Okay, I'm not Jewish, but my theology teacher said that Jews believe that they are going to hell. She said that Jesus went to hell to save the sould who couldn't make it to heaven because the gates of heaven were closed. She said that back then before Jesus' time, while they were waiting for the messiah, they beleived that they would go to hell untill the messiah came to save them.
I asked "So are you saying that Jews think they're going to hell?"
She replied yes
Then I asked, "I thought Jews didn't beleive in hell?"
And she went on and said modern ones might but most should believe in hell because thats how it was before Jesus' time.
Now this kinda pissed me off because
a) I'm not Jewish and neither is she so how would she know?
b) She said that Jews "Should believe in hell" but guess what she is not God, nor a Jew.
I want to get a Jewish person's answer on this or someone who has a degree in theology. Someone reputable. Sources would be great. I want to know!
2007-09-20 14:29:53 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
In her defense (now this is big of me because I am not fond of her at ALL) She is not bigoted, she's just ignorant. She doesn't know too much about the Jewish faith. She's a real "traditional" person who has you repeat prayers over and over so much that it's lost its meaning.
She's knowledgeable when it comes to the Christian faith, but as for what she said, I found it pretty stupid and felt that she was probably ill-informed.
2007-09-20 14:36:14 · update #1
Vile, so is that a yes or a no? Is she right or wrong?
2007-09-20 14:38:02 · update #2
Your teacher has no idea what she's talking about. And by "no idea", I mean that she doesn't have a clue, and would do well to just be quiet.
Many Jews, especially the more liberal branches of Judaism, don't believe in heaven or hell.
Orthodox Jews--of which I am one--believe in a place called Gehinom. This is not a place of hell-fire or torture, and it's not eternal. Instead it's a place where a soul goes after death to be perfected before entering "The World to Come". We believe that almost everyone spends some time in Gehinom, but that most people end up in 'heaven'. Jews believe that "the righteous of all nations have a place in the world to come."
NO Jews believe in a Christian-type hell with fire and eternal damnation. Never HAVE believed it, never will. And if we DID believe it--
where on earth did she get the idea that the Messiah would deliver us from it? The Messiah is strictly a political leader--NOT a god, NOT a spiritual savior, NOT an intermediary between us and G-d.
For that matter, if we believed in it, NONE of us would think we were going there! :) Religious Jews are a pretty scrupulous bunch, we go way out of our way to follow G-d's law, we love Him, and we ask for forgiveness twice a day (at least!) and then on Yom Kippur. Religious Jews feel pretty close to G-d, and FEEL pretty loved by Him. Fear of damnation doesn't enter into our religiouis equation--BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE DAMNATION!
I'm telling you, she really doesn't know what she's talking about, and I'm sorry you have to be graded by such a person.
And let me tell you who I am: I'm an adult Jew who has returned to college to get a teacher certification. I hope that when I teach, I won't speak about other people's religion and say things that I don't have a clue about!
2007-09-20 16:25:18 · answer #1 · answered by Tehilla V 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
There are two conceptions. One is that the concept of Heaven is the neshama (soul) reuniting with God. The more pure the neshama the more close to God you are. Distance from God can be painful as the neshama longs for closeness with God.
The other theory is that there is a place called Gehinnom where a neshama with misdeeds can reflect on those misdeeds and atone and then go to Heaven (closeness with God) and only the truly evil will not go to Heaven. Here again the sages deviate. Some say the evil soul will be wiped out of existence totally and others say it goes to a place of torment.
Even though there are varying opinions in modern Judaism about the concept of Heaven and Hell, all Judaism focuses on life on earth and how we live our live here and is not so much concerned with the afterlife as other religins. We believe if we attempt to live the right way then we will go to Heaven.
Judaism also does not hold to the fact that only Jews go Heaven. Anyone who lives a good and moral life will go as well.
Also L'Chiam is right. Aish is a very good source for all questions Jewish and you can get classes to download on your computer or MP3 player to assist you in Jewish studies if you desire that. They also have articles that describe many Jewish thoughts and practices.
2007-09-20 14:46:14 · answer #2 · answered by Feivel 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Not all Jews have the same beliefs. Here's one opinion:
When a person dies and goes to heaven, the judgment is not arbitrary and externally imposed. Rather, the soul is shown two videotapes. The first video is called "This is Your Life!" Every decision and every thought, all the good deeds, and the embarrassing things a person did in private is all replayed without any embellishments. It's fully bared for all to see. That's why the next world is called Olam HaEmet - "the World of Truth," because there we clearly recognize our personal strengths and shortcomings, and the true purpose of life. In short, Hell is not the Devil with a pitchfork stoking the fires.
The second video depicts how a person's life "could have been..." if the right choices had been made, if the opportunities were seized, if the potential was actualized. This video - the pain of squandered potential - is much more difficult to bear. But at the same time it purifies the soul as well. The pain creates regret which removes the barriers and enables the soul to completely connect to God.
