Does the Soul Survive?: A Jewish Journey to Belief in Afterlife, Past Lives & Living with Purpose
Does the Soul Survive?: A Jewish Journey to Belief in Afterlife, Past  Lives & Living with Purposeby Rabbi Elie Kaplan Spitz combines journalistic  reporting, scholarly biblical reading, and the probing self-examination of  memoir in service of recounting his journey from skepticism to belief regarding  life after death. Spitz, who teaches the philosophy of law at the University of  Judaism, carefully describes traditional Jewish views of the afterlife and  fearlessly explores the many challenges to those views arising in  parapsychology--including near-death experiences, reincarnation, and spirit  mediums. In the end, Spitz makes a cogent argument that belief in the afterlife  is not, as has often been argued, incompatible with Jewish tradition. Wisely, he  grounds his concluding arguments in the present-oriented ethic that guides  Jewish devotion: "Our challenge is to use the time we have now to live  gratefully and responsibly, knowing that how we choose to live shapes our soul,"  he argues. "The ability to accept death as part of life provides comfort and the  awareness that each day is precious. Our challenge is to make the best of every  day in this life."--Michael Joseph Gross--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.