Does the Soul Survive?

Elie Kaplan Spitz

Description

Near-death experiences? Past-life regression? Reincarnation?
Are these sorts of things Jewish?

With a blend of candor, personal questioning, and sharp-eyed scholarship, Rabbi Elie Kaplan Spitz relates his own observations and the firsthand accounts shared with him by others, experiences that helped propel his journey from skeptic to believer that there is life after life.

From near-death experiences to reincarnation, past-life memory to the work of mediums, Rabbi Spitz explores what we are really able to know about the afterlife, and draws on Jewish texts to share that belief in these concepts—so often approached with reluctance—is in fact true to Jewish tradition.

“The increasing interest and faith in survival of the soul may grow into a cultural wave that is as potentially transformative for society as the civil rights movement and feminism. A renewed faith in ‘the soul’s journeys’ will call for a reassessment of our priorities, and will enable traditional religions to renew and transform their adherents.”
—from the Introduction

Foreword by Brian L. Weiss, M.D. Acknowledgments Introduction Telepathy: A Window on the Soul's Survival Near-Death Experiences (NDEs): The Literature What Is Soul? Survival of the Soul: Judaism's Views What Happens After I Die? Traditional Judaism on Resurrection of the Dead Past-Life Regression: An Introduction Training with Dr. Brian Weiss Reincarnation: Judaism’s Views Tales of Reincarnation: The Role of the Rebbe Mediums: Judaism’s Position Psychic Gifts of a Medium: James Van Praagh Weighing the Evidence Discrepancies in Afterlife and Reincarnation Accounts The Impact of Affirming the Soul’s Survival Cultivating the Soul Conclusion: Live Now Gratefully and Responsibly Appendix: Torah and Immortality of the Soul: A Hot Debate Notes Glossary Selected Bibliography Index

Sujets

• reincarnation
• afterlife
• Philosophie et théologie
• Jewish philosophy
• Judaism
• Religion

Informations

• Publié par: Turner Publishing Company
• Date de parution: 14 décembre 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781580234665
• Langue: English

