Olam haBa (afterlife) is rarely discussed in Jewish life, be
among Reform, Conservative, or OrthodoxJews. This is in marked contrast to the religious traditions of the people among whom the Jews have lived. Judaism has always maintained a belief in an afterlife, but the forms which this
belief has assumed and the modes in which it has been expressed have varied greatly and differed from period to period. Thus even today several distinct conceptions about the fate of man after death, relating to the immortality of the
soul, the resurrectionof the dead, and the nature of the world
to come after the messianic redemption, exist side by side
within Judaism. Though these conceptions are interwoven no
generally accepted theological system exists concerning their
interrelationship.
In the Bible The Torah, the most important Jewish text, has no clear reference to afterlife at all. It would seem that the dead go
down to Sheol, a kind of Hades, where they live an ethereal,
shadowy existence (Num. 16:33; Ps. 6:6; Isa. 38:18). It is also said that Enoch “walked with G-d, and he was not; for G-d took him” (Gen. 5:24); and that Elijah is carried heavenward in a chariot of fire (II Kings 2:11). Even the fullest passage on the subject, the necromantic incident concerning
the dead prophet Samuel at En-Dor, where his spirit is raised
from the dead by a witch at the behest of Saul, does little to
throw light on the matter (1 Sam. 28:8 ff.). The one point which does emerge clearly from the above passages is that there existed a belief in an afterlife of one form or another. (For a full discussion see Pedersen, Israel, 1–2 (1926), 460 ff.
A more critical view may be found in G. von Rad, Old
Testament Theology, 2 vols., 1962.) Though the Talmudic rabbis claimedthere were many allusions to the subject in the
Bible (cf. Sanh. 90b–91a), the first explicit biblical formulation
of the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead occurs in the
book of Daniel, in the following passage:
Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to reproaches and everlasting abhorrence (Dan. 12:2; see also Isa. 26:19; Ezek. 37:1 ff.).
Why doesn’t the Torah address the issue given that Judaism
does believe in the “next world”? Joseph Telushkin explains”
I suspect that there is a correlation between its non-
discussion of afterlife and the fact that the Torah was revealed just after the long Jewish sojourn in Egypt. The Egyptian society from which the Hebrew slaves emerged was obsessed with death and afterlife. The holiest Egyptian
literary work was called The Book of the Dead, while the major achievement of many Pharaohs was the erection of the giant tombs called pyramids. In contrast, the Torah is obsessed with this world, so much so that it even forbids its priests from coming into contact with dead bodies (Leviticus 21:2).
Consequently, Telushkin posits that Judaism was meant to
differ from other religions in part because of the way the idea
of the afterlife can be used in malign ways. He gives the
example of the Spanish Inquisitors who believed they could save people from hell if they coerced them using torture to accepted Christ.
In Second Temple Literature
In the eschatology of the apocryphal literature of the Second Temple period, the idea of heavenly immortality, either
vouchsafed for all Israel or for the righteous alone, vies with
the resurrection of the dead as the dominant theme. Thus, IV
Maccabees, for instance, though on the whole tending toward
Pharisaism in its theology, promises everlasting life with G-d
to those Jewish martyrs who preferred death to the violation
of His Torah, but is silent about resurrection. II Maccabees,
on the other hand, figures the latter prominently (cf. II Macc.
7:14, 23; IV Macc. 9:8; 17:5, 18). The doctrine was, however,
stressed by sectarian groups and is vividly expressed in the
New Testament. For Philo, the doctrine of the resurrection is
subservient to that of the immortality of the soul and is seen by him as a figurative way of referring to the latter. The
individual soul, which is imprisoned in the body here on earth, returns, if it is the soul of a righteous man, to its home in G-d;
the wicked suffer eternal death (see H.A. Wolfson, Philo, 2 vols. (1947–48); index, S.V. Soul, Resurrection).
In Talmud and Midrash
When a man dies his soul leaves his body, but for the first 12
months it retains a temporary relationship to it, coming and
going until the body has disintegrated. Thus, the prophet
Samuel was able to be raised from the dead within the first
year of his demise. This year remains a purgatorial period for
the soul, or according to another view only for the wicked soul, after which the righteous go to paradise, Gan Eden, and the wicked to hell, Geihinnom (Gehinnom; Shab. 152b–153a;
Tanh. Va-Yikra 8). The actual condition of the soul after death
is unclear. Some descriptions imply that it is quiescent, the
souls of the righteous are “hidden under the Throne of Glory” (Shab. 152b), while others seem to ascribe to the dead full consciousness (Ex. R. 52:3; Tanh. Ki Tissa 33; Ket. 77h, 104a; Ber. 18b–19a). The Midrash even says, “The only difference between the living and the dead is the power of speech” (PR 12:46). There is also a whole series of disputes
about how much the dead know of the world they leave behind (Ber. 18b).
In the days of the messianic redemption the soul returns to
the dust, which is subsequently reconstituted as this body
when the individual is resurrected. It is somewhat unclear whether the resurrection is for the righteous alone, or whether the wicked too will be temporarily resurrected only to be judged and destroyed, their souls’ ashes being scattered
under the feet of the righteous. A view supporting the doctrine
of eternal damnation is found, but this is disputed by the
claim, “There will be no Gehinnom in future times” (RH 17a; Tos. to RH 16b; BM 58b; Ned. 8b and Ran, ibid.; Av. Zar. 3b).
The doctrine of the resurrection is a cornerstone of rabbinic eschatology, and separated the Pharisee from his Sadducean
opponent. The Talmud goes to considerable lengths to show
how the resurrection is hinted at in various biblical passages,
and excludes those who deny this doctrine from any portion in the world to come (Sanh. 10:1; Sanh. 90b–91a; Jos., Wars, 2:162 ff.). The messianic reign is conceived of as a political and physical Utopia, though there is considerable dispute about this matter (Ber. 34b; Shab. 63a; and the glosses of
Rashi,he was my 32nd great grandfather). At its end will be
the world to come (olam ha-ba) when the righteous will sit in
glory and enjoy the splendor of the Divine Presence in a
world of purely spiritual bliss (Ber. 17a). About this
eschatological culminating point the rabbis are somewhat
reticent, and content themselves with the verse “Eye hath not
seen, O G-d, beside Thee” (Isa. 64:3; Ber. 34b), i.e., none but
God can have a conception of the matter. In the world to come the Divine Presence itself will illuminate the world. (For
a general discussion see “The Doctrine of the Resurrection of
the Dead in Rabbinic Theology” by A. Marmorstein in Studies
in Jewish Theology, 1950.)
In Medieval Jewish Philosophy
The medieval Jewish philosophers brought conceptual and systematic thought to bear on the more imagist rabbinic eschatology, and one major problem they faced was to
integrate the notions of immortality and resurrection. Saadia Gaon (my 38th great grandfather) was perhaps the most successful among them, since he conceived of the state of
the reunited soul and body after the resurrection as one of spiritual bliss (Book of Beliefs and Opinions, 9:5). Due to the
nature of Greek psychology, however, the emphasis among
the other Jewish philosophers, both Platonist and Aristotelian,
is on the soul’s immortality – the resurrection being added only because of doctrinal considerations. It is clear in the
case of Maimonides, for instance, that the immortality of the soul is paramount (Guide, 2:27; 3:54). Though he makes the belief in the resurrection, rather than in the immortality of the disembodied soul, one of his fundamental principles of Jewish faith (cf. Mishnah, Sanhedrin, introd. to Helek), it is only the latter which has meaning in terms of his
philosophical system. Indeed, the resurrection does not figure
in the Guide of the Perplexed at all.
In general, the Neoplatonists saw the soul’s journey as an ascent toward the G-dhead, and its beatitude as a purely spiritual bliss involving knowledge of God and spiritual beings and some form of communion with them. Their negative attitude toward the flesh, in favor of the spirit, left no room for a resurrection theology of any substance. The Jewish Aristotelians, who thought of the acquired intellect as the
immortal part of man, saw immortality in terms of the
intellectual contemplation of G-d. Some of the Jewish Aristotelians held that in their immortal state the souls of all men are one; while others maintained that immortality is individual. This emphasis on salvation through intellectual attainment was the subject of considerable criticism. Crescas, for example, claimed that it was the love of G-d, rather than
knowledge of Him, which was of primary soteriological import
(Or Adonai, 3:3).
In Kabbalistic Literature
Kabbalistic eschatology, more systematic than its rabbinic
predecessor, is, if anything, more complex in structure and
varied as between the several Kabbalistic subsystems. The
soul is conceived of as divided into several parts, whose
origin is in Divine Emanation, and is incarnated here on earth
with a specific task to fulfill. The soul of the wicked, i.e., of he
who has failed in his assigned task, is punished and purified
in hell or is reincarnated again (gilgul) to complete its unfinished work. In certain cases, however, the wicked soul is denied even hell or reincarnation and is exiled without the possibility of finding rest. Much of the literature is devoted to detailing the various stages of ascent and descent of the soul and its parts. (For a discussion of the various Kabbalistic systems, and the variety of views held, see G.
Scholem, Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism, particularly ch.6.)
In Modern Jewish Thought
Orthodox Judaism has, throughout, maintained both a belief in the future resurrection of the dead as part of the messianic redemption, and a belief in some form of immortality of the soul after death. The former figures in the liturgy at several points, including the morning prayer (Hertz, Prayer, 18), expressing the believer’s trust that G-d will return his soul to his body in time to come. It is also a central motif of the second benediction of the Amidah (ibid., 134). The belief in
the soul’s survival after death is implicit in the various prayers
said in memory of the dead and in the mourner’s custom of
reciting the Kaddish(ibid., 1106–09, and 212, 269–71).
