עברית
Faith
Communicating with the Soul of the Deceased in the World to Come
Question
Shalom and blessings. I sent a question to the rabbi regarding my grandmother who passed away, asking if it is possible to speak with her even after she died and whether she hears me. The rabbi answered as follows: "One cannot speak with every soul; it depends on their state in the World of Truth. The place where one can, so to speak, speak to the soul is above the grave after giving charity to the soul, so that the soul being notified that you are at her grave." First of all: To which soul do they give charity so that that soul notifies the soul of the deceased, etc.? I did not understand. Are there two souls involved here? Secondly: Why "so to speak"? Is it not truly possible to speak to the soul? Second question: Can the film about Saada that the rabbi sent me be trusted? There are things in it that sound completely outlandish. When I said even something that sounds quite reasonable, like that the soul is at home during shiva (the week of mourning), they made fun of it and did not believe it. How can we explain this to them? Or perhaps it is better not to explain to them at all, because it is simply speaking to deaf ears (and they still call themselves religious...). Thirdly: What kind of benefit or pleasure does the soul derive from lighting candles on her behalf or saying Kaddish for her? Is it something that can be explained in words? Is it like a person who is very, very hungry and when given food, he benefits from it until he is satisfied? Is it the kind of pleasure that ends when the candle goes out? Thank you very much and sorry. I hope these questions do not bother the rabbi. Thank you for your patience... - Chaya Leitner -
Answer
Shalom and blessings.
The soul certainly hears, but it does not truly respond or engage in a conversation, which is why I wrote "so to speak." Apart from this, there are some souls who do not have even this privilege and are immediately consigned to Gehinom (the place of judgment).
Since often the soul of the grandmother is in Gan Eden (Paradise), charity is given to another soul present in the cemetery who then informs the soul that you have come, that you have reached the grave.
The film "Saada" can be trusted, as everything she says has sources in the Zohar and writings of the Kabbalists, who state that such things indeed occur.
Those who laugh at these matters are people who fear that if these things are true, they are quite frightening, and there is little way to escape the obligation to perform mitzvot and be cautious about sin. Since they think it is easier to live in this world without considering "before whom you will have to give an account," they try to belittle these matters.
I am very pleased to assist young women like you who strengthen themselves in faith and true awe of Hashem despite an unsupportive environment.
You and your kind support the world.
With great respect,
Binyamin Shmueli