Not all souls merit Gehenom. It is for people who have done good but need to be purified. A handful of people are too evil for Gehenom, and they are punished eternally. Pharaoh is one example.
So what about "heaven?"
Heaven is where the soul experiences the greatest possible pleasure - the feeling of closeness to God. Of course not all souls experience that to the same degree. It's like going to a symphony concert. Some tickets are front-row center; others are back in the bleachers. Where your seat is located is based on the merit of your good deeds - e.g. giving charity, caring for others, prayer.
A second factor in heaven is your understanding of the environment. Just like at the concert, a person can have great seats but no appreciation of what's going on. If a person spends their lifetime elevating the soul and becoming sensitive to spiritual realities (through Torah study), then that will translate into unimaginable pleasure in heaven. On the other hand, if life was all about pizza and football, well, that can get pretty boring for eternity.
The existence of the afterlife is not stated explicitly in the Torah itself, because as human beings we have to focus on our task in this world. Though awareness of an eternal reward can also be an effective motivator.
For further study, see Maimonides' Foundations of the Torah, "The Way of God" by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzatto, and the commentary of Nachmanides to Leviticus 18:29.
from "Ask The Rabbi" - http://www.aish.com/rabbi/
.
2007-09-20 14:39:54 · answer #3 · answered by Hatikvah 7 · 5⤊ 2⤋
In Jesus' time, few Jews believed in Hell as a place of eternal damnation. Some believed it was a place of brief punishment. Others believed we simply no longer exist after death. For the most part, Jews did not nor do not believe in Hell, at least in any way that resembles the Christian understanding of it. Your theology teacher is mistaken.
2007-09-20 14:46:27 · answer #4 · answered by Aspurtaime Dog Sneeze 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I am not Jewish, but Jews do not believe in "eternal" damnation or hell. They believe in a type of purgatory that purifies the soul of its spiritual blemishes before they return to God. See Psalm 49:15, 11 Sam. 14:13, and Isaiah 45:17.
2007-09-20 14:42:50 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
Jews do not believe in a place of eternal punishment. So as Christians would recognize it, no, Jews do not believe in Hell.
However, many sects do believe in a place of purification which is not a pleasant place to be, despite the desirability of the end result. It is said that no one is so evil that they would abide a year in this place, meaning that (depending on sect), it is held the maximum time is 364 days or 11 months.
2007-09-20 14:38:11 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
About all I have to add here (and I'm Jewish) is that the only ones who have given a correct answer are (gasp of anticipation) the other Jews! No big surprise, but I find it amusing that non-Jews think that they can either speak for us or give a "scriptural interpretation". No, most of us (myself included) don't believe in hell and we certainly don't have a concept of original sin, etc. Your teacher is free to believe whatever she wants--if she wants to believe that we're going to hell, that's fine. But that's her faith speaking, NOT ours. Please feel free to have her e-mail me if she wants to discuss this further.
2007-09-20 18:19:29 · answer #7 · answered by Mark S, JPAA 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
"Jews" for "Jesus" continuously struck me as a severe loss of information. in case you're coming from a Hebraic history, you will desire to observe that the Almighty's kin call is YHVH. Matthew a million:21 let us know for sure that the Messiah's call will advise YHVH is my Savior. for that reason His call is Yahoshua. Ex. 23:13 is very sparkling that we would desire to continuously no longer be employing the Pagan names, and there replaced into no "J" till 1400, so for sure there is not any "J" interior the call of the father, or the Savior. evaluate Rev. 2:9 and 3:9. Many decide to be seen suitable, yet do no longer decide to do what the grasp has directed us to do. once you step on the ft of those people, they gained't be chuffed, and while they see they have not have been given any answer to your question, they might turn and attempt to stone you. (are you shocked? you will desire to no longer be)
2016-10-09 13:50:44 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hey anybody who dont get SAVED BORN AGAIN as Jesussaid so Except a manbe born again he cannot see the kingdom of GOD, John 3-3
THat person will fry in Hell no matter what they Jewish or whatever if they never Born again they burn in HELL!
oh its funny she is not Jewish didnt sound like she was your treacher .
Oh Jews may not believe in HELL but they will if they die in there sins YUP!
2007-09-20 15:01:22 · answer #9 · answered by Rodney C 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Your theology teacher is false on his teachings to you. She is only guessing and there is no truth about it.Jews are also human b eings like we are and as human beings we are bound to commit sin against God.. We still do not know at present whether we will go to hell or not because judgement has not yet done to us by Jesus Christ, the Son of God.It is only God who could tell whether we will go to heaven or go to hell at the time of judgement. There is no actual hell that is existing and hell will occur only at the time of judgement. For more verification on its truthfulness, visit the sources listed below:
jtm
2007-09-20 14:46:49 · answer #10 · answered by Jesus M 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