Judaism does not focus on what happens after we die.
There is virtually nothing in the Torah about an afterlife.
This teaches us that the focus of our lives should be on this life and making sure we work to repair the world while we are here.
However, in Kabbalah, mystical Judaism, there are clear views about our souls, their journey and relationship to God.
There are some basic premises in this mystical tradition that are helpful to understand.
1. God is not a “being somewhere,” but is transcendent and flows throughout the universe, including within humans.
2. Our souls are eternal.
3. The world is in constant need of repair.
4. For our soul to return to dwell within God, it must find its purpose in bringing about that repair.
5. If our soul does not fulfill its purpose, then it returns (reincarnates) until that happens. These concepts are foreign to our western, rational culture and are sometimes difficult to grasp.
While these ideas appear to contradict science, Daniel Matt, a renowned Kabbalah scholar, pointed out in a presentation that, in fact, they are not at odds.
Drawing from his book, “From Kabbalah to the The Big Bang: Ancient Wisdom & Contemporary Spirituality,” he showed how Kabbalistic principles can agree with scientific perspectives.
Two important concepts are that there is a One of which we were all a part, and creation occurred through an explosion which scattered God’s holy sparks throughout the universe.
Matt explains, “Science says we are all stardust and we embody the primordial energy of the Big Bang. All living beings are cousins (humans share 99 percent of genes with chimps). Everything that is, was, and will be, was part of one ‘seed’. The world is teeming with God.”
For thousands of years, Kabbalists have been talking about the Big Bang and concepts now accepted in the world of science.
The vision of God being the energy that animates the universe tends to shatter our childhood image of God, making it hard for our human minds to grasp.
It is so much easier to anthropomorphize God, and although the Jewish Bible uses human metaphors throughout, Judaism has firmly rejected any actual image of God.
Another concept important in Jewish tradition which comes from Kabbalah is that God is waiting to be fulfilled by our actions.
This idea carries strong ethical implications because it means we are all part of God, containing a Divine Spark, and it is up to us, through our deeds, to bring a Oneness back into the world.
Understanding how our actions ripple throughout the universe can have a profound affect on what we do in our life.
As we progress through this life, let us work to find our soul’s purpose in restoring the One.
“All of us are sacred vessels, channels through which the Divine flows into the world. Each of us is uniquely formed so as to bring forth a particular aspect of the mystery. We give thanks to all of who we are. We give thanks for our places in the mysterious unfolding of all creation. We ask that our hands be open and our hearts be pure and, together with all beings, we will bring forth blessing” (Rabbi Yael Levy).
Kein yehi ratzon … may it be God’s will. Shalom.
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Issues of Faith is a rotating column by religious leaders on the North Olympic Peninsula. Suzanne DeBey is a lay leader of the Port Angeles Jewish community. Her email is debeyfam@olympus.net.
