RBRTH Q

 A

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3. The Kabbalistic "Gilgul": A Soul’s Cycle

While the Council of Constantinople successfully closed the door on reincarnation for the Christian West, the Jewish mystical tradition—specifically Kabbalah—kept the flame alive through the concept of Gilgul Neshamot (literally "the rolling of souls").

As you mentioned via Chidester, this wasn't just a random cycle of rebirth; it was a highly structured teleological process (a process with an end goal).

• The Rectification (Tikkun): In this view, a soul is sent into the world with a specific "mission" or set of commandments to fulfill. If the soul fails to complete its task or commits a sin that requires "cleansing," it is "rolled" back into another body.

• The Ibbur (Impregnation): A unique Kabbalistic twist is that a "righteous" soul can temporarily inhabit the body of a living person to help them fulfill a difficult task—a sort of spiritual mentorship from within.

• The Ultimate Goal: Reincarnation isn't an eternal trap (as in some interpretations of Nirvana-seeking traditions), but a mercy. It’s a second, third, or fourth chance to achieve Devekut (cleaving to God).

4. Why the Shift Matters

The suppression in 538 AD vs. the flowering in the Middle Ages created two very different psychological worlds:

Mainstream Western View (Post-553 AD)	Jewish Mystical View (Gilgul)
Linear Time: You have one shot. High stakes, high pressure.	Cyclical Time: You have as much time as the soul needs.
Justice: Focused on external judgment and "Heaven vs. Hell."	Justice: Focused on internal "refining" and restoration.
The Body: A one-time vessel for a unique soul.	The Body: A temporary "garment" for a traveling soul.

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The Historical "Silent" Influence

It’s worth noting that even after the official bans, reincarnation "leaked" back into the West through groups like the Cathars in France (who were eventually suppressed in a crusade) and later through the Renaissance Neoplatonists who rediscovered Origen and Plato.

The idea that the soul is an ancient traveler, rather than a "new" creation at the moment of conception, remains one of the most persistent "underground" beliefs in Western history.

Since we've looked at the theological side, would you like to explore how these ideas of "pre-existing souls" compare to modern physics' concepts of "information conservation" (the idea that information can never be destroyed)?