Weekly Chasidic Story #763 (s5772-42 / 20 Tammuz 5772)

Account of a Spirit Possession

"Go quickly and call the wise Rabbi Shmuel Vital,for he can remove me from within her body."

Connection: Seasonal - the date of the episode (as recorded in the final paragraph)

[From the Kabbalah book, Shaar HaGilgulim (The Gate of Reincarnations).]

Account of a Spirit Possession

Says the insignificant Shmuel Vital:

Today I will speak of a curious event that happened to me while I was in Egypt, and to Esther, the daughter of HaRav Yehuda Viser.

She had become stricken and had a pained heart for more than two months after she was married. One day, they urged me to come check on her. I went to visit her and I found her to be stricken. However, I was in doubt as to whether it was a "damager" (mazik) or a "demon" (shaid) or a bad Jewish spirit (ruach ra'a shel Yisroel) [each of which can enter a person's body and control it].*

I advised them to bring a non-Jewish practitioner in these matters to see her, which they did. As this was occurring, the damager spoke in a loud voice from within her and said that he was a gentile who entered into her from a desire for her. While he was speaking he mentioned that he had given me a small hit in my thigh, so that I should have pain there and not come and heal her.

After that, the gentile practitioner worked on her and said that he had already captured the damager in a small plate, and he buried it in the ground as he normally did.

Later on and quite suddenly, a voice screamed out from the mouth of the girl and said: "I remain alone in the body of this girl. I am the ruach-spirit of a Jew, therefore go quickly and call the wise Rabbi Shmuel Vital and order him to heal and remove me from here."

Immediately they called for me. I felt compelled to come because of the honor of those who had come for me. When I entered, I still was not certain if it was a Jewish soul, a demon, or a damager. I sat next to her as she lay there like a stone covered with a white blanket.

Unsure, I said, "Peace upon Israel." Immediately the girl's lips began to move, and she answered, "Blessed is he who has come…Peace be upon you…blessing and good."

I said to him, "Are you Jewish?" and he said that he was. I told him, "If you are Jewish, then say 'Shema Yisroel'," which he did.

I engaged him in conversation and everything I asked him he answered in a fitting and correct manner. I asked him who he was and who his father had been. I asked him where he came from, when he had died, where he was buried, how long he had lived for, what his sin was, if the gilgul (incarnation) was on the soul-level of Nefesh or Ruach, who was responsible for him, whether he was alone or if someone was appointed to watch over him.

Every question he answered properly, and he did not try to twist his answers. I did not have to make a decree against him like the rest of the spirits, as is known to those familiar with the process.

I asked him, "What do you want now?" and he said he wanted me to rectify him, and to remove him from the body with my great wisdom. Apparently, he recognized me from that they said about me in Heaven.

I asked him, "How can I help something that has said, 'I am the one who hit Shmuel in his thigh in order that he should not come again to me'?"

He answered that it had not been him, G-d forbid, but the gentile damager that had been with him, and that in truth it had actually been a complete lie just to aggrandize himself. Actually, he (the damager) did not have the ability to touch me.

I asked him, "Did you come to me in a dream on Tuesday night, the 17th of Tammuz, and cause me pain?" He said, "I did come to you, but the one who caused you suffering was the gentile damager. I have never sinned against you."

"Why have you come with him?" I asked him, and (he answered,) "In order to ask you for a tikun."

I asked him again, "What is it that you want now?" and he answered, "I want you to rectify my Nefesh and Ruach and remove me from this body."

I told him that I would do it.

The next day he returned and said, "Why did you delay and cause two spirits to suffer, my Ruach and the Ruach of this girl? You have the ability to do this." I became disheartened.

I made him take a strict oath that he will not act deceitfully, leaving only to return to her and that he will not cause any damage on his way out, not to the girl herself, not to her family, not to anyone standing there at the time he leaves the body, and not to any Jew anywhere. As well, he had to swear to never return to Egypt but instead to go immediately to Gehinom and be healed there. I told him that should he violate any of this then he will be declared in excommunication.

I also told him that he should give us a reliable sign on his way out, saying "Peace be upon you," which he later did. I said this three times, and then I called for the ten Torah scholars who were there. I began to knock with his right fist while I had intention for the verse, "Appoint a wicked man over him, and let an adversary stand at his right" (Psalms 109:6), which I have written down at length, as well as other kevanos of which I am aware to rectify his Nefesh and Ruach soul aspects.

