Shabbat Gathering: Reincarnation.

Brian D. Johnson

28 Jun 2024 • 4 min read

Adin Steinsalta

Dear Chevrei, as is our custom, we will gather tonight at 5.45p ct and welcome Shabbat. These are the coordinates:

Zoom
Meeting ID: 883 8469 4181
Password: 822665
Phone: +1 312 626 6799

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Here we go.

The myth is that 600,000 letters are in the Torah. The reality is that there are 304,800. The reason this is important is that some Jews believe that each letter in Torah represents a Jewish soul and we don’t want to miscount that.

Anyway, I was thinking about those letters because I’m reading The Thirteen Petalled Rose by Adin Steinsaltz, a great Torah scholar (1937 to 2020). It's a short book but very dense. I’m taking copious notes. It is about Kabbalah, the mystical teachings of Judaism. I just read the part about reincarnation. Steinsaltz says that when people die, G!d mixes the souls, creates a new person from that and sends us back to the world. We only need to do three things to move toward more holiness in our world and in our lives.

That part about how our souls are all blended together reminds me how Judaism is a collective religion, not one centered on the individual.

The three ingredients.

Regarding those three things we’re suppose to do:

Teshuvah, be a mensch .

Tzedakah, help others.

Tefillah, say our prayers.

We recite these three words over and over again during the High Holy Days. They are that important.

What if doing these three actions improves the world? What if our souls improve? What if G!d look favorably on us? I'll buy that. It's only three things. Not 613. We need to follow these completely reasonable rules to improve the world and elevate our souls. I’m all for it. Sign me up.

And all our souls and all the letters in Torah combine and many miracles are born.

And may it be for all of us a blessing.

See you tonight!
Gut Shabbes!

All my love,
brian.