Basics of Judaism
- Basic Values and Morality
- Chosen People
- G-d and Torah
- Heaven and Hell
- Other Denominations
- Reward and Punishment
- Science and Torah
- Sin and Repentance
- The Messiah
- Who is a Jew?
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What Happens after Death?
What happens after a person dies? The soul is believed to stay near the body for a few days after death, and then go to the next world to be judged. After death the soul returns to G-d (Koheles 12:7).…
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Near-Death Experiences
Do near-death experiences give glimpses of the next world? Near-death experiences seem to relate to the transition between this world and the next world, not to the next world itself. The Biblical Sheol too seems to be a transitional place;…
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The Afterlife
What do the Jews believe about the afterlife? Answer: The Jewish beliefs about the afterlife involve two ideas: (1) that people are rewarded or punished as soon as they die (or perhaps a year later; see Shab.152b); (2) that when…
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Ezekiel Ch. 20
What is the meaning of Ezekiel 20:24-26? The Targum interprets verses 24 and 25 as follows: Because they rebelled against My Word… I put them under the control of their foolish inclinations, so they went and practiced inappropriate laws and…
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Psalm 22
What is Psalm 22 referring to? Psalm 22 is about a person who is crying out to G-d to save him from the taunts and torments of his enemies, and (in the last ten verses) thanking G-d for rescuing him.…
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A Handsbreadth and a Cubit
How long are a handsbreadth and a cubit? A handsbreadth is a little over 3 inches long. A cubit is about 20 inches long, i.e. over a foot and a half.
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The Great Stone of Abel
What is the “stone of Abel” in 1 Samuel 6:18? The verse reads “To the great Evel, on which they rested the Ark of Ha-Shem”. The Aramaic translation (Targum) and Rashi’s commentary take “Evel” to be a variant spelling of…
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Impurity after Giving Birth
Why is the period of impurity after giving birth to a girl twice as long as for a boy? The commentaries say that carrying and giving birth to a girl has a greater effect on the mother, from which it…
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When was the Bible Canonized?
When did the Jewish Bible become canonical? The canonization of the Jewish Bible was not finalized until around 100 CE; but only a few of the books, such as the Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes, had doubtful status as late…