Logically, I am still affected by the passing of my dear mother. And during these days of mourning I was thinking a lot about the meaning of life and the immortality of the soul. I would like to share with you some insights on this topic.
RAB ARYEH KAPLAN
One of my favorites authors is Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, z “l, and one the books that had a great impact in my life is his work “If You Were God “. Rabbi Kaplan was a genius —both in the rabbinical area and in science, specifically physics — and tragically passed away in 1984 at a very young age.
This fascinating book consists of 3 essays.
The first part analyzes the role of the Jewish people in the world, and explains how God tries to “civilize” humanity through his representatives: the Jews.
The third essay is about the meaning of life, but not from the human point of view but from a Divine perspective. In other words, why did God create the world and particularly human beings.
The second essay, the shortest, concerns the immortality of the soul.
THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION
The first question that one must confront when one wants to seriously examine the subject of the immortality of the soul is: “What is the soul?”. And to define what the soul is, we must first identify what or who is the “I”?
Rabbi Kaplan says thus:
“Look at your hand. What do you see? A part of your body…. you can open and close your hand. It obeys every command that your mind sends to it. It is yours – a part of you”. But, is your hand the real “you”?
“Now point a finger at yourself. If you are an average person you will point your finger at your chest. You think of yourself as your body. But is your body your real you? “
And so,step by step, Rabbi Kaplan methodically help us understand via negativa what it is that we are NOT. We are not our body and not even our brain. So, what it is that really defines us? Or, to formulate the same question with my own words: Are we a body with a soul or a soul with a body?
WHO AM I?
A metaphor that can help visualize the body / soul relationship is that of a car and a driver. The car is the body, and the driver is the soul that drives the body. Or perhaps it is more accurate to talk about a taxi, (or an Uber …) instead of a private car. The car is our body, the driver is our brain, and the soul is the passenger. The taxi driver knows how to drive the car, and how to take the passenger in the best possible way to its destination, etc. but the driver does not decide what the destination is! It is “the passenger” who makes that decision and determines the direction of the trip. The brain is not the “I”. Since although it is a very sophisticated element, it is still physical, material. The “soul” however, is beyond the physical realm: it is supernatural, Divine. And as such, the soul is responsible for a type of action that is also supernatural (that does not exist in the natural or the animal world), that is, free will: the exclusively human (supernatural) ability to say “no” to my body’s instincts; the possibility of choosing where I am going; and to decide what to do with my life, with my time, etc.
RIDERS OR CENTAURS?
There is a metaphor that is better than that of an automobile and a driver, because it includes a fundamental point not covered by the previous one: the horse and the rider. The body has, to put it in some way, its “own life”, its needs, its whims, its desires and even its objectives, which are related to what belongs to the material world. The body is the horse. And the soul is the rider. Similar to the car driver, the rider also aims to direct his horse toward a destination that he, the rider, aspires to (the horse does not have a “conscious destination”. Its final destiny is a grave). Rider and horse should interact in perfect harmony. The rider knows that the horse has its material needs and does not neglect them. Well aware of the importance of his horse to reach its destination, a good rider takes good cares of his animal, takes it periodically to the vet, and makes sure that his horse has everything it needs to be healthy and satisfied.
QUO VADIS?
But there are other possible scenarios: What happens when the rider cannot control his horse, lets go of the reins, and abandons himself? What if the rider does NOT know that there is a destination to be reached or a path to follow? Or, the worst possible scenario: What happens if the rider doesn’t realize that he is a rider, an entity independent of his horse? What if he or she never discovers his true identity, and lives his entire life as an appendage to his horse? Unlike a car that will not move on its own , the horse has a life of its own. When the rider is “passive” the horse will not stand still waiting for his orders!. Rather, the unguided horse is going to dedicate itself to do what horses are supposed to do: eating, drinking, resting, running after mares, and trying to run faster than other horses in a race without destination.
When the rider abandons the reins of his horse, and surrenders to it, he ends up living the life of his horse.
“Am I a body with a soul or a soul with a body?” is probably the most important, and time sensitive, question you have to address in your life.
To be continued
