gilgul

[ Sephardic Hebrew geel-gool; Ashkenazic Hebrew gil-gool ]

noun

, Jewish Folklore.

, plural gil·gu·lim [geel-goo-, leem, gil-, goo, -lim].

1. the soul of a dead person that passes into another living body to assume a new existence and atone for past sins.

Word History and Origins

Origin of gilgul¹

< Yiddish gilgl literally, transmigration, metamorphosis < Hebrew gilgul metamorphosis, literally, rolling, revolving

Example Sentences

Mr. Kosky’s early career was based in Australia, including at the Gilgul Theater in Melbourne, the country’s first professional Jewish theater company, which he founded in 1990.

From New York Times

She does suggest that Jacob might be a "gilgul neshamot", a transmigrated Jewish soul, with a demonic mission "to derail the righteous and lead them into various temptations".

From The Guardian

The Gilgul of Park Avenue, for example, offers up a Wall Street Wasp who inexplicably discovers that he has a Jewish soul.

From Time Magazine Archive