Revital Levi-Gilad's Near-Death Encounter: A Second Chance at Life

At the young age of 16, Revital Levi-Gilad went through an extraordinary experience of soul detachment. She saw herself from above, yet, as she recounts, she was told from the heavens that it wasn't her time to die and that she had to return to this world. After her return, she continued her life as though nothing had happened, and the incident was nearly forgotten.

Revital, now 41, is a mother of three and has been married for seven months to Yaniv Levi. They reside in Herzliya. Although her parents raised her with traditional Jewish values, she, originally from Kfar Saba, left religious life upon joining the military and married a secular man.

Around 13 years ago, at age 27, already a wife and mother, Revital experienced another clinical death in her sleep. This time, the event transformed her life completely.

"It happened at night," Revital recalls. "I was asleep with my husband and two children beside me—a one-year-old and a child of nineteen months. In the middle of sleep, I felt myself leaving my body. It's an experience incomprehensible to someone who hasn't been through it. I saw myself from above, with my husband and children sleeping. I couldn't do anything and was simply drawn into a tunnel of light, where I entered a whirlwind of wonderful, enveloping light, unlike anything in this world. It was a light of mercy and love, filled with peace—no sense of panic or anxiety. My body was as vague as that of a fetus in the womb."

"Then, suddenly, the light spoke to me. It asked me calmly, 'What's your name?'. My fear was overwhelming, and I couldn't respond. After several seconds, the light asked my name again. I answered, but I can't explain where the courage came from. As soon as I replied, I found myself in a large hall with dim light. At the far-right end of the hall, beyond a wall, was a gentle, soft yellow light, and from there, my grandfather's parents suddenly appeared. They had both passed two years before the event. There were two other family members I didn't recognize. They all came towards me with open arms and great joy, appearing to sing."

When exactly did you realize you were in the world of truth?

"When I was in the tunnel of light, I still didn't understand I was dead. Only when I saw my deceased family members did I panic, realizing I had left the world of the living and entered the world of truth. It hits you steeply. I couldn't approach my grandfather's parents, feeling as though rooted in place by some inexplicable force. It seemed like no one from either side was allowed to move forward."

Apparently, it wasn't possible because Revital was called at that very moment to stand trial before a celestial court. Later she recounts that the terrifying feelings of shame and fear she experienced during the trial are unfathomable in this world. "About ten meters away, three judges sat with beards. It was evident they were rabbis, human in every aspect.

They were stern. Even before they spoke to me, I began to cry, knowing there was nowhere to escape. Suddenly, one's head swells with wild sorrow and shame that one doesn't feel in the living world. They angrily asked me why I hadn't observed Shabbat. I felt ashamed, unable to respond, sensing this wouldn't end well. My grandfather's parents disappeared from my sight, and before I could comprehend what was happening, two films began to play before me on two enormous video screens: one on the right was not pleasant, and when it ended, another began on the left, not presenting good or bad but rather replaying my life. This film ran from end to start—from that period back to when I was a baby.

"After the films ended, I pleaded for my life before the judges. They were angry and silent. I continued to cry, begging them to return me to the living world. They asked why I wanted to return and my purpose. I knew my autistic child needed me greatly. I pleaded with the judges: 'Who will care for my children if I die?'. As soon as I mentioned my husband and kids, I turned my face and suddenly could see them sleeping. There are no limits to the soul, and I immediately saw them with my eyes," Revital sighs.

Revital Levi-Gilad

"After I saw them, the rabbi on my left spoke quietly with the other two judges. Today, I know it was my defender. I noticed his hand gestures and saw him trying hard to speak in my favor. He convinced them. The other two were very stern. It was challenging to get out of it. The defense rabbi asked—if he returned me, would I promise to repent. I screamed: 'Yes!'. The question was asked three times: 'Do you promise to repent?'. I cried and begged, shouting: 'Yes!'. Immediately, I felt my soul being absorbed back into my body through my nose. I returned to my body through my nostrils. Today I understand the meaning: 'He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life'.

It was 3:10 AM. Revital woke up screaming and crying, recounting everything to her then-husband. "I opened my eyes and immediately returned to my usual state—healthy and awake," she says. "I screamed and told my husband that I died and returned to life. At that moment, I decided to commit to covering my hair and observing Shabbat as required."

