Reincarnation and Judaism

Reincarnation and Judaism PDF

Author: DovBer Pinson

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 1999

Total Pages: 212

ISBN-13: 0765760649

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Reincarnation was, and continues to be, a fundamental tenet in Jewish belief."--BOOK JACKET.

Jewish Tales of Reincarnation

Jewish Tales of Reincarnation PDF

Author: Yonassan Gershom

Publisher:

Published: 1999

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780765760838

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Scattered throughout many kabbalistic and hasidic texts are numerous teaching stories with reincarnation as their central theme. Now, for the first time, you can read 70 of these fascinating tales in a single volume, collected and retold by master storyteller, Yonassan Gershom. The author begins with an over-view of basic themes about the afterlife, such as the judgement of souls before the Heavenly Court, the mystical significance of the Covenant at Sinai, the process of tikkun olam (repairing the universe), and some reasons why human beings return to earth in new bodies. He then takes you on an exciting journey through many centuries of Jewish tales, where you will meet dozens of saints and sinners, animals and humans, angels and mortals-all attempting to work out their past-life karma through applying the teachings of the Torah in earthly life. In order to make the classical stories understandable to the modern reader, each tale has been ex-panded to include clear explanations of cultural and religious details. So skillfully does Gershom weave this material into the narrative itself, that the reader scarcely notices how a gentle form of education is taking place. By the time you have finished the book, you will not only have been entertained, but will have completed an excellent introduction to Jewish spirituality as well. Both classical and contemporary tales are included here, from sources as widely varied as kabbalistic texts, folklore anthologies, and discussions on the Internet. Of special interest are several new tales collected by the author himself, which have never before appeared in print.

Does the Soul Survive? (2nd Edition)

Does the Soul Survive? (2nd Edition) PDF

Author: Rabbi Elie Kaplan Spitz

Publisher: Turner Publishing Company

Published: 2015-02-06

Total Pages: 279

ISBN-13: 1580238262

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Near-death experiences? Past-life regression? Reincarnation? Are these sorts of things Jewish? With a blend of candor, personal questioning, and sharp-eyed scholarship, Rabbi Elie Kaplan Spitz relates his own observations and the firsthand accounts shared with him by others, experiences that helped propel his journey from skeptic to believer that there is life after life. From near-death experiences to reincarnation, past-life memory to the work of mediums, Rabbi Spitz explores what we are really able to know about the afterlife, and draws on Jewish texts to share that belief in these concepts—so often approached with reluctance—is in fact true to Jewish tradition. “The increasing interest and faith in survival of the soul may grow into a cultural wave that is as potentially transformative for society as the civil rights movement and feminism. A renewed faith in ‘the soul’s journeys’ will call for a reassessment of our priorities, and will enable traditional religions to renew and transform their adherents.” —from the Introduction

Jewish Views of the Afterlife

Jewish Views of the Afterlife PDF

Author: Simcha Paull Raphael

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2019-04-15

Total Pages: 528

ISBN-13: 153810346X

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In the third edition of Jewish Views of the Afterlife, Rabbi Simcha Paull Raphael walks readers through the Jewish tradition of the afterlife while providing insights into spiritual care with dying and grieving individuals and families.

Does the Soul Survive?

Does the Soul Survive? PDF

Author: Elie Kaplan Spitz

Publisher: Turner Publishing Company

Published: 2012-12-14

Total Pages: 291

ISBN-13: 1580234666

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Near-death experiences? Past-life regression? Reincarnation? Are these sorts of things Jewish? With a blend of candor, personal questioning, and sharp-eyed scholarship, Rabbi Elie Kaplan Spitz relates his own observations and the firsthand accounts shared with him by others, experiences that helped propel his journey from skeptic to believer that there is life after life. From near-death experiences to reincarnation, past-life memory to the work of mediums, Rabbi Spitz explores what we are really able to know about the afterlife, and draws on Jewish texts to share that belief in these concepts—so often approached with reluctance—is in fact true to Jewish tradition. “The increasing interest and faith in survival of the soul may grow into a cultural wave that is as potentially transformative for society as the civil rights movement and feminism. A renewed faith in ‘the soul’s journeys’ will call for a reassessment of our priorities, and will enable traditional religions to renew and transform their adherents.” —from the Introduction

Beyond the Ashes

Beyond the Ashes PDF

Author: Yonassan Gershom

Publisher: A.R.E. Press (Association of Research & Enlightenment)

Published: 1992

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780876042939

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Is it possible that people living today died in the Holocaust? Rabbi Yonassan Gershom presents compelling evidence that supports this seemingly impossible phenomenon. Based on the stories of people he counselled, the author sheds new light on the subject of reincarnation and the divinity of the human soul. In addition to the fascinating case histories, Rabbi Gershom includes information on Jewish teachings regarding the afterlife, karmic healing, and prophecies. Available November, 1992. (A.R.E. Press)

Renaissance and Rebirth

Renaissance and Rebirth PDF

Author: Brian Ogren

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2009-09-30

Total Pages: 332

ISBN-13: 9047444817

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Through the theme of metempsychosis as discussed by scholars in Renaissance Italy, this book addresses the problematic question of the roles of Jews who lived in Italy in the development of Renaissance culture in its Jewish and its Christian dimensions.

Kabbalistic Revolution

Kabbalistic Revolution PDF

Author: Hartley Lachter

Publisher: Rutgers University Press

Published: 2014-11-01

Total Pages: 260

ISBN-13: 0813568765

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The set of Jewish mystical teachings known as Kabbalah are often imagined as timeless texts, teachings that have been passed down through the millennia. Yet, as this groundbreaking new study shows, Kabbalah flourished in a specific time and place, emerging in response to the social prejudices that Jews faced. Hartley Lachter, a scholar of religion studies, transports us to medieval Spain, a place where anti-Semitic propaganda was on the rise and Jewish political power was on the wane. Kabbalistic Revolution proposes that, given this context, Kabbalah must be understood as a radically empowering political discourse. While the era’s Christian preachers claimed that Jews were blind to the true meaning of scripture and had been abandoned by God, the Kabbalists countered with a doctrine that granted Jews a uniquely privileged relationship with God. Lachter demonstrates how Kabbalah envisioned this increasingly marginalized group at the center of the universe, their mystical practices serving to maintain the harmony of the divine world. For students of Jewish mysticism, Kabbalistic Revolution provides a new approach to the development of medieval Kabbalah. Yet the book’s central questions should appeal to anyone with an interest in the relationships between religious discourses, political struggles, and ethnic pride.

Sleep, Death, and Rebirth

Sleep, Death, and Rebirth PDF

Author: Zvi Ish-Shalom

Publisher: Academic Studies PRess

Published: 2021-08-17

Total Pages: 173

ISBN-13: 1644696304

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In the sixteenth century, the famous kabbalist Isaac Luria transmitted a secret trove of highly complex mystical practices to a select groups of students. These meditations were designed to capitalize on sleep and death states in order to effectively split one’s soul into multiple parts, and which, when properly performed, permitted the adept to free oneself from the cycle of rebirth. Through an in-depth analysis of these contemplative practices within the broader context of Lurianic literature, Zvi Ish-Shalom guides us on a penetrating scholarly journey into a realm of mystical teachings and practices never before available in English, illuminating a radically monistic vision of reality at the heart of Kabbalistic metaphysics and practice.