Questions tagged [soul]
Questions pertaining to the soul.
35 questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
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The soul and Sleep
I’ve heard from a Rabbi that the falling feeling you get while your sleeping that wakes you up (known as the hipnic jerk) is your soul falling back into your body. Are there any other sources that ...
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What is the timeline of the connection of the soul to the body after death?
Speaking to the Rabbi who runs the chevra kadisha in my neighborhood recently, regarding the pending cremation of the mother of a friend, he mentioned several interesting concepts with respect to the ...
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Smelling Besamim before Havdallah
According to our minhag that we smell Besamim during Havdallah as part of Havdallah, if one smelled Besamim after Shabbos before Havdallah (for whatever reason), should or can that person omit the ...
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What keeps the immaterial soul inside the physical body?
By what methods the immaterial soul is contained within the material body during our lifetime?
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What happens to the soul when dozing for a minute or ten?
Tradition tells us the soul leaves the body when sleeping. Is the same true when drowsing in a chair, which is usually not a deep sleep and you are still aware of background noise?
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Non-Jews reincarnating in Jews
I read in the name of (Ariz"l) some Kabbalistic books that Zimri Ben Salu was the reincarnation of Shechem ben Chamor that took Dina and the story of Bnot Moav is [allegorically] a repetition of the ...
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Sources that all future souls were at Mount Sinai?
What are the sources for the common understanding that all future souls were at Mount Sinai?
I saw the Chasam Sofer bring the gemarra in Shevuos (39a), but that's talking about parshas Nitzavim.
A ...
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Is there a source in Torah that a soul chooses his parents before being born?
Many years ago, I read in a Jewish book that a soul chooses his parents before being born, but I cannot remember the name of the book. Is there an authentic Torah source that confirms this? Thank ...
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Source for ability to speak before Neshama
I've always understand conventional Jewish belief is that there are different aspects to the soul, and each one provides different abilities. The נפש is common to all living creatures and it is the ...
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How do the brain and the Neshama relate to each other?
We all know that every individual contains a "Neshama", or soul. The soul is the embodiment of our being; it is what makes us...us. The brain however, is the center of all our cognitive ...
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Non-Jewish G-dly Souls
Can the contrasting views of non-Jewish soul from Maimonides and from Kabbalah be reconciled?
Maimonides is quite explicit that all human beings have the potential for a G-dly soul, which is manifest ...
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Does animal soul (Nefesh) come from the divine or the material?
[I assume] it is wildly accepted in Judaism that animals have souls (hence "anima"). In Hebrew, it is called נפש (Nefesh) and the Torah is full of this kind of references:
"וּֽלְכׇל־...
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Relation between brain damage and the soul
Physical damage to the brain can lead to various psychological and cognitive phenomena, like drastic changes in character, selective memory loss (like forgetting faces but remembering names or vice ...
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Do you get to keep your old nefesh and ruach when you convert?
According to our tradition, converts acquire a "new soul" in, or upon emergence from, the conversion mikvah. (Not sure of the original source for this--it may be the Zohar--but there are countless ...
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Souls (Neshamos) of converts
When I was in Yeshiva many years ago I heard one of the rebbeim (teachers) of the yeshiva speaking to a young man that had converted to Judaism and that was very successful in learning about "his ...
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Is it permitted to do past life regression therapy?
Is it allowed according to the halocha to do a hypnotherapy session where past life regression is done?
- 1,466
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Mikva Erev Shabbat (for men) - looking for a detailed work on this practice
I would like to learn everything there is to learn about the practice of men going to mikva (immersing one's body in a ritual pool) on erev shabbat (Friday afternoon).
I am not looking for a sif katan ...
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Can a person's soul reincarnate into multiple bodies simultaneously?
Is it possible that a soul of some person, say John, reincarnates into multiple bodies but those bodies are all alive in the same period, so they are all alive in the same year, etc. or is this only ...
- 1,062
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What is the difference between Yizkor and Eil Molei prayers?
