Heaven and Hell
-
Condemned Souls?
What sin would someone have to commit for their soul to be condemned? Answer: Thank you for your question. In Judaism we don’t believe that a person’s soul is “condemned”. A soul is very pure, and is very much a…
-
Soul Talk & Dimentia
Someone in our family has had Dementia for quite a while and is not well. At this time she’s talking as if she is leaving us. Is there such a thing as Neshama (Soul) Talk? Answer: You have made a…
-
Reincarnation and Resurrection
The concept of a reincarnation intrigues me. What does it mean to have had a previous life? Is it mentioned in the Torah at all or is it just a superstition? Also, if my soul has been used more than…
-
Animals and Immortality
Do animals experience eternity at any level including animals that fulfilled their mission in this world? Answer: There are essentially two categories that govern all of creation: the spiritual and the physical. Angels are entirely spiritual, animals are entirely physical.…
-
Animals, Spirit, and Reincarnation
I recently had to put my service dog to sleep. What is Judaism’s position on the souls of our animals and how we dispose of their bodies after death? Answer: The Kabbalah recognizes two separate issues which shed light on…
-
Biblical Reference to the Afterlife
What specifically does the Torah say about the afterlife? Thank you very much for your question. Interestingly, there are no explicit references to the afterlife in the Written Torah. Many commentaries offer various reasons why this is so. However, the…
-
What Happens After Death?
I recently lost my father. I would like to know what happens to the person from the moment the heart stops. I was with him when he died and I kept on thinking, but where has he gone? I’m truly…
-
What Does Heaven Look Like?
I’m working on a sketch project in which we are being asked to create an image of what we think “the gates of Heaven” look like. Being Jewish, I am interested in contemplating this question from Jewish perspective. What can…
-
Afterlife and the Pine Coffin
I never understood what the jewish belief is about the afterlife. I’ve heard that Jews were to be buried in a plain pine box so that a return to life would be that much easier (as opposed to an impenetrable…