Reform Judaism has, however, given up any literal belief in
the future resurrection of the dead. Reform theology concerns
itself solely with the belief in a spiritual life after death and has
modified the relevant liturgical passages accordingly.
Telushkin concludes:In Judaism the belief in afterlife is less a
leap of faith than a logical outgrowth of other Jewish beliefs. If one believes in a G-d who is all-powerful and all-just, one cannot believe that this world, in which evil far too often triumphs, is the only arena in which human life exists. For if this existence is the final word, and G-d permits evil to win, then it cannot be that G-d is good. Thus, when someone says
he or she believes in G-d but not in afterlife, it would seem that either they have not thought the issue through, or they don’t believe in G-d, or the divine being in whom they believe is amoral or immoral…. Because Judaism believes that G-d is good, it believes that G-d rewards good people; it does not believe that Adolf Hitler and his victims share the same fate.
Beyond that, it is hard to assume much more. We are asked
to leave afterlife in G-d’s hands.
Sources: Encyclopaedia Judaica.
Whereas the nature and contents of the yemoth mashiyahh are described by the Biblical prophets, nothing is known or
perceived about the nature or contents of olam haba. The Rambam, in the Mishneh Torah(Hilkhoth Teshuvah 8:7) says this explicitly just as it is clearly stated by Hazal: It has already been made known to us by the ancient Sages that man is unable to apprehend and understand the goodness olam haba as it actually is, and man does not know its greatness, its beauty, or its essence – only
HaQadhosh Barukh Hu alone. And all of the good things that
the prophets of Israel prophesied to the people, they were only those things which pertain to the physical body, which will be enjoyed by the Jewish people in the yemoth mashiyahh, that is, in the time when the sovereign kingdom will return to Israel.
But the goodness of the life of olam haba, it has no estimation or likeness to anything in this existence. And so the Biblical prophets did not attempt to describe it lest they lessen its greatness through illusion. This is what Yeshayahu said, “no eye has seen it – no one beside you, G-d – that which He prepares for the one who waits for Him” (64:3). That is to say that the goodness that that the prophet’s eye has not seen, G-d prepares it for the man who waits for Him. The Sages said, ‘None of the prophets prophesied about anything except for the yemoth mashiyahh, but as for olam haba“no eye has seen it – no one beside You, G-d.”‘ It is clearly seen, then, that the yemoth mashiyahh andolam
habaare certainly not to be equated, as they are not the same
at all.
This next error is a common misunderstanding and is rather
complex. It involves a common equation of every type of
righteous non-Jew. However, according the Rambam in the
Mishneh Torah, only righteous yehudhim and a group known
as the hasidhei umoth ha-`olam receive a portion in the spiritual life of olam haba. The rest receive blessings in this world and many in the yemoth mashiyahh. This can be seen clearly when taking in aggregate all relevant statements of the Rambam on this subject as written in the Mishneh Torah.
The first of which is found in the laws of receiving converts.
There (Hilkhoth Issurei Bi’ah14:3-4) he says:
Just as we inform [the prospective convert] of the punishment
for violation of the misswoth, so do we also inform him of the
reward for observing them; and we inform him that by performing these mitzvos he will merit the life of olam haba… and we say to him ‘Know that olam haba is not hidden away for any except the righteous ones, which are the nation of Israel…’ In other words, one has to be connected in a real and halakhic way to the Jewish nation in order to receive life in olam haba. This is explained in the eighth chapter of Hilkhoth
Melakhim Umilhhamothin the Mishneh Torah. It is here where
many have misread the Rambam. When the Rambam says
“kol ha-meqabel…” he is referring to a ger toshavdawqa – which is only received in a time when we count the yovelim (cf. Hilkhoth Issurei Bi’ah14:8) and their reception has to take place in front of a court of three (see Hilkhoth Melakhim Umilhhamoth 8). Anyone else among the nations who is righteous is promised provision and blessing in this world in exchange for his deeds (cf. Hilkhoth Shemittah WiYovel
13:13), but unless he attaches himself to the nation of Israel
and becomes a hasidh me-umoth ha-olam, such a one will not receive a place in olam haba. Read these things carefully
and critically wa-du”q.
It may not be popular or the party line within modern Judaism,
but this is – le-`aniyuth da’ati – the accurate view of the Rambam (and it appears to be the view of Hazal as well). Hilkhoth Teshuvah 3:5
When a person’s sins are being weighed against his merits,
[God] does not count a sin that was committed only once or
twice. [A sin] is only [counted] if it was committed three times
or more. Should it be found that [even] those sins committed more were committed twice [or less] are also added and he is judged for all of his sins.
If his merits are equal to [or greater than the amount of] his
sins committed which were committed more than three times,
[God] forgives his sins one after the other, i.e., the third sin [is
forgiven because] it is considered as a first sin, for the two previous sins were already forgiven. Similarly, after the third sin is forgiven, the fourth sin is considered as a “first” [sin and
is forgiven according to the same principle].
The same [pattern is continued] until [all his sins] are concluded.
When does the above apply? In regard to an individual as can be inferred from [Job 33:29] “All these things, God will do twice or three times with a man.” However, in regard to a community, [retribution for] the first, second, and third sins is
held in abeyance as implied by [Amos 2:6] “For three sins of
Israel, [I will withhold retribution,] but for the fourth, I will not withhold it.” When a reckoning [of their merits and sins] is made according to the above pattern, the reckoning begins with the fourth [sin].
[As mentioned above,] a Beinoni [is one whose scale is equally balanced between merit and sin]. However, if among his sins is [the
neglect of the mitzvah of] tefillin [to the extent that] he never
wore them even once, he is judged according to his sins. He
will, nevertheless, be granted a portion in the world to come.
Similarly, all the wicked whose sins are greater [than their
merits] are judged according to their sins, but they are granted a portion in the world to come for all Israel have a share in the world to come as [Isaiah 60:21] states “Your people are all righteous, they shall inherit the land forever.”
“The land” is an analogy alluding to “the land of life,” i.e., the
world to come. Similarly, the “pious of the nations of the
world” have a portion in the world to come.
ותנן באחד בתשרי ר“ה al et 10:6, Zarah Avodhah `Hilkhoth
לשנים ולשמיטין ואמרינן לשנים למאי הלכתא ואמר רב חסדא לשטרות
אהדדי שטרות קשיא And we learned in the same mishna: On the first of Tishrei is the New Year for counting years and for
calculating Sabbatical cycles. And we say: With regard to what halakha is it stated that the first of Tishrei is the New Year for counting years? And Rav Ḥisdasaid: It is said with
regard to dating documents.These two statements with regard to the dating of documentsare difficult in light of each other, as according to one statement the dating system is based on Nisan as the first month, whereas according to the other the year begins in Tishrei.
As for Jews “ruling the world” in the future under the mashiyahh, this idea is the fantasy. While the Jewish people will collectively exercise sovereignty over eress yisra’el and will have political dominance over the surrounding areas due to their subduing their immediate enemies via warfare (cf.Hilkhoth Melakhim Umilhhamoth 11:8), there will be no world domination by the Jews. Rather, the nations of the world will be persuaded by the wisdom of Israel’s righteous king to work
together for peace and prosperity, each human being acknowledging G-d and His sovereignty over the world.
In the yemoth mashiyahh, there is no inheritance of any land in eress yisra’el for anyone except the shevatim and those who have converted to become full Jews. The future division of the land as mentioned in Yehhezeq’el 47:21-23 is a reference to Jews – both native-born and converts – only.
