgul, because it forms the microcosmic parallel to the Cosmic Divine rectification taught by Luria. In Medieval Kabbalah of the [[Zohar]], which received its full rational synthesis in 16th-century [[Cordoveran Kabbalah]], immediately before the new teachings of Luria, Gilgul was not the focus as intellectual categorisation was sought. Lurianic Kabbalah, accordingly, while also fully systemised in rational articulation, nonetheless focuses on Divine soul levels above intellect. The central doctrine of Luria is the [[Tzimtzum]] (Divine "Withdrawal") that paradoxically transcends human logic. The [[Tohu and Tikkun|Tikkun]] rectification of the Tzimtzum, involving the "birur" (elevation) of the sparks of Creation, and their soul parallel of Gilgul, similarly are rooted in Divine levels above intellect. In the foundational Kabbalistic structure of the 10 [[Sephirot]] (emanations), [[Keter]] (Divine Will) transcends the intellectual Sephirot, and is the origin of All.
-The Lurianic idea that all physical and spiritual Creations possess their particular bodily "soul", explains the notion that gilgul can involve a person's soul occasionally being exiled into lower creatures, plants or even stones.
-===Five levels of the soul===
-{{See also|Kabbalah#Human soul in Kabbalah}}
-In Jewish mysticism the human soul has five levels that relate to different levels of the [[Sephirot]] (Divine emanations). Based on an ancient [[Midrash]]ic source,<ref>[[Bereshit Rabbah]] 14:9</ref> [[Kabbalah]] (followed also in [[Hasidic philosophy|Hasidic interpretation]] of Kabbalah) gives names for these five levels. Their corresponding [[Sephirot]] have both outer spiritual functions (vessels) and inner dimensions (lights), that relate to outer manifestations of the human soul, and their inner psychological "soul powers". The five levels of the human soul in ascending order:<ref>The five levels of the soul: [http://www.inner.org/glossary/gloss_s.htm#Soul Glossary of Kabbalah and Chassidut-entry on "soul"] at www.inner.org. Retrieved Nov. 2009</ref>
-{| class="wikitable"
-|-
-! Level of Soul
-! Nature
-|-
-| [[Nefesh]] ("Lifeforce")
-| Conscious aspect of soul invested in Action. [[Malkuth|Malchut]] (Kingship) in the Sephirot
-|-
-| [[Ruach]] ("Spirit")
-| Conscious aspect of soul invested in Emotions. 6 Emotional Sephirot ([[Chesed]] to [[Yesod (Kabbalah)|Yesod]])
-|-
-| [[Soul#Judaism|Neshamah]] ("Soul")
-| Conscious aspect of soul invested in Intellect. [[Binah (Kabbalah)|Binah]] (Understanding) in the Sephirot
-|-
-| [[Chayah]] ("Living")
-| Transcendent unconscious level of soul. Vessel for unlimited light of conscious [[Chokhmah (Kabbalah)|Chochmah]] (Wisdom)<br />Revelation of unconscious Outer-[[Keter]] (Will) in Sephirot
-|-
-| '''Yechida''' ("Singular")
-| Essential, transcendent root of soul. Vessel for unconscious [[Keter]] in Sephirot<br />Revelation of Inner-[[Keter]] (Delight) and soul essence (Faith)
-|}
-The most basic component of the [[soul]], the [[nefesh]], is always part of the ''gilgul'' process, as it must leave at the cessation of blood production (a stage of death). It moves to another body, where life has begun. There are four other soul components and different nations of the world possess different forms of souls with different purposes.
-==Other processes of transmigration==
-''Gilgul'' is contrasted with the other processes in Kabbalah of [[Ibbur]] - the attachment of a second soul to an individual, and [[Dybuk]] - a malicious [[spiritual possession|possessing]] spirit believed to be the dislocated [[soul]] of a dead person.
