Do Jews believe in Hell?

[Fairfre]

To add: I understand the story of "The Fall" in the Garden of Eden,but why would new souls need purification?

'Olam HaBa', the Next World, exists beyond time. Once this universe ends, after infinity, Olam HaBa will be. This isn't a simple truth and it's a totally different discussion.

Every person is born Pure. Throughout their lives they are made impure by performing misdeeds and can purify themselves through repentance. Cycles may repeat themselves due to misdeeds by ancestors or previous lives but a person is not made impure by these cycles unless they repeat them.

If a person dies with impurities they may choose to reincarnate. If so, they are born with a clean slate but will have many challenges to overcome based on their misdeeds in previous lives.

This whole cycle began after the fall of Adam. This Original Sin has not yet been rectified for the whole world and each of us as individuals will eventually be faced with a facet of that challenge. On top of that, every generation since Adam with few exceptions has added to the pool of misdeeds, thus causing greater and greater quantities of hurdles for succeeding generations to face. Again, even though the amount of challenges has been increased every person is still born pure and can potentially finish their lives with a clean and clear slate.

[Morpheus]

"Jewish Views of the Afterlife

... below are some of the possible responses that have emerged over the centuries.


http://judaism.about.com/od/judaismbasics/a/Afterlife-In-Judaism-Jewish-Beliefs.htm

What is interesting about the last part, Gan Eden, is something in the, 'Book of Revelation, in the New Testament written, where Yeshua states that those,
"...who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.'

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
http://bible.cc/revelation/2-7.htm

Now, we know that in Genesis, the Tree of life was in the Garden of Eden, and that, part of the situation of, "The Fall" involved Adam and Eve being forbidden to partake of the, "Tree of Life", and hence, decay and death comes into the whole world.
A question might be, "why"?
Why all of the world... and not just say, to Adam and Eve, or, humanity alone...?

This pertains to what the world really is, and as I've been addressing in my, "Matrix", thread in the Inter-faith
sub forum.

This also aligns with Yeshua's statement, about how, "The kingdom of God is within you"... as well, His statements equating the Angelic with Humanity... and, of course the excellent illustration of the Wachowski's flick, "The Matrix"
Which is an interpretation of what modern Physics is sharing also, since Einstein. (A Jew).
Who famously stated, "Reality is an illusion, albeit a very persistant one."

Not to mention, Far Eastern teachings, regarding, "Maya".

A Consensus, at YouTube...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRkDicwjRQs&NR=1&feature=endscreen

Edited by SF Staff

[Jameyson72]

The answer to this question would depend on which Jews you asked. Most Jews believe in Olam Ha-Ba, or the World to Come, but there are many different views as to what exactly this is.

Because the primary emphasis in Judaism is on the here and now, there is little emphasis on the afterlife in most Jewish synagogues.

The place of spiritual reward for the righteous is often referred to in Hebrew as Gan Eden, or the Garden of Eden, though this is not the same place where Adam and Eve were. Because this is a place of "spiritual perfection", only the most righteous go directly to Gan Eden; the rest of us go to Gehinnom (Yiddish Gehenna) to be punished and purified.

Some Jews believe in reincarnation, while others, especially Reconstructionists, believe we cease to exist when we die.

[Morpheus]

Here is the thing, which is interesting. The Eden in the scriptures is a Heavenly one. In that time, aging and decay came into being after the Fall.
There is indication that none of this was a factor before the Fall. And, the "curse" wasn't merely particular to humanity, regarding aging and decay. But to all organic life.


We read about how the descendants lived for hundreds of years after tje banishment from the Garden. Which lifespans gradually reduce after the Flood.

What does modern Physics have to say about Time? Also (material) "Reality"? Doesn't actually exist.