Human beings have always been fascinated by immortality — not only because we fear death, but because deep down we sense that life is meant to be bigger than the body.
The book Immortality: The Quest to Live Forever was, at the time, one of Amazon’s bestsellers. In it, the author explores the deep human desire to live forever — a desire rooted in human nature, and one that drives people to search for ways to extend their lives here on earth.
He shares a very interesting statistic. He writes that 71 percent of Americans believe they have a soul and that the soul is eternal. In England and France, about 60 percent believe this. In India, 90 percent believe in eternal life, and in Nigeria, it is almost 100 percent.
In other words, most people living in the world today believe in the life of the soul in some form.
In earlier generations, people tried to extend their lives through all kinds of medicines and remedies. In the last hundred years, as science has developed, people have hoped that science will discover the right genes or technologies that will allow human beings to live much longer — perhaps even forever.
But in the end, once people realize that every human being is limited in his physical life on earth, and that the body is not eternal, it leads them to think more deeply about the soul that gives life to the body.
In his book, the author divides the belief in immortality into several general categories — different ways people believe they continue to live forever. What is interesting is that all of them are part of Jewish belief.
Life After Death
Everyone understands that the body eventually weakens and passes away. But many people believe that the soul is eternal.
This belief is a basic part of Judaism.
The entire idea of saying Kaddish, Yizkor, observing a yahrzeit, and doing mitzvahs in memory of someone who passed away is based on the belief that the soul continues to live. And when we do mitzvahs and good deeds in the merit of the departed, we bring elevation to that soul.
This idea already appears in Tanach, in the story of King Saul.
After the passing of the prophet Samuel, Saul went to the woman of Ein Dor, who practiced necromancy, and she brought up the spirit of Samuel. Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” He then told him, “Tomorrow, you and your sons will be with me” (I Samuel 28). And that is exactly what happened.
So in Tanach itself, we already find the idea of life after death.
As the verse in Ecclesiastes says: “The dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to G-d who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7).
Reincarnation
The second thing many people believe in is reincarnation — the idea that the soul can return to the world in another body.
This, too, is a basic idea in Jewish belief, especially in the Zohar and in the writings of the Arizal, where the subject is explained at length.
In Judaism, reincarnation is understood as a kindness to the soul. It gives the soul another opportunity to complete or repair something that was left unfinished in a previous lifetime.
For example, if Reuven borrowed money from Shimon and passed away before he had the chance to repay it, then if he merits it, his soul may return in another body. At some point, in some way, he will be given the opportunity to return the money — either to Shimon’s heirs, or even to Shimon himself, if Shimon’s soul also returned for its own reason.
Rabbi Chaim Vital, who wrote Shaar HaGilgulim, testified about himself that he was a reincarnation of King Chizkiyahu, and so on.
There are many examples and stories about reincarnation in Jewish tradition.
The Resurrection of the Dead
The third example the author brings is belief in the resurrection of the dead — the belief that the very body that died will one day come back to life.
This is one of the foundations of Jewish belief.
According to Rav Saadia Gaon, this idea begins with a verse in the Song of Haazinu, which we will read next week: “See now that I am He… I bring death and I bring life” (Deuteronomy 32:39).
In addition, we mention this belief three times a day in the Amidah prayer: G-d “revives the dead with great mercy” and “keeps His promise to those who sleep in the dust.”
In Judaism, the dead are described as “those who sleep in the dust.” They are not truly gone forever. They are “sleeping.” And when Moshiach comes, they will “wake up,” as the prophet Daniel says: “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awaken” (Daniel 12:2).
This is also the final principle in Maimonides’ Thirteen Principles of Faith:
“I believe that there will be a resurrection of the dead.”
Remembered Forever
The fourth idea he brings in his book is that people try to create something great so they will be remembered forever.
Think of Alexander the Great, who made sure his name would never be forgotten. Or think of people who compose a famous song, write a book, dedicate a building, or leave behind some lasting achievement.
This idea also exists in Judaism.
Not, G-d forbid, that a person should start wars and kill hundreds of thousands of people so that he will be remembered. Just the opposite.
In Judaism, a person becomes connected with eternity by doing mitzvahs. A mitzvah lasts forever.
As the verse says in Psalms, “He gave generously to the poor; his righteousness stands forever” (Psalms 112:9).
And as the prophet Isaiah says, G-d gives a person “a place and a name” in His house and within His walls — a yad vashem, a lasting memorial (Isaiah 56:5).
Now, even though the author of this book tries very hard to disprove these beliefs, he himself admits that of the nearly eight billion people in the world, most believe in the eternity of the soul and in some form of life after death.
In other words, this itself shows that G-d created human beings in such a way that we naturally believe the soul is eternal.
But while everyone is busy talking about life after death, sometimes we forget to ask what we are supposed to do with life itself.
And for that, we have this week’s Torah portion.
Keep Walking
The name of this week’s second Torah portion is Vayeilech, which means “and he went.” It is a word of movement, of walking, of going forward.
Near the beginning of the Torah, we also have a portion with a similar name: Lech Lecha, “Go for yourself.”
And if we look carefully, we notice something interesting.
Lech Lecha is the third Torah portion from the beginning of the Torah.
Vayeilech is the third Torah portion from the end of the Torah.
The first one speaks about Abraham. The last one speaks about Moses.
By Abraham, the very first words that G-d says to him are Lech Lecha — “Go for yourself” (Genesis 12:1). And the final command G-d gives Abraham, in the story of the binding of Isaac, also begins with the words Lech Lecha — “Go for yourself to the land of Moriah” (Genesis 22:2).
In other words, Abraham’s entire life mission is captured in the words Lech Lecha: keep going, keep moving, keep growing.
We find something similar with Moses.
At the beginning of his mission, at the burning bush, G-d tells him to go to Egypt. And right after that first revelation ends, the Torah says, “Moses went and returned to Yisro, his father-in-law” (Exodus 4:18).
And now, on the very last day of Moses’ life on earth, the Torah still says, Vayeilech Moshe — “Moses went.”
The Rebbe explains that even after Moses had reached the highest level of perfection in his service of G-d, he still did not say, “I have done enough.”
On the contrary, specifically then, at the age of 120, Moses was still in a state of Vayeilech — still moving, still growing, still going forward.
And the Rebbe says that this is a lesson for every Jew. A person should never be satisfied with where he is right now. He should always add more, always rise higher in holiness, always live with the movement of Vayeilech — the way Moses did even at 120 years old (Hisvaaduyos 5746, vol. 4, p. 433).
The Torah is giving every Jew an eternal lesson.
From Lech Lecha to Vayeilech, from the beginning of life until the very last day on earth, a person has to keep walking and keep growing.
Always do more — in Torah, in prayer, in charity, in goodness.
And when a person does mitzvahs while he is alive, then even after the soul separates from the body, the soul continues to rise and grow because of the mitzvahs he did in this world throughout his life.
Those mitzvahs keep producing fruit — through the children he leaves in the world, the good deeds he did, the Torah he taught, and all the positive influence he had.
But every day, as long as we are here, we have to keep moving forward.
Vayeilech Moshe — Moses kept walking.
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