freelight
Eclectic Theosophist
The soul does not exist independently of the body. The soul is only the combination of a body with the breath of life. When the Creator formed man from the dust of the earth,He breathed into his nostrils and man became a living soul. (Genesis 2:7) To become is to be, not to have. We don't have souls; we are souls. At death, the body goes back to the dust and the breath of life goes back to God Who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:7) This "going back to God" is an embellishment to enhance the honor of God. The literal meaning is that the breath of life "goes with the wind." I know, people don't like this message because they prefer to live in the hope of treats as rewards for doing good or for obeying the Law, no matter the fact that treats are for dogs, not humans with Freewill.
We get your 'view' on this Ben - but there are Jews who DO BELIEVE in an afterlife, a resurrection, a 'rebirth'. You might also consider the doctrine of 'reincarnation' in its various understandings, as did the ancient kaballists - While physical bodies do return to dust (the elements), there may be in that 'spirit' that returns to 'God', an original core-kernel that continues to exist and takes on another 'embodiment' (material body) to express itself, grow, learn, evolve, etc. Have you given time to consider the real prospect of 'resurrection' and 'reincarnation'?