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Do Jews Believe in an Afterlife?
Discuss (26)
Answer:
There isn't anything after life, because life never ends. It just goes higher and higher. The soul is liberated from the body and returns closer to her source than ever before.
The Torah assumes this in its language many times -- describing Abraham's death, for example, as going to rest with his fathers and similar phrases. The Talmud discusses the experiences of several people who made the trip there and back. Classic Jewish works such as Maavor Yabok describe the process of entering the higher world of life as a reflection of the soul's experiences while within the body: If the soul has become entrenched in material pleasures, she experiences the pain of ripping herself away from them so that she can experience the infinitely higher pleasure of basking in G-dly light. If she is soiled and injured by acts that sundered her from her true self while below, then she must be cleansed and healed.
On the other hand, the good deeds and wisdom she has gained on her mission below serve as a protection for her journey upwards. You want a real good spacesuit to make this trip.
The Zohar tells us that if it were not for the intercession of the pure souls above, our world could not endure for even a moment. Each of our lives is strongly impacted by the work of our ancestors in that other world. Grandma's still watching over you.
Why should souls basking in divine light above be at all concerned about what's happening in your mundane life below? Because, there they feel the truth that is so easy to overlook while down here: that this lowly, material world is the center-stage of G-d's purpose in creating all that exists.
That is also why, at the final resolution, all souls will return to physical bodies in this world.
By Tzvi Freeman
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.
Illustration by Chassidic artist Michoel Muchnik; click here to view or purchase Mr. Muchnik's art.
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London, ~England
Montreal, Canada
Simple question, if there really was a big bang, followed by evolution that occurred during millions of years. How is it that there is still life today? The bee would have had to be here before ALL living creatures to be able to produce pollen so our trees and plants could keep growing and give us oxygen, us and all animals.
Another question, if you were to take all the human body parts, give them to the best surgeon, doctor, or anyone and have him put them back together like a puzzle exactly like they are meant to be, why is it that this "person" is not living. What's the difference between this newly formed human and me? Something must be missing right? Indeed, the godly will of this human to be alive is missing.
Montreal, Canada
brooklyn, ny
Witney, UK
How is atheism inconsistent? This notion seems to come from a common misunderstanding of the term "atheism" which in your defense is often a poorly defined and misused term. The term denotes a lack of belief in a particular theological concept. In fact we are all atheists in degrees, just some of us go one god further.
Someone is a-theist in the same sense as we are probably both a-santaclausist. So by definition anyone who is a-santaclausist is consistent with their fellow a-santaclausist and the same is true with atheists. Unfortunately, this is not true for Judaism. However, we a-santaclausists might have different theories about how those presents got under that tree similar to how atheists will disagree on all kinds of other issues (sometimes in very productive ways i,e, science). Maybe that is the inconsistency that you mistakenly refer to.
Boston, MA
As the human being evolved and the "animal soul" as you put it became aware that it would one day die and in its mind cease to exist, a great burden was placed on it. It became anxious and fixated on death, dreading the thought of it. It would have been beneficial to the animal if the constant worry could be removed.
The eveloution of an afterlife belief would have eliminated this fear and also had the added bonus of giving morals and ethics (due to the fear of being judged harshly in the afterlife). The animal could then continue with the evolution of higher intelligence without the hindrance of a fear of death.
Melbourne, Australia
What is Gehenna?
Dasmarinas, avite, Philippines