Tag Archives: Sha’ar HaGilgulim

Heroes of Issachar & Zevulun

Who were some of the greatest leaders and figures from the ancient Israelite tribes of Issachar and Zevulun? What were the ten special things created by God on the eve of the first Sabbath? And what is the mysterious shamir “worm” that was used to cut stones for Jerusalem’s Temple? Plus, who did Issachar reincarnate in? Where did Jonah come from? And who exactly are the Druze?

For Part 1 of this class, see here.
For Rabbi Akiva’s last five teachings to Rashbi, see here.
For more on the origins of Kaddish, see here.

Things You Didn’t Know About the Arizal

Last Friday, the fifth of Av, was the yahrzeit of the great Ari HaKadosh or Arizal, “The Holy Lion of Blessed Memory”, Rabbi Itzchak Luria (1534-1572). Few have had as monumental an impact on Judaism as the Arizal. Despite being an educator for only a couple of years, and passing away at the young age of 37 or 38, his teachings shaped the course of Jewish history for the next five centuries, until the present. Who was the Arizal, what did he reveal, and why was he so influential? Continue reading →

Reincarnation in Judaism, Part 3

In this concluding installment of the series, we explore the intriguing mechanisms of reincarnation and look at specific examples from Cain and Abel, Moses and Jethro, Balaam, Terach, Job, Deborah, Tamar, and others. Also, can a male soul reincarnate in a female body, or vice versa? And how many total souls are meant to exist across all time? Plus: What is a dybbuk and does Judaism have a notion of “exorcism”? Who did Cain and Abel marry? And did God make other humans besides Adam and Eve?

For Part 1 of this series, see here.
For Part 2, see here.