The World to Come part 4

Diametrically opposed to the approach of RAMBAM, the understanding of Olam Haba in Kabbalah is far more egalitarian and positive.  A relatively small percentage of Jews study Kabbalah, but many study RAMBAM. Nevertheless, the Kabbalistic view has become the popular accepted one, especially concerning Olam HaBa. Basically, the soul of Man is divided into units which correspond to the limbs and organs of the body. Through the various aspects of the soul, the body can be brought to connect with parallel aspects of the Divine realm. Man can connect to G-d through his soul. This connection is called "devekut" (clinging), and is responsible for true feelings of transcendence and spirituality. In turn, each mitzvah is the vehicle for linking part of the body, through the soul, back into the "root" of the mitzvah above. If one has fulfilled everything they should have, the soul, at the death of the body, ascends to its proper place in Heaven, delighting in the knowledge and closeness with G-d. If something has been blemished, it must be cleansed. It will then descend to Gehinnom, of which there are several levels. This is for the sake of the repair (tikkun) of the soul, not Divine vengeance. Think of it being like surgery. At the conclusion of this cleansing, nearly all souls ascend, with the exception of the most brutally wicked, who must wait for their tikkun, in some cases, until the coming of Mashiach. In many cases, the great Tzaddikim, living and dead, will have pity on these souls, and through their prayers and meditations repair and elevate them. This is done daily during the Tachanun prayer after the morning amidah. Good deeds done in their memory by others will also serve to repair and elevate these people. Upon ascending to Heaven, the soul is constantly rising from plane to plane. coming ever closer to G-d Himself. There is a special elevation on the anniversary of death, known as Yahrtzeit (literally, "the time of the year"). There are various customs performed by relatives and other loved ones on the occasion of the Yahrtzeit. However, if, after cleansing, it is found that the soul is missing an area of fulfillment, something vital left undone, then it is sent back to be born again into this world. It can sometimes happen that a soul already in Paradise, might ascend to a level at which something has been left undone in relation to that level, and will be sent back down to complete the task. Some are sent down not for their own tikkun, but in order to teach and guide others. In some cases, people are reincarnated in non-human form; animal vegetable or mineral. These await being used by a living person in the service of G-d, affecting their final tikkun. Reincanation as a fish is the most common. This is a primary basis for the Kabbalistic understanding of the custom of eating fish at every Shabbat meal. We are elevating souls that still require some tikkun to reach their proper place. In fact, any physical object we use in the service of G-d may have a soul lurking there, awaiting tikkun. There is a constant connection between the living and the dead. In fact, Rabbi Nachman used the spinning dreidel as a metaphor of physical transforming to spiritual, and vice versa. At the coming of Mashiach, a process will begin in which the world will become increasingly spiritual, until Olam Hazeh (this world) and Olam Haba will come together. Then the resurrection of the dead will come about.
Rabbi Nachman, speaking in the first decade of the nineteenth century, once foretold: "A great spirit of Atheism and Heresy is descending on the Earth. A simple Jew who washes his hands for HaMotzi (the blessing for bread. Washing being one of the most elementary aspects of Jewish life. In fact, in observant circles, one doesn't say "Let's eat" but rather "let's wash") will be as unique as the Baal Shem Tov in his time". His students became frightened. "Perhaps we shouldn't bring children into the world?" Rabbi Nachman replied: "You do yours...when Mashiach comes, everyone will have a tikkun, going all the way back to Adam".

