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Now, now. Just because he is Christian doesn't mean that he cannot be interested in what Judaism says about the afterlife.

Divash will probably correct me later but from my understanding, the Tanach doesn't mention much about the afterlife at all. I reckon this is because we're supposed to not be concerned about doing good ONLY for the sake of getting to Shamayim but rather, to focus on the here and now.

In terms of the actual afterlife... I don't know, but as long as I live righteously, why should I be concerned in such matters?

I'll come back and answer this one last, in a separate post, because it deserves special attention.



Within Judaism, there are two sets of commandments. There are the 613 mitzvot that are binding upon Jews, and there are the 7 mitzvot that are binding upon non-Jews. If one is a "good person" according to the actions on one's appropriate list that are begun/completed, and if one fully intended to do yet more things that are on the "do this" list but died too soon to do them, then one is considered a good person. If one commits too many actions that are meant to be avoided, and/or intends to commit them but dies before they can be done, then that person is considered to be in error. If you do things that you shouldn't do, or don't do things that you should do, only because you don't know any better, those things are not counted against you.

"Counted against you" for what purpose, though? We don't know. We don't pretend to know. We cannot dream of being so arrogant as to believe we know the divine mind's plans or intentions. We are content to leave it in God's hands.



Yyyyeah, not exactly. "She'ol" basically means "in the ground." It's a place, but it's not a place for souls. When the Torah speaks of a great person being "gathered to his ancestors," it doesn't mean that their souls sit around playing Parcheesi for eternity, either -- it means that they're being buried in the family burial plot, no more. Again, we don't pretend to know, so we place it in God's hands and don't strive to know or to pretend that we know what we don't know.



There is much debate, but this is one of the words that we don't know the correct meaning for, which is why we don't translate it. (Personally I suspect it's the name of the scribe who wrote down the psalmist's words as he sang them, or something mundane like that, but I have absolutely no scholarly proof to offer for this idea.) There are a lot of words like this in the Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible. One of them is the word which is variously translated as "stripes" or "colors," such as Yoseif's (Joseph's) Coat of Many 'Colors'. The truth is, we don't know what that word means. It could be a coat of many colors, or a coat of many stripes, or a coat of many pockets, or a coat of many types of fabric, or a coat with lots of embroidery, or a coat with a lot of... Well, you get the idea. This is one of the reasons that reading the Hebrew Bible in translation is such a tricky thing.

In ideal situations, this is what happens when a Jew dies, or what happens when a practicing Noachide dies.

Someone immediately notifies the individual's family, rabbi, and the funeral home with which the person has (ideally) already made arrangements. Relatives and friends will be notified; announcements will be made by the synagogue that very day (by email or telephone nowadays; way-back-when, it would happen simply by the entire Jewish community hearing about it in synagogue while engaging in their daily prayers). In the home of the principle mourners (spouse, parents, children, and siblings), the clocks are stopped and the mirrors are covered. Time itself is not to become a concern for the mourners, nor should one look in a mirror and become distracted with one's own appearance, but rather, one should be able to focus on the grieving process rather than pushing it aside or deny it altogether. One is meant to go through grief naturally and come to terms with the loss.

The individual's body is given a brief surface-examination. Sometimes blood samples may be taken; otherwise, the body is not autopsied or opened in any way, unless (God forbid) foul play or medical error is suspected. If necessary, an autopsy is done which will be minimally invasive. When it is finished, all blood, tissues, and organs are returned to the body cavity, which is then sewn up. If the death takes place on (or just before) the Sabbath or any Jewish holiday, the body is kept safe until afterward, then prepared after the Sabbath or holiday is complete.