This prophecy is most likely looking toward an inevitable
reality of the Jewish people gathered after a long exile and
without proof of parentage, therefore the prophet is stating
that there will be a “reset” as it were and those whose tribal
affiliation cannot be determined or those who have descended from many generations of converts (converts usually do not inherit land due to their having no tribe) will be given an inheritance going forward. Perhaps a future Sanhedrin will make such a ruling – suspending the din of the Torah in accordance with pressing temporary need Hilkhoth Mamrim 2:
1When, using one of the principles of exegesis, the
Supreme Sanhedrin derived a law through their perception of the matter and adjudicated a case accordingly, and afterwards, another court arose and they perceived another rationale on which basis, they would revoke the previous ruling, they may revoke it and rule according to their perception. This is reflected by Deuteronomy 17:9: “To the
judge who will be in that age.” This indicates that a person is
obligated to follow only the court in his own generation.יתֵאבּ
דִּין הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁדָּרְ שׁוּ בְּאַחַת מִ ן הַמִּדּוֹת כְּפִי מַה שֶּׁנּ ִרְ אָה בְּעֵינ ֵיהֶם שֶׁהַדִּין כְָּך
ו ְדָנוּ דִּין. ו ְעָמַד אַחֲרֵ יהֶם בֵּית דִּין אַחֵר ו ְנ ִרְ אֶה לוֹ טַעַם אַחֵר לִסְתֹּר אוֹתוֹ. הֲרֵ י
ז ֶה סוֹתֵר ו ְדָן כְּפִי מַה שֶּׁנּ ִרְ אֶה בְּעֵינ ָיו. שֶׁנּ ֶאֱמַר (דברים יז ט) ”אֶל הַשֹּׁפֵט
:אֲשֶׁר י ִהְי ֶה בַּיָּמִ ים הָהֵם“. אֵינ ְָך חַיָּב לָלֶכֶת אֶלָּא אַחַר בֵּית דִּין שֶׁבְּדוֹרְ ָך
2The following rules apply when a court issued a decree,
instituted an edict, or established a custom and this practice
spread throughout the Jewish people and another court arose
and sought to nullify the original order and eliminate the original edict, decree, or custom. The later court does not have this authority unless it surpasses the original court in wisdom and in its number of adherents. If it surpasses the original court in wisdom, but not in the number of adherents, or in the number of adherents, but not in wisdom, it cannot nullify its statements. Even if the rationale for which the original court instituted the decree or the edict is nullified, the
later court does not have the authority to negate their statements unless they are greater.How is it possible that the
later court will surpass the original court in number? For every Supreme Sanhedrin consists of 71 judges. The intent is the number of sages in the generation who consent and accept the matter stated by the Supreme Sanhedrin without
בבֵּית דִּין שֶׁגָּז ְרוּ גְּז ֵרָ ה אוֹ תִּקְּנוּ תַּקָּנ ָה ו ְהִנ ְהִיגוּ מִ נ ְהָג וּפָשַׁט.it opposing
הַדָּבָר בְּכָל י ִשְׂרָ אֵל. ו ְעָמַד אַחֲרֵ יהֶם בֵּית דִּין אַחֵר וּבִקֵּשׁ לְבַטֵּל דְּבָרִ ים
הָרִ אשׁוֹנ ִים ו ְלַעֲקֹ ר אוֹתָהּ הַתַּקָּנ ָה ו ְאוֹתָהּ הַגְּז ֵרָ ה ו ְאוֹתוֹ הַמִּנ ְהָג. אֵינוֹ י ָכוֹל עַד
שֶׁיִּהְי ֶה גָּדוֹל מִ ן הָרִ אשׁוֹנ ִים בְּחָכְמָה וּבְמִ נ ְי ָן. הָי ָה גָּדוֹל בְּחָכְמָה אֲבָל לֹא
בְּמִ נ ְי ָן. בְּמִ נ ְי ָן אֲבָל לֹא בְּחָכְמָה. אֵינוֹ י ָכוֹל לְבַטֵּל אֶת דְּבָרָ יו. אֲפִלּוּ בָּטַל
ַטַּעַם שֶׁבִּגְלָלוֹ גָּז ְרוּ הָרִ אשׁוֹנ ִים אוֹ הִתְ קִ ינוּ אֵין הָאַחֲרוֹנ ִים י ְכוֹלִין לְבַטֵּל עַד
שֶׁיְּהוּ גְּדוֹלִים מֵהֶם. ו ְהֵיאְַך י ִהְיוּ גְּדוֹלִים מֵהֶם בְּמִ נ ְי ָן הוֹאִיל ו ְכָל בֵּית דִּין וּבֵית
דִּין שֶׁל שִׁבְעִים ו ְאֶחָד הוּא. ז ֶה מִ נ ְי ַן חַכְמֵי הַדּוֹר שֶׁהִסְכִּימוּ ו ְקִבְּלוּ הַדָּבָר
:שֶׁאָמְ רוּ בֵּית דִּין הַגָּדוֹל ו ְלֹא חָלְקוּ בּוֹ
3When does the above apply? With regard to matters that
were not forbidden to create a safeguard for the words of
the Torah, but rather resemble other Torah laws. A different
principle applies, by contrast, with regard to matters which the
court sought necessary to issue a decree and create a prohibition as a safeguard. If the prohibition spread throughout the Jewish people, another Supreme Sanhedrin does not have the authority to uproot the decree and grant license even if it was of greater stature than
גבַּמֶּה דְּבָרִ ים אֲמוּרִ ים בִּדְ בָרִ ים שֶׁלֹּא אָסְרוּ אוֹתָן כְּדֵי.court original the
לַעֲשׂוֹת סְי ָג לַתּוֹרָ ה אֶלָּא כִּשְׁאָר דִּינ ֵי תּוֹרָ ה. אֲבָל דְּבָרִ ים שֶׁרָ אוּ בֵּית דִּין לִגְזֹר
וּלְאָסְרָ ן לַעֲשׂוֹת סְי ָג אִם פָּשַׁט אִסּוּרָ ן בְּכָל [י ִשְׂרָ אֵל] אֵין בֵּית דִּין גָּדוֹל אַחֵר
:י ָכוֹל לְעָקְ רָ ן וּלְהַתִּירָ ן אֲפִלּוּ הָי ָה גָּדוֹל מִ ן הָרִ אשׁוֹנ ִים
4A court may, however, suspend the application of such decrees temporarily, even if it is of lesser stature than the original court. The rationale is that these decrees should not be considered as more severe than the words of the Torah itself, and any court has the authority to abrogate the words
of the Torah as a temporary measure.What is implied? If a
court sees that it is necessary to strengthen the faith and create a safeguard so that the people will not violate Torah law, they may apply beatings and punishments that are not sanctioned by Torah. They may not, however, establish the matter for posterity and say that this is the halachah.Similarly,
if they saw that temporarily it was necessary to nullify a
positive commandment or violate a negative commandment
in order to bring people at large back to the Jewish faith or to
prevent many Jews from transgressing in other matters, they may do what is necessary at that time. To explain by analogy:
Just like a doctor may amputate a person’s hand or foot so that the person as a whole will live; so, too, at times, the court may rule to temporarily violate some of the commandments so that they will later keep all of them. In this vein, the Sages of the previous generations said: “Desecrate one Sabbathfor a person’s sake so that he will keep many Sabbaths.”שֵׁ יְ דו
לְבֵית דִּין לַעֲקֹ ר אַף דְּבָרִ ים אֵלּוּ לְפִי שָׁעָה אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא קָטָן מִ ן
הָרִ אשׁוֹנ ִים שֶׁלֹּא י ְהוּ גְּז ֵרוֹת אֵלּוּ חֲמוּרִ ין מִדִּבְרֵ י תּוֹרָ ה עַצְמָהּ שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ דִּבְרֵ י
תּוֹרָ ה י ֵשׁ לְכָל בֵּית דִּין לְעָקְ רוֹ הוֹרָ אַת שָׁעָה. כֵּיצַד. בֵּית דִּין שֶׁרָ אוּ לְחַזֵּק
הַדָּת ו ְלַעֲשׂוֹת סְי ָג כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא י ַעַבְרוּ הָעָם עַל דִּבְרֵ י תּוֹרָ ה. מַכִּין ו ְעוֹנ ְשִׁין שֶׁלֹּא
כַּדִּין אֲבָל אֵין קוֹבְעִין הַדָּבָר לְדוֹרוֹת ו ְאוֹמְ רִ ים שֶׁהֲלָכָה כְָּך הוּא. ו ְכֵן אִם רָ אוּ
לְפִי שָׁעָה לְבַטֵּל מִ צְו ַת עֲשֵׂה אוֹ לַעֲבֹר עַל מִ צְו ַת לֹא תַּעֲשֶׂה כְּדֵי לְהַחְז ִיר
רַבִּים לַדָּת אוֹ לְהַצִּיל רַבִּים מִיִּשְׂרָ אֵל מִלְּהִכָּשֵׁל בִּדְ בָרִ ים אֲחֵרִ ים עוֹשִׂין לְפִי
מַה שֶּׁצְּרִ יכָה הַשָּׁעָה. כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהָרוֹפֵא חוֹתְֵך י ָדוֹ אוֹ רַ גְלוֹ שֶׁל ז ֶה כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּחְי ֶה
כֻּלּוֹ כְָּך בֵּית דִּין מוֹרִ ים בִּז ְמַן מִ ן הַזְּמַנּ ִים לַעֲבֹר עַל קְ צָת מִ צְוֹת לְפִי שָׁעָה כְּדֵי
שֶׁיִּתְ קַיְּמוּ [כֻּלָּם] כְּדֶרֶ ְך שֶׁאָמְ רוּ חֲכָמִ ים הָרִ אשׁוֹנ ִים חַלֵּל עָלָיו שַׁבָּת אַחַת כְּדֵי
:שֶׁיִּשְׁמֹ ר שַׁבָּתוֹת הַרְבֵּה
5When a court sees it necessary to issue a decree, institute
an edict, or establish a custom, they must first contemplate
the matter and see whether or not the majority of the community can uphold the practice. We never issue a decree on the community unless the majority of the community can
הבֵּית דִּין שֶׁנּ ִרְ אֶה לָהֶן לִגְזֹר גְּז ֵרָ ה אוֹ לְתַקֵּן תַּקָּנ ָה.practice the uphold
אוֹ לְהַנ ְהִיג מִ נ ְהָג צְרִ יכִין לְהִתְ י ַשֵּׁב בַּדָּבָר ו ְלֵידַע תְּחִלָּה אִם רֹב הַצִּבּוּר י ְכוֹלִין
לַעֲמֹ ד בָּהֶן אוֹ אִם אֵין י ְכוֹלִין לַעֲמֹ ד. וּלְעוֹלָם אֵין גּוֹז ְרִ ין גְּז ֵרָ ה עַל הַצִּבּוּר אֶלָּא
:אִם כֵּן רֹב הַצִּבּוּר י ְכוֹלִין לַעֲמֹ ד בָּהּ
6If a court issued a decree, thinking that the majority of the
community could uphold it and after the decree was issued,
the majority of the community raised contentions and the practice did not spread throughout the majority of the
community, the decree is nullified. The court cannot compel
והֲרֵ י שֶׁגָּז ְרוּ בֵּית דִּין גְּז ֵרָ ה ו ְדִ מּוּ שֶׁרֹב הַקָּהָל.it accept to people the
י ְכוֹלִין לַעֲמֹ ד בָּהּ. ו ְאַחַר שֶׁגְּז ָרוּהָ פִּקְפְּקוּ הָעָם בָּהּ ו ְלֹא פָּשְׁטָה בְּרֹב הַקָּהָל
:הֲרֵ י זוֹ בְּטֵלָה ו ְאֵינ ָן רַשָּׁאִין לָכֹף אֶת הָעָם לָלֶכֶת בָּהּ
7Sages issued a decree and thought that it spread among the
entire Jewish people and the situation remained unchanged
for many years. After a long duration of time, another court ose and checked throughout the Jewish community and saw that the observance of this decree had not spread throughout the Jewish community, it has the authority to
negate the decree even if it is of lesser stature than the original court in wisdom and in number of adherents.מּוּ ִדְ ו רוְּ זָזגּ
שֶׁפָּשְׁטָה בְּכָל י ִשְׂרָ אֵל ו ְעָמַד הַדָּבָר כֵּן שָׁנ ִים רַ בּוֹת וּלְאַחַר ז ְמַן מְ רֻ בֶּה עָמַד
בֵּית דִּין אַחֵר וּבָדַק בְּכָל י ִשְׂרָ אֵל ו ְרָ אָה שֶׁאֵין אוֹתָהּ הַגְּז ֵרָ ה פּוֹשֶׁטֶת בְּכָל
י ִשְׂרָ אֵל. י ֵשׁ לוֹ רְ שׁוּת לְבַטֵּל ו ַאֲפִלּוּ הָי ָה פָּחוּת מִבֵּית דִּין הָרִ אשׁוֹן בְּחָכְמָה
:וּבְמִ נ ְי ָן
8Whenever a court releases two decrees, it should not rush
חו ְכָל בֵּית דִּין שֶׁהִתִּיר שְׁנ ֵי דְּבָרִ ים אַל י ְמַהֵר.decree third a release to
:לְהַתִּיר דָּבָר שְׁלִישִׁי
9A court has the authority to issue a decree and forbid something which is permitted and have its decree perpetuated for generations to come. Similarly, it has the authority – as a temporary measure – to release the Torah’s prohibitions. What then is the meaning of the Scriptural prohibitions Deuteronomy 13:1: “Do not add to it and do not detract from it”?The intent is that they do not have the
authority to add to the words of the Torah or to detract from them, establishing a matter forever as part of Scriptural Law.
