The Story of Rav Sheshet
Gate of Reincarnations: Chapter Four, Section 8
Translation by Yitzchok bar Chaim;
explanation by Shabtai Teicher
The statement of Rav Sheshet, mentioned above in
Section 4, is clarified by explaining who his previous gilgul was, and
thereby the concept of Double Gilgul will be illustrated.
Earlier we spoke of the gilgul of Rav Sheshet when
discussing the concept of Double Gilgul. The Talmud says that Rav Sheshet
was blind. When he studied Torah he was joyous and he would say, "Rejoice
my Nefesh! Rejoice my Nefesh! For you have I read ... for you have
I learned!"
The concept of Double Gilgul was introduced
in Section 4 of this Chapter, where the statement of Rav Sheshet was also
mentioned briefly. In order to understand the Ari's explanation of Rav Sheshet
it is necessary to examine the original argument in the Talmud (Pesachim
68b).  | | " Do we study Torah just for ourselves...?" | | |
In the Talmud, Rav Elazar challenges Rav Sheshet's
statement according to its first understanding. Do we study Torah just for
ourselves, as seems to be implied by Rav Sheshet, or do we study Torah, Rav
Elazar asks, because it is a commandment and a form of worshipping the Divine,
as it is written "If it were not for My covenant
(i.e., the Torah,) day and night, then I would not have put the laws of heaven
and earth in place" (Jeremiah 33:25)? The Talmud answers that at first a
person has in mind that he is learning in order to improve himself, and then afterwards
he comes to study for cosmic and altruistic reasons, like the contention of Rav
Elazar.
Not only the answer, but the question as well, is
difficult for the Arizal, who will now explore the case of Rav Sheshet (c. 250 CE) in greater detail.
This will serve as a further illustration of Double Gilgul.
It seems hard to understand when they say that he was
benefiting himself and not others!
It is easier to understand when we contemplate the
verse:
If you have become wise, you have become wise for
yourself...(Proverbs 9:12)
In addition, why did he specifically say "...my Nefesh"?
And, why is all of this recorded regarding Rav Sheshet and no one else?
Consequently, the statement of Rav Sheshet
"Rejoice my Nefesh..." still needs to be clarified. The Rabbi
will now present a new insight into Rav Sheshet's statement. | | " The letters that spell Baba change into the letters that spell Sheshet" | | |
To answer these questions we require an introduction
regarding his gilgul. Baba ben Buta the Pious was a student of the elder
Shammai. All of his life he daily brought a Doubtful Transgression Offering.
A Doubtful Transgression Offering (in Hebrew Asham Safek) is
the name of a sacrifice that a person might offer in the Holy Temple in
Jerusalem. It is offered when a person is not sure whether he sinned or not and is
explained in the Talmud, Kritot 26a. Baba ben Buta, as a consequence of
his great piety, assumed that he was always in need of such atonement. He
brought the offering continuously, every day, although he probably never sinned
in any significant way. The main point here is to show that Baba ben Buta was
an extremely pious person.
It was Baba ben Buta who returned as the reincarnation of
Rav Sheshet in order to complete some tikun that was required of him.
Since King Herod had taken out the eyes [of Baba ben Buta], therefore he [Rav
Sheshet] was also blind, as is known.
The story of King Herod blinding the eyes of Baba
ben Buta is related in the Talmud, Baba Batra 4a. The Rabbi is
mentioning it here in order to indicate that Rav Sheshet, who was also blind,
is the reincarnation of Baba ben Buta.
In the form of gematria called "AT-BaSh"
the letters that spell Baba change into the letters that spell Sheshet.
The Gematria called "AT-BaSh"
is a method of permutation of letters. It is derived by writing the first
eleven letters of the Hebrew alphabet in a column in a descending order. The
next eleven letters are written in a column next to the first column, but in
ascending order. See the table below. Now we can arrive at the explanation. A person who does
not complete his tikun in his first gilgul, even if only by a
small amount, must come back to complete it in a second gilgul. When he
completed his Nefesh in the first gilgul except for a small
amount, and he reincarnates a second time, then all the reward for the Torah
and mitzvot performed during the second gilgul are for the sake
of the Nefesh that came to complete its tikun. At the time of the
Resurrection, the Nefesh will return to the first body within which the
majority of Torah and mitzvot that were required of him were performed.
It had only come into the second body in a "borrowed" way.
In other words, the Nefesh that was nearly
complete in its first gilgul was "borrowing" the body of the
second gilgul to complete the finishing touches of its tikun. | | " The mitzvot that he performed were for that Nefesh, and not his..." | | |
Rav Sheshet knew that his Nefesh had first been in
the body of Baba ben Buta, a man of great learning and well known for his
piety. He only reincarnated a second time to rectify a small amount that had
been left incomplete. This made his body sad, because it meant that all of his
efforts were for the sake of that Nefesh, which in the end would return
to that first body in the time of the Resurrection. All the benefit of
the Torah that he studied and the mitzvot that he performed were for
that Nefesh, and not his body. It was the Nefesh that had to
rejoice, and not the body. Thus, he (Rav Sheshet) would say, "Rejoice my Nefesh..."
and not me. "For you I read, for you I studied." It was for your
benefit, and not my own.
At this point the Rabbi has explained the statement
of Rav Sheshet, and he has illustrated Double Gilgul. Let us review:
Double Gilgul occurs when the entire Nefesh
is nearly completed in the first gilgul. In order to achieve the
finishing touches that it needs, this Nefesh reincarnates into a second
body. In that body there is a spark of a Nefesh to whom that particular gilgul
rightly belongs. However, the reward and merit of the Torah that is studied and
the mitzvot that are done in that gilgul will go to that Nefesh
that previously inhabited another body. In the time of the Resurrection that Nefesh
will arise with the body of the first gilgul, where the majority of its
Torah and mitzvot were done, and it will also take for itself all the
merit that was earned in the second gilgul. The spark of the Nefesh
that was the true identity of that second gilgul will be left,
seemingly, with nothing.
For this reason Rav Sheshet was sad. He knew that
the merit of his learning was going to the Nefesh of someone else, and
it will arise in the time of Resurrection with Baba ben Buta, and not with
Sheshet. Therefore, it was the Nefesh that had to rejoice, and not the
body, and he would say, "Rejoice my Nefesh..." and not I.
"For you I read, for you I studied." It was for your benefit, and not
my own.
Rav Elazar demurs. Why should Rav Sheshet be sad! Do
we not study Torah for altruistic reasons, and not merely to benefit ourselves?
Accordingly, it is appropriate that the merit should go to someone else. Why is
Rav Sheshet sad?
The Talmud answers that in the first place a person
also wants to benefit himself, as well as others, with his hard work and
effort.
(End of Chapter Four.)
To link to the previous article in this reincarnation series,
Many Chances for the Righteous, click here
To link to the next article in this reincarnation series,
Reincarnation and Ibur, click here
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