Judaism & Beliefs About the Afterlife (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062))
Revision Note
Written by: Glenn Millington
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Ideas in Judaism About Life After Death
Judaism does have ideas about an afterlife but does not have a single, agreed-upon teaching about life after death
Life on earth is viewed as preparation and there is a focus on what happens in this life rather than the next:
The Mishnah teaches Jews that life on earth is preparation for Olam ha-ba, “the world to come”, which many Jews look forward to
“This world is like a lobby before the Olam Ha Ba. Prepare yourself in the lobby so that you may enter the banquet hall” (Pirkei Avot 4:21)
The term Olam ha-ba can be used to refer to the afterlife as well as the Messianic Age on earth
Jewish people believe in life after death because it is written in the Torah and because it gives life meaning and purpose
Rosh Hashanah is sometimes called the Day of Judgement as Jews think about their deeds over the last year:
God is a God of justice and mercy and is a judge of how the duties of the Torah are followed
At the festival of Rosh Hashanah, God judges every person
Judaism & Judgement
Many Jews believe that God judges how good or bad people have been in order to decide their destiny in the afterlife
“God will bring every deed into judgement … whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14)
Jewish people who believe in God’s judgement believe the decision on whether they should be rewarded or punished is based on how well they have followed the Mitzvot
There are different views among Jews as to what happens on the Day of Judgement
Many Orthodox Jews believe that the Day of Judgement, or Yawm ad-Din, will occur after the coming of the Messiah:
Orthodox Jews believe that after they die, each person’s physical body will be resurrected
“Your dead will come to life” (Isiah 26:19)
“Many will awaken, some to everlasting life, some to shame” (Daniel 12:2)
Therefore, cremation and any action that changes the body after death, like autopsy, is forbidden
Orthodox Jews refer to resurrection daily in their prayers and also at funerals
Some Jews, including some Reform Jews who do not accept the idea of a Messiah, believe that they will be judged as soon as they die:
Reform Jews believe that only the soul will be resurrected. The body is not needed because in life it was simply a container for the soul
The references to resurrection have been taken out of the prayer books (siddur) for Reform Judaism
Others believe they will be judged twice: firstly by God when they die, and secondly by the Messiah on the Day of Judgement
Some Jews believe that on the Day of Judgement, everyone will be resurrected so that they can be judged:
They find evidence for this in the Book of Daniel:
“Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake; some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2)
Others believe that only those who are morally good will be resurrected and that hell exists as punishment for those who have not lived righteous lives
Judaism, Sheol, Gehinnom and Gan Eden
Most Orthodox Jews believe that people who follow the laws given by God will be sent to Heaven after their body dies. However, there is no exact description of Heaven in Jewish scripture
The Talmud does speak of Olam ha-ba in connection to the afterlife, and sometimes uses the term Gan Eden (the Garden of Eden), referring to a heavenly realm where souls reside after physical death
The term Gan Eden to describe heaven suggests a return to the blissful existence of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden before the “fall”
Others see it as a place of sunshine where people of all nations will sit and eat together when the peaceful Messianic Age comes
Many Jews believe that people may experience pain and suffering in this world but that the afterlife will be free of misery
Others believe that Gan Eden is not necessarily a physical place but instead is a state of consciousness or a place where the soul feels close to God
It is believed that the virtuous will be reunited with loved ones and that their souls will live on
Jews who have lived a sinless life will be sent straight to Gan Eden. However, it is possible that souls could be sent to Sheol or Gehinnom (or Gehenna)
Sheol is a place of waiting where souls are cleansed and purified and is similar to the Catholic view of purgatory
Gehinnom is a place to be punished and a place of torment
“For the grave shall not thank You, nor shall death praise You; those who descend into the pit shall not hope for Your truth” (Isiah 38:18)
Those who believe in life after death may hold differing views about whether or not there exists a place for eternal punishment
Some believe that the souls of those who have committed serious acts of evil - for example, murder, will never move on from this place of torment as they cannot be changed for the better
Judaism life after death
Worked Example
Explain two ways in which belief about life after death influences Jews today
(4 marks)
Answer:
One way it influences Jews is that they believe that they will face Judgement Day when they die and so they will try and live their lives according to the Hebrew Bible (2 marks)
Another way is that some Jews believe in bodily resurrection and so because the body is still important after death, they will not cremate any of their bodies (2 marks)
Examiner Tips and Tricks
It is important to realise that there are a variety of different views within Judaism about some aspects of what happens when you die
Avoid sentences like “Jewish people believe…” unless you are certain that your response includes information which relates to all Jews (for example, judgement)
Remember that the more traditional views are those from the Orthodox and Ultra-Orthodox communities, and the views of Reform or Liberal Jews have developed over time and reflect changes to society in general
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