This applies both to the Written Law and the Oral Law.What is
implied? The Torah states Exodus 23:19: “Do not cook a kid in its mother’s milk.” According to the Oral Tradition, we learned that the Torah forbade both the cooking and eating of milk and meat, whether the meat of a domesticated animal or the meat of a wild beast. The meat of fowl, by contrast, is permitted to be cooked in milk according to Scriptural Law.
Now if a court will come and permit partaking of the meat of a
wild animal cooked in milk, it is detracting from the Torah. And
if it forbids the meat of fowl cooked in milk saying that this is
included in “the kid” forbidden by the Scriptural Law, it is adding to the Torah.If, however, the court says: “The meat of fowl cooked in milk is permitted according to Scriptural Law.
We, however, are prohibiting it and publicizing the prohibition
as a decree, lest the matter lead to a detriment and people say: ‘Eating the meat of fowl cooked in milk is permitted, because it is not explicitly forbidden by the Torah. Similarly, the meat of a wild animal cooked in milk is permitted, because it is also not explicitly forbidden.’ “And another may come and say: ‘Even the meat of a domesticated animal cooked in milk is permitted with the exception of a goat.’ And another will come and say: ‘Even the meat of a goat is
permitted when cooked in the milk of a cow or a sheep. For
the verse mentions only “its mother,” i.e., an animal from the
same species.’ And still another will come and say: ‘Even the
meat of a goat is permitted when cooked in goat’s milk as long the milk is not from the kid’s mother, for the verse says:
“its mother.”‘ For these reasons, we will forbid all meat cooked in milk, even meat from fowl.”Such an approach is not adding to the Torah. Instead, it is creating safeguards for the Torah. Similar concepts apply in all analogous
טהוֹאִיל ו ְי ֵשׁ לְבֵית דִּין לִגְזֹר ו ְלֶאֱסֹ ר דָּבָר הַמֻּתָּר ו ְי ַעֲמֹ ד אִסּוּרוֹ.situations
לְדוֹרוֹת ו ְכֵן י ֵשׁ לָהֶן לְהַתִּיר אִסּוּרֵ י תּוֹרָ ה לְפִי שָׁעָה. מַהוּ ז ֶה שֶׁהִז ְהִירָ ה
תּוֹרָ ה (דברים יג א) ”לֹא תּוֹסִיף עָלָיו ו ְלֹא תִ גְרַ ע מִמֶּנּוּ“. שֶׁלֹּא לְהוֹסִיף עַל
דִּבְרֵ י תּוֹרָ ה ו ְלֹא לִגְרֹעַ מֵהֶן ו ְלִקְבֹּעַ הַדָּבָר לְעוֹלָם בְּדָבָר שֶׁהוּא מִ ן הַתּוֹרָ ה בֵּין
בַּתּוֹרָ ה שֶׁבִּכְתָב בֵּין בַּתּוֹרָ ה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה. כֵּיצַד. הֲרֵ י כָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָ ה (שמות כג
יט) ”לֹא תְ בַשֵּׁל גְּדִ י בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ“. מִפִּי הַשְּׁמוּעָה לָמְ דוּ שֶׁזֶּה הַכָּתוּב אָסַר
לְבַשֵּׁל ולֶאֱכל בָּשָׂר בְּחָלָב. בֵּין בְּשַׂר בְּהֵמָה בֵּין בְּשַׂר חַיָּה. אֲבָל בְּשַׂר הָעוֹף
מֻתָּר בְּחָלָב מִ ן הַתּוֹרָ ה. אִם י ָבוֹא בֵּית דִּין ו ְי ַתִּיר בְּשַׂר חַיָּה בְּחָלָב הֲרֵ י ז ֶה
גּוֹרֵ ע.ַ ו ְאִם י ֶאֱסֹ ר בְּשַׂר הָעוֹף ו ְיֹ אמַר שֶׁהוּא בִּכְלַל הַגְּדִ י ו ְהוּא אָסוּר מִ ן
הַתּוֹרָ ה הֲרֵ י ז ֶה מוֹסִיף. אֲבָל אִם אָמַר בְּשַׂר הָעוֹף מֻתָּר מִ ן הַתּוֹרָ ה ו ְאָנוּ
נ ֶאֱסֹ ר אוֹתוֹ ו ְנוֹדִ יעַ לָעָם שֶׁהוּא גְּז ֵרָ ה שֶׁלֹּא י ָבוֹא מִ ן הַדָּבָר חוֹבָה ו ְיֹ אמְ רוּ
הָעוֹף מֻתָּר מִפְּנ ֵי שֶׁלֹּא נ ִתְפָּרֵ שׁ כְָּך הַחַיָּה מֻתֶּרֶ ת שֶׁהֲרֵ י לֹא נ ִתְפָּרְשָׁה. ו ְי ָבוֹא
אַחֵר לוֹמַר אַף בְּשַׂר בְּהֵמָה מֻתֶּרֶ ת חוּץ מִ ן הָעֵז. ו ְי ָבוֹא אַחֵר לוֹמַר אַף בְּשַׂר
הָעֵז מֻתָּר בַּחֲלֵב פָּרָ ה אוֹ הַכִּבְשָׂה שֶׁלֹּא נ ֶאֱמַר אֶלָּא אִמּוֹ שֶׁהִיא מִ ינוֹ. ו ְי ָבוֹא
אַחֵר לוֹמַר אַף בַּחֲלֵב הָעֵז שֶׁאֵינ ָהּ אִמּוֹ מֻתָּר שֶׁלֹּא נ ֶאֱמַר אֶלָּא אִמּוֹ. לְפִיכְָך
נ ֶאֱסֹ ר כָּל בָּשָׂר בְּחָלָב אֲפִלּוּ בְּשַׂר עוֹף. אֵין ז ֶה מוֹסִיף אֶלָּא עוֹשֶׂה סְי ָג
:לַתּוֹרָ ה. ו ְכֵן כָּל כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּז ֶה
The universe has a beginning…. the Big Bang. Eventually it end. Humans are eternal souls with physical bodies.
When the physical ends those souls still exist. Adon Olam is beautiful.
“The L-rd of the Universe who reigned before anything was created.
When all was made by his will
He was acknowledged as King.
“And when all shall end He still all alone shall reign. He was, He is, and He shall be in glory.
“And He is one, and there’s no other, to compare or join Him.
Without beginning, without end
and to Him belongs dominion and power.
“And He is my G-d, my living G-d.
to Him I flee in time of grief,
and He is my miracle and my refuge, who answers the day I shall call.
“To Him I commend my spirit,
in the time of sleep and awakening, even if my spirit leaves, G-d is with me, I shall not fear.”
Rambam Thought
Here is how the halakhoth are presented in Yemenite
manuscripts 12:4:
ויש מן החכמים שאומרים שקודם ביאת המלך המשיח, יבוא אלייהו. וכל
אלו הדברים וכיוצא בהן–לא יידע אדם היאך יהיו, עד שיהיו: שדברים
סתומים הן אצל הנביאים. גם החכמים אין להם קבלה בדברים אלו, אלא
לפי הכרע הפסוקים; ולפיכך יש להם מחלוקת בדברים אלו .ועל כל פנים,
אין סידור הוויית דברים אלו ולא דקדוקן, עיקר בדת.