The World to Come part 3

Moses Maimonides (RAMBAM) is arguably the most central figure in Jewish philosophy. To this day, there is great controversy about his true thoughts. Some see his philosophy as a kind of code, hiding Kabbalistic teachings. Many deny this. It is often forgotten that his books were burned in Ashkenazic lands during his lifetime, and after his death. Rabbi Jacob Emden wrote in the early eighteenth century that it is inconceivable that the great halachist of RAMBAM's legal code could have written such a heretical book as Guide for the Perplexed. He concludes that it is certainly a forgery. Some early Hasidic leaders venerated his philosophical works, while others forbade glancing at them. His legal code is clear in halachah, but vague in philosophy. This is nowhere more true than in the matter of Olam HaBa; the World to come. After having published his great Code, controversy broke out as to what he was saying, or even if he might be guilty of heresy. This was true to such an extent, that he wrote a separate treatise "Maamar Tehiyat Hametim" (Treatise on Resurrection). His views differ from those expressed in the Talmud, as well as from the views of most of his contemporaries. First of all, he pictures life after death as a spiritual plane, in which those who have toiled in the understanding of G-d in this world, will TRULY understand in the next. This understanding will be a great pleasure and joy. This is the meaning of the Talmudic statement that the righteous will sit with their crowns on their heads. They will perceive that which they only know externally in this world. He posits no hereafter for those who failed to ponder these matters on earth. (Rabbi Nachman of Breslov railed against this elitist idea of Paradise). The statement "All Israel have a share in the world to come" is speaking of potentiality, not what is. The vast majority of people, including Jews, will never see the World to Come. He also separates the ideas of Resurrection from the Messianic Era. Resurrection may occur before or after the coming of Mashiach. It will be a temporary, limited, miraculous phenomenon. Those who will be resurrected will also eventually die. What the purpose of this resurrection is is not clear in RAMBAM. In Daniel, it is for the purpose of a great Judgement. RAMBAM makes no mention of any future judgment. He also posits a post Messianic joining of the physical and spiritual worlds, which is the ultimate goal. At this time, knowledge of G-d will exist in this world on the ultimate level. The wicked will simply go into non-existence. Those guilty of great crimes, will experience great shame; presumably, eternally. In RAMBAM, there is no possibility of anything after death rectifying past deeds. This includes prayers or actions by the living, and even Divine punishment. I must say that these ideas are in striking contrast to what most Jews believe. Even staunch Maimonists tend to shy away from them. It is no wonder that these views were put aside for centuries in favor of Kabbalistic concepts (next post). Even after the Shabbatean debacle, when many "rediscovered " Maimonist philosophy as a safer substitute, few chose to talk of these ideas. I cannot imagine speaking at a funeral, or even within my own heart and mind, that eternity is granted only to PhDs. I love RAMBAM, and study his legal code daily, but see his approach in these matters as far too cerebral, or simply Aristotelian. As he wrote in his Guide, that the views of the Talmudic sages about the hereafter were "Imagination", I would prefer to apply those words  even more to his own philosophy. It is vital, however, to understand that there is more than one Jewish view on almost everything. In my next post, I will go into the Kabbalistic viewpoint. Honestly, that is where I really live.

The World to Come part 2

The ideas of both the afterlife, and the world after the resurrection, are basic beliefs in the Talmud, as well as post Talmudic Judaism. Nevertheless, as Judaism is primarily concerned with sanctifying the here-and-now, the ideas are vague, and subject to interpretation. In fact, RAMBAM, in his philosophical work, Guide for the Perplexed, while accepting both concepts, considers any and all descriptions as "imagination". (More on that in my next post). What are we told? First of all, we have the statement "All Israel have a share in the world to come". However, the very next line says "And these are they who have no share in the world to come". Several names are then given of those whose deeds have excluded them from reward. What is the afterlife like? "The righteous sit with crowns on their heads, basking in the rays of the Divine Presence". We are told that "each righteous person inherits three hundred and ten worlds". We are not, however, told the meaning or nature of these worlds. Interestingly, the word for "worlds" is ""olamot", which is very close to "alamot" ("maidens"). Some speculate that this may be the source of the concept of Paradise in Islam. The word for "Paradise" is "Gan Eden", literally, "the Garden of Eden (delight)". Is this the same Garden of Eden as in Genesis? No, there is a Heavenly Garden of Eden and an Earthly Garden of Eden; the latter being the one in Genesis. (Although the Zohar seems to indicate that the Garden of Eden in Genesis was also not in this world) There is a debate in the Talmud if Righteous Gentiles also enter the World to Come. The conclusion is yes, indeed they do. What about those people, Jew or Gentile, who do not merit this reward? They go to Gehinnom. This is pictured as a place of great suffering, although the nature of that suffering is not described, except by saying that earthly fire is "one sixtieth" of the fire of Gehinnom. Interestingly, the word "Gehinnom" is actually the name of a valley next to Jerusalem, in which people used to sacrifice children to the pagan god Molech. The Talmud tells us that the maximum sentence for Gehinnom is twelve months, with most people receiving lesser sentences. Gehinnom, therefore, is more like the Catholic Purgatory than Hell. Some individuals, however, are not so fortunate. Some very great sinners have punishment that is ongoing. When people exit Gehinnom, they achieve Paradise. There are some aggadic statements that people can be aided in the next world by the good deeds of others, especially their children. This would later be hotly debated. There are also stories in Kabbalah of individuals who return to this world, to teach or aid others. Often, people come back to complete tasks that were left undone.
As to the Resurrection, it is described in glowing terms as the righteous arising from their graves, dressed in many beautiful garments. They will encounter a very different world from the one they left behind. It will be a world in which spirituality will be manifest in all things. The unity of the material and spiritual will have been accomplished. Many later rabbis consider this, rather than the afterlife, as the main "World to Come".
Both philosophers and mystics enlarged on these ideas, giving profound insights on the meaning of these ideas. Especially in Kabbalah, the spiritual world takes on more tangible meaning, and is intrinsically connected with our lives now. To be continued.