There are few works in Jewish that inspire as much fear of Heaven as the Ruchot Messaprot (or “speaking spirits”)

While nowadays it is often seen with scorn, Fear of Heaven is one of the most important character traits one can acquire. It is rooted in the Sephira of Malkhut, and the beginning of having a proper and real relationship with God. But this is a subject for another post.

R’ Yehuda Fetaya was a master in all areas of the Torah, but he was commonly known for being what we call nowadays an “exorcist” (for lack of a better term). People from far and wide came to him to be treated and many of his encounters were recorded in chapter 88 of his book Minhat Yehuda. Minhat Yehuda is a commentary on the Tanach, but he chapter 88 was turned into a book of its own called Ruchot Messaprot or “speaking spirits” because that’s where the bulk of information on exorcism is found.

There’s a lot of awesome Torah on dream interpretation, historical facts, chiddushim (novel insights), and of course, best practices on how exorcisms should be conducted. I wrote this before, but part of Rabbi Yehuda Fetaya’s greatness lies in the fact that not only did he wrote a classical commentary on parts of Etz Chaim called Beit Lechem Yehuda, but also his admission when he doesn’t succeed treating a certain case. It takes a real Tzadik to admit he’s not able to do something, something so rare nowadays.

You will need a strong stomach to read through everything, because it’s not pleasant, but it needs to be said. True fear of Heaven is sorely lacking sometimes even in religious communities. A lot of this information is already in the Talmud and the Zohar, but people think that “this doesn’t apply nowadays” or that “it won’t happen to them because they fulfill the entire Torah. One fake rabbi even goes so far as saying that “Hashem doesn’t punish Jews for any sins whatsoever anymore”, which is insidious and evil since it prevents people from doing Teshuva, so now he’s accruing punishments (or debts) for all the sins done thanks to his “advice”.

“Talking spirits” teaches us that life is not a disney movie. The world after death even less, and could be said to be the complete opposite of what our broken, physical world of Assiyah is.

One last commentary from me (and this is a theory of mine): It seems to me that all these processes described in the book pertain to Jews only. One reason is because since we have more Mitzvot – 613, which branch out in more than 13.000 laws in the Shulchan Aruch – as compared to non-Jews which have the 7 Noahide Laws. Another is that the Tikkun a Jew is doing is in the Spiritual World of Atzilut, whereas non-Jews do it in the 3 realms of Beriyah, Yetzirah and Assiyah.

This is a large translation, so we will divide the book Ruchot Messaprot in a few parts. Now, I do not come here to scare, but only to remind people to do Teshuva and be mindful. Hashem is compassionate and waits every day for us to do Teshuva. But when the curtains come down, it’s judgment time and even those that really did their best to follow the Torah will have to give an accounting over the minutest details of their lives.

And without further ado…

Introduction to the Speaking Spirits

Yechezkel 37 – Chapter Eighty-Eight

• The matter of the beating in the grave and why the name is asked there
• The Pouch of the Slingshot
• The garments of a person’s psyche, spirit, and soul
• What the spirits told me about their fate following their demise
• The rectification of Shabbetai Zevi, who made himself into a messiah
• The story of some other spirits who possessed people, may the Merciful One deliver us
• The officers appointed over those spirits
• The greatness of repentance whereby a person merits atonement for transgressions against his soul
• The confession that is useful for everyone
• The charity given by heirs for the repose of their departed
• The matter of the deceased who come to their relatives in a dream
• The naming of children after the deceased
• Many other related matters

He said to me, “Prophesy to the spirit, prophesy, son of man, and say to the spirit, ‘Thus says God the Lord: Come, O spirit, from the four winds, and breathe into these slain that they may live’” [Ezekiel 37:9].

This verse refers to the dead of Israel, who were killed and thrown into a valley, turning into dry bones. Ezekiel stood beside them and invoked prophecy from God, causing their bones to come together, each bone connecting with its counterpart. Tendons and flesh formed around them, and a layer of skin covered them, but they had no spirit.

Ezekiel then began prophesying to their spirits, calling for their restoration so that they might live, as detailed in Ezekiel, chapter 37. When he prophesied to the spirit, he said, “Come, O spirit, from the four winds.” Rashi, of blessed memory, explained that “from the four winds” means wherever their spirits had wandered to the four corners of the earth, from where they would be gathered and returned. According to Rashi’s interpretation, by Ezekiel’s time, their souls had not yet entered Paradise and were instead roaming the earth, due to their wickedness. As stated in Sanhedrin 92b:

Rav said these were the children of Ephraim, who miscalculated the time of redemption. Samuel said they were those who denied the Resurrection of the Dead. Rashi comments that they did not deserve resurrection, as the rabbis said that one who denies the Resurrection of the Dead has no share in the World to Come. They were resurrected to serve as a sign of the Resurrection of the Dead. Rabbi Yirmyah the son of Abba said they were people who lacked even the smallest trace of a good deed. Rabbi Isaac Nafha said they were those who defiled the Sanctuary’s walls with drawings of abominable creatures and insects.

For all those years, their souls had not even merited entering Hell; they had been wandering across the world. In the case of Nathan of Gaza [Chaim: This is the fake rabbi who assisted Shabtai Tzvi in promoting his heresies], it was only after we had brought about his rectification that he deserved to descend into Hell, and later, to enter Paradise.

These souls are referred to in the Saba Demishpatim [Zohar II, 99b] as Naked Souls, meaning they lacked any spiritual garments, as we will explain, with God’s help.

I understand that everyone yearns to know what will happen to their body and soul from the time they leave this world until they find their place in the Celestial Paradise with the righteous. Thus, I decided to document what I discovered in the Zohar and the teachings of the Ari, of blessed memory, as well as the insights I gained from the naked souls who had possessed people seeking my help.

I would ask those spirits various questions about their experiences after death. They did not yet know about Hell or what happens there, as they had not yet merited entry into Hell [Chaim: it seems to me those that are in Hell/Gehinom cannot be contacted, only after they finish their term]. Only one spirit, after being rectified and entering Hell, returned to me due to a prayer I prayed to God. This spirit described the upper partition of Hell, where he had been sentenced, and the regimen for those condemned there.

He also shared what would happen to him in the future when he would leave Hell and go to Paradise, as indicated by the Celestial Court. However, he knew nothing about what occurs in Paradise, as he had heard nothing about it. With God’s help, I will now explain further. Let us begin, with the help of my Rock and Redeemer.

Beating of the Grave – Quoting Shaar HaGilgulim (Gate of Reincarnations)

In Shaar HaGilgulim, Preface 23, the Ari, of blessed memory, explains that after a person is buried, an angel comes to their grave and asks:

“What is your name?”

The deceased responds, “God knows well that I do not know my name.”

This question might seem puzzling—why is it asked, why does the deceased forget their name, and how does this affect their punishment?

The explanation is as follows: When Adam sinned, all the souls within him fell into the husks (klipot), becoming enshrouded in them. These husks formed garments for the souls. Therefore, no soul is without a husk, which acts as a type of garment. Every person, including those included in Adam’s soul, is affected by this. Similarly, the souls of women were included in Eve’s soul.

Thus, every sin and transgression a person commits, in addition to the sin of Adam, adds a husk and impurity to the soul. However, repentance can remove the impurity accumulated from personal sins, no matter how severe. Nonetheless, the impurity and husk resulting from Adam’s sin remain unaffected by individual repentance because the person themselves was not the original sinner. Therefore, death is necessary to address this issue.

The resolution comes through death, for when a person is buried, their flesh decomposes into the earth, and the husk, which had attached itself due to Adam and Eve’s sin, is separated from them.

To understand the beating in the grave (in Hebrew: khibut hakever), consider this: after a person dies and is buried, four angels immediately come to deepen the grave. The hollow of the grave is then made as high as the height of the person buried there. The soul is then returned to the body, just as it was while the person was alive. This is necessary because the husk still clings tightly to both the body and soul, making it essential to return the soul to the body.

The angels then hold the deceased, one at each extremity, and shake the body to remove the dust clinging to it. This process, known as the beating in the grave, serves to separate the husk from the body and soul. The grave must be deepened to accommodate this shaking and beating.

However, not everyone undergoes the same experience. The righteous, who avoided the evil inclination during their lifetime and endured suffering with patience, need only a minimal beating. Their righteousness and adherence to Torah and commandments, which already exhaust their strength, ensure that even a slight beating is sufficient to remove the husk.

In contrast, the wicked, who enjoyed worldly pleasures, have their husk firmly attached due to their indulgences. Therefore, they require a more severe beating to separate the husk from their body and soul.

This explains why no one is exempt from the beating in the grave, not even minors or those who died only due to the serpent’s bite [i.e. by no sin of their own]. The husk can only be separated through death and the beating in the grave, except in cases where specific commandments, such as the Fourth Meal on Saturday night or being buried after the fifth hour on Friday, prevent the beating. In these cases, the sanctity of the Shabbat helps to separate the husk without the pain of the beating.

Nevertheless, death is still required, even for those who died solely due to the serpent’s bite (i.e. though he’s completely pure).

This explains why the wicked do not know their own names. Every soul is accompanied by a husk, which represents the evil urge. This klipa attaches to a person from birth due to the sin of Adam, becoming deeply rooted within them. The soul and husk become so intertwined that they are like a mixture of fine flour and bran, inseparable from one another.