There are some Sages who say that Elijah’s coming will
precede the coming of the messiah. All these and similar
matters cannot be definitely known by man until they occur
for these matters are undefined in the prophets’ words and
even the wise men have no established tradition regarding these matters except their own interpretation of the verses.
Therefore, there is a controversy among them regarding
these matters. Regardless of the debate concerning these
questions, neither the order of the occurrence of these events
or their precise detail are among the fundamental principles
of the faith.
12:5 thematically continues:
ולעולם לא יתעסק אדם בדברי ההגדות, ולא יאריך בדברי מדרשות
האמורים בעניינים אלו וכיוצא בהן; ולא ישימם עיקר–שאינן מביאין לא
לידי אהבה, ולא לידי יראה. וכן לא יחשב הקיצין; אמרו חכמים, תפוח
דעתן של מחשבי קיצין. אלא יחכה ויאמין בכלל הדבר, כמו שביארנו.
A person should not occupy himself with the Aggadoth and
Midrashim concerning these and similar matters, nor should
he consider them as essentials, for study of them will neither
bring fear or love of G-d. Similarly, one should not try to
determine the appointed time for the messiah’s coming. Our Sages declared: “May the spirits of those who attempt to determine the time of the messiah’s coming expire!” Rather, one should await and believe in the general conception of the matter as explained.
I have cited these two halakhoth in toto, lest there be any ambiguity and so that we may easily reference them.
In 12:4 you left out the preceding clause החכמים מן ויש
.citation your from שאומרים שקודם ביאת המלך המשיח, יבוא אלייהו
This clause is important for understanding the context –
which is what your question concerns. He is discussing the
order of events in the messianic process and its details. He is
asserting that there is no firm tradition on certain aspects of
its details and its order and preoccupying one’s self with such
matters contributes nothing to proper religious development.
The Rambam is not discussing “hell” (by which I assume it
intend גיהנום Gehinnom). For the Rambam, discussion of שכר
ועונש) reward and punishment) of the world-to-come would be
off-topic here. His focus in this subsection of the sefer is the
this-worldly, political institution of monarchy. The other sections similarly concern the this-worldly political institutions of the Jewish nation (i.e. the Sanhedrin, laws of judges, testimony, etc.). It is not the after-life, it is this life. While other commentators may have merged a concept of ‘olam haba
(the world to come) with the messianic era (such as Nahmanides), that was not the approach and understanding
of the Rambam.
In 12:5 the conjunctive indicates that this halakhah in part
continues on the theme of 12:4 whose opening clause sets up the context we note above. In this halakhah he states:
ולעולם לא יתעסק אדם בדברי ההגדות, ולא יאריך בדברי מדרשות
האמורים בעניינים אלו וכיוצא בהן; ולא ישימם עיקר–שאינן מביאין לא
לידי אהבה, ולא לידי יראה.
A person should not occupy himself with the Aggadoth and
homiletics concerning these and similar matters, nor should
he consider them as essentials, for study of them will neither
bring fear or love of G-d.
Here the Rambam makes clear that he is staying on topic
(בהן וכיוצא אלו בעניינים (and warns that one should not take a
deep dive on midrash/aggadah as regards this topic (the details and timing of the this worldly messianic process) for it does not bring one to greater Ahabhah and Yirah (love and awe of G-d). This clause similarly confirms that we are not discussing ועונש שכר) reward and punishment of the world to come). Unlike discussions such as whether Elijah will come before or after a particular date, ועונש שכר are topics whose discussion does naturally produce Ahabhah and Yirah.
As based on the context, as made clear in the opening clause, the theme, and its placement in the work, it is quite evident that these two halakhoth are not about hell nor a blanket statement about Hazalic interpretations and
traditions.
The problem with the English word «soul» is that it is misleading. It was first adopted by people who had no real
understanding of the concept. The English word «soul» could reasonably apply to any one of the many elements within the
spiritual essences of the
human.
The soul of a human being is not a one-piece item. It is more of a conglomerate, or as one friend of mine put it when I explained it to her, we each have a «modular soul.» That is, there are five basic elements in each soul, and each are subdivided into various other elements. It is more complicated
than that, but that will do for a start.
At this time, I am not going to define the different various
spiritual elements of a person’s soul, nor will I explain what
each does and what each is for. That would be a major effort,
and the Internet is in any case not the medium for such a
lesson.
In brief, the lowest level of the spiritual elements, the most
physical, is the nefesh, which gives life and animation. This is
why the Torah says that «the nefesh is in the blood.» Animals
have nefesh also. Higher than that there are more spiritual elements, such as «ruach,» «neshomoh,» «chayah,» and <<yechidah,» in ascending levels.
The conglomerate of the spiritual elements of the human being are often referred to by the acronym of «naranchai,» so on occasion I will use that term, among others, even when I refer to only some of the parts of it, and not to the whole.
The naranchai is not the source of a person’s good traits, unlike the beliefs of some other religions. The naranchai is spiritual, so yes, it desires spirituality. That causes within the human the desire to reach out towards the spiritual, to fulfill the natural needs and desires of the naranchai, even as the body needs to have its needs fulfilled as well. (In Judaism we
do not «feed» the naranchai by starving the body. That would
be a sin as well.)
Good traits come from good education, a good upbringing, a
good nature, exposure to good influences, and the wisdom
and knowledge of maturity.
When a person dies, most — not all — of his spiritual essences leave his body. Some parts remain for seven days or so at the home in which he lived, which is why there is a custom that mourners walk around the block when they get up from the shivah (seven-day mourning period), to symbolically «escort» the departed away from his home, so to speak.
Some parts of a person’s spiritual essences remain at the grave for either eleven or twelve months, I forget which.
When a person dies, most of the spiritual elements leave the
body. If the person, when alive, focused primarily on spiritual
matters, and was engrossed in developing the spiritual self
through the study of Torah and the performance of the
Commandments, as well as the perfection of characteristic
traits, that person will be spiritual.
The naranchai is not affected by the person’s physical life. It
is affected by the person’s focus. In other words, a person who lived in luxury and comfort, but worked hard for spiritual matters will be spiritual. Bear in mind that success in those matters is not the issue. It is the sincere attempt to attain and do the spiritual that makes a person spiritual.
Such a person has little or no problem upon death. It means
that the person has developed his spiritual «muscles.»
If, however, a person did not do good deeds, or never attempted to perfect his characteristic traits, or never or seldom studied Torah or prayed, that person will be rooted in corporeality. A person who during his life made the physical
his primary purpose in life will have a severely underdeveloped spiritual essence. Consequently, that person will be rooted to his body even after death.
Such a naranchai will have great difficulty leaving the vicinity
of its dead body. The Midrash Tanchumah compares it to the
owner of a home that was destroyed by an accidental fire.
The owner keeps returning to the scene of the home, staring in grief at the remains and the ashes, crying over the only home he once knew.
But the person who has focused on spirituality knows (not just that the body is not the purpose of human existence, and such a naranchai is easily able to leave the vicinity of the body.
However, a «homesick» naranchai (i.e., that of a person who has lived a life focused on the physical) needs to discover
that it is still tied to the earth, when it should be moving along.
That naranchai does not notice that it has «physical» associations still attached, and that these are preventing him from moving on to the spiritual realm. In Hebrew we call those pseudo-physical attachments «klipos,» which means husks, or shells. They distract a person from the core, the essential elements of spirituality. The klipos are not created or suddenly attached to the naranchai upon death. These
associations have been made over the course of its lifetime.
This situation is curable, even though the person is dead. I
will not explain the process at this time. Suffice it to say that the method is emotionally painful. It serves to make the naracnchai aware of the problem and by bring into sharp focus the nature of the klipos and the nature of the naranchai.
The naranchain will choose to relinquish its associations to
the klipos — i.e., its physical associations. If and when the naranchai gets free of its physical
associations, the naranchai is brought before the Heavenly
Court, where a decision is made about its future. The naranchai does not go alone. As the Talmud and Midrash say, whenever we do anything good, like we study Torah, or refrain from a bad deed (to name just two examples), that
action creates an angel that testifies to that good deed. The
angel, by its nature, makes the person’s deed known.
Whenever a person does an evil deed, he creates a spiritual
entity of some sort that testifies by its very nature to the
negative deed that this person has done.
Wherever we go, we are surrounded by these entities. The
naranchai goes before the Heavenly Court surrounded and
heralded by these entities are not merely counted by the Heavenly Court.
Their very nature is examined. When we do a good deed with
full enthusiasm, we create a healthy angel. When we do a
good deed half-heartedly, we create a weak and lame angel,
commensurate with the level of our intentions. It has been said by great Rabbis that there is a great difference between doing an evil deed because you have finally, sadly, succumbed to your desires, and doing an evil deed with full
relish and joy.
Judaism has no eternal hell. That is a Christian invention, to the best of my knowledge. «The judgment of the wicked in purgatory is twelve months,» says the Talmud (Sabbath 33b).
Nevertheless, there are exceptions where one might have to go for a little longer.
Sometimes, a soul that has already been here on earth is
returned to earth and placed into the body of a child soon to be born. This happens for several reasons. The primary reason is as follows: A person has a job to do on earth. If that job is not done, the soul might have to come down to try again.
Hashem gives each soul certain strengths and certain weaknesses. Some of our weaknesses are given to us to be rectified and strengthened. Some of our weaknesses are meant to be overcome in other ways. We may have to learn to live with a problem (and everyone has problems) and learn to be happy in spite of it. Or learn and attain some other good characteristic trait. There are a myriad of permutations and possible situations. In fact, there’s one for each person alive, since no two people have exactly the same situation or the same makeup.
