https://workbench-jerusalem-salt.thenewjew.org/articles/editors-desk-treatise-the-journey-of-the-soul-gilgul-neshamot-in-jewish-thought-prologue.xml /articles/editors-desk-treatise-the-journey-of-the-soul-gilgul-neshamot-in-jewish-thought-prologue xml article The Journey of the Soul: Gilgul Neshamot in Jewish Thought (Prologue) The prologue of the Editor's full treatise on gilgul neshamot—the rationalist and mystical traditions of soul-transmigration in Judaism, with detailed engagement of DovBer Pinson's contemporary synthesis. The New Jew /index.xml Foundations of Belief /sections/foundations.xml The Journey of the Soul: Gilgul Neshamot in Jewish Thought (Prologue) /articles/editors-desk-treatise-the-journey-of-the-soul-gilgul-neshamot-in-jewish-thought-prologue.xml https://workbench-jerusalem-salt.thenewjew.org/articles/editors-desk-treatise-the-journey-of-the-soul-gilgul-neshamot-in-jewish-thought-prologue https://workbench-jerusalem-salt.thenewjew.org/articles/editors-desk-treatise-the-journey-of-the-soul-gilgul-neshamot-in-jewish-thought-prologue.json <_xml>https://workbench-jerusalem-salt.thenewjew.org/articles/editors-desk-treatise-the-journey-of-the-soul-gilgul-neshamot-in-jewish-thought-prologue.xml
editors-desk-treatise-the-journey-of-the-soul-gilgul-neshamot-in-jewish-thought-prologue The Journey of the Soul: Gilgul Neshamot in Jewish Thought (Prologue) The prologue of the Editor's full treatise on [gilgul neshamot](/glossary.xml#letter-G)—the rationalist and mystical traditions of soul-transmigration in Judaism, with detailed engagement of [DovBer Pinson](/glossary.xml#letter-D)'s contemporary synthesis. [Gilgul neshamot](/glossary.xml#letter-G), the reincarnation of souls, occupies different places in Jewish philosophy and mysticism. This prologue introduces the tension between rationalist critiques, exemplified by [Saadia Gaon](/glossary.xml#letter-S), and Kabbalistic teachings that connect returning souls with spiritual repair. It sets out questions about the soul, divine justice, and the history of the doctrine that the full treatise explores. The prologue of the Editor's full treatise on gilgul neshamot—the rationalist and mystical traditions of soul-transmigration in Judaism, with detailed engagement of DovBer Pinson's contemporary synthesis. Gilgul neshamot, the reincarnation of souls, occupies different places in Jewish philosophy and mysticism. This prologue introduces the tension between rationalist critiques, exemplified by Saadia Gaon, and Kabbalistic teachings that connect returning souls with spiritual repair. It sets out questions about the soul, divine justice, and the history of the doctrine that the full treatise explores. deeper foundations gilgul soul kabbalah rationalism treatise 2026-07-06T02:19:03.001Z 949 4
foundations Foundations of Belief
heading The Journey of the Soul—Gilgul Neshamot in Jewish Thought The Journey of the Soul—Gilgul Neshamot in Jewish Thought paragraph A Treatise on the Rationalist and Mystical Traditions, with a Dive into DovBer Pinson's [Reincarnation and Judaism](/glossary.xml#letter-R) A Treatise on the Rationalist and Mystical Traditions, with a Dive into DovBer Pinson's Reincarnation and Judaism heading "Behold, all these things does God do, twice, three times, with a man."—Job 33:29 "Behold, all these things does God do, twice, three times, with a man."—Job 33:29 paragraph "Some of those who call themselves Jews, I found, declared that they believe in metempsychosis, which they call transmigration… They have arrived at this opinion in the manner of foolish persons."—Rabbi Saadia Gaon, [Emunot v'De'ot VI:8](https://www.sefaria.org/HaEmunot_veHaDeot,_[Treatise_VI]_The_Soul_and_Death.8) "Some of those who call themselves Jews, I found, declared that they believe in metempsychosis, which they call transmigration… They have arrived at this opinion in the manner of foolish persons."