The Secret of Reincarnation in Jewish Thought: Why Souls Return to Complete Their Journey

In the treatise Beha’alot Aharon (Discourse 1, p. 102a), the author presents a profound and concise explanation of reincarnation: There are those who come into this world for the very first time — souls at the beginning of their earthly journey. Others, however, have lived before, passed on, and now return through reincarnation (gilgul) to complete what was left unfinished.

When a person comes into the world for the first time and is truly righteous, he will not die prematurely, for he fulfills the complete span of life destined for him. One who returns in a reincarnation however, merely to repair or complete a specific spiritual deficiency may live only a few years. His entire purpose is limited to that act of completion; once his task is fulfilled, his soul departs.

Thus, souls that return are not equal in their lifespan — each lives only as long as is necessary to complete what was lacking in the previous life.

A New Light on the Mystery of Early Deaths

This concept sheds light on one of life’s most painful mysteries: the untimely passing of righteous individuals, especially young ones. People often wonder: How could a good, pure, and God-fearing person die so young?

Through the secret of reincarnation, our perspective changes. We understand that divine justice is flawless. What seems unjust is often the unfolding of a story that began in another lifetime.

In earlier generations, when this secret was forgotten, many struggled with confusion over such tragedies. It seemed inconceivable that a righteous person could suffer or die prematurely. When the Zohar revealed again the mystery of reincarnation, peace returned to human hearts. Through it, the once-hidden logic of life’s seeming injustices became clear.

This is hinted at in the verse from Tehillim (77:19): “The voice of Your thunder was in the galgal (wheel); the lightning lit up the world.”

The sages interpret this as a play on words — galgal (wheel) alluding to gilgul (reincarnation). The verse means: When the thunder of Your voice — the revelation of reincarnation, was heard, it illuminated the world like lightning. What once seemed dark and inexplicable in the human experience now shines with divine meaning.

Indeed, the very word gilgul (גלגול) equals chesed (חסד) in gematria — both sharing the numerical value of 72 — revealing that reincarnation itself is an act of divine kindness.

A Father’s Search for Consolation

After the death of his beloved son, and inspired by the teachings of the Ben Ish Chai, Rabbi Aharon (of Beha’alot Aharon) devoted himself to writing a comprehensive commentary on Sha’ar HaGilgulim (The Gate of Reincarnations) by the Ari (Rabbi Isaac Luria).

For nine years, together with the great Kabbalist Rabbi Yehuda Petayah, he labored on this work. In 1907, it was finally published under the title Bnei Aharon — named in memory of his departed son.

In his introduction, Rabbi Aharon wrote movingly: “My heart was bitten and pierced by the hand of the Eternal. I found no comfort for my weary soul after the terrible tragedy except through faith in the principle of reincarnation. These are ancient truths, hidden from revelation, yet I have devoted my heart to understanding the words of the Living God in the Sha’ar HaGilgulim of our holy master, the Ari, and I have written what I could grasp with my limited mind — for the peace of my son’s soul in the Garden of Eden.”

Divine Justice Beyond Human Eyes

The Chofetz Chaim beautifully explains the verse, “The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous together” (Tehillim 19:10).

To truly grasp the justice of God — to know why a person experiences suffering, loss, or poverty, one would need to see the full history of that soul: its previous incarnations, its spiritual mission, and the repairs it came to accomplish.

Hence the verse emphasizes “together” — only when all lifetimes are seen together can one recognize the perfect truth and mercy behind divine judgment. Every pain or challenge is, in truth, an expression of compassion, giving the soul another opportunity to correct itself and attain eternal life.

Like Watching Only the End of a Movie

Imagine a suspense film: a dramatic search for a criminal, the tension mounting until the police finally catch him one morning as he leaves his house. Suddenly, they tackle him, handcuff him, and drag him away.

Now imagine someone walks into the theater at that very moment. Seeing only this scene, he protests in outrage: “This is terrible! That poor man was doing nothing wrong — he’s innocent!”

The others would reply: “Sir, you came in at the end of the movie. You missed everything that happened before.”

We are living near the end of the sixth millennium — the final act of the movie of history. The sages taught that today there are almost no new souls in the world; most of us are reincarnations completing unfinished work.

How then can we presume to judge the ways of God when we have seen only the final scenes of a story that spans many lifetimes?

What appears unjust may, in truth, be part of a larger, merciful design spanning multiple lifetimes. Through understanding gilgul neshamot, we glimpse a universe filled not with chaos, but with divine compassion and purpose.