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Am I Going to Burn in Hell?


By Tzvi Freeman

Question:

I've committed a number of sins over the years; am I going to burn in Hell?

Answer:

If you think about it a lot, you might...

The Baal Shem Tov taught that the way G-d treats each person is a reflection of that person's relation with G-d. So if someone relates to G-d as the Big Ogre in the Sky that's out to get him, he could well end up with a self-fulfilling prophecy.

How about a friendly partnership as an alternative? Or maybe even some intimate communion?
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Rabbi Tzvi Freeman, a senior editor at Chabad.org, also heads our Ask The Rabbi team. He is the author of Bringing Heaven Down to Earth. To subscribe to regular updates of Rabbi Freeman's writing, visit Freeman Files subscription.

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Latest Comments:
Posted: Dec 9, 2010
Is hell hot? What is the scriptual view?
Most today think that hell is a very hot place and that people will burn forever there. Reason on this question: Do you know of anything that keeps on burning and never disintegrate? The answer is no. Then what is the scriptural view of hell? Did you know that good persons also go to hell? Read about the faithful man named Job. (Job: 14: 13). He desired to go there and escape from his suffering. If it was a tormenting hot fire, would he wish to go there to escape? So, you may ask, what is hell? At Genesis 3:19 God said to Adam after the ultimate sin "Dust you are and dust you will return" This clearly shows that hell is the common grave.
Posted By Anonymous, Columbia, SC

Posted: Aug 1, 2010
a concept of hell
a lot of good comments, but they all miss one important mark. ie: most people (esp. gentiles) have as their vision of "hell" dante's inferno, which as far as I know is not a jewish concept of what hell is nor about. I hear from many non-Jews how growing up they are threatened with this idea of hell to behave. also in some Mussar teachings as well. Chassidus has taught me otherwise. Hell is but a cleansing of the soul and if my soul needs to go through "heavenly fire" to be clean of sin, so be it. Suffering in this physical world is but one aspect of this cleansing so maybe I am already in hell? Or am I? I think I would like to wait awhile & live more before i find out. Wherever I may be going. After all, the mitzvos are here in this physical world for us to do. Not in the afterlife.
Posted By Norm S., Orl., Fl

Posted: July 23, 2010
fear of hell fire & brimstone
as a youngster, i too was raised in a Christian home, although my parents were Jewish. i too was terrified of burning in hell. oh the nights i spent in terror. no one who hasn't experienced this fear, really can understand the horror of it. i now live a Jewish life, but occasionally that old fear washes over me as it did when i was a child.
Posted By Anonymous, thousand oaks, ca

Posted: Mar 14, 2010
Hell
Being raised in a Christian home (Jewish mother/Chrtistian father), I was always terrified of dying. I believed I was never good enough and would be sent to hell. Looking back, how terrible to instill such fear in a child. My primary motivation for attending church was out of this fear. Unfortunately, to this day, I do not view G-d as benevolent , but rather as a harsh judge. This article has prompted me to go back and study the various translations of "hell", Hebrew and Greek. Even as I write this, I have a feeling of guilt for even questioning what I was taught. Sad commentary on how religion can be manipulated.
Posted By Susan Davis, Ft. Worth, Texas

Posted: June 16, 2009
To Hell or not to Hell
There is anYiddish saying, "To a worm in horseradish, the whole world is horseradish." I think it makes sense that a soul in heaven never thinks about hell, and a soul in hell never thinks about heaven. Real life is much worse than any physical afterlife Gentiles can come up with.
Posted By Daniel, NYC, NY

Posted: Apr 4, 2009
eye for an eye
Well if i send out love i get it back but if theres a big daddy in sky. i pray that he loves the bad kids more cause they are the ones who really need it
Posted By unityspirit

Posted: Dec 25, 2008
HELL
As a Jew living in a non-Jewish population, I am constantly told "receive Christ or you will burn in hell". I always laughed it off knowing that Jewish people do not believe in Hell. Apparently, a lot of us do! I'm still undecided, but can only go forward and try to be a good person. From what I have read, the key to "salvation" is doing good deeds, charity and obeying the 10 commandments. All of us have done wild and stupid acts in our lives, but I now believe the answer is just learning from our mistakes and being better in the future.(I hope!)
Posted By Anonymous, belle haven, va

Posted: Aug 31, 2008
Heaven and Hell
I posted a couple of resonses over a year ago and it's interesting to see what's come along since then. I still feel whatever wil be will be. You can't beat God's system. So just be a good person (a mench) and let it be. (Oy, here we go with the songs again)
Posted By Henry Broder, Huntington, NY/USA

Posted: Oct 6, 2007
Right on, Manuel
Amen!
Posted By Yosef, Oakland, CA

Posted: Oct 3, 2007
Lake of Fire?
I have asked over the years this question to those who speak of a hell as a sentence to those that have not "lived right in this world", Would you as a father/mother think of such cruelty as a lake of fire to throw your child into because he/she was disobedient?

In the world to come meaning we must come in and out of the physical world over several lifetimes until we have balanced out tikkun.

May H'shem bless us to do it in one lifetime.
Posted By Manuel, Miami, Fl



 


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