—Rabbi Saadia Gaon, Emunot v'De'ot VI:8 heading Prologue: The Puzzle Prologue: The Puzzle paragraph There are few doctrines in the history of Jewish thought that simultaneously occupy so central a place in one current of the tradition and so peripheral—even polemically rejected—a place in another as the doctrine of gilgul neshamot, the transmigration or reincarnation of souls. For the Kabbalist, gilgul is woven into the very fabric of creation: it is the mechanism by which the soul completes its mission, by which divine justice is finally reconciled with human suffering, by which the exiled sparks of holiness are gathered back to their Source. For the medieval rationalist, gilgul is, at best, an embarrassment imported from foreign philosophy and, at worst, a theological absurdity incompatible with a coherent account of the soul, the body, and the resurrection. That a single tradition, reading the same [Torah](/glossary.xml#letter-T), should produce Saadia Gaon calling reincarnation the opinion of "foolish persons" and, a few centuries later, Rabbi Isaac Luria—the Arizal—mapping in meticulous detail the transmigrations of biblical figures through successive generations of Jewish history, is one of the striking facts of Jewish intellectual history. It is that tension this treatise sets out to explore. There are few doctrines in the history of Jewish thought that simultaneously occupy so central a place in one current of the tradition and so peripheral—even polemically rejected—a place in another as the doctrine of gilgul neshamot, the transmigration or reincarnation of souls. For the Kabbalist, gilgul is woven into the very fabric of creation: it is the mechanism by which the soul completes its mission, by which divine justice is finally reconciled with human suffering, by which the exiled sparks of holiness are gathered back to their Source. For the medieval rationalist, gilgul is, at best, an embarrassment imported from foreign philosophy and, at worst, a theological absurdity incompatible with a coherent account of the soul, the body, and the resurrection. That a single tradition, reading the same Torah, should produce Saadia Gaon calling reincarnation the opinion of "foolish persons" and, a few centuries later, Rabbi Isaac Luria—the Arizal—mapping in meticulous detail the transmigrations of biblical figures through successive generations of Jewish history, is one of the striking facts of Jewish intellectual history. It is that tension this treatise sets out to explore. paragraph The puzzle is sharpened by the silence that surrounds the doctrine in its most ancient phase. The [Chumash](/glossary.xml#letter-C) never mentions gilgul explicitly. The [Talmud](/glossary.xml#letter-T), that immense repository of halakhah and [aggadah](/glossary.xml#letter-A), contains no clear locus classicus on reincarnation, and its few ambiguous hints—the exegesis of the verse "one generation goes and another comes" ([Kohelet 1:4](https://www.sefaria.org/Ecclesiastes.1.4)), the narrative of Elijah's return in the person of the future herald ([Malachi 3:23](https://www.sefaria.org/Malachi.3.23)), the puzzle of Pinchas being identified with Elijah—receive their developed reincarnationist reading only in the [Kabbalistic](/glossary.xml#letter-K) literature of the medieval period. The [Geonim](/glossary.xml#letter-G), when they encounter reincarnation, encounter it as a doctrine held by certain [Karaites](/glossary.xml#letter-K) and, perhaps, by certain philosophically syncretistic Jews influenced by Islamic and Greek sources; they treat it as deviant. It is only with [Sefer haBahir](/glossary.xml#letter-S) in the late twelfth or early thirteenth century that we possess an indisputably Jewish text teaching reincarnation on internal grounds, as Torah. From that point onward, the doctrine grows—tentatively in the Ramban's generation, powerfully in the Zohar, comprehensively in the school of Safed, and ubiquitously in