Of course, they differ in text, but in terms of their meaning, they are exactly the same. In fact, these are stylistically different two versions of the same prayer.
So can Eil Molei replace Yizkor ...
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Where is the source in the Zohar that the neshomo of a person or righteous person comes down to the guf on the day of the yorzeit
I've heard it quoted, but I don't remember the exact source.
- 1,466
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Where does it say that a convert's yetzer hara becomes stronger?
I hear this from many authoritative sources but where is it from Torah she beal peh?
Is it merely because all the mitzvot are now obligatory or are there deeper reasons?
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Rambam's position regarding the unification of souls in the afterlife (Guide to the Perplexed-First Part Chapter 74 seventh argument)
In his Guide to the Perplexed-First Part Chapter 74 seventh argument, Rambam says:
You must bear in mind that those abstract beings which are neither bodies nor forces dwelling in bodies, and which in ...
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What did Jews really believe about the soul and life after death?
As a Christian, I am very interested in learning what did Jews and Judaism teach about the soul, particularity, what happens to the soul when one dies?
Biblical scholar Bart D. Ehrman, is of the ...
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Does a person’s soul see through the navel when the person passes away (Ben Ish Hai)
I was studying with someone earlier today and he mentioned that he once read in the Sefer Ben Ish Hai that when a person passes away, his soul can ‘see’ (I don’t really know what that means) through ...
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Does Judaism say that souls can or cannot be destroyed?
Does Judaism say that souls can or cannot be destroyed? Just asking because I was raised a Christian, and it didn't make any sense to me, at all, that a "soul" could be destroyed. All I know is that's ...
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Our bodies aren't here for the long haul?
I seem to have learnt something a long time ago. In basic terms that after the coming of Moshiach and the resurrection of the dead there will be a time where we won't need our bodies and we will live ...
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Does Orthodox Judaism endorse or prescribe exercises and acts to help counteract negative influences or inner spiritual issues and conflicts?
I know this question sounds kind of "New Age" in terms of theme but I was genuinely curious if Orthodox Judaism has any figures who endorsed such topics or books which discussed the topic (either in ...
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Does anyone know how to contact Rav J. Glass who has posted a translation of Netivot Shalom online?
His now non-working email address is still visible where he posted his translation. It used to be [email protected]. I would like to find out if he has finished or is still working on finishing his ...
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Is it true the Ari said that if there is hate of one scholar to another it's because they're from the same shoresh?
Is it true that the Ari said that if there is hate from two talmidei chachamim this is because they're from the same shoresh neshama?
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Converts born with a Jewish soul (but born to the "wrong" parents), or converts getting a Jewish soul upon conversion?
Converts born with a Jewish soul (but born to the "wrong" parents), or converts getting a Jewish soul upon conversion?
I've heard the idea that if somebody converts to Judaism then it means ...
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Does the soul of a child have relation to the souls of their parents? How does the pre-creation of souls impact the parent-child soul relation?
When parents have a child, is the soul of the child related to the soul of their parents? Some mystical teachings say that a soul is composed of multiple components. From this, I think that it might ...
- 1,062
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Source for God creating the world to test the angels/souls
Is there a jewish source (even remotely) simmilar to the following story:
The angels/souls* in heaven were praising God, saying how awesome and great
God is, but God said to them "you only ...
- 207
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What are the differences between neshama or nefesh yisraelit and neshama or nefesh yehudit in a metaphysical sense?
I recall hearing that there are differences between a neshama or nefesh yisraelit and a neshama or nefesh yehudit in a metaphysical, kabbalistic, drush or sod sense and I would like to know what those ...
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Do shedim receive schar?
Given that shedim can either do good or bad and are intelligent, speaking creations in this world, can they be punished and rewarded? Do they have mitzvos? Will they exist in olam haba?
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Biblical attribution of intelligence and feelings to the human heart
Traditionally, the human heart was considered the residence of the animated soul and numerous Biblical passages refer to that ancient belief:
"You shall love the LORD your God with all your ...
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