I'm trying to compare the Abramic religions for an essay and am a bit uncertain about how Jewish views on "heaven" compare with Christianity and Islam? Thanks
2007-07-31 08:03:48 · 6 answers · asked by Em 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Some really helpful answers and links - thanks all!
2007-07-31 08:35:16 · update #1
What we believe in is euphemistically called "The World to Come". Not much is taught on it (at least not in open sources.) It is not a world as we know itg, nor are there beautiful gardens and winged angels playing harps with golden halos around their heads. At the same time- their is no fire and brimstone or eternal damnation and burning in the fires of hell...
The world to come is a spiritual realm- souls try to cluster around the pure essence of God, to close to the holy for the sake of being near it- because souls yearn to be as close to God as possible. but it is not as simple as that either. The world to come is not a simplistic realm of one level- in the Talmud, Masechta Chagigah, it is said that the outer courtyards to God's abode has seven levels - each of ascending holiness, each soul wanting to be as high as possible. It briefly states that beyond these levels you have the inner courtyard and abode itself- but stops there with the statement "Beyond here we do not enquire". Maybe it elaborates further in the Kaballah- I have no idea on that.
Hell is completely absent from Judaism. There is no devil in Judaism as it is not possible for an angel to rebel (only humans have free will- angels can only perform specific tasks). What is generally misinterpreted as hell is the concept of Sheol or Gehinnom. This refers to the burning the soul feels at the heavenly trial after death.
Essentially, we are brought to the heavenly court (God) and judged. Satan (literally the accusser) is the prosecutor and wants to introduce all oput sins into the equation. God is merciful, and drops some of the sins before the trial begins (Rambam, Hilchos Tteshuvah). After that, the soul basically watches two movies- one is- what your life was- the other, what your life could have been. The soul feels shame at the lost opportunities, at what it could have been vs what it is. It is this shame that feels like an eternity of burning. The burning is not a literal one- it is the burning of shame that it feels at realising how it has transgressed, when it could have been so much more! Think of how, for us with physical bodies, the shame of being shouted at by a parent/teacher/ boss can feel like burning- how much worse for a soul which is a pure being and has no physical imperfections or mental imperfections to give it excuses! But though it states that this "burning" feels like an eternity- it truth, it never lasts for more than 12 months. God is much too loving to give out eternal punishments, just as a loving parent would never punish a child for forever.
2007-07-31 08:11:15 · answer #1 · answered by allonyoav 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Judaism does not really teach much particularly about the afterlife. it focuses on this life. and entrusts God with the rest.
Jewish beliefs on the afterlife span everything from "sleeping unconcious in your grave, awaiting the coming of the messiah"(upon which time, all are ressurected in a perfected form) to a vague concept of a heaven, to reincarnation.
Judaism does *NOT* have a concept of an eternal hell.
things translated as hell, in the old testament are one of two things:
Gahenna: this is vaguely like purgatory, you review and are cleansed of your sins through repentance.
Sheol: this is literally the grave. the hole in the ground that your body is put into.
and I condone the links from Julia too.
2007-07-31 08:11:07 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
The Jewish concept of the after-life is Sheol, a place of nothingness as you are separated from the knowledge and grace of God. The idea of an eternal paradise of 'Heaven' only really started to take root during the inter-testamental periods, primarily as a result of the suffering caused following the Maccabean Revolts.
The earliest reference to an afterlife in the Tanakh can be found at the end of Job.
2007-07-31 08:41:28 · answer #3 · answered by Norman W 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Yes Jews believe in an afterlife. They believe that we all go to heaven, Jew and non Jew. There is no hell but there is a place similar to purgatory where you are shown your sins and how your life could have been. There is also reincarnation
2007-08-01 08:37:42 · answer #4 · answered by ST 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. Here:
http://www.simpletoremember.com/vitals/jewish-afterlife-beliefs.htm
http://www.jewfaq.org/olamhaba.htm
Good luck on your paper, hope you get an A+ !!
EDIT: Alan, you rock. I just love your answers.
2007-07-31 08:07:52 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
no they dont
2007-07-31 08:24:08 · answer #6 · answered by ANGEL123 3 · 0⤊ 7⤋