Chasidut—until by the eighteenth century, to profess Judaism without gilgul is, in wide sectors of observant practice, to profess a Judaism its own mystics no longer recognize. The puzzle is sharpened by the silence that surrounds the doctrine in its most ancient phase. The Chumash never mentions gilgul explicitly. The Talmud, that immense repository of halakhah and aggadah, contains no clear locus classicus on reincarnation, and its few ambiguous hints—the exegesis of the verse "one generation goes and another comes" (Kohelet 1:4), the narrative of Elijah's return in the person of the future herald (Malachi 3:23), the puzzle of Pinchas being identified with Elijah—receive their developed reincarnationist reading only in the Kabbalistic literature of the medieval period. The Geonim, when they encounter reincarnation, encounter it as a doctrine held by certain Karaites and, perhaps, by certain philosophically syncretistic Jews influenced by Islamic and Greek sources; they treat it as deviant. It is only with Sefer haBahir in the late twelfth or early thirteenth century that we possess an indisputably Jewish text teaching reincarnation on internal grounds, as Torah. From that point onward, the doctrine grows—tentatively in the Ramban's generation, powerfully in the Zohar, comprehensively in the school of Safed, and ubiquitously in Chasidut—until by the eighteenth century, to profess Judaism without gilgul is, in wide sectors of observant practice, to profess a Judaism its own mystics no longer recognize. paragraph This treatise adopts the view that both sides of this dispute have argued in good faith, from within the Torah, and with intellectually respectable tools. It does not attempt to adjudicate between them. The rationalist tradition, from Saadia to Maimonides to Crescas to Albo to Leon of Modena, has a coherent and attractive account of the soul, the body, and divine justice, and that account does not require—indeed, has difficulty accommodating—gilgul. The mystical tradition, from the Bahir through the Zohar and Arizal to the Chasidic masters to Rabbi DovBer Pinson in our own day, has a coherent and attractive account of the soul's anatomy, its fall, its mission, and its ultimate reunification, and that account requires gilgul—it is, in a sense, the hinge on which the whole system turns. The two accounts are, on any fair reading, alternative construals of the Jewish spiritual universe rather than orthodoxy and heresy. It is one of the deeper features of Judaism that both have been allowed to live. This treatise adopts the view that both sides of this dispute have argued in good faith, from within the Torah, and with intellectually respectable tools. It does not attempt to adjudicate between them. The rationalist tradition, from Saadia to Maimonides to Crescas to Albo to Leon of Modena, has a coherent and attractive account of the soul, the body, and divine justice, and that account does not require—indeed, has difficulty accommodating—gilgul. The mystical tradition, from the Bahir through the Zohar and Arizal to the Chasidic masters to Rabbi DovBer Pinson in our own day, has a coherent and attractive account of the soul's anatomy, its fall, its mission, and its ultimate reunification, and that account requires gilgul—it is, in a sense, the hinge on which the whole system turns. The two accounts are, on any fair reading, alternative construals of the Jewish spiritual universe rather than orthodoxy and heresy. It is one of the deeper features of Judaism that both have been allowed to live. paragraph The full treatise continues in five parts: The Rationalist Tradition; The Mystical Tradition; DovBer Pinson’s Reincarnation and Judaism; Points of Contention; and Halachic and Dogmatic Status. A bibliography follows. The full treatise continues in five parts: The Rationalist Tradition; The Mystical Tradition; DovBer Pinson’s Reincarnation and Judaism; Points of Contention; and