Sometimes a person is given a strength or advantage so that
he or she can use that to help others. The obvious example is
a person born into riches, and who can therefore help poor or
otherwise disadvantaged people. At the same time, he or she might also be born with the trait of miserliness, and must work to overcome that trait in this life. Again, this is just one example of millions.
If a person does not accomplish what he has been sent down
on earth to accomplish in his first lifetime, he might be sent down to try again. And again. And again. (I do not know if there is a limit.)
There are numerous other things that can bring someone down again. One example (of many) is someone who has died without paying back a loan or something he stole. He is sent down and given the opportunity somehow to do something for the person he owes the debt to.
And sometimes a completely righteous person with no sins is
sent down again to be a guide and teacher for others who need him or her.
If, however, the person who just died is judged to be righteous, he or she is taken to the Realm of Souls.
The Realm of Souls is a temporary place. Its purpose is to allow the naranchai to recharge its batteries, so to speak.
As long as we are on this physical world, we are unable to express the full holiness of the naranchai. This is because of the sin of Adam and Eve. When they ate from the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, without permission from Hashem, they caused this world to become much more physical than it had been. This world therefore dampens the spiritual side of the human being, and makes it difficult for us to fully blossom spiritually.
The Realm of Souls has no such preventive. The naranchai
therefore has the opportunity to grow in holiness constantly.
The Realm of Souls is not a static or boring place. It is a place of constant spiritual growth, unimpeded by physical limitations or drawbacks.
The means by which we absorb holiness in the Realm of Souls is through the study of Torah. The Torah that one is given to study in the Realm of Souls is only the Torah that he has studied in this world, though there are occasional exceptions. One exception is Torah that he has helped others learn, by, for example, supporting someone so he can study Torah, or by donating to Torah Academies so that people can study Torah. Another example is that people on this world can study Torah in the merit of the deceased, and it is considered as if the deceased has studied it himself.
Torah studied on this world, but not understood despite sincere and hard effort, is studied and finally understood in the Realm of Souls.
And there the souls await and grow, until the Resurrection.
A good source for this sort of information is a Book called The
Way of G-d, by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato, translated by
Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan of blessed memory, published by Feldheim Publishers.
Many people confuse the concepts of the Messianic Era and the World to Come, thinking that they are one and the same. They are not.
The first thing to understand is that the World to Come is not
a place, but a time. Judaism divides our existence in the universe into two times
periods: This World (Olam Hazeh), and the World to Come
(Olam Habah).
The Resurrection will take place during the World to Come,
and will involve a rebirth of the physical world. This is how it
will take place:
The world will undergo a complete cessation. There will be
only quite and desolation, and the world as we know it will cease to exist. All things will no longer be alive.
All souls will be brought to the Realm of Souls, to recharge,
so to speak. The world will be dormant for one thousand years.
Then the world will be resurrected. The world and everything in it will start to live again. Souls will be reunited with their bodies, but the reconstructed bodies will not have the same low level they now have in This World. Even the physical will have a much more elevated, holier nature to it, as it was before the sin of the Tree of Knowledge.
No longer will the body be impeded by its own materialism. No longer will the soul be impeded by the desires of the body, because the body and soul will be fully integrated, and as one will be holy.
This is what we call the World to Come, Olam Habah.
In the World to Come, says the Talmud, there will be no eating or drinking, nor any other physical needs that we know today. The righteous will sit and enjoy the splendor of the Manifestation of the holiness of Hashem, which we call the Shechinah (which is not Hashem Itself, despite the common misconceptions).
The World to Come will be forever. That is where we will
enjoy the full effects of the spiritual work we do in this world.
Many good deeds have «fruits» in this world that we can often appreciate and enjoy during our lifetimes, but the primary results and effects of our good deeds will be manifest in the World to Come.
About the World to Come not much is known. The Talmud
says that even the Prophets could not see more than dimly into the World to Come. Only Hashem knows clearly the details of it.
What about the Messianic Era? What is that?
I have described this world as being separate in time from the
World to Come. I have delineated two clear time periods:
Olam Hazeh (This World), and Olam Habah (the World to Come). The Messianic Era is a part of This World. It is not a part of the World to Come.
Sometime during the period of time called This World, the
world will begin to better itself spiritually. This will either be as
a direct result of, or it will be a prelude to, the Messianic Era.
The Messianic Era will be a better time for people in This World. The physical nature of this world will not change.
People will still die, people will still be born, but life spans will
be very prolonged. Disease will disappear entirely, pain will
be eradicated, and all the curses Adam and Eve received for
their sin will be nullified.
Women will give birth quickly and easily, without difficult pregnancies and without painful labor and childbirth.
Life will be easy, and we will no longer have to work for a living. Loaves of bread will grow on trees, and clothing will be
available at the drop of a, well, a hat, if you’ll excuse the
expression.
Our main function at that time will be the attainment of
spiritual growth. However, we will still live in the physical
world, as we do today, yet without many of the distractions we
have today. We will no longer be subject to the rule of oppressors of any kind, neither foreign or domestic. There will be no oppression, no war, and no crime anywhere on earth.
Eventually, all sin will disappear completely.
That is the Messianic Era. And it will take place during Olam
Hazeh, This World.
The Messiah will be our first king, and he will live a very long
and fruitful life, teaching the world how to attain all these
things, especially Torah.
The King Messiah, after a very long and happy life, will die.
His son will become king after him, and continue his good
work. He too, will die at a very advanced age. His son, the
grandson of the first King Messiah, will be king until This
World comes to an end, and the thousand years of desolation
begins.
All three will be «messiahs,» because the word «messiah»
(moshiach in Hebrew) simply means «anointed.» It is applied
to any king so designated by Hashem. In Isaiah 45:1 we find
that Cyrus is called Hashem’s Anointed, and he wasn’t even
Jewish! Nevertheless, we don’t call Cyrus by the title «Messiah,» simply because over the millennia that term has come to be used exclusively when we refer to the future King Messiah of the «Messianic Era.» But of course, King David was anointed, and so was King Saul. King David himself referred to King Saul as «Hashem’s Anointed» (2 Samuel
1:14, 16). We also see that King David calls King Saul’s shield «moshiach» (anointed), since King Saul used to apply oil to the leather parts of it so when will all this happen, the Messianic Era, and the time of desolation? Well, we do know something about that, but not all. The time of the Redemption — that is, the start of the Messianic Era — has intentionally been left secret. If we do not repent, it will happen at the ordained time. If we all repent and become what we should be, the Messianic Era will begin immediately. Hashem does not want us to simply sit and wait
for the pre-ordained time to come. Hashem wants us to
repent and be what Hashem created us to be. If we repent,
and become what we should be, the Messianic Era will begin before the ordained time. The ordained time is only a deadline for the coming of the Messiah. He can come earlier. It depends on us.
The original plan was that the world should last six thousand
years, to parallel the Seven Days of Creation. Two thousand
years was «void,» that is, without people fulfilling the Torah.
Two thousand years (starting from the time of Abraham) was
to be of Torah, and the final two thousand years was to be the
Messianic Era. Then the world would cease for one thousand
years, and rest like we do on the Sabbath, the seventh day of
the week. That was how it was supposed to be.
But we kept messing up. Since we keep sinning, and have not yet fully repented, the Messianic Era has not yet begun.
The middle period has gone on for much longer than the two
thousand years that it was supposed to last.
How long will the Messianic Era be, now that we have eaten
into most of the final two thousand years? Will the Messianic Era last less than two thousand years? Let’s say the Messiah comes in the year 5800 Of Creation (which will be the year 2040 C.E.). Will the Messianic Era last only 200 years?
According to Rabbi Pinchas Winston a messiah will appear
even sooner from 2026 to 2040. It seems prophesied Messiah will happen in my lifetime.
It is taught, according to some Rabbinic opinions, that the
Messianic Era will span two thousand years regardless. So,
instead of This World ending at the year 6,000 Of Creation, This World will end after two thousand years of Messianic
Era, not before.
So, let us review the time chart.
- First we have the world as we know it, as it is today.
- Then the Messiah will come, and usher in a new and
better life for all of us. - After two thousand years of that beautiful life, This
World will come to an end. The world will be dormant for onethousand years. - During the one thousand years of desolation, all souls
will be in the Realm of Souls, recharging for the purpose of
the Resurrection. - At the end of those thousand years, the Resurrection
will take place, and the World to Come will begin, and that will last forever.
Bear in mind that I have used the simplest explanation for
these concepts. The full understanding is much more
complex.
A good source for this sort of information (and the place I got most of this from) is a Book called The Way of G-d, by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato, translated by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan of blessed memory, published by Feldheim Publishers.
Yes, we do believe in the Afterlife. However, we do not
believe in an eternal hell.
Okay, first, here is the timetable in a nutshell: We now live in what we call Olam Hazeh «This World.» The last part of Olam Hazeh will begin to change at some point, and we will eventually live in what will be called the Messianic Era. For this, the Messiah has to come, the Sanhedrin (highest
Rabbinical Court) along with all subsidiary Rabbinical Courts will be reinstated, and the Holy Temple will be rebuilt (but not
necessarily in that order). All Jews will be gathered to the
Land of Israel, and there will be peace all over earth.
All Jews will know all about Judaism, and there will be no
estrangement or doubt. The Gentiles will not engage in
warfare, and no one will have the need to fear anyone else - We will all grow spiritually.
- The change I mentioned above will not be a physical change.
- Nature will not change. Our attitudes will change, and we will all be more spiritual.
- Of course, there is more to the Messianic Era, but this will do for now.
