1.8:Jewish Beliefs about Life after Death Flashcards
What does the Torah say about life after death?
- The Torah says that the righteous will be reunited with their loved ones after death, “bringing gathered to their people”, that is there is life after death which will involve meeting dead family.
What does the rest of the Tenakh say about life after death?
- The rest of the Teankh says that God will end the world, raise the dead, and create a new wrold by rebuilding Jerusalem and the Temple.
- God will decide what happens to people on the basis of how they have lived, and what they have achieved.
What are some of the disagreements on how to interpret the beliefs about resurrection in the Tenakh?
- Most Jews believe in resurrection because it is one of Maimonides’ Thirteen Principles of Faith, “I believe with perfect faith that there shall be a resurrection at a time when it shall please the Creator”
- However, some believe that the resurrection of the dead will occur during the Messianic Age, and others belive it will follow the Messianic Age.
- Some believe only the righteous will be resurrected, others believe everyone will be resurrected.
What are some of the disagreements about how to interpret other beliefs in the Tenakh?
- Some rabbis have argued for the immortality of the soul, where the soul lives on after death in Olam Ha-Ba (the spiritual world to come), where God dwella, what many think to be a parallel universe.
What are some of the different Jewish beliefs about the nature of judgement?
- Some rabbis have taught that judgement will be based purely on behaviour.
- Maimonides taught that all good people will go to heaven, and all bad will go to hell. “the pious of all the nations of the world have a portoin of the world to come”
- Some believe that judgement will be based on a combination of belief and behaviour.
- Some modern rabbis prefer to concentrate on this life, rather than worrying about an afterlife which no one can eb certain of.
What do Jews believe about heaven and hell?
- Many rabbis have taught that the souls of the totally righteous ascend to Gan Eden (heaven), and and the souls of ordinary people go to Gehinnom (hell).
- Some rabbis teach that Gehinnom is more like Catholic purgatory, as souls are purified of theirs ins through punsihment and fire.
- Some rabbis teach that totally evil souls are damned and so go to Gehinnom to be punished forever.
- Some believe the souls of the totally wicked are destroyed by God, and so cease to exist.
Why is belief in life after death important for Jews today?
- It is a teaching of the Torah, which Orthodox Jews believe is a direct communication from God, and so must be believed.
- It is a teaching of the other books of the Tenakh, which Orthodox Jews believe are inspired by God.
- It is one of Maimonides’ Thirteen Principles of Faith which are the Jewish Creed.
- It is a teaching of the Talmud, which most Jews try to follow.
- A life after death, in which people will be judged on how they live thier lives, with the good rewarded, and the bad punished, makes sense of this life.
What does Genesis say about Abraham?
Abraham breathed his last and he was gathered to his people
What does Daniel say about life after death?
“Multitudes of people who sleep in the dust of the Earth will awake, some to everlasting life”
What does the Mishneh Torah say abiut life after death?
“The pious of all the nations have a portion of the world-to-come”
What are some of the similarities between Jewish and Christian beliefs about life after death?
- Both Jews and Chrisitans believe that this life is not all there is, and there is some form of afterlife.
- Both Jews and Christinas believe that heaven is a place of paradise, and good people will go to heaven.
What are some differences between Jewish and Christian beliefs about life after death?
- Jews believe that the Messiah will come at the Last Day, whereas Christians believe Jesus will return on the Last Day.
- Most Jews believe that at the Last Day, Jews will bring Gentiles to worship the Jewish God.
- Conservative Jews do not belive in resurrection, whereas Liberal Christians do.
- Cosnervative Christians believe in the Last Day, whereas Liberal Jews do not.
