Judaism- Eschatological beliefs and teachings

Question 1

Eschatological beliefs and teachings

Answer 1

Religious belifs about what wil happen at end of time and what will happen at end of lives
Jewish scripture doesnt say mcuh about it- greater foucs on peoples actions and ourpose in early lives than on speculating what may happen when die

Question 2

Distinction between soul and body

Answer 2

Jewish belief in soul founded from torah-genesis 2:7- ‘g-d formed man of the dust of the ground’ ‘breathed into his nostrils the breath of life’ ‘man became a living soul’

Hebrew word- soul/spirit- neshamah- related to word ‘wind or breath- body alone not enough to guarentee human life/identity- need spirit given by g-d
-talmud
Sould is everywhere w/in body but is invisable
Body depends on soul despite soul not seen- existance osul not dependant on existance of body

Question 3

Quote about existance of soul

Answer 3

Berakhot 10a- ‘just as the holy one of blessing fills the world, so does the soul fill the body’ ‘the soul see but cannot be seen’

Question 4

Resurrection

Answer 4

At the end of time- everyone raised from dead, rstored from bodies and judged by g-d- coincided w/ coming of messiah

Question 5

Where resurrection referenced

Answer 5

Not in torah
Tanakh- daniel 12:2-3- ‘many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life’

Question 6

1st century belif of resurrection

Answer 6

Dispute betwen pharisees and sadducees- body resurrewcted at end of time

Question 7

Pharisees

Answer 7

Yes- bodies resurrected

Question 8

Sadducees

Answer 8

Opposed to bodies resurrected- not in torah
Rabbanic judgenment meant that resurrection mentioned in talmudq

Question 9

Beliefs in resurrection- mmiddle ages

Answer 9

Dispute betwen maimonides and nahmenides- what resurrection means

Question 10

Nahmanides

Answer 10

When resurrection happened- people continue hustroy in resurrected bodies forever

Question 11

Maimonides

Answer 11

Rejected any belief that any physical body could live forever0 resurrected people would eventually die and souls live on- immortality of soul

Question 12

1700s belief resurrection

Answer 12

Jewish philosopher- moses mendelson
Reject idea that bodies resurrected and claimed instead, souls lived on after death- interpreted mentions of resurrectiosn in halakha as metaphorical references to immortality of sou

Question 13

Orthodox view of resurrection

Answer 13

Physical resurreection- agree pharisees and nahmanides
-instances of inhumation- burial of fully intact body of dead person
0some opposed to organ donations
-statement by chief rabbi of commmonwealth stated that pn should oevrride these concerns
Cremation prohibited

Question 14

Reform belief of resurrection

Answer 14

Spiritual resurrection- mendelsons view
Eternal survival of soul beuond death
Body just vessel for soul
Some may beliieve soul judged as soon as die- many do not accceot idea of personal messiah

Question 15

Early life as preparation

Answer 15

Olam ha- ba ‘the owrld to come’- something to look forward to with excitement
Refer to afterlife as well as MA on earth

Question 16

Quote to suggest early life a preparation

Answer 16

Mishnah pirkei avot 4:12- ‘this life is like a lobby before the olam ha ba’ ‘prepare youself in the lobby so that you may enter the banquet hall’

Question 17

Day of judgement

Answer 17

Future time often resurrectio fo dead
G-d sit in judgement on every creation inc. humans

Question 18

Judgement- orthodox

Answer 18

Rosh hashanah- g-d judges every year- jewish new year- important for orthosx to change/improve their lives and relationshios w/ g-d betwen rosh hashanah and yom kippor (day of attonement)
-yawn ad din- occur after coming of the messiah- ‘g-d wil bring every deed into judgement whether it is good or eveil’ ecclesiates 12:14

Question 19

Qupte for judgement

Answer 19

g-d wil bring every deed into judgement whether it is good or eveil’ ecclesiates 12:14

Question 20

Reform view on judgement

Answer 20

Dont believe literal judgement of g-d using bodilky resurrection
Celebrate rosh hashanah and obsevre yom kippor
Believe g-f holds humans to account from actions

Question 21

Sheol

Answer 21

A place of deakness which is the abode of the dead- good and bad- tanakh
-some jewish scholars view sheol as destination of bad after day of judgement
-over time idea thta it is a waiting place- if purifiedsoul- gan eden, if soul condemned, gehenna

Question 22

Shoel- contempary

Answer 22

Rarely mentioned
Emphaiss placed on reward and punishment taking place in this life rather than after death
-ove

Question 23

Judaism teaching what is important

Answer 23

How live life- good deeds done for own sake- mishnah- ethics of the fathers 1:3
‘Be not like sevrnats who serve their masters for the sake of recieving reward’

Question 24

Gan eden

Answer 24

2nd gardem of eden which will appear at end of time as abode of rightoeus who have beem resurrected- jewish tradition
-spiritual eden- righteous jews and non -jews experience vision of g-d’s glory
Jewish equivalent of christian heaven

Question 25

Gehenna

Answer 25

Place of purfication after death
Punishment limited to 1 year- no eternal punishment in judaism
-idea dervives from actual place in valley of gehinomm where bodies of eople killed in idolatry and sacrtifice- consumed by fire
-jewish equivalient of christian hell- more orthodox

Question 26

Gan eden and gehenna teaching

Answer 26

Teaching not clear on exact nature of either, developed as ideolatry as jewish teaching developed

Question 27

Diff views of gan eden and gehenna- reform and conservative

Answer 27

Many dont believe in shoel, gan eden, gehenna
Place emphaiss g-d rewards and punishes in this life rather than life to come

Question 28

Orthodox rabbis view on gan eden and gehenna

Answer 28

Often reluctant to specualte on matters referring to afterlife
Humans don’t have capacity to understand g-d’s future plans for humans