| For thousands of years, people have been fascinated | | | | was the initial thought of Creation. In that state, we are |
| by death and the events that follow. Ancient Egyptians | | | | no more able to choose to be there than a piece of |
| built elaborate pyramids to usher their pharaohs into | | | | iron can choose not to be attracted by a magnet. Yet |
| the Kingdom of the Dead. Norsemen believed in | | | | the purpose of Creation is for man to choose to be in |
| Valhalla, a heavenly dwelling place for warriors who | | | | this state. This seems to be an impossible situation: we |
| died bravely in battle. Judeo-Christian religions believe in | | | | must choose to be with the Creator, but if we are |
| an afterlife in the World to Come. In many of the | | | | near Him, we have absolutely no choice since we are |
| Eastern religions, the afterlife does not consist of a | | | | overwhelmed by His love! |
| place, but instead involves reincarnation into a new | | | | The solution to this quandary is very simple: we must |
| body. Today, a quick Internet search for “life after | | | | be placed in a situation where the Creator is |
| death” produces over two million “hits,” - our | | | | completely concealed from us. This gives us the |
| interest in the topic has not diminished over the years. | | | | opportunity to consciously seek that which is hidden |
| When we are young, the thought of death is far away, | | | | – or to choose not to. That state of total |
| unless a beloved relative or pet dies. As we age, | | | | concealment from the Creator is what we perceive |
| however, the thought starts creeping into our | | | | as the physical world and these precious bodies of |
| consciousness. What happens to us after we die? Is | | | | ours. |
| this life all there is? We eagerly listen to accounts of | | | | While clothed in these bodies, the soul is given |
| people who have died and then been revived, hoping | | | | opportunities to experience different states and pursue |
| for some clue to the next chapter in our existence. | | | | any of the desires that surface in man – desires for |
| While these experiences have captured the | | | | family, wealth, power, and respect, to name a few. For |
| imagination of many, do they really give us any direct | | | | many incarnations, we do not even perceive this |
| information? Once again, we must fall back to a state | | | | process. We live our lives, experiencing the joys and |
| of “belief,” since science has been unable to | | | | sorrows that life brings us. At some point, however, |
| come up with a way to explore these phenomena. | | | | we begin to undergo a fundamental change. Things |
| The wisdom of Kabbalah tells us that it is possible for | | | | that satisfied us in the past no longer seem quite as |
| man to transcend life and death, to see his past lives | | | | important as they used to. We begin to ask questions: |
| and feel his future states. This is because the body is | | | | Why am I here? What is the meaning of life? Why do |
| simply a physical manifestation of the true being, the | | | | we have to endure so much suffering in this world? |
| soul. The Kabbalist Baruch Ashlag (Rabash) was once | | | | At this point, we are ready to begin our search for |
| asked how a person who has attained the spiritual | | | | the Creator in earnest. During the search, we will try |
| relates to life and death. He answered: "I see that | | | | many different paths. Some will fill us for a lifetime |
| today you came to my lesson in a white, new, nice | | | | while others quickly turn into dead ends. Each step |
| shirt, and later you will change it. You know that you | | | | along the way teaches us something about ourselves |
| have to change your shirt. This is exactly how a | | | | and about the goal that we seek. |
| person who exists within his soul looks at his body, | | | | Eventually, during one of our lifetimes, we find the path |
| knowing that the time will come when it will have to be | | | | of Kabbalah, which can provide us with a map to our |
| changed." | | | | destination. Rather than a physical journey, we begin |
| The soul is eternal, but its dressing will change. Once | | | | an inner voyage of discovery and transformation. With |
| we understand that, we will have no more concern for | | | | each revelation, we become more attuned to the love |
| the passing of the body than we have for the shirt | | | | that awaits us. We unite with other souls who have |
| that is sent to the laundry. That which is important | | | | undertaken the same journey. In time, we realize that |
| remains. | | | | we have reached our destination – we have come |
| If this is the case, then what is the purpose of this | | | | home. Death will now have no meaning, for we now |
| body and our existence in this life? In spirituality, we are | | | | dwell in eternity. |
| in full contact with the indescribable force of love that | | | | |