-==In Hasidism==
-===Internalisation of Kabbalistic structures in dveikut===
-[[File:Besht Siddur.jpg|thumb|150px|right|Prayer book of the [[Baal Shem Tov]], founder of [[Hasidism]]. Hasidic interpretation of [[Kabbalah]] left aside previous focus on structures, such as gilgulim, seeking their internalisation in daily life. Hasidic prayer formed new practices of [[Jewish meditation]] in [[dveikut]]]]
-[[Lurianic Kabbalah]] focuses on the process of ''gilgulim'', as it forms the microcosmic parallel to macrocosmic rectification of Creation. In the elite circles of Kabbalistic scholars, it becomes beneficial to helping achieve rectification for a person to identify their particular spiritual ''gilgulim''.
-th-century Hasidism sought to democratise and popularise the Jewish mystical tradition, so that the common folk could be invigorated by Judaism's inner dimensions. It sought the internalisation of abstract Kabbalistic metaphysics into personal perception and fervour ([[dveikus]]), by relating the structures of Kabbalah to their inner psychological relevance in man. Because ''gilgul'' forms part of the elaborate, abstract structure of the processes of redemption in Kabbalah, it was therefore sidelined in Hasidic Judaism. Hasidism believed in the Kabbalah and ''gilgul'' as authoritative, but left aside the focus in Jewish worship and [[Jewish meditation|meditation]] on the structures, meditations and metaphysical processes, to look to the inner Godliness within everything. Hasidic [[panentheism]] devotes itself to [[dveikus]] (attachment) to the Divine Omnipresence. In this [[Mysticism|inner path]], identification of one's past ''gilgulim'' becomes external, and a diversion from inner ''Bittul'' (self nullification). To identify one's particular spiritual tasks could introduce a refined level of egotism, while acting purely from [[dveikus]] to God would be a higher, essential soulful Jewish worship. The Hasidic figure of the [[Rebbe#Relationship of .E1.B8.A5asidim to their rebbe|tzadik]] ([[Rebbe#The .E1.B8.A4asidic Rebbe|Hasidic Rebbe]]), to which the followers would flock, was believed to know the particular past ''gilgulim'' of each person who came to them, through their [[Ruach HaKodesh|semi-prophetic]] abilities, and the future destiny of each person. However, in Hasidic thought, they would not directly reveal this information in private consultation, as for the follower to know the tasks would introduce self-centredness, and Divine "help from Above". Through its Divine Service, Hasidism sought to make Divinity revealed "from Below" to fulfil the Ultimate purpose of Creation. Nonetheless, the Tzadik would give assistance and special advice that would both help the follower to achieve their tasks, yet also preserve the full soulfulness "from Below" of the common person's Divine service.
-==Kabbalistic descent and ascent in history==
-[[File:Meron 183PAN.jpg|thumb|700px|center|The view from [[Safed]], "capital" of the [[Galilee]]. The 16th century mystical community included [[Joseph ben Ephraim Karo|Joseph Karo]], [[Shlomo Halevi Alkabetz|Shlomo Alkabetz]], [[Moshe Alshich]], [[Moshe Cordovero]], [[Isaac Luria]] and [[Chaim Vital]]]]
-===Ascending stages in the history of Jewish mysticism===
-{{Main|Kabbalah|Hasidic philosophy}}
-In the history of Jewish mysticism, this Hasidic approach to gilgul corresponds to the third of three successive stages of perception and relation to Divinity.<ref>[http://www.inner.org/stages/stages.htm Three stages in the development of Jewish mysticism] from inner.org</ref> This is based on the three ascending categories of existence taught by the [[Baal Shem Tov]]: [[Four Worlds|Worlds]] ("Olamot"-External spiritual vessel forms), Souls ("Neshamot"-Internal spiritual lights), Divinity ("Elokut"-Essential Godliness).
