What is the Jewish view on the World to Come?

[Harmonious]

Originally Posted by Yid613

This may be the bases for what you posted. Where did you find it?

It has been a while since I did a lot of learning on the topic, but I know that of most recent vintage of my learning, some of it comes from
Mourning In Halachah:The laws and customs of the year of mourning.
By Rabbi Chaim Binyamin Goldberg

and more of it comes from The Jewish Way in Death and Mourning (Revised and Expanded Edition) by Maurice Lamm.

If a person dies before rectifying elements of his soul it will be kept in a "happy place" until he can reincarnate and rectify them. It seems that reincarnation is preferable to Gehinnom for someone who is mostly good as he will add to his merit. Gehinnom is preferred for some who is mostly evil as he would only add to his sins.

Thank you for adding that.

[Heneni]

Does this mean that the jews believe in reincarnation?

[Harmonious]

Originally Posted by Heneni

Does this mean that the jews believe in reincarnation?

Yes, we do. It isn't a common occurance, from what I've been taught, but yes, we believe it.

[Random]

Originally Posted by Harmonious

Yes, we do. It isn't a common occurance, from what I've been taught, but yes, we believe it.

You answered this in respect of the question "Do Jews believe in reincarnation?"

I am curious as to what you mean by the part of your answer, "It isn't a common occurance...".

Did you mean reincarnation is not a common occurence, or that it is not commonly taught in the Orthodox tradition..? Just to clarify please, if you could...

Gilgul - this is the Jewish term for reincarnation, no? You Jews are lucky, our Christian priests were so drunk with power they thought to instruct believing Christians that there was no such thing as reincarnation, and deliberately removed clear references made by Jesus to the phenomena from the New Testament - something the Church in Rome has had to apologize for recently...

BTW, Harmonious, very interesting thread.

[Harmonious]

Originally Posted by Random

You answered this in respect of the question "Do Jews believe in reincarnation?"

I am curious as to what you mean by the part of your answer, "It isn't a common occurance...".

Did you mean reincarnation is not a common occurence, or that it is not commonly taught in the Orthodox tradition..? Just to clarify please, if you could...

It isn't a common occurrance, meaning - from my understanding of what I've been taught - that most people reach their happy place in the World to Come. Reincarnation is not as common as going to that final destination.

However, the teachings I've received on this are not as definitive as some of the other things I've learned.

Gilgul -

this is the Jewish term for reincarnation, no?

Yup.

You Jews are lucky, our Christian priests were so drunk with power they thought to instruct believing Christians that there was no such thing as reincarnation, and deliberately removed clear references made by Jesus to the phenomena from the New Testament - something the Church in Rome has had to apologize for recently...

Sorry to hear about that.

BTW, Harmonious, very interesting thread.

Thank you.

[Random]

Originally Posted by Harmonious

It isn't a common occurrance, meaning - from my understanding of what I've been taught - that most people reach their happy place in the World to Come. Reincarnation is not as common as going to that final destination.

That's good to hear, we don't think Jesus liked the idea of people being recycled for lives of repeated suffering either... It's good to hear that Jews believe the promise of reaching that "happy place", and people to not reincarnate ad infinatum...

[Heneni]

Originally Posted by Random

Gilgul - this is the Jewish term for reincarnation, no? You Jews are lucky, our Christian priests were so drunk with power they thought to instruct believing Christians that there was no such thing as reincarnation, and deliberately removed clear references made by Jesus to the phenomena from the New Testament - something the Church in Rome has had to apologize for recently...

True..for me the bible makes more sense if I believe in reincarnation.

I wonder what could have been the motivation for them to omit references to reincarnation.....anyway...another time, another thread.

[Harmonious]

Originally Posted by Random

That's good to hear, we don't think Jesus liked the idea of people being recycled for lives of repeated suffering either... It's good to hear that Jews believe the promise of reaching that "happy place", and people to not reincarnate ad infinatum...

The idea of reincarnation, as I understand it, is not to cause suffering, but to give a person a chance to cleanse themselves. It is a chance to earn more merit, a chance to follow more commandments, be they of the Noachide or Jewish variety.

There is always more merit to be found. Even if a person's lot in life is no more than having someone love them for a very brief time on Earth, that love, that sympathy evoked, can be enough to fulfull one's purpose in life. (Of course, I would pray that a person lives far longer, but I've read some interesting stories about why babies die after a short time on Earth, or other things that are not explained to us.)

We don't know what a person's "purpose in life" is. Our job is to live right, to the best of our ability, to love God and mankind, to the best of our understanding, and God will sort it out from there.

[Heneni]

Originally Posted by Random

That's good to hear, we don't think Jesus liked the idea of people being recycled for lives of repeated suffering either... It's good to hear that Jews believe the promise of reaching that "happy place", and people to not reincarnate ad infinatum...

I have had to be reincarnated ad infinatum amounts, cause the first time, i pressed the exit button deliberatly, the second time i didnt hit it when I was suppose to, the third time god called time out, and this time, i have a one way first class ticket out of here. Ahhhh.... i hope my next body wont require a push up bra. I've been recycled so many times, im almost perfect.