Human-Animal Reincarnation and Animal Grief in Kabbalah: Joseph of Hamadan’s Contribution

Abstract In thirteenth-century Castile, the kabbalist R. Joseph of Hamadan offered an unprecedented articulation idea reincarnation ( gilgul ), proposing that Jewish men could be reborn as gentiles, women, or even animals. This article studies formation belief in transmigration human souls into animal bodies, focusing on question pain. It contextualizes kabbalistic literary treatment animals by examining European genre bestiaries, which attempted to instill proper morals readers associating with sinners. Although led kabbalists treat creatures souls, it did not lead a fundamental radical shift