With or without autopsy, which should take place as rapidly as possible or not at all, the body is delivered to the funeral home. Two members of the chevra kadishah (the holy society) of the same gender as the deceased will come to give the body a very respectful ritual bath. This is done with such gentleness, as if the body still housed a living soul and was in delicate condition and very shy/modest. Every handful of water must be at a comfortable-to-cool temperature; most touches, especially those in the areas between the neck and the knees, is offered in silence, but the bathers should behave as if they were constantly whispering "Excuse me, please," asking forgiveness for the invasion. The body is treated this way because it was created in the image of God, and was considered holy enough to house a human soul, and therefore one must guard its modesty and its delicacy even in death. Both before and after the ritual bathing, hands are ritually washed.

Again, hands are ritually washed before and after the body is dressed. The dressing is not in "Grandma's favorite dress" or "Uncle Sol's best suit," but rather, in a plain robe of white linen, tied with a belt of plain white linen.If the body is a man, the deceased is capped with a plain white kippah and a tallit, and one corner-fringe on the tallit will be cut off; if a married woman in life, her hair may be covered by a wig or a white scarf. This is so that no rich Jew should look fancier, nor any poor Jew should be given less dignity, than any other Jew. No jewelry, no cosmetics, no appearance-enhancements of any kind are added. The hair is brushed tidily, but it is not "fixed" in order to look pretty. Judaism does not glorify death, nor try to beautify the deceased.

The body is placed with a plain pine box with six small holes drilled into the bottom of it (before placing the body inside). This is done for two reasons. One, pine is a relatively inexpensive wood, so every Jew can afford to be buried in one, either at one's own family's expense or through the contributions of the community. Secondly, the wood will biodegrade quickly and the body will quickly decompose, returning "ashes to ashes and dust to dust" as quickly and efficiently as possible. The casket is closed for the last time. There are no open-casket viewings in Jewish or Noachide death, because that is seen as disrespectful to the body that once housed a human soul.

The funeral takes place. In ideal circumstances, this takes place 24 hours or less after death. Where autopsy is performed, or where burial is delayed so that close family members can travel for the burial, it still takes place as quickly as possible. This is to keep the body from beginning to decompose; again, it's all about respect for the body. There are no

After the funeral, the assembled community return to the home(s) of the principle mourners, or sometimes to Israel or another location which was significant for the deceased or for the family. Friends and neighbors bring comfort-foods, casseroles, and such, in order that the mourners shouldn't have to engage in the mundanities of food preparation and cleaning. No one asks, "How are you?" because they know already: you're sad, you're confused, you're maybe angry. Their role as friends and loved ones is simply to be there, to pray the mourner's prayers with you, to give you a chance to grieve without being alone.

Mourners do not wear leather shoes or fresh clothing, do not sit on proper chairs (they may sit on a low cushion or stool), do not fix their hair though they may brush it for neatness only. They do not go to work. They do not sing, dance, or engage in exciting or joyful enterprises. If possible, they do not do anything new for the first time, do not don new clothing, do not listen to music, do not eat new foods for the first time (the first time ever, or just for the first time of that season). Mourners do not wash the whole body at once, though they may stand in a bath and pour water over each body part in order that they do not begin to become offensive to themselves. They do not engage in marital relations. They do not cut their hair or shave during the week of intense mourning. They are not required to respond to anything unless they are moved to do so. In fact, unless a woman lives alone, the mourners' home should be left unlocked so that friends and extended relatives may simply enter, leave food, stay a while, and depart -- a mourner isn't even required to answer the door! And yet all seven days, community members will gather at the home so that the mourners can say their daily and mourning prayers without even leaving the house.

Nevertheless, on the Sabbath during that first week, mourning is put on hold: Sabbath is a joy given to all generations, in all times and circumstances, and it is a reminder that as sad as one is, one is still alive and there is still goodness and joy left in the world.

