Sin death and beyond

SIN, DEATH AND BEYOND: M.M.NINAN
It comes from the words galgal (circle/round) and Gilgal (places of stone circles mentioned in
the Bible). It actually refers to mystical rounds of ascent of the souls in the spiritual life/world.
Gilgal Refaim- Ancient Stone Circle in Israel
The notion of reincarnation, is not an essential tenet of traditional Judaism.
It is not mentioned
• in traditional classical sources such as the Tanakh ("Hebrew Bible"),
• In the classical rabbinic works (Mishnah and Talmud), or
• In the Maimonides' 13 Principles of Faith.
In the Zohar, on the other hand, in Parashat Mishpatim, under the title Saba deMishpatim (the
Old Man or the Grandfather of Parashat Mishpatim), the secrets of reincarnation are discussed
at length.
The Zohar (Hebrew: ‏ֹהַ‏ ר ‏,ז lit Splendor or Radiance) is the foundational work in the literature
of Jewish mystical thought known as Kabbalah. It is a group of books including commentary on
the mystical aspects of the Torah (the five books of Moses) and scriptural interpretations as
well as material on Mysticism, mythical cosmogony, and mystical psychology. The Zohar
contains a discussion of the nature of God, the origin and structure of the universe, the nature
of souls, redemption, the relationship of Ego to Darkness and "true self" to "The Light of God,"
and the relationship between the "universal energy" and man. Its scriptural exegesis can be
considered an esoteric form of the Rabbinic literature known as Midrash, which elaborates on
the Torah.
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