- Eventually, Olam Hazeh will come to an end, when people have perfected themselves under the guidance of the King Messiah in accordance with the teachings of the Torah and Talmud.
- The entire world will become dormant. All souls will leave this world, and reside in the World of Souls. For a thousand years all the souls will absorb pure spirituality. After a thousand years, the world will be rejuvenated, and all the souls will be brought down to earth again for the
- Resurrection.
- Then will begin what we call Olam Habah — the World to Come.
- Now, do we live in this world to gain the other? Yes and no.
- The Talmud teaches that This World has an advantage over the Next World. It is only in This World that we can serve G-d through adversity, overcome temptation, and fulfill the Commandments of G-d. The Next World is for the reward. It is only in This World that we can actually perform the Commandments.
- On the other hand, this world is only a corridor that leads to the main «banquet hall,» so to speak. The Talmud says:
- «Rabbi Yaakov says, This World is the antechamber that leads to the Next World. Prepare yourself in the antechamber so you can enter the banquet hall.»
- And then The Talmud continues: «Rabbi Yaakov also used to say, Better one hour in repentance and good deeds in this world than all the life in the World to Come. And better one hour of tranquility of spirit in the World to Come than all the life of this world.
One hour of the World to Come contains more pleasure in it
than all the pleasure of an entire life in this world. But we cannot get a share in the World to Come unless we repent in this world, for it is only in this world that we can repent and do good deeds.
But nevertheless, says the Talmud, «one should serve G-d
not like a hired worker who works for the reward, but be like a devoted servant who does not work for reward but out of love
for the master.» We are to do good not because it will give us
reward, but out of love for G-d, Who desires that we do good.
And the Talmud also says about this world:
Rabbi Akiva used to say, «Everything is given as a loan,
which we are obligated to repay. Good deeds and faith are held in trust and as repayment. The store is open, and the Merchant (i.e., G-d) gives credit. The ledger is open, and every transaction is being recorded. Whoever wants to
borrow may come and borrow. The collectors make their rounds constantly, and they take payment whether we realize it or not. Everything is done «by the book,» so to speak, and the legal procedure is always correct. Everything is prepared for the feast (i.e., the World to Come).»
It is important to understand that the best motive for keeping
the Torah and Mitzvos (Commandments) is to fulfill Hashem’s will. The next-best motive for keeping the Torah and Mitzvos is in order to come close to Hashem, and to thus become
holy. Another good motive, but certainly not as good, is to
fulfill the Torah and Mitzvos in order to get rewarded for it.
That’s obviously not the best motive, but it is an acceptable
one. It is doubtful that too many of us today actually have a better motive than that. I am sure there are a few people who have so perfected themselves that they actually have the best motive, but most of us are not able to reach that level, and it would be unhealthy to try.
One of the best ways to learn more about the things I have
written about in this article is to study a section of the Talmud
called Pirkei Avos, or Chapters of the Fathers. Some call it Ethics of the Fathers. This deals a great deal with this subject, among others. A good translation and explanation to get is the one by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, called Ethics of the Talmud, published by Moznaim Publishing Corporation.
Why is Cremation Forbidden?
By Jewish Law, we are required to bury a body, even a Gentile body, as soon as possible after death, and as close as possible to the location of death (with some exceptions).
The respect and honor we must accord the body of a niftar (someone who has passed away) is in some ways greater than the respect we might accord that person when he was alive. I am not required to drop everything I am doing or to spend all my money to support a stranger, for example.
But if I am walking in the forest, or even on a street in a city,
and I find an abandoned body lying on the ground, I am
required to take a day off from work and sink all my resources
into burying or getting that body buried properly. A live person
might be able to turn to someone else, if I need to go to work,
but a dead body cannot turn to anyone. A dead person is completely at the mercy of whoever is willing to help.
And on the other hand, doing a good deed for a dead body is
a greater deed than doing it for a live person, because there
is always the chance that the live person might pay you back.
A dead person cannot return any favors. Therefore, anything
you do for it is pure altruism, and is therefore a greater deed.
What is a body? Is a body simply a husk, merely a carbon-based organic entity with some slick programming to generate responses to sensory input? Certainly not. As Judaism explains it, the human body is the physical element in a complex and ultimately spiritual being. The human body is not simply the housing for the spiritual essences, it is part and parcel of the combined human being — a being that will ultimately exist in greater spiritual form in the World to Come, after the Resurrection. For when the World to Come begins, and we stand up at the Resurrection, we will stand up with combined body and soul, though both will be raised to a much higher spiritual level than at which we stand today.
Even if the body were only the mere housing for the spiritual
essences of the human being, that alone would grant special status to the body, and that alone would demand our gratitude and respect for the body. But the body is not merely the casing for the soul, a vessel with which to hold the soul.
The body is an integral part of the human being!
When a Torah Scroll becomes invalid and unfit for use, it is
reverently buried with full honors, because it is a holy item,
even if currently it is unusable. We must always accord it
respect for the status it once held, and it will always retain
holiness. Most nations of the world honor their veterans, because of the service they have performed in the past. They will forever be respected and praised, even when they are long past the
age when they are able to continue to perform as they did in
the army.
So too is it with the human body. The Creator gave us physical matter with which to perform the Commandments. It is through the agency of the physical that we attain the spiritual. Some cultures believe that the road to spirituality is only through isolation and meditation. While Judaism subscribes to occasional isolation and meditation, the primary road to holiness is the use of the physical for spiritual
purposes. When we pray, what do we use? We use our mouths, and of course our thoughts. When we give charity, what do we use? We use our hands, and of course our
emotions. So is it with all good deeds.
And thus, we owe a great debt to our bodies. Our bodies allow us to attain the holiness that the Creator has prepared for us.
And it is not simply our souls that attain that holiness. Would
it be fair for the body to do work and not receive reward? No,
for when we do any good deed, our physical bodies actually
attain holiness through that deed.
How, then, can we commit an act of desecration, of sacrilege, by burning a body, as if it has no meaning or importance to
us?
So important is the respect we are required for a dead body, that the Torah forbids a body to remain unburied overnight — even if it is the body of a convicted criminal! The Torah commands that the body of a criminal who has received capital punishment must not be allowed to remain unburied overnight. If the Torah is so particular about a man who has used his body to sin, all the more so for people who have
never committed criminal offenses!
We are required to allow the body to decompose. The Torah commands that we do not embalm a body, that we use only
the plainest of pine coffins, and that we always bury under the
ground. Perhaps we are required to return to the soil that which has come from the soil. «You are dust, and to dust you shall return,» says the Torah (Genesis 3:19).
Perhaps, I wonder, if it could be that we must allow the body
to do one last good deed, all by itself, without even the aid of
the soul that gives it life. This is the only good deed that a body can do alone, and perhaps that good deed gives it that extra bit of merit and holiness that affords its Resurrection.
Thus, we are commanded to allow the body to give to the earth elements that will enrich the soil, that will allow the earth itself to rejuvenate, in a sense to resurrect, and will further the
growth of life on earth. The death of a body can, that way, bring about life on earth.
When a body is cremated, the ashes will also eventually
degenerate, but they will never offer the earth what a dead
body can offer the earth. Perhaps that is another reason we are forbidden to cremate a body. But that is just my own suggestion, not a statement found in Jewish Law.
While this is not the reason for burial, it is often a comfort to
the living, and another way to keep alive the memory of those
who have passed on.
It is our fervent prayer that all pain and suffering in the world forever, and wipe the tears off all faces, and put an end to His
people’s shame throughout the earth. . .» (Isaiah 25:8).
Let me preface by pointing out that Judaism does not need explicit verses in the Scriptures to support a doctrine. All of our Doctrine is revealed in the Oral Law even more than it is revealed in the Written Law. That is how it has always been. Still, everything in the Oral Law is at least alluded to in the Written Law. However, that does not mean that one can always cite the Written Law as proof of a Doctrine of Judaism.
The Torah gives us 613 Commandments and tells us to do
good and not to do evil. This means that it is within our power
to do either type of act. The Prophets throughout Jewish history exhorted Israel to mend their ways, to do good, to
improve, to repent.
The Torah tells us that even though we have the ability to do
evil, we should not do evil. We should do good. The Torah
tells us we have the ability to do good, as I shall attempt to
show, with G-d’s help.
This does not mean, by the way, that we have the ability and
power to do anything we want. Nor does it mean that G-d lets
us do every sin we want to do, or every good deed. Sometimes we are prevented from doing the actual act. Yet we have the ability to choose which we will attempt to do. A man in a wheelchair can still choose good, and attempt—or at least desire—to do good, even if it is beyond his physical
means. Or he can turn bad, and decide that if he ever gets
the chance he will do every evil deed he can think of. And we do not always even have free will to obey G-d’s Commandments. Sometimes we have no choice in the matter at all. Sometimes we are prevented from doing a good deed we desire and plan to do. Nevertheless, G-d counts every
good intention as a good act.
And sometimes it is not the act over which we have control,
but only over our emotions and desires. That is, we may be
forced to fulfill a particular Commandment, but how we approach it is entirely our own decision. We may approach it
with joy, and the desire to fulfill G-d’s Command, or with annoyance at the «interruption.»
It is a detailed and complex concept.
There are matters that are left up to the control of each individual. For example, whether or not any of us chooses to fear G-d. That is entirely up to each individual, in almost every situation. There are times, however, that a person can
abrogate that right, by sinning in such a fashion that G-d decrees that this person will never again be granted the opportunity to repent. This is very extreme, however, and not the norm.
The point of all this is to show that free will is a complex and
varied thing.
