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The born will die, the dead will come to life, and the living will be judged — [so that] they know, make known, and become aware that He is G-d, He is the Fashioner, He is the Creator, He is the One who understands, He is the Judge, He is the Witness, He is the Litigant, and He will eventually judge. Blessed is He for there is not before Him wrongdoing, forgetfulness, favoritism, or the acceptance of bribes — for all is His. And know that everything is according to a reckoning. And do not let your evil inclination assure you that the grave is a refuge for you — for against your will were you created, against your will were you born, against your will do you live, against your will will you die, and against your will will you stand in judgment before the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He.
(Mishna Avot, 29:4)
According to Talmudic writings, belief in resurrection, which is the concept of life after death, stands as a significant pillar of the Jewish faith. Although this belief has sparked numerous debates and disputes, particularly since the time of the Talmud, some scholars persist in the belief that when the body dies, so does the soul, effectively marking the end of human existence. This denial of the afterlife is closely intertwined with the rejection of the principle of reward and punishment.
Other Jewish scholars, meanwhile, strongly oppose this perspective. They argue that those who disbelieve in the resurrection, known as Gilgul, jeopardize their share in the world to come. This belief is so crucial that, to safeguard it, they incorporated it into one of the important daily prayers, “Birkat haMinim”, reciting it during religious gatherings.
Furthermore, daily tefillahs (i.e., Jewish prayers), Siddur, and other religious texts state, “O our God, God of our fathers, You provide for the living with kindness, and You give life to the dead with the abundance of Your mercy… O Lord of Might, who is like You?! And who is equal to You, O King who brings death and gives life, and causes salvation to spring forth!”
The concept of “reincarnation” or “Gilgul” is an essential and distinctive element of post-death philosophy in Jewish culture. Based on the belief in cause and effect, just as the act of birth will be followed by the reaction of death, dying will lead to another form of existence. Examination of religious scriptures reveals that Jews have long believed in the afterlife, as reiterated and emphasized in Jewish prayers. Therefore, Jewish scholars have established specific rules and laws regarding burial ceremonies and mourning rituals, a religious duty performed for one year after death by the survivors.
According to the belief, there was no concept of “death” when Adam and Eve were in paradise. It was only after their expulsion and Adam’s sentence to mortal life on Earth that death came into existence. The unfortunate distinction of being the first human to experience death, despite not desiring it, belongs to “Havel” (Abel), who was murdered by his own brother, “Qayin” (Cain).
Although the exact time and origin of the burial ceremony and mourning rituals in Judaism are not well-documented, but religious texts, especially the Torah, do give us some information on this issue. In this regard, brief references have been made to passages that indicate this matter.
In the Book of Genesis, Parshah 1, verses two and three, it is stated, “God created man from the dust of the earth and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and man became a living being.” In other words, God created Adam in His own image, both male and female.
In the fourth chapter of this Parshah, it is written, “Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood (future generations) cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.”
In the journey of the Parshah Chayei Sarah it is written, “After the death of Sarah, the wife of Abraham, at the age of 127, in order to acquire a place as a burial site for Sarah, Abraham bought the cave of Machpelah and the surrounding lands for 400 shekels from a man named Ephron the son of Zohar of the Hittite tribe, in the presence of other elders of the Hittite family. Then he buried his wife Sarah in the cave of Machpelah. Likewise, after the death of Abraham at the age of 175, he was buried by his two sons, Isaac and Ishmael, in the cave of Machpelah next to his wife. Also, in the Book of Genesis, at the end of the Parashat Vayishlach (the 8th Parashat), it is mentioned that after the death of Isaac in Hebron, his two sons, Jacob and Esau, buried him in the same cave of Machpelah.
In the Book of Numbers, Parashat Chukat, it is mentioned that God commanded Moses to tell Aaron to join his deceased people. As God commanded, Moses took off Aaron’s priestly garments and clothed his son Eleazar with them. Aaron submitted his soul on Mount Hor in front of everyone, and the people of Israel mourned him for thirty days.
Also, in the Book of Deuteronomy, Parashat Vezot Haberakhah, it is mentioned that Mosheh son of Amram passed away in the land of Moab by God’s command. He was 120 years old at the time of his passing, but his eyes had not dimmed, nor had his vitality diminished. The sons of Israel mourned Moses for thirty days.
In the Book of Genesis, Parashah 12 (Parashat Vayechi), as Jacob neared the end of his days, he called his son Joseph and made him swear that after his death, he would take his body from Egypt to Canaan and bury him alongside his fathers, Abraham and Isaac, in the city of Hebron, the cave of Machpelah. Jacob passed away in the year 2255 Hebrew calendar (1504 B.C.). After the days of mourning for Jacob had passed (seventy days, forty of which were devoted to embalming), Joseph, his brothers, and their household, along with the elders of the Egyptian royal family, journeyed to Canaan for the burial ceremony. Joseph and his brothers sat in mourning and grieving for seven more days in Hebron. Thus, the seven-day mourning period tradition was established, which continues to this day.
From a scientific perspective, the human body has no superiority compared to other animals, as the bodies are composed of similar elements. All living creatures are perishable. They all come from the earth and return to the earth. In this regard, Genesis 3:19 states, “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” It is worth noting that the earth that formed the Earth’s crust is composed of 102 elements, and the human body is composed of exactly those elements, which can be a strong reason for the theory of human origin from the earth. Current knowledge, through studies conducted on death, has revealed that the human face does not significantly change on the first day after death, although it does get slightly thinner. Changes in appearance become apparent by the third day through body bloating, and by the seventh day, the deceased’s face and body become festered and ruined. Within thirty days, the body becomes completely unrecognizable, after which the body will decompose. A year later, there remains nothing of the body but bones.
According to Kabbalists, during these thirty days, the growth of hair and nails continues slowly. After the thirtieth day, the soul leaves the body completely and will not return. It waits and wanders to evolve for a year in the lower world. It is customary that on the seventh day, thirtieth day, and the anniversary of the death, a memorial and elevation for the soul of the deceased are held by inviting those who are close. They set up a table with various recitations and prayers, such as Berakhah Hamotzi and Ha’etz, to mourn.
As mentioned earlier, the debate about the soul and its sanctity, as well as reincarnation (Gilgul), is still shrouded in ambiguity. Given that it is a very broad and important topic beyond the scope of this writing, it undoubtedly requires a separate essay in the future.