What is Soul Transfusion, and When Can It Enter Us?

A well-known spiritual phenomenon is reincarnation, where a soul that has not completed its correction returns to live a new life in a new body, hoping this time to reach its destination. The kabbalist Rabbi Yitzchak Batzri recounts that his grandfather, the holy kabbalist Rabbi Yehuda Patya, of blessed memory, could see a person’s past lives and even identify animals in which human souls were reincarnated.

"When someone wants to gain supernatural spiritual powers, there are several ways to achieve this," explains Rabbi Batzri. "When my grandfather, the holy Ben Ish Chai, came to Israel from Baghdad, he visited the graves of the righteous in the north of the country. At the grave of Benaiah son of Jehoiada (one of King David's warriors), he performed special unifications and felt he was gaining immense powers. He felt he had merited the ibur neshama (soul transfusion) of Benaiah son of Jehoiada." The rabbi explains that throughout generations, righteous individuals have performed unifications to merit the soul transfusion of tzaddikim who help them overcome challenges.

But what exactly is soul transfusion? The rabbi answers, "Soul transfusion is a state where an additional soul enters and accompanies us." Does this remind you of possession? The rabbi clarifies, "Possession is when a soul enters a person against their will with an intent to disturb rather than help. In a soul transfusion, a person gains strength to perform mitzvot and do good deeds."

In possession, a tortured soul in the upper world by destructive angels flees into a living person’s body as a refuge. You can read here stories of possessions from the book "Spirits Speak" by the kabbalist Rabbi Yehuda Patya, of blessed memory.

When Can Soul Transfusion Happen to Us?

Rabbi Chaim Vital, of blessed memory, writes in "Shaar Hagilgulim", based on his teacher the holy ARI’s teachings, one reason for which a person may merit soul transfusion: "Sometimes a person performs a great mitzvah and through it merits the transfusion of a soul of a former tzaddik." When a person performs a powerful and strong mitzvah, they may merit this, and the soul helps them ascend higher in their service of Hashem and mitzvot.

"And this matter, which is reincarnation during life, is called by the sages the secret of pregnancy, and this is the difference between reincarnation and pregnancy. Sometimes it is possible that the spirit of a righteous individual, even from the early righteous, may really become pregnant with him... and it all depends on the value of the mitzvah that this person performs, as there are mitzvot with the capability to attract the soul of a tzaddik in the secret of ibur (pregnancy)," writes Rabbi Chaim Vital (Shaar Hagilgulim, introduction 2).

Not only does the person meriting the soul transfusion gain spiritual elevation, but the tzaddik also benefits because they help add mitzvot and thus gain rewards for them. Rabbi Chaim Vital further explains: "And this soul transfusion occurs for two reasons: one is that through the transfusion of the soul of the tzaddik into this person, the soul of this person is corrected and purified to the likeness of the soul of this tzaddik, and thus it can ascend in the world to come to the level of this tzaddik, as mentioned, because the tzaddik helps and assists him in adding mitzvot and additional holiness. And this reason serves the purpose of this person.

(Photo: shutterstock)

Another reason is for the benefit of the righteous soul itself that becomes pregnant with him, because since they help him to increase mitzvot and their correction, they take a part in them, and this is the secret of what our sages said, great are the righteous that even in their death they merit sons etc. And this is because he benefits the person and becomes for him as a guide and assistant, and he merits through him as mentioned."

The second reason given is for the benefit of the righteous soul that is pregnant. The kabbalist Rabbi Nissim Peretz, of blessed memory, head of the Beit El institutions in Bnei Brak, explains: "Ibur does not come from the birth of a person, but happens at one of life's stations, where a person suddenly merits ibur. And this doesn't happen randomly, but only if they have merit, if they do some special mitzvah, some special self-sacrifice, some special prayer, etc., especially if they are precise in many mitzvot. Because the souls in heaven, the holy souls, will not come to help in ibur unless you do something special that they lack. When the tzaddik up in heaven wants to enter another higher level in heaven, they are told: 'See who is there? Only those who were precise. You were not precise, how can you enter there? If you want to enter that place, go and enter first in someone who is precise in those mitzvot you were not precise in. Enter them, then you will gain with them those mitzvot details and take what you need.' They ask: 'How long do I need to be there?' - they are told a month. Then after a month, they are allowed into a more inner place in heaven."

Soul transfusion creates a benefit for the soul that becomes pregnant in a living person who performed a rare mitzvah or a certain precision in the service of Hashem that the deceased soul did not manage to fulfill in its life, and through the transfusion, the mitzvah is also attributed to the pregnant soul, thus completing its correction without needing to return to the world anew.

The rabbi further explains the impact of ibur on a person: "Ibur comes primarily for itself (the deceased soul). But when the soul of a tzaddik comes, it also assists the person, infuses them with enthusiasm, a fiery blaze. The proof is when the ibur leaves the person, the person returns to themselves, feels low. That is, when the ibur was there, they thought all elevation and enthusiasm came from them. But know, it is not you, someone is here with you, tantalizing you, and then the person becomes more precise and precise, and when the ibur achieves what it needs, it leaves."

Kabbalist Rabbi Nissim Peretz, of blessed memory, explains when else one might merit a soul transfusion, and here are his words: "When it arises in a person’s heart to perform a mitzvah, especially if they sincerely intend for Heaven, then Hashem aids them. Sometimes help comes from below through people, through worldly matters, and sometimes aid is from above, reinforcing their strength from above through souls of tzaddikim, and this is called ibur, the souls of tzaddikim become pregnant in them."

Namely, when a person has a strong desire for spiritual advancement or to perform a great mitzvah, spiritual strength may be granted by the infusion of a tzaddik's soul.

What did a patient discover during hypnosis? Rabbi Yonatan Gal-Ad reveals:

If We Are Fortunate to Receive a Tzaddik’s Soul Transfusion, What Could Cause Us to Lose It?

Receiving a tzaddik's soul transfusion grants us the strength to walk the righteous path, but there is a risk of losing the pregnant soul. What causes this? Rabbi Raphael Ohayon explains: "There can be a situation where when a person performs a mitzvah with self-sacrifice, a tzaddik's soul is infused to provide an additional engine that aids them in rising more easily, as written in the book 'Shaar Hagilgulim'. But when a person gets angry, all the souls infused in them flee, and they descend a thousand steps at that moment. Thus, there is much to lose when angry."

Another reason for the flight of the infused tzaddik souls is a person’s sadness. "When a person is in despair, they lose the spirit within, and then the souls that were there to help them depart. And then they feel weak. This is why at times people fall into depression, even to the state where they cannot even stand," Rabbi Batzri explains.

A tzaddik’s soul infused in a person can choose whether to stay within that person or leave. If they continue their good deeds and the pregnant soul is pleased, it stays and continues to assist. However, if they commit sins and bad actions, it does not wish to remain and thus departs. And here’s the wording of Rabbi Chaim Vital: "The soul of the tzaddik that enters there within ibur, because it enters willingly, and leaves willingly. If the person remains righteous, the tzaddik also continues their intention with them to share in the person's deeds, standing there until the person departs from the world, and they rise together to one level as mentioned above. If the person’s deeds worsen, the tzaddik disdains the fellowship and leaves, for they do not stand there permanently, only as a guest lodged in the owner’s house until it meets with approval, if not finding satisfaction, it leaves" (Shaar Hagilgulim, introduction 2).

"At age 3, I told my parents I was a Border Guard soldier,"" - Watch the story of the Druze who remembers his past life and is even in touch with his son from the previous incarnation: