Dear Rabbi,
I heard from someone that it is written in the writings of the Ari z’l that people who are born disabled, e.g. Down’s Syndrome, are gigulim of evil people. The person said that they are actually very holy because they have very little to fix in this world and their illness or condition is an atonement for their previous sins.
I am not offended by this, I just want to know if it’s true or not. If it is written in the Ari z’l could you please tell me where?
Kol tov,
Raphael Ambalo
Answer:
I am not expert in this field, but I am not aware of the statement.
The Arizal does make a statement about infants who die young, explaining that their soul has come into the world for a specific tikkun.
However, I don’t know about a statement concerning mentally disabled children.
At the same time, some other writings in kaballah do make reference to the topic. See for instance here.
Best wishes.