Halachic and Dogmatic Status. A bibliography follows. heading Where Denominations Diverge Where Denominations Diverge paragraph The Editor's treatise treats both rationalist denial and mystical affirmation of gilgul as legitimate within authentic Judaism. The [Shulchan Aruch](https://www.sefaria.org/texts/Halakhah/Shulchan%20Arukh) does not require belief in gilgul; Albo treats it as non-foundational; thus a Jew may consistently reject gilgul without compromising membership in the community. The doctrine is dominant in [Hasidic](/glossary.xml#letter-H) and [Sephardic](/glossary.xml#letter-S) communities, prevalent in Mitnagdic via [the Vilna Gaon](/glossary.xml#letter-T)'s affirmation, and held with reservation in modern Orthodox rationalist circles. [Reform](/glossary.xml#letter-R) and [Reconstructionist](/glossary.xml#letter-R) communities generally treat gilgul as folk tradition rather than dogma. [Renewal Judaism](/glossary.xml#letter-R) is strongly affirmative. The Editor's treatise treats both rationalist denial and mystical affirmation of gilgul as legitimate within authentic Judaism. The Shulchan Aruch does not require belief in gilgul; Albo treats it as non-foundational; thus a Jew may consistently reject gilgul without compromising membership in the community. The doctrine is dominant in Hasidic and Sephardic communities, prevalent in Mitnagdic via the Vilna Gaon's affirmation, and held with reservation in modern Orthodox rationalist circles. Reform and Reconstructionist communities generally treat gilgul as folk tradition rather than dogma. Renewal Judaism is strongly affirmative. heading Sources Cited in the Article Sources Cited in the Article paragraph (See the full treatise for the comprehensive source list, which includes: Saadia Gaon, [Emunot v'De'ot](/glossary.xml#letter-E) VI:8; Rambam, [Mishneh Torah](https://www.sefaria.org/texts/Halakhah/Mishneh%20Torah) and [Moreh Nevuchim](https://www.sefaria.org/Guide_for_the_Perplexed); Crescas, [Or Hashem](https://www.sefaria.org/Ohr_Hashem); Albo, [Sefer ha-Ikkarim](https://www.sefaria.org/Sefer_HaIkkarim); Leon of Modena, [Ari Nohem](/glossary.xml#letter-A); Sefer haBahir; Ramban on [Iyov](/glossary.xml#letter-I) and [Devarim](/glossary.xml#letter-D); Zohar ([Saba de-Mishpatim](https://www.sefaria.org/Zohar), [Idrot](/glossary.xml#letter-I)); Arizal, [Sha'ar haGilgulim](https://www.sefaria.org/Sha'ar_HaGilgulim); Ramchal, [Derech Hashem](https://www.sefaria.org/Derekh_Hashem) and [Da'at Tevunot](https://www.sefaria.org/Da'at_Tevunot); [Tanya](https://www.sefaria.org/Tanya); [Likkutei Moharan](https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Moharan); [Vilna Gaon on Yonah](https://www.sefaria.org/Jonah); DovBer Pinson, Reincarnation and Judaism.) (See the full treatise for the comprehensive source list, which includes: Saadia Gaon, Emunot v'De'ot VI:8; Rambam, Mishneh Torah and Moreh Nevuchim; Crescas, Or Hashem; Albo, Sefer ha-Ikkarim; Leon of Modena, Ari Nohem; Sefer haBahir; Ramban on Iyov and Devarim; Zohar (Saba de-Mishpatim, Idrot); Arizal, Sha'ar haGilgulim; Ramchal, Derech Hashem and Da'at Tevunot; Tanya; Likkutei Moharan; Vilna Gaon on Yonah; DovBer Pinson, Reincarnation and Judaism.) paragraph [Judaism and Reincarnation (Gilgul)](https://www.chabad.org/kabbalah/article_cdo/aid/380599/jewish/Judaism-and-Reincarnation-Gilgul.htm)—Chabad.org. Judaism and Reincarnation (Gilgul)—Chabad.org. paragraph [Reincarnation](https://www.sefaria.org/topics/reincarnation)—Sefaria. Reincarnation—Sefaria. paragraph [Ramban on Genesis 38:8](https://www.sefaria.org/Ramban_on_Genesis.38.8)—Sefaria. Ramban on Genesis 38:8—Sefaria. heading Further Reading Further Reading paragraph Continue with [The Journey of the Soul: Gilgul Neshamot in Jewish Thought](/articles/gilgul-neshamot-the-journey-of-the-soul.xml) for the full treatise and bibliography. Continue with The Journey of the Soul: Gilgul Neshamot in Jewish