-{| class="wikitable"
-|-
-! Historical stage of Kabbalistic teaching
-! Level
-|-
-| [[Cordoveran Kabbalah]]
-| Worlds: Moshe Cordovero gave the first full rational synthesis of the diverse schools of Medieval Kabbalah. This focuses on its external structures, including the descending [[Seder hishtalshelus|Chain of Worlds]] from the Infinite to the Finite
-|-
-| [[Lurianic Kabbalah]]
-| Souls: Isaac Luria gave a new paradigm for explaining Kabbalah. This describes the transcendent soul level and rectification of Divine Cosmic [[Tikkun olam|Tikkun]] and human private ''Gilgul''. These originate in paradox and Divinity above intellect
-|-
-| [[Hasidic philosophy]]
-| Divinity: The Baal Shem Tov, founder of Hasidism, focused on the inner essential Divine essence and Omnipresence within everything. Outwardly this involved new mystical popularisation and fervour in daily life. Inwardly, Hasidic philosophy relates Kabbalistic exegesis to its inner correspondences in human perception
-|}
-===Descent of the Generations in Halachic scholarship===
-{{Main|Yeridat ha-dorot}}
-Traditional Judaism views latter generations to be spiritually inferior and lower than former generations. This belief, called [[Yeridat ha-dorot]] ("Descent of the generations"), shapes the development of traditional Jewish thought. In [[Talmud]]ic commentary and [[Halachah]] it means that latter authorities in the [[Rabbinic Judaism|Eras of Rabbinic Judaism]] generally do not disagree with authorities from a previous era. The basis of this is two-fold. In the historical chain of transmission of Judaism from generation to generation, a latter generation is further removed from the original Revelation of the Torah on [[Biblical Mount Sinai|Mount Sinai]]. The Halachic authorities of a subsequent generation would avoid disagreeing with the preceding Halachic authorities, since to reach them, the chain of Torah transmission is longer and more vulnerable to mistaken recollection. This applies until the [[Oral Torah]] was written down in the Talmud, where the [[Amoraim]] Sages of the [[Gemara]] commentary do not disagree with the earlier [[Tannaim]] Sages of the [[Mishna]]. Accordingly, the Mishnaic [[Pirkei Avot]] begins with a historical account of the chain of Oral Torah transmission from Moses, until it became written down in the Mishna. Once the [[Oral Torah]] was written down in the Talmud and its commentaries, the principle still applies for a second reason. While Halachah adapts itself to new technological innovations, the principles behind it are held to be foundational. Latter authorities are less qualified to define the fundamental parameters of Halachah.
-===Lower levels of souls in latter generations===
-{{See also|Isaac Luria#His teachings}}
-This belief in Descent of the Generations is believed in the [[world view]] of Orthodox Judaism, which traditionally based itself around Talmudic scholarship. However, the ascending levels from generation to generation in Jewish mysticism described above, an opposite pattern to the Descent of Generations, are not so well known in contemporary Orthodoxy. This is because Jewish mysticism is less understood by regular Orthodox Jews, especially outside of the mystical Hasidic Movement. Within Hasidism as well, scholarly understanding of the meaning of [[Hasidic philosophy]] in relationship to historical [[Kabbalah]], is more restricted to certain [[Hasidic dynasties|Hasidic groups]] over others. The three ascending stages in Kabbalistic paradigm, listed above, do not contradict the wider belief of Descent of the Generations. Kabbalah gives its own metaphysical reason for the generational descent. In Kabbalistic theology, latter generations possess lower souls than former generations. The level of a soul in Kabbalah only refers to its revealed form, while all the souls are rooted in the same sources. A lower soul means that its spiritual power became greatly constricted as it descended the [[Seder hishtalshelus|Chain of Worlds]] to reach this World. Accordingly, the possessor of the soul has much more limited spiritual capabilities. In the last generations before the [[Mashiach|Messiah]], the souls come from the lowest levels, even though they are gilgulim of higher souls from earlier generations. This gives the Kabbalistic interpretation of the last generations when the "Heels (footsteps) of the Messiah" are perceptible. This Talmudic phrase becomes in Kabbalah, the generations of souls that correspond in the Man-metaphor of the [[Sephirot]] to the lowest level of the "heels" of the feet. This need however not be considered a disadvantage, as in Hasidic thought, which sought inner nullification to God in [[dveikus]], lower souls worship God with more self-sacrifice and innermost sincerity, because they act without great knowledge and fulfilment of ego. Their Divine service is able to bring the Messiah because of their devoted essential soulfulness.
