DO JEWS BELIEVE IN AN AFTER LIFE?

Do Jews believe in Heaven and Hell? This is a question that I am most frequently asked by both Jews and non-Jews. My initial response is “some do and some don’t” which is a way of saying that belief in an after-life is not part of some official Jewish creed. While it is true that especially in the Middle Ages a number of Jewish philosophers attempted to draw up some sort of official creed, none was ever universally accepted among Jews. Most attempts were severely criticized, even the most famous formulation by Moses Maimonides ( known as the Thirteen Principles of the Jewish Faith).

The last of Maimonides’ Principles deals with the resurrection of the dead at some future time of God’s choosing. This is apparently a reference to the Messianic Era which will take place in this world, rather than a reference to life after death.

The truth is that the existence and nature of an after-life is pure speculation. No one really knows what happens to us after we die. There is, however, a great need and desire to believe in some type of existence beyond our present one. Because reward and punishment don’t operate in this world the way we think they should, we cling to the notion that there must be a world-to-come where the righteous will be rewarded and the wicked will be punished.

So, what does our Tradition say? Some random quotes from Rabbinic Literature follow. (There are no biblical sources since the notion of an after-life is a post biblical belief).

“In the Hereafter, the Holy One will prepare a banquet for the righteous and there will be no need of balsam or choice spices, for the north and south winds will waft all the perfumes of the Garden of Eden.” (Bamidbar Rabba, 13.2).

“In the future world there is no eating, drinking, propagation, business, jealousy, hatred or competition. But the righteous sit, with crowns on their heads, enjoying the brilliance of the Divine Presence.” (Berachot, 17a).

“In the world-to-come there is no death, sin, or affliction. But everyone delights in wisdom and understanding . . . . the Holy One will hold sessions in His great academy for the righteous of the world.” (Seder Eliyahu Rabba, Chapters 2 & 3).

“There is no Hell in the world-to-come. God will take the sun out of its sheath: the righteous will be healed by it and the wicked will be consumed by it.” (Nedarim 8b).

“The sentence of the wicked in Hell will last (no more than) 12 months (and then they will be admitted into Heaven).” (Shabbat 33a).

The opinion that I like the best was expressed by a Hasidic Rabbi (David Teitelbaum) in the early part of the 19th century: “It is not the saints that are in Paradise, but Paradise that are in the saints.” This suggests that Heaven or Paradise is not a “place,” but a state of mind.

It seems to me that most conceptions of Heaven are really an expression of how we wish life would be on this earth. Since the study of Torah is such a high priority in Jewish life, it is only natural to picture Heaven as a “place” where everyone delights in wisdom and understanding and learning takes place with God as the teacher. Since all of us are troubled by the existence of suffering, hatred and evil in this world, it is easy to imagine Paradise as “place” where they do not exist. Ultimately, the world-to-come we envision is a perfected version of what we like this world to be.

Because our knowledge of the after-life is mere speculation, Judaism has always placed its emphasis on how we should live in this world. The purpose of all the mitzvot in the Torah is not to insure our entrance into heaven but to make our lives meaningful and worthwhile during our earthly lifetime. It is this life that should be our concern and focus.

This, I believe, is the implication of the passage in Shabbat 31a which lists the questions a person will be asked when he or she appears before the heavenly Tribunal. The questions are: “1) Did you deal honestly with your fellow human beings?) 2) Did you study Torah regularly? 3) Did you raise a family? 4) Did you hope for salvation? 5) Did you search for wisdom? 6) Did you do your best to understand the difference between one thing and another?” From this I conclude that it is not our ultimate destination that is important, but how we travel along life’s path.

One more piece of wisdom from our Sages: “(The peace and tranquility of) Shabbat is a reflection of (what life is like in) the world-to-come.” (Berachot 57b). If we want a “taste” of Heaven now, all we need to do is observe Shabbat. What more could we ask for?