The confrontation with the harsh reality of mortality, whether through aging, a health crisis, or an encounter with death, makes us wonder whether our life has any meaning.
It is during these existential crises that our tradition reaches out to us with solace and comfort, asserting emphatically that while our bodies may die, our soul is eternal, and this world is but one step in its journey.
For death is not an end. Nor is it a mere passageway to the next stage of existence. Our knowledge of death can become a means of inspiring life, and ensuring that our moments here are lived to the fullest.
This course is not a philosophical one, but an experiential one. It does not attempt to prove the existence of a soul, nor of the afterlife, nor of heaven and hell and reincarnation. Instead, it shares the intuitive truths that have inspired generations of Jews to live more fully and to face death fearlessly. It explains how those who left this world are not lost to us, nor us to them. It allows us the opportunity to resolve what death has left unresolved, and thereby to find peace and closure.
We invite you to discover the odyssey of your soul. Find out where it came from, where it is going, and what it is doing right now. Explore the limits of mortality, and how we can better appreciate the true life of those who are living. as well as those who have passed on.
Know yourself, discover your purpose, and acquire the tools to navigate life's challenges.
Lesson Two: Before You Were Born
We establish the soul as the "real self," eternal in its existence. We look at the origin of the soul and the manner in which it prepares for its descent into the world, as well as Jewish customs of pregnancy and birth designed to aid the soul in its transition.