-===Ascending mystical revelations of select Tzadikim===
-{{See also|Tzadik}}
-In Jewish mystical thought, the descent of generations applies even more because of this metaphysical explanation. Within scholarship it applies to Halachah and Talmudic commentary because of the simple historical explanations. However, within Lurianic mysticism the opposite progressive ascendency still applies. The reason for this is because this 16th century Kabbalistic dimension of Jewish thought is innovated only by the greatest [[Tzadik]]im (saintly souls) in history, the rarest of whom are unaffected by descending generational soul levels. A ''Tzadik'' in early 19th century Chabad philosophy, as defined by the [[Tanya]] (c. 1814), is a truly elevated soul, unaffected by physical limitations. The rarest such Tzadikim in history, who teach new revelations in Kabbalistic thought, are considered apart from general (traditional) Tzadikim. To them is applied in Kabbalah the verse from Psalms, "The [traditional] Tzadik is the foundation of the World". 16th century Lurianic Kabbalah and 18th century Hasidic philosophy make radical statements about this believed supreme level of ''Tzadik''. In the Kabbalistic worldview, their new revelations in Jewish mystical thought advance the conceptual frontiers of Kabbalah from generation to generation. Therefore, while in Halachah (Jewish Law), scholarship ability decreases in each generation, in 16th century Lurianic, 18th century Hasidic, and 19th century Chabad philosophy, mystical thought is said to ascend through history. This ascent applies to Jewish mystical thought, the "Inner Torah" (''Nistar''-"Concealed") of [[Kabbalah]], rather than the "Revealed Torah" (''Nigleh''-"Revealed") of [[Jewish commentaries on the Bible]], [[Midrash]], [[Talmud]], [[Halachah]] and Medieval [[Jewish philosophy]]. The reason for this is because in Nigleh, scholarship involves discovering new and deeper interpretations of previous revealed Biblical and Rabbinic texts. In Lurianic Kabbalah, advance is made by new doctrines and individual revelations that transcend previous descriptions. "Revealed" ''Nigleh'' corresponds to the collaborative scholarly ascent "from Below" of human intellect up to God. "Concealed" ''Nistar'' corresponds to privately drawing down new revelations of Divine intellect "from Above", down into the human intellect of one individual. This is also a philosophy, as the difference between [[Prophecy#Judaism|Nevuah]] ("Prophecy") and Kabbalah ("Received"), is that Lurianic Kabbalah becomes articulated conceptually in intellectual structures, in which allegedly lays its supremacy over [[Prophecy#Judaism|prophecy]].<ref>Kabbalah is seen as the union of Chochmah (Wisdom) and Nevuah (Prophecy): [http://www.inner.org/kabbalah/beginner/five-stages-historical-development-kabbalah.php]. From www.inner.org. Retrieved Nov. 2009</ref>
-===Ascending lights, descending vessels in history===
-{{Main|Ohr}}
-This paradoxical [[dialectic]] is explained more generally in Hasidic thought as part of the divine cosmic plan of Kabbalistic [[Ohr|Lights]] and [[Ohr|Vessels]]. In each subsequent generation, the external levels of creation and this world ("vessels") descend to a lower level. This enables the difference between purity and impurity to become revealed, clarified and redeemed. At the same time, "In every generation a new, higher light descends from on High"<ref>Quoted in [[Habad]] Hasidic texts regarding the new, higher light that descends each year on [[Rosh Hashanah]], with the blowing of the [[Shofar]]</ref> to transform this World. This inner revelation ascends progressively to prepare for, and give a foretaste of the [[Mashiach|Messianic Era]]. In the future era, the constant, inner elevation of existence, the mystical purpose of creation, will be revealed, as the messianic revelations of divinity are created through the present service of God from below. In kabbalistic terminology this dialectic is also related to the "masculine waters" of "direct light" from above, and the "feminine waters" of "reflected light" from below. This explains the mystical concept in Hasidic interpretation of Kabbalah that in the messianic era, the feminine in creation will become the ascendant, and similarly the body will give life to the soul, the opposite of the present reality.