After that, his lips began to shake, and he said out loud with me the entire mizmor, "May G-d answer you on the day of distress" (Psalms 20), and "Whoever sits in the refuge of the Most High" (Psalms 91). As well, he also said with me, "Please, in strength, etc." while I had intention for the Name, "Kuf-raish-ayin Sein-tes-nun"- "Kara Satan" (tear the Accuser), which is formed from the head-letters of the second verse of this very Kabbalistic prayer - and after that, the mizmor, "When I call, answer me, Oh G-d of my vindication" (Psalms 4).

After I completed this, I said the following prayer:
In the Name of the Unique Al-mighty; You are great and great is Your Name in strength. Please G-d, who is glorified and awesome, beautiful, magnificent, and holy, Who is exalted and blessed, Who investigates and searches. Who is straight and alone, the One Who is hidden and covered, the One Who overpowers with seventy-two Names, the First and Unique, the Clear and Pure, the One Who hears cries and accepts prayers, Who answers in times of trouble, Who turns His ear to my prayer, my supplication, and my request that I am praying before You…I ask the You accept in mercy and willingness this spirit that stands before You and who has reincarnated into this girl called "<name> daughter of <mother's name>," while he is called "<name> son of <father's name>"…Accept our prayers on his behalf and rectify his Nefesh and Ruach, so that they can leave this gilgul; remove his Nefesh and Ruach from the hands of the damagers and from his suffering. Consider this and the shame he has suffered as atonement for all of his sins, transgressions, and rebellious actions. Let these words of ours defend this Nefesh and Ruach before You, and show Your trait of mercy to him as we say the "Thirteen Traits of Mercy" … "Almighty King Who sits on the Throne of Mercy, etc." "G-d passed by, etc."

At that time, I then said the Thirteen Traits, "G-d, G-d, Almighty, Merciful, Kind, etc." and blew the shofar as is done at all Selichot prayers [for forgiveness). After that, I said the "Thirteen Traits" found in the prophet Micha, "Who is like the Almighty, etc." (Micha 7:18), and then the posuk, "Matters of sin have overwhelmed me" (Psalms 65:4), and "Praises to the one whom You choose and draw near to dwell in Your courts, etc." (Psalms 65:5)

Finally, I said the verse, "Then all these servants of yours will come down to me" (Ex. 11:8) three times and then I said, "Leave! Leave! Leave!" while having in mind another verse with which I am familiar. As I finished the third "Leave!" the girl's left leg levitated before all those there.

It exited from the little toe of the leg with a great cry saying, "Peace be upon you!" (Shalom aleichem) three times. I answered him, "Go to peace, Go to peace!" (Lech l'shalom) three times.

Immediately, the girl regained consciousness and opened her eyes and glanced up at me. She became embarrassed and asked, "What are all these people doing here?" obviously having no knowledge of anything that had transpired. She kissed my hand, ate, and drank.

This I did on the fifth day of the week, on the 26th day of Tammuz, in the year 5426 from creation (1666), in Egypt. I have written all of this for those who will come after me, so that they should know that there is a G-d in Israel.

The insignificant Shmuel Vital.

Source: Adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from Shaar HaGilgulim, 40th Introduction, based on the translation by Pinchas Winston.

Connection: Seasonal - the date of the episode (as recorded in the final paragraph)

Biographic notes:
Rabbi Shmuel Vital (1598-1677) was the son of Rabbi Chaim Vital, the foremost student of The Holy Ari and the only one permitted to record his teachings. R. Shmuel inherited these manuscripts and arranged the publication of many of them. Born in Damascus where he officiated as a rabbinical judge for most of his life, he moved in 1663 to Cairo, Egypt, where he remained till his passing. He wrote a commentary on the siddur, according to the system of the holy Ari, which contained kabbalistic mediations for the prayers. He also wrote many other works, most of them unpublished, and collected his own and his father's novel insights on the Talmud.

Rabbi Chaim Vital (1543 - 30 Nisan 1620) Student of Rabbis Moshe Alsheich and Moshe Cordevero, but best known as the main disciple of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria and the authoritative redactor of his doctrines, as recorded in Etz Chaim ("Tree of Life"). Pri Etz Chaim ("Fruit of the Tree of Life"), and Shmoneh Sha'arim ("Eight Gates"). Author of several books of his own as well.
(For a more full biography) (For teachings of the Ari translated into English)

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