gilgul

Judaism

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 29, 2026

Quick Summary

In Judaism, gilgul (Hebrew for "turning over of the soul") refers to the concept of metempsychosis, or the transmigration of souls. This idea suggests that a soul may be reborn into multiple successive bodies if it has not achieved the required perfection in a previous existence.12

This concept is a part of Jewish mysticism, specifically within the development of Kabbalah. While the Sefer ha-bahir, an early Kabbalistic text, discusses reincarnation, the school of Isaac the Blind further developed these ideas, linking the created world to the divine realm of the sefirot. The notion of gilgul is tied to the soul's journey toward spiritual perfection and its return to its divine source.23

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

dybbuk
…of transmigration of souls (gilgul), which he saw as a means whereby souls could continue their task of self-perfection. His disciples went one step further with the notion of possession by a dybbuk. The Jewish scholar and folklorist S. Ansky contributed to worldwide interest in the dybbuk when his…
Read More
…of transmigration of souls (gilgul), which he saw as a means whereby souls could continue their task of self-perfection. His disciples went one step further with the notion of possession by a dybbuk. The Jewish scholar and folklorist S. Ansky contributed to worldwide interest in the dybbuk when his…
Read More