-The ultimate purpose of any spiritual descent in Kabbalah is "only in order to reach a higher spiritual ascent", than the original level at the start. In the Hasidic explanation of individual [[Divine providence (Judaism)|Divine providence]], all that occurs for every individual is a concealed part of this ultimate ascent. In its inner interpretation, the descent, such as a spiritual fall, is itself the concealed beginning of the true divine ascent. According to this Hasidic explanation, sin is an opportunity for mystical [[dveikus]] (fervour) in [[Teshuvah]] (Return to God). This expression of divine compassion excludes any misinterpretation of Jewish reincarnation as a fatalistic process of reward and punishment.
-==Identification of Gilgulim of historical figures==
-===Outline of Jewish genealogy of nations===
-Traditional [[Judaism]] describes [[Abraham]] as the first Jew. With his son [[Isaac]], and grandson [[Jacob]], they are described as the "Fathers" of the Jewish people, and their wives, [[Sarah]], [[Rebecca]], [[Rachel]] and [[Leah]] are the "Mothers". These terms take on Kabbalistic meanings by being associated with some of the different [[Sephirot]] (Divine emanations). It was [[Moses]], in traditional Judaism, who later received the teachings of Judaism at [[Biblical Mount Sinai|Mount Sinai]], embodied in the [[Torah]] and [[613 mitzvot]]. The other "Nations of the World", counted as 70 roots from [[Noah]], are given the [[Seven Laws of Noah]] for spiritual redemption, and do not need to convert to Judaism, in Jewish thought, to fulfil the [[Jewish eschatology|eschatological]] purpose of Creation, or private salvation.
-===Associations of particular figures with their reincarnations in Judaism===
-{{Expand section|examples and additional citations|date=October 2009}}
-* [[Chaim ibn Attar]] in his classic [[Jewish commentaries on the Bible|commentary on the Torah]] identifies [[Moses]] as the ''gilgul'' of [[Abel]], and [[Rabbi Akiva]] as the ''gilgul'' of [[Cain]].
-[[File:Kesavyismach1.jpg|thumb|150px|right|Famous Jewish [[amulet]] attributed to [[Moshe Teitelbaum (Ujhel)|Moshe Teitelbaum of Ujhel]]. While Hasidism sidelined gilgulim and Kabbalistic [[Kavanot]], Hasidic Rebbes could follow these areas, without it externalising their inner [[dveikut]]]]
-* The Hasidic [[Rebbe]], [[Moshe Teitelbaum (Ujhel)|Moshe Teitelbaum of Ujhel]] (1759–1841), who was one of the founders of Hasidism in Hungary, told his followers that he had been reincarnated three times, which he recalled. His first gilgul was as a sheep in the flock of the Biblical Patriarch [[Jacob]].<ref>Kabbalah teaches that the sheep of Jacob, who founded the 12 tribes of the Jewish people, comprised the future souls of Israel</ref> He sang to his followers the song, he said, that Jacob sang in the pastures. His second gilgul was in the time of [[Moses]], and his third gilgul, which he did not disclose out of humility, was in the time of the destruction of the [[Solomon's Temple|First Temple]] in Jerusalem. His followers asked another Hasidic Rebbe, who identified the third gilgul as the Biblical Prophet [[Jeremiah]]. In Hasidic history, his daily life especially reflected a yearning for the building of the [[Third Temple]] with the arrival of the [[Mashiach|Messiah]]. In his later days he wore his Shabbat clothing the entire week, anticipating the Messiah's arrival.
