According to Judaism, what happens after you die?

Answer 1

Most Jews have "a belief" in an afterlife.

Whether or not it is "Heaven" or "Hell" as it is defined by so many in the Christian tradition and even in the Jewish tradition.

Some Jewish thinkers suggest that "Jews are not in Heaven but rather Heaven is in the Jews." Others speak of Heaven as a heavenly academy in which Jews are engaged in study of the tradition. Others propose that Heaven is described as a place where everyone has their left arm strapped to their side and each feeds their neighbor with the right hand - thus all are fed and Hell would be a place where no one feeds or cares for others.

I for one opt for a very spiritual afterlife that defies my ability to describe, and hence I concentrate on contributing to making this life and this world as good for all as possible. If such a lifestyle is worthy of "Heaven" then so be it.

Answer 2

Forgive me for "cutting and pasting":
Gan Eden and Gehinnom
The place of spiritual reward for the righteous is often referred to in Hebrew as Gan Eden (GAHN ehy-DEHN) (the Garden of Eden). This is not the same place where Adam and Eve were; it is a place of spiritual perfection. Specific descriptions of it vary widely from one source to another. One source says that the peace that one feels when one experiences Shabbat properly is merely one-sixtieth of the pleasure of the afterlife. Other sources compare the bliss of the afterlife to the joy of sex or the warmth of a sunny day. Ultimately, though, the living can no more understand the nature of this place than the blind can understand color.

Only the very righteous go directly to Gan Eden. The average person descends to a place of punishment and/or purification, generally referred to as Gehinnom (guh-hee-NOHM) (in Yiddish, Gehenna), but sometimes as She'ol or by other names. According to one mystical view, every sin we commit creates an angel of destruction (a demon), and after we die we are punished by the very demons that we created. Some views see Gehinnom as one of severe punishment, a bit like the Christian Hell of fire and brimstone. Other sources merely see it as a time when we can see the actions of our lives objectively, see the harm that we have done and the opportunities we missed, and experience remorse for our actions. The period of time in Gehinnom does not exceed 12 months, and then ascends to take his place on Olam Ha-Ba.

Only the utterly wicked do not ascend at the end of this period; their souls are punished for the entire 12 months. Sources differ on what happens at the end of those 12 months: some say that the wicked soul is utterly destroyed and ceases to exist while others say that the soul continues to exist in a state of consciousness of remorse.

This 12-month limit is repeated in many places in the Talmud, and it is connected to the mourning cycles and the recitation of Kaddish.

Answer 3

Dunno, but I'm interested in the answers.