Why do you think it happened specifically to you? What was wanted of you? How are you different from thousands of other Jews who don't observe Torah and mitzvot?

"Heaven's calculations, who knows. I don't know. Maybe they're expecting more from me as a mother to a special child with disabilities. Perhaps due to leaving religious life, I truly don't know. Even at 16, I had an out-of-body experience; it wasn't the first time. Someone took me by the hand up to the sky, to a distant place. Below was a red river, all fire, standing out against the black night background. Then I was told: 'It's not your time, go back down'. Since I didn't connect it with repentance, by 27, I was once again required to correct my ways. Apparently, at 16, having not faced a celestial court, I didn't understand the message then."

In general, what is the main difference between this world and the next?

"Here, in this world, one can create merits every second, even in thought. Death in this world is merely a birth into another world where nothing can be corrected. The sorrow and shame are the only things a sinful soul will feel there. There's no body to perform mitzvot or change your circumstances. Your fate is sealed—there's no place to escape. I had the privilege to return and recall the details to amend."

Revital's journey towards religious observance wasn't simple. "During my return to religious life, I lived with a secular husband," she recalls. "After several months, it seemed impossible to adhere to all Torah laws as they should be. He tried to cooperate, but not from an inner desire. I attempted with all my might to bring the home to a Shabbat observance status, but gradually, this ability slipped away from me.

"Eventually, I divorced, not necessarily for religious reasons. I bought a property and lived alone with my three children. One day, a young man in black knocked on my door asking for charity. When I asked with a smile, 'Who sent you?', he answered: 'The rabbi sent me to you'. He didn't speak much, was shy and modest, but he repeated this sentence three times. When I asked, 'Who's your rabbi?' he showed me a photo."

Upon seeing the rabbi's image, Revital's face turned pale. These were features she remembered well. "The photo took me back to the celestial court," she recalls with emotion. "It was the figure of the defense rabbi to whom I promised to return to the religious path. I was shocked, and immediately gave him a precise description of his rabbi's speaking style and body gestures." Following this chilling event, Revital resolved to fully embrace religious life. "My connection to Hashem was so strong that I felt I was speaking to Him as a father. Nothing else interested me but my Father, and in my prayers, I asked to marry a religious man. Only a few months later, Hashem blessed me with meeting my chosen one—a G-d-fearing man—and we married."

For ten years, Revital remained silent. She didn't share her story with anyone except her family, due to a sense of shame. What strengthened her family's belief in her story's truth was that Revital began predicting disasters that actually happened to family members shortly thereafter. For instance, three times, she foresaw her grandfather's car accident.

Indeed, several weeks later, Revital's grandfather had an accident—the car was completely crushed, yet he escaped without a scratch. According to her, she arrived at the hospital even before her grandfather because she foresaw the event. However, as time went on, this foresight ability became a heavy emotional burden. After praying to be relieved of this power, the phenomenon ceased.

"I know and completely believe in the reality of the Creator," Revital concludes. "Hashem tests those He loves, and He judged me with favor. Today, I understand that as long as I breathe, I have the chance to amend. Unfortunately, I see how people 'sleep on their feet', without understanding the gift of life given to us, and it pains me."

Revital has gone through a long journey, drawing several essential conclusions for life. "The Rambam opens Mishneh Torah, in the section on Knowledge and Love, with the words: 'The foundation of all foundations and the pillar of wisdoms is to know there is a First Existence, bringing all into existence'. Today, I know it. Reaching the level of knowing is very challenging. Most people live at a faith level. So why should others go through what I did? After all, it is said: 'From all my teachers I have gained understanding'.

Don't wait until something happens to you; work on yourself as quickly as possible. Everyone knows there's a final day, but it doesn't stress them. Only someone who's been through what I've been through is stressed. Remember, you're always being watched, photographed. In the end, they'll show you the movie, and you won't be able to do anything."

Since gathering the courage to share her journey, Revital has started giving lectures at her home to anyone interested in gaining strength. She similarly engaged in her past residence while working with the elderly. "Instead of reading them a newspaper, I shared my personal story," she says with a smile.