-* The contemporary scholar of Kabbalah and Hasidut, [[Yitzchak Ginsburgh]], identifies [[Isaac Newton]] as the modern reincarnation of [[Noah]] on his website.<ref>[http://www.inner.org/archive.htm From Noah's Rainbow to Isaac Newton's Prism] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090719094714/http://www.inner.org/archive.htm |date=2009-07-19 }} at www.inner.org. Retrieved October 2009</ref> He uses [[gematria]] in this identification, but also describes associations that run deeper. In the commentary of the [[Zohar]] on the story of Noah's flood, the Zohar gives a prediction that in the latter part of the 6th millennium in the [[Hebrew calendar]] dating system (the secular years 1740–1840), a great increase in "Wisdom (In the flood: water) from Above, and Wisdom (Bilically: water) from Below" will be revealed to prepare for the 7th [[Mashiach|Messianic]] millennium. If the generation of Noah had been worthy, their flood would have taken the form of wisdom rather than destructive water. This predicted expansion of Torah wisdom ("from Above") and Secular Wisdom and Science (from "Below") was instead delayed until the 6th millennium. This interpretation ties Newton, the founding forerunner of Modern Science, with Biblical Noah. Additionally, Newton rejected [[Trinitarianism|Trinitarian]] ideas in favour of Old Testament Monotheism, a more complete expression of the [[Seven Laws of Noah]]. He devoted his scholarly activity as much to esoteric calculations of [[Bible Code]]s and the [[Third Temple]], of which Noah's Ark is seen in Jewish commentary as the spiritual prototype, as much as to Mathematics and Physics. His [[Newtonian physics]] defined the mechanistic philosophy of Science until modern Physics broke it, analogous to "Wisdom from Above" superseding "Wisdom from Below". Additionally, the Seven Colours of Newton's prism split light are the Jewish symbol for the [[Seven Laws of Noah]]. Yitzchak Ginsburgh uses this Kabbalistic identification to support his articulation of the inner Kabbalistic meaning of the Noahide Laws, which have both outer legislation in [[Halachah]], and inner meaning in [[Kabbalah]]. Their inner meaning helps fulfil the eschatological role of each [[Noahide Campaign|Righteous Noahide]] in the Jewish Messianic description of Universal Redemption for all Nations of the World.
 ==See also==
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 ==External links==
 * [http://www.chabad.org/search/keyword.asp?scope=6198&kid=6569 Jewish view of reincarnation]
-* [http://www.aish.com/atr/128131983.html Ask the Rabbi - aish.com]
+* [http://www.aish.com/atr/128131983.html Ask the Rabbi - aish.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304201002/http://www.aish.com/atr/128131983.html |date=2016-03-04 }}
 * [http://www.faculty.umb.edu/gary_zabel/Courses/Phil%20281b/Philosophy%20of%20Magic/Arcana/Kabbalah/souls.html "Gilgul Neshamot - Reincarnation of Souls"], essay on gilgul by Rav Avraham Brandwein
-* [http://cf.uba.uva.nl/en/collections/rosenthaliana/menasseh/19f7/index.html Sefer Nishmath Hayyim by Menasseh Ben Israel]
+* [http://cf.uba.uva.nl/en/collections/rosenthaliana/menasseh/19f7/index.html Sefer Nishmath Hayyim by Menasseh Ben Israel] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100221163152/http://cf.uba.uva.nl/en/collections/rosenthaliana/menasseh/19f7/index.html |date=2010-02-21 }}
 [[Category:Jewish mysticism]]