Judaism: Life After Death

Question 1

What does the Torah teach about life after death?

Answer 1

• Clear evidence of belief in existence after death
• The righteous will be reunited with their loved ones after death, while the wicked will be excluded from this reunion
• Speaks of the patriarchs being ‘gathered to their people’

Question 2

What is being ‘gathered to their people’?

Answer 2

-There will be an afterlife which involves meeting with their dead family

Question 3

What does the Tenakh teach about life after death?

Answer 3

• God will end the world, raise the dead and create a new world by rebuilding Jerusalem and the Temple
• God will decide what happens to people in the afterlife on the basis of how they have lived their lives and what they have believed

Question 4

Why is life after death important for Jews?

Answer 4

• The teaching of the Torah which is a direct communication from God
• The teaching of the Talmud, a collection of the Oral Torah, discussion by rabbis which most Jews follow
• One of the 13 Principles of Faith
• Gives their lives meaning and purpose
• Life to end at death does not make sense
• By being judged on how they live, with the good rewarded and the evil punished, makes sense
• By spending eternity in heaven, gives life meaning
• Must try to live good Jewish lives if they are to have a good life after death. Observe the Torah and halakhah, making their beliefs a big impact on their lives