The Eternal Soul
Question
Hi Rabbi, my group of friends was discussing the idea of whether a person has a soul and if the soul continues to exist even after a person dies. Could you give me an idea to share with them — something different than a verse or a teaching from a source that not everyone in the group may accept as absolute truth? Thanks!
Answers
You may know the words of a famous song that say, “I want to live forever! Remember my name!”
Man strives throughout his life to perpetuate his name and memory. He hopes that his name will not be blotted out from the world even after he has departed from it, and that his memory will live on forever. Logically speaking, why does a person hope for this? Why should it make a difference to a person if his name is remembered or not in the future?
The logical explanation is that this aspiration derives from a higher source, from the soul’s sensing that it indeed survives even after its separation from the body. The sould senses that even after the body has decomposed, the self will remain in existence, perpetuated by its deeds and achievements accomplished during the person’s lifetime.
The spiritual aspect of man senses that his eternal survival is a fact — the feeling is instinctive. The self therefore longs that its remnant not be wiped out. And not only that it should endure unimpaired, but that it should even be exalted for eternity. This instinct for eternal existence inheres in man alone and not in the rest of the living creatures. It reflects the unique and eternal nature of the human soul.
Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team