Jewish Tales of Reincarnation

by Yonassan Gershom

Chosen by the Jewish Book Club for November 1999!

Rebbe Nachman of Breslov said: The world says that telling stories helps one to fall asleep. But I say -- telling stories wakes people up!

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What the book is about....

The author begins with an overview of basic Jewish themes about the afterlife, such as the judgement of souls before the Heavenly Court, the mystical significance of the Covenant at Sinai, the process of tikkun olam (repairing the universe, and some reasons why human beings return to earth in new bodies. He then takes you on an exciting journey through many centuries of Jewish tales, where you will meet dozens of saints and sinners, animals and humans, angels and mortals -- all attempting to work out their past-life karma through applying the teachings of the Torah in daily life.

In order to make the classical stories understandable to the modern reader, each tale has been expanded to include clear explanations of cultural and religious details. So Skillfully does rabbi Gershom weave this material into the narrative itself, that the reader scarcely notices how a gentle form of education is taking place. By the time you have finished the book, you will not only have been entertained, but will have completed and excellent introduction to Jewish spirituality as well.

Both classical and contemporary tales are included here, from sources as widely varied as kabbalistic texts, folklore anthologies, and discussons on the Internet. Of special interest are several new tales collected by the author himself, which have never before appeared in print. Taken together, these stories offer ample proof that traditional Jews can -- and do -- believe in reincarnation!