As for verses, Maimonides quotes a few on this matter. I shall
not quote Maimonides verbatim, but in my own words, using
Maimonides’ concepts.
The first verse Maimonides quotes is, «Man has now become
like one of us in knowing good and evil» (Genesis 3:22). We
see from this that man knows the difference between good
and evil. Maimonides continues, and explains that humanity has free will in deciding whether or not to be righteous or wicked. G-d
does not pre-ordain a person’s goodness, nor predetermine
whether s/he will be righteous or wicked. Maimonides quotes
Jeremiah, in the third Chapter of Lamentations:
It is not from on high that evil and good emanate. Thus, of what shall a living man complain? A strong man [should complain] over his own sins! Let us therefore search and examine our ways and return to Hashem.
— Lamentations 3:38-40
In other words, since it is not G-d Who causes sin, but mankind, humanity is thus to blame for its own sins. A man should therefore examine his deeds until he has found all his sins, and he should repent and return to Hashem.
This would be impossible, illogical, and irrelevant, if mankind did not have free choice. But since we have free will, we have the responsibilities of free will. The evil and good people do
does not come from on high, but from the free will of mankind. Therefore, people should do good, not evil. They should not complain to G-d of evil that befalls them. Yes, G-d causes the punishment, but it comes because of the sins of the people themselves.
Maimonides also quotes Deuteronomy:
See, I have set before you today life and good, and death
and evil. I have commanded you today to love Hashem your
G-d, to walk in his paths, and to keep His Commandments,
Decrees, and Laws. You will then live and flourish, and Hashem your G-d will bless you…
But if your heart turns astray, and you do not listen… I am warning you today that you will be exterminated…
I call heaven and earth as witnesses. Before you I have
placed life and death, the blessing and the curse. You must choose life, so that you and your descendants will live.
— Deut. 30:15-19
And Maimonides quotes:
You can therefore see that I am placing before you both a blessing and a curse. The blessing is obeying the Commandments of Hashem your G-d, which I am prescribing to you today. The curse is if you do not obey the
Commandments of Hashem your G-d, and you go astray
from the path that I am prescribing for you today, following the gods of others, which you have not known.
— Deut. 11:26-28
And finally:
Who can assure that their hearts will remain this way, that they will remain in such awe of me? If they did, they would keep my Commandments for all time, and all would go well with them and their children forever.
— Deut. 5:26-27
In this verse, G-d is telling Moses, «I wish they would always then everything would always be good for them. But there is no guarantee that they will continue to fear me and continue to do only good things.»
This verse alone proves that G-d has given humanity free will.
If G-d has pre-ordained who shall be righteous and who shall be wicked, who shall obey and who shall disobey, then why did G-d tell Moses that there is no guarantee that Israel will continue to obey? Let G-d simply ordain that Israel obey!
Instead, G-d says that there is no guarantee they will obey,
because sin is tempting, but if they obey G-d it will be good
for them.
This is obvious and logical.
And though Maimonides does not mention it, as far as I know,
I add of my own accord the following verse, that which G-d
told Cain:
If you do good, will there not be special privilege? And if you
do not do good, sin is crouching at the door. It lusts after you, but you can dominate it.
— Genesis 4:7
This is a clear statement, I believe, that we have control over
sin, that we have free will to do good and reject sin. To believe otherwise in the context of the Torah seems to me illogical.
Often, what happens to a person is predetermined, but how
you will react is usually your choice.
There is going to be two resurrections
See Derech Hashem 1:3 and 2:2, Maamar HaIkkarim Ch. 8
The first general resurrection, in the days of Moshiach, is in order to bring every single person who ever lived back to be judged, along with their whole nation.
Then, most people will die again by the Jewish year of 6000,
because this world needs to undergo a change in order to
prepare it to be “Olam Haba”. Some particularly righteous
people will stay and grow wings and fly above the world as it
undergoes this change (through a mabul, see Sanhedrin 92b).
Then after 1000 years, the world will have become Olam
Haba, and there will be a final resurrection for all those that
merit it.
I believe this opinion that the Ramchal brings is based on the
Arizal, who said this is the correct opinion of the many opinions on this matter, and much of the Ashkenazi, Sefardi and Chassidic orthodox communities have accepted his opinion.
Reasons Why Some Souls Will Need More Time In Gehinom
We live in what is called This World(הזה עולם(. This is the time
period which spans the current 6,000 year window, when a
soul is dressed in a physical and material body for the purpose of laboror work.
At the end of ones lifespan (however long that term may be),
their soul departs from that physical and material body and
ceases to be unclothed within it.
That process is what is described as death (being dead).
What are described as the five elements of the soul (Nefesh
(or Living Soul, because it is the interface between the material, physical world and the Spiritual realm), Ruach, Neshamah, Chayah and Yechidah) separate for most people and enter into what is called the World of Souls (הנשמות עולם(.
When the Nefesh separates from the other soul elements, that individual loses the ability to interact with This World (הזה עולם(. This is what is truly meant in Torah literature by the term death.
In this context, it is worth noting that there are a select few individualsת who because of their unique soul quality, do not
experience this separation of their five soul elements when it
separates from their physical, material body. Even after their
soul leaves their material body, entering the World of Souls
(הנשמות עולם(, they continue to have the ability to interact and
affect This World (הזה עולם(. These are the individuals who are said to never die or to ascend alive, like Chanoch ben Yered, Yaacov Avinu and Eliyahu HaNavi.
In that initial (12 month period) year when the soul separates
from the physical, material body, there is a process of judgement or assessment, which determines the next stage of spiritual development for that individual.
If the lifespan of that individual (the time when that soul was
dressed within its physical, material body) is judged meritorious, that soul ascends within the World of Souls to
what is called Gan Eden (characterized by peace, tranquility, harmony, pleasure and non-violence) and its various stages. There are broad, general categories referred to as the Lower Gan Eden and the Upper Gan Eden, but in texts that discuss
this in more detail, it refers to 3,000 levels which correspond
to the 3,000 allegories of Shlomo HaMelech. That each allegory is a level and kind of concealment of the true nature of G-d, a Hiding of His Face, so to speak.
If the lifespan of that individual is judged lacking, that soul descends within the World of Souls to what is called Gehinom
(גיהנם) which has a connotation of violence (חמס(. This is the first descent to Gehinom. It is also associated with the ideas of humiliation and embarrassment which are connected with the heat of fire. According to the teaching from Ramban, there
are five general levels to this domain in the World of Souls. It
is worth noting that this is not speaking about actual violence,
but relating to the quality of the lifespan that was lived by that
individual while dressed in their physical, material body.
Both the Gan Eden consequence and the Gehinom consequence are the proper and appropriate result from the assessment of that particular soul at the conclusion of its lifespan, measure for measure. and that consequence is
intended by the Creator only for the good of that particular
soul and to its benefit and ultimate improvement.
The Torah sorts these individuals of the Human Race into two
general groups, those who are called the Children of Israel.
The Torah says that in general, the Children of Israel, for a
variety of reasons, conclude their individual lifespans with an
assessment of overall merit. As a consequence, those souls ascend to some level of Gan Eden. This is why, for example, that Kaddish is not recited for a full 12 months for any Jew.
Because their lifetime assessment is found to be meritorious
by the 11th month at the latest.
Among the Children of Noach, there are some whose individual lifespan is assessed as meritorious. They are called
the Righteous of the Gentile Nations (העולם אומות חסידי (and
similar to the Children of Israel, ascend to their appropriate
levels of Gan Eden. Some from this category are assessed
as lacking and descend to Gehinom in this World of Souls for an additional process of soul refinement. (It is important to
note that as used here, ascent and descent are describing the experience of individual closeness to the Creator.) This is
what is referred to in some places within Torah as Immersion
in a River of Fire, similar to the idea of smelting and refining
metal. This is what is discussed, for example, in the prophesy
of Daniel, chapter 2.
Toward the end of the 6,000 year time period the Torah
teaches that there is a spiritual reassessment which is
called the Great and Awesome Day of Judgement.
At this time is the period of the general resurrection of the
dead, when both those who were initially judged as meritorious and those who were judged lacking will be resurrected. This period of resurrection includes both the Children of Israel and the Children of Noach, both those who were elevated to Gan Eden and those who descended to
Gehinom.
All those who were initially assessed as meritorious will
remain meritorious, but will be assessed for their spiritual,
soul accomplishments that have occurred in Gan Eden.
Additional accomplishments from this will be rewarded with
increased elevation and closeness to the Creator.
For the Children of Israel, their final assessment will included both a reward for the soul and a reward for their bodies. This
is because of the nature of the commandments that they
were tasked with, both positive and negative commandments.
Their positive commandments pertain the their bodies, while
their negative commandments pertain to the soul.
For the Children of Noach, their elevation and final
assessment is for they soul only. This is because the quality and nature of their commandments are only negative/prohibitive. There are positive acts, like charity and acts of kindness that they can perform for their final benefit, but they are not commandments, so the nature of their benefit is different and spiritual only, not bodily.
Among the Children of Noach who were original assessed as
lacking and judged to descend to the state of Gehinom (the Smelting/Refinement Process), they will have a final assessment over their efforts during that continued refining period. It will be determined what they have achieved toward additional, individual refinement, improvement and elevation
and whether their best ultimate reward is a state of eternal
refinement and improvement or an elevation to some mixture
of the Gan Eden level. Each individuals final assessment is
only for their good and their ultimate closeness to the Creator.
For some, their best and eternal final reward state will be one
in the state of Gehinom, perpetual and continuous refinement. Those who are judged this way return to
Gehinom. That is how they best experience a closeness to the Creator.