Extrait

DOES THE SOUL SURVIVE?
DOES THE SOUL SURVIVE?
A Jewish Journey to Belief in
Afterlife, Past Lives Living with Purpose
RABBI ELIE KAPLAN SPITZ
foreword by
BRIAN L. WEISS, M.D.
Acclaim for Does the Soul Survive?
Rabbi Spitz has taken a fascinating journey from skepticism to hope. No matter our ultimate conclusion, this record of that journey is certain to tantalize, intrigue and uplift the questing spirit.
- Rabbi David Wolpe , Sinai Temple, Los Angeles; author of Making Loss Matter: Creating Meaning in Difficult Times
Beautiful . Intelligent, deeply grounded in the classical sources and, most importantly, tinged with the kind of warmth and wisdom that make a great book. This book can change the way you understand your place in the universe.
- Rabbi Marc Gafni , philosopher; author of Soul Prints, Certainty, Uncertainty ; Fellow, Hartman Institute, Jerusalem
Elie Spitz provides a map for some very tricky territory. With admirable candor and real openness of heart, he leads his readers through contemporary and traditional views of the soul, its nature and purposes . He is clear without being simplistic, inspiring without beating a drum for his views. I know of no book on the soul which so seamlessly blends the personal and the scholarly. Rabbi Spitz brings to this subject a passion and clarity which will engage and enlighten his readers.
- Peter Pitzele, Ph.D. , author of Our Fathers Wells: A Personal Encounter with the Myths of Genesis
In Does the Soul Survive? Rabbi Spitz allows all of us to take that same journey of soul: to be able to look without fear through the healing lens of faith at what it means to be alive, what it means to be human, what it means to be God s child. Anyone who reads this book will find it, as I did, uplifting, insightful and profoundly true. It transforms all our lives for the better.
- Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson , Dean, Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, University of Judaism; author of It s a Mitzvah! Step-by-Step to Jewish Learning
Whether or not we believe, having the conversation about the continued existence of the soul contributes to the healing. Opening to the possibility that there is more than a rigid and unpenetrable curtain between the worlds allows us to approach loss with questions. These call forth creative possibilities for continuing our connection with those we have lost.
- Anne Brener , internationally recognized bereavement therapist; author of Mourning Mitzvah: A Guided Journey to Walking the Mourner s Path Through Grief to Healing (Jewish Lights)
A path-breaking book. When Elie Spitz writes about Judaism and reincarnation, he not only examines relevant texts drawn from two thousand years of teaching, he integrates them with his own remarkable experiences. This is a book that has the capacity to expand your soul.
- Joseph Telushkin , author of Jewish Literacy and other works
Elie Spitz s personal quest for an understanding of the soul and afterlife benefits all who read this remarkable book. In the tradition of Dr. Brian Weiss, he brings credibility and a religious context to belief in reincarnation. Even the skeptic will be swayed by Rabbi Spitz s personal experiences.
- Rabbi Stewart Vogel , co-author of the New York Times bestseller The Ten Commandments
Rabbi Elie Spitz masterfully blends scholarship, inspiration and information . His courageous, heartfelt journey into unknown territory will most assuredly survive with his soul.
- Nancy Rosanoff , author of Knowing When It s Right
With intelligence and compassion, Rabbi Spitz has written a beautiful book that explores one of life s great mysteries-what exists beyond life. His look at the subject is so compelling because he draws both on ancient Jewish tradition and on the contemporary experience of Americans . An important book that will change your thinking about life-and the afterlife.
- Ari L. Goldman , author of The Search for God at Harvard
Rabbi Spitz has treated a topic that many approach with doubts in a learned, cogent, Jewishly-informed, and, above all, human manner. His personal touch, as well as his mastery of both classical Jewish and modern historical, philosophical, and psychological writings on the topic of the soul and its transmigration makes for challenging and thoughtful reading . Indicates that Judaism has a great deal to say about a subject that is all-too-often exclusively associated in the popular mind with eastern religions. Readers of all stripes and faiths will be provoked and moved by this book.
- Rabbi David Ellenson , Ph.D., president, Hebrew Union College- Jewish Institute of Religion
Rabbi Spitz is not your grandfather s old rabbi. He explores issues of life and death that go back to our earliest traditions and go forward into the next millennium. He proves that Judaism is a many-branched menorah with something important for everyone. He shows how to explore the deepest reaches of mind, body, and spirit-and do it Jewishly.
- Alan M. Dershowitz , author of The Vanishing American Jew
A wonderful book on the afterlife. It fills a great void in this area. It is carefully researched and articulately presented. I loved it.
- Rabbi Abner Weiss , Ph.D., author of Connecting to God: Ancient Kabbalah and Modern Psychology
Does the Soul Survive?
A Jewish Journey to Belief in Afterlife, Past Lives Living with Purpose
2009 Quality Paperback Edition, Fifth Printing
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
For information regarding permission to reprint material from this book, please mail or fax your request in writing to Jewish Lights Publishing, Permissions Department, at the address / fax number listed below, or e-mail your request to [e-mail].
2000 by Elie Kaplan Spitz
Grateful acknowledgment is given for permission to use material from the following sources: From Jewish Views of the Afterlife by Simcha Paull Raphael, 1994 and Spiritual Intimacy:A Study of Counseling in Hasidism by Zalman Meshullam Schachter-Shalomi, 1991, used by permission of the publisher, Jason Aronson, Inc., Northvale, N.J. From Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian L. Weiss, M.D., reprinted with the permission of Simon Schuster. 1988 by Brian L.Weiss, M.D.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Spitz, Elie Kaplan.
Does the soul survive? : a Jewish journey to belief in afterlife, past lives and living with purpose / Elie Kaplan Spitz.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-1-58023-094-0 (hc)
ISBN-10: 1-58023-094-6 (hc)
1. Transmigration-Judaism.2. Soul (Judaism).I. Title.
BM635.7 .S65 2000
296.3'3-dc21 00-009624
ISBN-13: 978-1-58023-165-7 (quality pbk.)
ISBN-10: 1-58023-165-9 (quality pbk.)
10 9 8 7 6 5 4
Manufactured in the United States of America
Cover design: Stacey Hood
For People of All Faiths, All Backgrounds
Published by Jewish Lights Publishing
A Division of LongHill Partners, Inc.
Sunset Farm Offices, Route 4, P.O. Box 237
Woodstock, VT 05091
Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]
www.jewishlights.com
This book is indebted to the source of Creation, with gratitude for the many blessings of life, including the following of God s partners:
- That enlivened me -To my parents, Heddy and Arthur Spitz, who gave me an abiding feeling of love and modeled affirmation of life.
- That grounded me -To my wife, Linda Kaplan Spitz, my beloved companion who supports and guides my life journey, and to our children, Joseph Ephraim, Jonathan Tamir, and Anna Rose Miriam, who nurture us, keep us humble, and provide deep joy.
- And that enabled me to reach this moment -To my many mentors, including Professor Ze ev Falk, a model of piety who encouraged me to write; and Marielle Fuller and Colette Aboulker-Muscat, artists of the imagination who enable me to go inward trustingly.
Contents
Foreword by Brian L. Weiss, M.D.
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1
Telepathy: A Window on the Soul s Survival
2
Near-Death Experiences (NDEs): The Literature
3
What Is Soul?
4
Survival of the Soul: Judaism s Views
5
What Happens After I Die?
6
Traditional Judaism on Resurrection of the Dead
7
Past-Life Regression: An Introduction
8
Training with Dr. Brian Weiss
9
Reincarnation: Judaism s Views
10
Tales of Reincarnation: The Role of the Rebbe
11
Mediums: Judaism s Position
12
Psychic Gifts of a Medium: James Van Praagh
13
Weighing the Evidence
14
Discrepancies in Afterlife and Reincarnation Accounts
15
The Impact of Affirming the Soul s Survival
16
Cultivating the Soul
Conclusion: Live Now Gratefully and Responsibly
Appendix: Torah and Immortality of the Soul: A Hot Debate
Notes
Glossary
Selected Bibliography
Index

About Jewish Lights
Copyright
Foreword
Brian L. Weiss, M.D.
I am, on the one hand, a well-known psychiatrist who has studied more than 2,000 patients over the past twenty years, patients who have remembered details of prior lifetimes and whose clinical symptoms have often dramatically resolved because of these memories. I have written four best-selling books based on my patients experiences, and these books have been translated into more than thirty languages, including Hebrew.
I am, on the other hand, a Jew, taught in a Conservative synagogue in New Jersey. In my Jewish training, I was never introduced to the doctrines of reincarnation and soul survival after physical death. The vast majority of Jews in the United States knows nothing about the existence of these doctrines in mystical Jewish literature, or they are just now beginning to suspect that there is far more to Judaism than meets the eye.
Recently, I took part in a live video conference via satellite that linked up me, alone in a