Just as each sacred soul has a unique name, so does each spark within the husk have its own specific name. Consequently, each person has two names: one reflecting their holiness and the other representing their klipa.

If a person can uncover and understand the name of their klipa while they are alive, they can identify the source of their spiritual damage and the necessary rectification. This knowledge enables them to address and repair their damage during their lifetime, allowing the klipa to be removed without the need for the grave’s beating.

In our generation, there was a man who was granted the knowledge of his husk’s name, שֵי (Shei), derived from the verse: “Nations, ministers, and all rulers” (Psalms 148:10), with the penultimate letters of the first four words written in reverse. His wife’s husk was named וכלולה (Vekhulah). Despite his efforts, he could not determine the location of his spiritual defect or find the necessary rectification, even after consulting with sages. However, he did experience three visions of his klipa.

The first vision occurred during a plague. In a dream, he saw numerous Muslim warriors, all mounted and armed, galloping through the sky from the west to the east of the city. One soldier descended with a small royal scepter and approached the man. Terrified for his life, he could not find a place to hide.

He then addressed the man, saying, “Do not be afraid; I mean you no harm. I am your husk and serve as the Scribe of the Grand Court on the Left Side. My name is טס (Tess). For an amulet to be effective against the plague, it must be written specifically in the name of the person who will use it. Otherwise, the amulet will be of no use, as the Destroyer will reject it, saying, ‘You have no business with me.’

“Additionally,” he continued, “anyone afflicted by the plague is struck by the husk that forms their garment. The Destroyer cannot use another’s garment to inflict harm; each person is struck by their own husk. The plague typically begins at the feet and ascends to the head, and no matter where one tries to escape, the plague will follow.”

This was the message he delivered during their first encounter.

Later, the man dreamt of him again, but this time he appeared as an ordinary Muslim, not one of those hostile to Israel. Despite the differences, the man had no intention of causing harm.

Much later, on the 15th of Nisan in the year 5688 (1928), the man saw him once more. This time, he appeared as a solemn man of about forty-five years old, and the man was unsure if he was Jewish or Muslim. As he pondered this, the figure began reciting the Zohar from memory in a melodic chant, starting with, “Arise, Rabbi Yossi,” and Rabbi Yossi arose and began reciting [Zohar III, 133a]. This confirmed to him that the figure was Jewish. It seemed that the husk of this person’s garment had been refined, or perhaps there are three types of garments corresponding to the husks of the psyche, spirit, and soul. But let us return to the main discussion.

This explains why a righteous person is not asked for their name from the Other Side after death. During their lifetime, they have already endured trials and tribulations that have helped separate their husk. This process is typically completed through the beating in the grave.

However, it seems from the words of the spirits that the angels administering the beating do not know the exact number of strokes required to fully sever the husk. If the deceased can state the name of their husk, it signals to the angels that the husk has been sufficiently separated, and they will cease the beating. Thus, the angels also inquire about the name of the husk of righteous individuals to determine if it has already been removed; if it has, they refrain from further beating.

A wicked person, whose sins have caused the husk to cling more tightly, must endure numerous blows and thrashings in the grave to free it. If they had known their husk’s name while still alive, they could have easily resolved the issue. This is why they face such severe punishment for not having discovered that name.

[Chaim: it’s important to realize that while this seems cruel and inhumane, it is all done to purify a person, so he can ascend to the highest levels of Heaven later.]

These spirits inflicted significant suffering on those they possessed. Therefore, all my efforts were directed towards rescuing those affected and alleviating their pain as swiftly as possible.

Concluding remarks

In the coming posts we will study a few cases of exorcisms performed by R’ Yehuda Fetaya. I realize this is a tough reading, but from what I see this is not a subject given due consideration anywhere, except maybe some Kabbalistic Yeshivot.

The intricate process described reveals profound spiritual truths about the afterlife and the impact of one’s earthly actions on their posthumous state. The necessity of the beating in the grave and the significance of knowing one’s husk’s name shows the intricate connection between our actions and their consequences beyond this world.

Indeed, we leave this world exactly according to the level we reached when we give our last breath.

The righteous, who have endured trials and adhered to the Torah, find their transition smoother, as their suffering during life facilitates the separation of the husk. Conversely, the wicked, whose sins have deeply entrenched their husks, face a more arduous purification process.

Ultimately, this discussion emphasizes the importance of living a high life based on the Torah and the impact of one’s actions on their eternal journey. By eternal I don’t mean that this is a “one stop shop” where everything is solved with a few “beatings”, but the fact that we have the power to change the course of all that follows for the better.

May this serve as encouragement and empowerment for us to do Teshuva and do all our Tikkunim in this lifetime, and may the memory of R’ Yehuda Fetaya be for a blessing.