Do Jews believe in an afterlife?

Answer by a religious Jew

Jews believe in multiple phases of an afterlife.

After a Jew dies his soul goes to heaven where it is judged how well it kept the 613 commandments (or 7 Noahide laws, if the person isn't Jewish.)

The person will then spend time in a fiery hell (Gehinom) for up to 11 months, to cleanse his soul of the blemishes caused by sinning.

The soul then goes to heaven - where it enjoys pure spiritual bliss. The intensity of the joy depends on the quality of his observance while alive.

^{(Unless the person committed one of the sins for which his soul gets "destroyed"; whether this means eternal hell or actual destruction is a matter of debate.)}

At the end of days - which could be when Messiah comes or some time after that - there will be a miraculous resurrection of the dead. ^{_{According to Jewish tradition the body doesn't decompose fully; a tiny fragment of bone from the neck is indestructible. From this bone the body will once again grow and all people who ever lived will once again come back to life and reunited with their souls. (They will be fully clothed and look like they did at the prime of their life.)}}

Then will be the great day of reckoning after which the wicked will be destroyed and the righteous will live forever. (What kind of "life" is a matter of dispute; either life as we know it or else more the type of life like in the Garden of Eden before Adam's sin.)

^{Those who lend money with forbidden interest, or who do not believe in the resurrection of the dead will not be resurrected.}

The above is based on articles 11 and 13 of the 13 Principles of Jewish faith as codified by the Rambam:

• Article 11: Reward of good and retribution of evil:
  To believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His Name, rewards those that keep His commandments and punishes those that transgress them.
• Article 13: The resurrection of the dead:
  To believe with perfect faith that there will be a revival of the dead at the time when it shall please the Creator.

Answer

Job 7:9; "As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more."

Answer

I have found this site most helpful: www.AskMoses.com

They have this answer: Simply put, yes--but what we believe in might better be called "life after life." The belief in an eternal life is one of the basic teachings of Judaism. As a matter of fact, Maimonides (a foremost Jewish philosopher and expert of Jewish Law) included this belief in his Thirteen Principles of Jewish Faith.

The Jewish soul is "G-dly," meaning it is invested with an infinite quality that is not subjected to the limitations of time and space, just as G-d Himself is. According to Jewish belief, it is only the body that dies, while the soul lives on into eternity.

Where does the soul go after death?

This question implies travel and movement, which only exist in this physical universe. So, the soul "goes," if that can be said at all, to a "place"--a state of existence--that is completely drenched in Divine Radiance, unlike our current existence. Here, G-dliness is hidden. There, G-dliness is manifest. In Judaism, this place is called the World to Come, while life on Planet Earth is referred to as "This World." After death, then, the soul goes to the World to Come.

Our souls' eternal life makes it so important for us to maximize our time in this world. Because the amount of radiance the soul is capable of absorbing in the World to Come is directly proportionate to the spiritual acts performed by the soul in This World. It's kind of like taking a test--the more you study, the better you do.

To prepare our souls for the World to Come, we study Torah and perform mitzvot. These spiritual acts feed and nourish our souls. However, we do not study the Torah or perform mitzvot merely to earn a reward in the World to Come--this is seen as selfish.

In summation, the question may be rephrased: do Jews believe in death? And the answer, ultimately speaking, is "no." For a fundamental part of Jewish belief is Moshiach, a state of existence in which the World to Come and This World will merge, restoring our dear departed loved ones to robust life and wiping physical death away forever.

Answer

Jews traditionally believe in an afterlife, but the focus of the Jewish religion is on life on earth and interactions between people, following God's laws, etc. This is a main difference between Judaism and Christianity, which is obsessed with an afterlife.

Answer

"Do Jews believe in an afterlife?"

My knowledge is rather weak in the teachings of Judaism. However the little I know concerning the theory of afterlife among Jews is that they do believe human existence goes beyond physical death although the primary focus is the here and now as oppose to afterlife .

There is a degree of belief among more Orthodox Jews concerning reincarnation and the coming of the Messiah when the souls of the righteous will be resurrected.

I recall hearing something from my Jewish friends about wicked souls ceasing to exist beyond this life. One of the greatest proverbs among the Jewish people is about the wicked being ""cut off from his people."

First answer by Laurap. Last edit by Doniels. Contributor trust: 224 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 68 [recommend question]