Reincarnation is a fundamental belief in Jewish tradition. In Hebrew, Reincarnation is called "gilgul ha'ne'shamot," literally the recycling or transmigration of souls.

This concept can be compared to a flame of one candle lighting another candle. While the essence of the second flame comes from the first one, the second flame is an independent entity. Still, the new flame contains imperfections inherited from the initial flame, and it is these imperfections that are to be corrected.

Most of the written material of reincarnation is very esoteric, often written in Aramaic. Some of the prominent works dealing with this subject are the "Zohar" (1st century) and the Arizal's "Shaar HaGilgulim" (16th century). In the Bible itself, the idea is intimated in Deut. 25:5-10.

Many sources say that a soul has a maximum of three chances in this world. One example given is that the great Talmudic sage Hillel was a reincarnation of the Biblical figure Aaron.

The soul only comes into this world in the first place in order to make a spiritual repair. If that is not fulfilled by the end of one's lifetime, then the soul will be sent down once again. The return trip may only be needed for a short time or in a limited way. This in part explains why people are born with handicaps or may live a brief life. (Example someone who would continually bother a cripple man, his fixing would be to comeback as a cripple man and feel the pain)

It is not necessary that there be a conscious awareness in order for the correction to take place. Conscious awareness is only one level of understanding. This idea is explored in an interesting book called "Psychic Phenomena," by Dorothy Bemar Bradley, M.D., and Robert A. Bradley M.D.:

"Mentally retarded children have been known to burst out with unexpected abilities under altered awareness, manifesting the contents of the undamaged and theoretically undamageable unconscious mind."

In other words, there are levels of understanding that transcend the conscious level, even in children.

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Truly, most"corrections" do not have to take place through the body, but rather take place in the soul world, in the afterlife.

However, sometimes the correction must occur in the physical world. For example, it may involve a certain challenge of choosing the "right thing" over choosing the "comfortable thing." Or other people may have to be involved. And the soul cannot interact with the physical world in any other way expect through a body.

The bottom line in all this is that a person's life situation provides everything necessary to achieve ideal growth. Our task is simply to employ our free will -- i.e. to properly and effectively use the opportunities that come up.

There is a very great secret revealed in the Sha'ar HaGilgulim with regards to reincarnation that most do not know: there is a difference in cosmic law as to how men and women reincarnate. Usually, it is only men who have to reincarnate to continue to rectify their souls. Women, on the other hand, follow a different law. The rectifications for their souls is tended to above in Heaven. By the rule, women do not reincarnate for the sake of individual reincarnation. They do, however, reincarnate to help the soul of their mate with his incarnation. To put it bluntly, most female souls do not need to be here on earth for their own sakes, they have come for the men folk. You guys pay attention!

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