The Afterlife in Judaism

What happens to us after we die? Do heaven and hell exist in Judaism? Like most other religious matters, the answer is complicated...

[storba]

Pretty sure the book of Daniel says "Some (the dead) will awaken to everlasting life. Some will awaken to everlasting to contempt."

[sholemyontif]

This is inaccurate. The Rambam and the Saadia Gaon didnt disagree on afterlife, they gave descriptions of different attributes of the afterlife. Secondly the Rambam did not say that the souls of the evil are simply destroyed, as he affirmed Rosh HaShana 17a’s words on those who sin with their bodies. Please do not spread inaccuracies about our religion to Muslims.

[hannahblumenstock]

I’ve always lived with a comfort in believing a righteous person can only die once a righteous person is born. I don’t particularly believe in Heaven, but that view always gave me some peace 💙

[fluffythepitbull]

When talking about an essential point of belief or doctrine, it is correctly described as a "TENET" of the faith. A "TENANT" is a person who rents property.

[gabegringo]

Sheol (translated as Hades in the LXX Septuigint) was the afterlife in the Tanakh (Old Testament). It is not well defined but is clearly an Underworld type of existence similar to most ANE peoples. It is mentioned 65 times in the OT, thus, a pretty significant theological concept to ancient Hebrews.

[Farlomous]

if there is no afterlife, then what would be the point of anything???

[chaficq]

Islam talked about after life in details.

[GeneralKenoobi]

Something important to note, according to Judaism, if someone does go to hell (which we believe that everybody does even for a little bit, seeing as no one is sin free, not even the greatest sage), the maximum they can be there is 12 months. In fact Judaism if someone loses a parent, the male offspring say a special prayer for the soul of the deceased multiple times during every prayer session for 11 months after the person passed away. The reason we only say it for 11 months is because we don't ever want to believe that our parent was so bad that they needed to be there for the full 12 months. The only time someone would end up in hell for eternity is if they're the scum of the earth (think the Stalin's, hitlers, and Jeffery Epstein's of the world. And yes Jeffery was Jewish. But we do not claim him as one of our own)

[BerlinerOmar]

Love the idea of people will have perfect bodies, , so I might finally get six pack 😂

[mimiluka]

That is very deep İ like it
Thank you for you work İ appreciate this

[mingo]

No one goes to Heaven unless they profess Jesus Christ as Messiah.

[BonnieBurton-gfgn]

Thank you, Jesus, for being my Lord and savior 😢❤

[PassingWayfarer]

Wow didn't know that. I thought all the abrahamic religions believed life after death?

[ryannoe]

I’m Christian and am curious. How do Jews regard Flavius Josephus? He wrote a discourse on Hades to the Greeks and explains it pretty thoroughly.

[shuzuma]

The Bible and the Torah are the only existing religious beliefs that have real historical evidence 🤷🏾

[NoName-vlgr]

Jesus came back from death to tell us what happens after death. He said follow Me, do I am the light, the way and the life. He believes on Him will have eternal life. Those who are born of water and of Spirit.

[d.l.l.]

Revelation 20:12 “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”

[bobbybrooks]

Simply vanish = Oblivion..., And, if souls just vanish like animals then you can ask why they exist in the first place..., You would have to say then that it's necessary for living creatures to have a soul...

[sameka]

gehinnom = Jahannam (arabic), Gan eden = Jannatul Adn (arabic)

[Suleiman]

I don't understand. If Jews are unsure what happens after we die, what do they believe happened? Do they believe God did not inform any of the many prophets He sent to guide humanity and especially the Jewish people what happens after we die? Or He did, but they didn't pass on His message faithfully? Or they did, but the Jewish community did not preserve their message faithfully? Or they did, but so many false opinions were mixed with them that the truth of the matter can no longer be discerned?