Gilgulei Neshamot in Parashat Pinchas

Gilgulei Neshamot in Parashat Pinchas

Queen Jezebel - Eliyahu HaNavi - Rabbi Akiva According to the holy Zohar, Eliyahu was the reincarnation of Pinchas. (Zohar, Part II, 190a) Both of them were zealous for G-d, despite the dangers this entailed. Therefore, both were rewarded with immunity from the Angel of Death. Nevertheless, Queen Jezebel sought to kill Eliyahu. Her hatred of him stemmed from his confrontation with her idolatrous priests on Mount Carmel, which led to their execution. “Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Eliyahu, saying: ... May the gods do so to me, and more also, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your soul (nefesh) like the soul of each one of them.” (Melachim I, 19:2) the Arizal (of blessed memory) explains that the souls of Aaron’s sons, Nadav and Avihu, were infused into Eliyahu’s soul in order to attain their tikkun (rectification). Their sin consisted not only of bringing an unauthorized fire, but also of gazing upon the Shechinah (Divine Presence) and rejoicing as they brought offerings, as though they were eating and drinking. (Rashi, Shemot 24:11) Their souls were rectified when the entire nation fell on its face, as the fire of Hashem descended upon Mount Carmel to consume the offerings of those who followed Hashem. Their sin was atoned for when they did not gaze at the fire that descended from Heaven, but fell on their faces. After the souls of Nadav and Avihu were rectified, they no longer needed to sustain Eliyahu’s soul, and therefore departed from him. Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab, was a great sorceress. Through her sorcery, she learned that the holy souls of Nadav and Avihu had departed from Eliyahu. Therefore, she understood that his protection from the Angel of Death was no longer effective, since he had originally received the covenant of eternal life and peace for the sake of Nadav and Avihu, who were part of his soul when he was incarnated as Pinchas. Therefore, when she said to him: “I will make your nefesh (soul) like the nefesh of one of them,” she was hinting that Eliyahu’s soul would become like one of the souls of Nadav and Avihu, who had been consigned to the fire. Since Eliyahu sensed that his gift of immortality had been lost, he became afraid and fled to Mount Horev: “And he saw, and arose, and went to save his soul.” (Melachim I, 19:3) He now had only his own soul, without the souls of Nadav and Avihu. Therefore, he feared Jezebel. (the Arizal, Sha'ar HaGilgulim, Introduction 32) Rama mi-Fano (of blessed memory) explains another reason why Jezebel pursued Eliyahu so ruthlessly and desired to kill him. The reason lies in her previous gilgul, as Cozbi, the Midianite woman whom Pinchas killed together with Zimri of the tribe of Shimon. Therefore, she thirsted for revenge against Eliyahu because he had killed her when she was Cozbi, during his incarnation as Pinchas. Since the human soul consists of many parts, it can be reincarnated in different people simultaneously. Jezebel was also the reincarnation of Korach’s wife, who incited Korach to rebel against Hashem’s appointment of Aaron as Kohen Gadol. (Rama mi-Fano) Since Jezebel had never repented of her previous sin, she was placed in a situation in which repentance was even more difficult. As the wife of King Ahab, she now had the opportunity either to accept her rectification or to sin to an even greater degree by turning the King of Israel against G-d’s prophets. Ramchal points out that the gematria of the name Ahab is 12, corresponding to the twelve Tribes of Israel. In fact, he could have been Mashiach ben Yosef and the king of all twelve Tribes, had his wicked wife not led him astray. In the end, even the wicked Jezebel was rectified, as the wife of Turnus Rufus, who, while attempting to disgrace the elderly Rabbi Akiva and cause him to sin, was herself captivated by his charm, converted to Judaism, and became his final wife. Rabbi Akiva was the reincarnation and rectification of Zimri. (Rebbetzin Chana Bracha Siegelbaum)