Thought for the full treatise and bibliography. paragraph DovBer Pinson, Reincarnation and Judaism: The Journey of the Soul. DovBer Pinson, Reincarnation and Judaism: The Journey of the Soul. paragraph Daniel Matt's translation of the Zohar (Pritzker Edition). Daniel Matt's translation of the Zohar (Pritzker Edition). essentials-essential-questions-who-is-a-jew Who is a Jew? /articles/essentials-essential-questions-who-is-a-jew.xml essentials-essential-questions-what-does-judaism-teach-about-god What Does Judaism Teach About God? /articles/essentials-essential-questions-what-does-judaism-teach-about-god.xml essentials-essential-facts-the-three-pillars-torah-avodah-gemilut-chasadim The Three Pillars: Torah, Avodah, Gemilut Chasadim /articles/essentials-essential-facts-the-three-pillars-torah-avodah-gemilut-chasadim.xml essentials-essential-questions-do-jews-believe-in-an-afterlife Do Jews Believe in an Afterlife? /articles/essentials-essential-questions-do-jews-believe-in-an-afterlife.xml gilgul-neshamot-the-journey-of-the-soul The Journey of the Soul: Gilgul Neshamot in Jewish Thought scholarly /articles/gilgul-neshamot-the-journey-of-the-soul.xml Ari Nohem ארי נוהם The Roaring Lion Leon of Modena's 1639 polemic, 'The Roaring Lion,' arguing on historical and philosophical grounds that the Zohar is a medieval composition rather than ancient revelation — the sharpest rationalist critique of Kabbalah from within traditional Judaism. gilgul-neshamot-the-journey-of-the-soul-gilgul-neshamot-in-jewish-thought Chumash חֻמָּשׁ The Five Books of Moses in printed, bound form — from chamesh, 'five' — usually with translation and commentary, used to follow the Torah reading in synagogue. Devarim דְּבָרִים The fifth book of the Torah — Deuteronomy — consisting of Moshe's farewell addresses. The name means 'words.' DovBer Pinson A contemporary Chasidic scholar and rosh yeshiva of Brooklyn's IYYUN Institute, whose Reincarnation and Judaism: The Journey of the Soul (1999) is among the most accessible English presentations of the Kabbalistic doctrine of gilgul for a general readership. gilgul-neshamot-the-journey-of-the-soul-gilgul-neshamot-in-jewish-thought Emunot v'De'ot אמונות ודעות Saadia Gaon's 'Book of Beliefs and Opinions' (c. 933 CE), the first systematic work of Jewish theology, covering creation, the soul, and the world to come — and containing Judaism's earliest sustained philosophical argument against reincarnation. gilgul-neshamot-the-journey-of-the-soul-gilgul-neshamot-in-jewish-thought Geonim גְּאוֹנִים The heads of the great Babylonian academies from roughly the 7th to the 11th centuries, whose rulings and responsa carried Jewish law from the Talmud toward the medieval codes. Hasidism חֲסִידוּת The mystical revival movement founded by the Baal Shem Tov in 18th-century Eastern Europe, teaching that God can be served with joy in every act and every person. Its communities, each led by a Rebbe, remain a major force in Jewish life. going-deeper-deeper-questions-hasidism-vs-mitnagdism Idrot אדרות The "Assemblies" — the sections of the Zohar (the Idra Rabba and Idra Zuta) in which Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai gathers his closest disciples and reveals the tradition's deepest teachings. Iyov אִיּוֹב The biblical book of Job — the Tanakh's searching confrontation with undeserved suffering, found in the Ketuvim (Writings). Kabbalah קַבָּלָה The Jewish mystical tradition — literally "that which is received" — whose central text is the Zohar and whose distinctive teachings include the ten Sefirot and the infinite Ein Sof. going-deeper-deeper-questions-what-is-kabbalah Karaites קראים A movement that arose in 8th-9th century Babylonia and Egypt rejecting the Talmud and the Oral Torah in favor of independent readings of the Tanakh alone; small Karaite communities survive today in Israel and the diaspora. going-deeper-deeper-facts-the-oral-torah-and-its-authority