Jewish people: Do you believe in an afterlife, according to your faith? Or is death the end?
if you believe in an afterlife, please give a brief explanation of what you believe happens in the afterlife.
wow, that is interesting. thanks!
good grief, who’s giving out thumbs down?
Who said anything about eternal torment? I asked about Jewish beliefs, not a discussion of Christian beliefs.
answer: there are many views because the afterlife isn’t described in Judaism. Most Jews don’t focus on the afterlife, they let G-d worry about that. Jews focus on the here-and-now: keeping G-d’s commandments, studying Torah, caring for others and helping to repair the world.
Some Jews believe that when someone dies and they are righteous, they go to join G-d immediately. If they aren’t righteous they spend a short time away from G-d.
Some Jews believe that we enter a sleep-like state until the Messiah/Messianic age and then join in the new world to come.
Some Jews believe in reincarnation until the Messiah/Messianic age or until one becomes righteous enough to join G-d.
February 2nd, 2010 at 10:24 am
Afterlife, of course(heaven).
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February 2nd, 2010 at 10:31 am
Jews believe in an afterlife.
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Jewish father.
February 2nd, 2010 at 10:39 am
Judaism does believe in an afterlife, but it is not the primary focus of their religion and there is a lot of room for personal opinion about the nature of the afterlife.
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http://www.jewfaq.org
February 2nd, 2010 at 11:18 am
answer: there are many views because the afterlife isn’t described in Judaism. Most Jews don’t focus on the afterlife, they let G-d worry about that. Jews focus on the here-and-now: keeping G-d’s commandments, studying Torah, caring for others and helping to repair the world.
Some Jews believe that when someone dies and they are righteous, they go to join G-d immediately. If they aren’t righteous they spend a short time away from G-d.
Some Jews believe that we enter a sleep-like state until the Messiah/Messianic age and then join in the new world to come.
Some Jews believe in reincarnation until the Messiah/Messianic age or until one becomes righteous enough to join G-d.
References :
Jew
Ignore the TD’s – someone routinely goes through and gives TDs to all Jewish answers. Or its someone that isn’t amused that they gave the wrong answer and Jews answered correctly – go figure
February 2nd, 2010 at 11:43 am
Surely you’ve read the Old Testiment by now?
I’m not Jewish, but even I know the answer to this one!
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February 2nd, 2010 at 12:13 pm
Check out these extensive articles
http://www.aish.com/jl/kc/48943926.html – Reincarnation and Jewish Tradition
http://www.aish.com/sp/ph/69742282.html – Life after Death
http://www.aish.com/jl/kc/48929477.html – Journey to the Next World
Edit: The Oral Torah is full of mentions of the the Afterlife. The written Torah alone, does not give a clear picture of Judaism.
Edit: There is no ‘brief’ answer. It’s not like you get 70 virgins or something.
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February 2nd, 2010 at 12:48 pm
Judaism’s attitude is broad enough to allow Jews to hold various views of the afterlife, as the gilgul concept. Orthodox Judaism supports a belief in reincarnation (see Jewish eschatology) but Judaism as a whole does not emphasize matters of the afterlife the way Christianity does. Reincarnation is a central concept of Kabbalah, which, while not universally accepted, has generally been a core component Orthodox Jewish theology for centuries
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February 2nd, 2010 at 1:30 pm
There is nothing in the Hebrew Bible about the afterlife, therefore, there is no central "Jewish" belief about it.
This Jew doesn’t have a clue about the afterlife, but I have *faith* that God will continue to watch over me just as he did in the *prelife*, the womb, and in life. Eternal torment for non-Christians is a Christian belief. For this reason, no other people obsess over the afterlife.
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