The Rare Child Who Amazed Amnon Levy: Is This Truly Reincarnation?

O'Neil, a Druze child born speaking British English, reminds us of what we've preferred to suppress: reincarnation exists. O'Neil's story was extensively covered on Channel 10, on Amnon Levy's show, who also stated at the beginning: "This child will make you believe in reincarnation."

Reincarnation. Many prefer not to believe in this chilling concept, a reminder that life is not random, that nothing happens accidentally and there is purpose and meaning in everything we go through. We have a soul that comes to fulfill something here in the world of action.

Reincarnation is a concept from the world of Kabbalah, describing a situation where the soul, after ascending to heaven with a person's death, returns to Earth (reincarnates) in another body, either as punishment or to complete its rectification. The Zohar (Chayei Sarah, Vayesheb, Yitro, Mishpatim) and the writings of the Ari (Shaar HaGilgulim) extensively discuss the doctrine of reincarnation.

Today, a 3.5-year-old boy named O'Neil grows up in the Druze village of Majdal Shams. O'Neil, born to his parents after four years of waiting, filled them with worry when he didn't speak a word until the age of two. The worry turned into deep astonishment when after two years of silence, O'Neil began speaking suddenly... and fluently, in English with a British accent.

Experts and professionals who spoke with the child couldn't believe their eyes. The child mastered the intricacies of the English language. Additionally, he knew the names of objects that are no longer in use today. Even if it's a phenomenal ability – how is it possible that he didn't pick up the Arabic language, which his parents spoke with him? And how did he acquire the British accent?

The strange story of a Druze child speaking English like someone who lived in America has even made skeptical professionals wonder if, perhaps, there really is reincarnation here.

For example, the speech therapist in the village mentions presenting ancient scales to O'Neil and asking "What is this". To her amazement, O'Neil replied: "This is for transferring water from place to place." Such a concept of transferring water – a child isn't supposed to know. And yet, O'Neil knew.

A linguistics expert who met O'Neil noted that she had never encountered anything like it. "It's a Pakistani accent from South London. Not ancient. It's clear O'Neil speaks English because a British soul reincarnated in him, one who lived a few years ago in South London."

The program editors, who do not believe at all in reincarnation, continued to search for what scientific explanation could be given for this strange phenomenon: a child born in a Druze village, to Arabic-speaking parents – struggles greatly with acquiring the Arabic language, while at the same time – speaks English fluently.

A guest on the program was a brain researcher specializing in experimental psychology. When asked whether the research has ever encountered a similar phenomenon, she replied: "There are cases that mainly occur after head injuries, strokes, tumor excision, and more, where the brain changes anew, due to the compensation mechanism. This phenomenon exists in medical literature."

"A few years ago, it was reported of a 50-year-old Italian man who suddenly started speaking French. But it turned out he once learned French – he just forgot. When it comes to a 3.5-year-old child, it isn't possible."

"It's a very rare, very intriguing case. It's important to understand that language acquisition is not out of nowhere, but by exposure to speakers of the language. As someone involved in neuroscience – I have no explanation for how this happens. I'm not aware of any language being acquired out of nowhere," she said in amazement.

The program editors continued to investigate, "Apparently, O'Neil had a source of exposure. If it's a phenomenal brain capable of picking up the language, there must be regular exposure to a character that exposes him to English, which can trigger this process."

Does anyone in the village speak English and exposed the child to the language? Indeed, next to O'Neil's family home lives Wagdi, who lived in London for a period. The program's editors spoke with him to see if the child acquired the language from him. Again, as mentioned, to find a scientific explanation for why a Druze child is born speaking English, and to dismiss the notion of reincarnation.

Wagdi confirms that he speaks with O'Neil in English but claims he's not the one who taught the child. "The first time I met him, I saw him constructing sentences, speaking. The child had no one to talk to in the village," Wagdi said. He also noted that he has been teaching his children English for a long time, "and they do not know a quarter of what O'Neil speaks." Wagdi added that "O'Neil has a better accent than I do, and he constructs sentences excellently. I did not teach him. On the contrary: he approached me because he had no one to talk to in the village. No one understood him, so he came closer to me and started conversing with me in English."

The program editors continued, thinking that the child acquired English through extensive exposure to English television. "If so, the question is why he hasn't acquired Arabic from his parents, at least basic words," the professionals responded, dismissing the possibility.

Chalob, a speech therapist and doctor of linguistics went to evaluate O'Neil. "He really is a communicative child," she said after meeting the child. "I haven't encountered such a case." Chalob concluded, "I'm surprised. His English matches the level of a three-and-a-half-year-old child born in England. I'm truly surprised. I have no scientific explanation for this phenomenon."

"Does this shake your beliefs?" the doctor was asked. "It shakes my non-beliefs," she replied. "Until now, I didn't believe in the concept of reincarnation."

In the Druze community, O'Neil has become a symbol of belief in reincarnation.

For us, believers who uphold the Torah and mitzvot, O'Neil provides further proof of what we've always known: a soul that didn't complete its rectification in its first lifecycle returns again and reincarnates in this world in a new baby's body, to correct its previous actions.

Our sages, the Kabbalists, explain that generally, a person does not remember their previous reincarnation (except for very rare cases) so as to allow for free choice.

However, there is an option to know what to correct in the current reincarnation: The Vilna Gaon in his commentary on the Book of Jonah explains that someone who feels a particular difficulty in overcoming a certain transgression or fulfilling a certain mitzvah – this is a sign that in the previous reincarnation, there was a failure in this area, and it must be corrected in the current reincarnation. Conversely, someone who notices a special attraction to a certain mitzvah, this too could be a sign that this is the mitzvah they came to rectify in the current reincarnation – as explained by Rabbi Eliyahu Cohen in his book 'Shevet Musar'. The sages also, in Tractate Avodah Zarah (19, a), emphasize learning Torah on subjects one desires, because this desire indicates the soul's need for rectification in the desired subject.

Kabbalists explain that some souls, due to their sins, reincarnate into inanimate objects (such as water), plants, or animals. The holy Ari, a great sage of the mystical Torah, explains that this is one reason why there is a great need to bless (blessings of nourishment) on every food, because there may be a reincarnated soul in that food (or that drink), and through the blessing, the soul is corrected and elevated to its source.

In the book 'Shaar HaMitzvot' (56b), it is elaborated that if a person eats a certain food without a blessing – it causes great distress to the reincarnated soul because it did not receive the rectification.

This is how the 'Ben Ish Chai' explained (in the book 'Segulot Yisrael') that this is the meaning of the blessing: "Creator of many souls", the blessing wording refers to the fact that through eating and blessing – the souls are elevated to their correction.

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