Reconstructionist Judaism Founded by Mordecai Kaplan, Reconstructionist Judaism understands Judaism as an evolving religious civilization rather than a fixed set of supernatural commandments, and was an early adopter of patrilineal descent and full gender egalitarianism. how-to-use-this-field-guide Reform Judaism Reform Judaism treats Halacha as a source of values and meaning rather than binding law, emphasizing individual autonomy, ethical monotheism, and tikkun olam; it was the first movement to fully recognize patrilineal descent and ordain women as rabbis. how-to-use-this-field-guide Reincarnation and Judaism Rabbi DovBer Pinson's 1999 book, subtitled 'The Journey of the Soul' — a systematic, sympathetic presentation of the Kabbalistic doctrine of gilgul for English-speaking readers, drawing on the Zohar, the Arizal, and Chabad thought. gilgul-neshamot-the-journey-of-the-soul-gilgul-neshamot-in-jewish-thought Renewal Judaism Jewish Renewal is a small but influential movement drawing deeply on Hasidism and Kabbalah, combined with feminist and ecological commitments and an experimental, often neo-Hasidic approach to prayer and spirituality. how-to-use-this-field-guide Saadia Gaon סעדיה גאון Saadia Gaon (882–942), head of the Babylonian academy of Sura, considered the first systematic Jewish philosopher, harmonizing revelation and reason in his Emunot v'Deot; he stands at the head of the rationalist tradition that would later include the Rambam. essentials-essential-questions-do-jews-believe-in-an-afterlife Sefer haBahir ספר הבהיר the Bahir The Bahir, a terse and enigmatic 12th-century mystical text, is among the earliest surviving works of Kabbalah and is the earliest source for the doctrine of gilgul neshamot, the transmigration of souls. essentials-essential-questions-do-jews-believe-in-an-afterlife Sephardi סְפָרַדִּי A Jew whose family traces to medieval Spain and Portugal — and, in common usage, to the broader communities of the Mediterranean and Middle East that follow Sephardic law and liturgy. The plural is Sephardim. Talmud תלמוד The vast rabbinic work — the Mishnah together with the Gemara's discussion of it — that develops the Oral Torah into Jewish law and thought. It is the central text of Jewish study after the Bible itself. essentials-essential-facts-the-talmud-in-one-article The Vilna Gaon הגאון מווילנא Rabbi Eliyahu ben Shlomo Zalman (1720-1797), the towering Lithuanian Talmudist who led the Mitnagdic opposition to the rising Hasidic movement while remaining a serious student of Kabbalah himself. going-deeper-deeper-questions-hasidism-vs-mitnagdism Torah תּוֹרָה The Five Books of Moses — the scroll at the center of Jewish life — and, more broadly, the whole of Jewish teaching. 'Learning Torah' can mean anything from Chumash to Talmud. aggadah אגדה The non-legal portions of rabbinic literature — the stories, ethics, theology, and biblical interpretation woven through the Talmud and Midrash. Its counterpart is halacha, the legal material. gilgul neshamot גִּלְגּוּל נְשָׁמוֹת The Kabbalistic doctrine of the transmigration of souls — the teaching that a soul may return in successive lifetimes to complete its unfinished work; often shortened to gilgul. gilgul-neshamot-the-journey-of-the-soul-gilgul-neshamot-in-jewish-thought parent Foundations of Belief /sections/foundations.xml related Who is a Jew? /articles/essentials-essential-questions-who-is-a-jew.xml related What Does Judaism Teach About God? /articles/essentials-essential-questions-what-does-judaism-teach-about-god.xml related The Three Pillars: Torah, Avodah, Gemilut Chasadim /articles/essentials-essential-facts-the-three-pillars-torah-avodah-gemilut-chasadim.xml related Do Jews Believe in an Afterlife? /articles/essentials-essential-questions-do-jews-believe-in-an-afterlife.xml related The Journey of the Soul: Gilgul Neshamot in Jewish Thought /articles/gilgul-neshamot-the-journey-of-the-soul.xml