Life's Reflections and the Soul’s Journey After Death

The Soul Reflects on Life

Rabbi said, which is the righteous path for a person to choose? One that is honorable for the one who follows it, and also honored by others. Be as careful with a minor mitzvah as with a major one, for you do not know the reward of each. Weigh the loss from a mitzvah against its reward, and the reward of a sin against its loss. Consider three things and you will not come to sin – know what is above you: a watching eye, a listening ear, and all your deeds recorded in a book.

(Ethics of the Fathers 2:1)

When a person is about to leave this world, Hashem appears and says: "Write down your deeds, for you will be judged by them." And so the person writes and signs off on their deeds.

(Yalkut Shimoni, Job)

The Soul Sees Life Like a Film

A woman who experienced a near-death situation describes seeing her life's actions as follows:

"Suddenly, I returned to my childhood. It was like moving from the early stages of my life through each year up to now. The images flashed by in the order they happened, so vividly clear. They seemed three-dimensional and in color, just like looking from the outside. I saw myself doing those things - exactly as I had done them, and I remembered. It was so fast, yet slow enough to understand everything."... "The spiritual images were far more vibrant than ordinary ones. It was like viewing a photo album of my entire life in seconds. It simply flashed before me like a rapidly moving reel of film."

(from the book "Life After Life," by Dr. Moody)

Mr. Fried’s Testimony

Mr. Fried shares his story: It began on a typical Shabbat afternoon. The doctor called to his bedside declared him deceased and informed his father of the sad news. "My father told me they were to transfer me for an autopsy, but my mother, a devout Jewish woman, wouldn't allow it to happen before Shabbat ended. On Sunday morning, I 'awoke' and began to make sounds, startling the person standing by my body," Fried recalls.

I felt very weak and fell. I began to experience a sensation of moving, an essence coming out of and back into my body, accompanied by beautiful music. I continued to drift along the corridor and through the door to a screened porch. It seemed clouds, or rather a pink mist, gathered around me, and I continued right through the screen, as if it wasn't there, into a bright crystal-clear light, white and radiant. It was beautiful and so bright, but not painful to look at. It's not a light you can describe here on earth.

I didn't see anyone in the light, yet it had a distinct identity, a presence of complete understanding and unconditional love." Also, "I knew I was dying and there was nothing I could do about it since no one could hear me."

I was outside my body, no doubt about it, because I could see my own body on the operating table. My soul departed. Initially, this greatly distressed me, but then came this bright light. Initially unclear, it eventually became a massive beam of light; it wasn't like a large spotlight, just a tremendous amount of light. It exuded warmth; I felt a warm sensation. It was a glowing white-yellow, more leaning to white. It was incredibly radiant; I just can't describe it. It seems to encompass everything, yet it didn't obstruct my view of everything around me, the operating room, the doctors, the nurses, everything. I saw clearly and it wasn't blinding.

At first, when the light appeared, I was unsure what was happening, but then it was as if it asked if I was ready to die. It was like having a conversation, but there was no person.

The light spoke, but no voice

When the light appeared, the first thing it asked was: 'What do you have to show me that you have done with your life?' or something similar. Then began the backward reviews of my life. I thought, 'What's happening here?' because all of a sudden, I returned to my childhood. From then on, it was like walking from the very early stages of my life, through each year, up to now.

 Each incident that replayed appeared in the order of my life and was so clear. The pictures seemed as if seen from outside, they were three-dimensional and in color. And they moved."

The Deeds are Shown

When one departs this world, all their deeds appear before them, and it is said: "On such and such a day, you did this and that. Do you admit to these things?" And they say: "Yes, indeed."

(Sifri, Parashat Ha'azinu).

(Editor's Note: People who return to life, in our time, describe seeing their life events and deeds as a film passing before them. In holy writings, the term 'film' didn't exist, so it is said that deeds are 'recorded' before the soul, as there wasn't another word then to describe how the soul perceives its actions.)

The Account of the Soul

["When a person leaves this world, they give an account to their Creator of everything they did here while spirit and body were united", and this is merely a presentation of 'the indictment' preceding the trial, the discussion, the investigation, the sentencing, and judgment.]

(Zohar, Noach 65, Metok Midvash, p. 76)

... At that moment, when a person lies bound ‘in the collar’ of the king, they lift their eyes and see two angels approaching, recording everything they did in this world and all the words spoken... And they admit to them, [because] that action rises and stands before them and does not leave... until the judgment in the upper world..."

(Zohar, Nasso page 126b)

The Power of Repentance

It’s told about the Chafetz Chaim z"l: Once during the Ten Days of Repentance, he was heard describing to himself that he was deceased and brought before the heavenly court, and a proclamation goes out to present all his virtues and obligations. Legions of angels appear, one side advocating for him, made from his mitzvahs; the other, destructive forces from his sins, and after various evaluations, his judgment was that of an intermediate. When in such a case, Hashem inclines toward kindness, he hears Den ask: ‘What is Yisrael Meir at this moment, alive or dead?’ And when the court responds he is alive, Hashem declares there is still the ability to repent. Then Rabbi Yisrael Meir burst out with harsh criticisms of himself, calling out: ‘You this, and that... Don’t sleep. Hurry, repent!’

The Chafetz Chaim would often stage such enactments, to influence himself and truly perceive his spiritual standings and the awe of future judgment before the divine."

("The Musar Movement")

Deeds Recorded Daily

[There are four periods when] people are judged... Passover, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot. But every day [throughout the year] the books are open and all actions are written down... but judgment on them is only during the four times mentioned above...

When a person rises in the morning, angels, witnesses, stand against them [warning] not to sin that day... likewise their soul admonishes at all times. If (nonetheless) they commit a sin that day, the books are open, and all their deeds are recorded therein.

(Zohar, Vayechi, Metok Midvash, pp. 209-210)

Seven Judgments After Death

Seven judgments pass over a person leaving this world. There are transgressions cleared by the first judgment, some by the second, [and so on] through all seven judgments. Therefore, a person endures all these judgments for each has its own virtue, purifies, and cleanses as per its specific role until a person is purified completely.

D1: The grand judgment when the soul departs from the body.
D2: When actions and words come forth publicly.
D3: When brought into the grave.
D4: The judgment and punishment of the grave's torment.
D5: The penalty of worms consuming one's flesh.
D6: The judgment of Gehinom (hell).
D7: The judgment of the spirit wandering the world finding no resting place until punishments for all sins are complete. Some endure through reincarnation, others via the chaos realm until the soul is wholly refined and cleansed. Hence, one should always scrutinize their actions for some may appear good yet contain sins and offenses, thus one should return to their Creator for all they have done.

(Zohar, Vayakhel 299, Metok Midvash, pp. 238-239)