Intense mourning lasts for seven days; for twenty-three more days is the period of shloshim ("thirty," a reference to the full-month transition period). One may resume marital relations, but should still avoid frivolity, public displays of joy (singing, dancing, attending a play or a wedding), wearing new clothes, or cutting the hair. Every day during this thirty-day period, the mourners will attend synagogue at least once a day, preferably twice or more, in order to say the mourner's kaddish and hear a congregation of ten or more say "Amein" to it, a special mitzvah (sacred obligation, commandment) for a mourner. Though permitted to either go to work or to stay home, many choose to go back to work only half-time, or to reduced duties if possible. One may attend a wedding, bar/bat mitzvah, or circumcision (brit milah) ceremony, though one should not plan them. That is, a birth of a son must be followed by a brit milah and a boy's thirteenth birthday must be followed by his becoming bar mitzvah so these celebrations are not put off, but one shouldn't marry at this time, oneself -- though one may attend a friend's wedding.

After the period of shloshim, the mourners return a bit more fully to life. They can wear new clothing again. They can sing or dance if they wish, though are not pushed into doing so if they are not ready. They can cut their hair and shave now. They can go back to work fully. The mourner returns to synagogue to recite the mourner's kaddish again at least once a month, sometimes more often -- for eleven months. On the twelfth month, instead of going back for kaddish, the mourner returns to the gravesite, where the gravestone will be placed and special mourning prayers will be said. This will be the last time that a mourner is officially considered a mourner. Once that last day of mourning has ended with sunset, the mourner is permitted to return fully to life. One may even marry, although if the mourning is for a spouse, people may say, "Oh, so s/he was dating during the mourning year?" and be rather surprised and disappointed at such behavior.

As for what happens to the soul? Only God knows. Judaism, Jewish tradition, is adamant that because no one knows, speculation is only an insult to God, and should be avoided. Nevertheless, the ancient sages, extremely pious scholars, did make one guess: Jewish belief is that forty days after conception, a bit of the divine spark (the soul) is placed within the body. At death, that spark is reclaimed and reabsorbed into the divine source.

Heaven or hell? They don't exist, within Judaism. What we look forward to is something that could take place in this world, the notion that humanity could learn enough to begin to act towards one another, the animal life, and the environment with mindful compassion rather than with unthinking or uncaring callousness. That's what we mean when we speak of the World To Come: the improvement of this world, over which we have stewardship, not the afterlife over which we have no control and no knowledge.

As for the whole "afterlife bit"

Jews don't believe in Hell, we just don't. It's a Christian thing.

Also I am one of those Jews who believes in the old philosophy of reincarnation or heaven.

Basically it says, HASHEM (G-d) put you on this earth to obtain knowledge and teach the generations under you about the world. Knowledge is sacred in my view of things, but my philosophies are not universal.

When you pass from this earth, your soul is taken into heaven where the angels ask you a pre-determined question. Something you should have learned when you were alive.

Could be anything from what is the meaning of love in marriage, or what is the aerial velocity of an unlaiden african swallow.

Something you should of learned.

If you answer the question right, you are then judged by how well you respected the laws of HASHEM, were you a mench or a schmendrick. The angels judge you and put you in your place in heaven. That whole "My House has Many Kingdoms" bit you might of heard about.

If you get the question wrong, then you are reborn again to relearn the lesson.

In my humble opinion, that's G-d's plan and I'm happy to be a part of it.

Death is the end of the journey, it is completion of the path of life and the time to remember the deeds of your life by those who remember you. No where in the Mourner's Kaddish (prayer) does it actually mention death or sadness or mourning, it really talks about the will of HASHEM and the unity of the Jewish People. In some Jewish cultures it's actually frowned upon to cry at a funeral.

Sadduceeism was the aristocratic Jewish sect, think of it as the royal family and noble lords in the Church of England.

Sadduceeism ended with the destruction of the second temple.

Phariseeism is debatable if it died out. It was more of a social movement rather than a social caste. It was hypocritical, focusing on the respect for the law with no interest on the spiritualism. It was anti-hellenistic and, for lack of a better term, separatists.

Phariseeism is pretty much anyone who goes against the grain of the normal traditional religion while keeping the culture alive. Think of them as people who don't believe, or worship in Jesus, but still celebrate Xmas and Easter cause it's part of the culture.

As for animal sacrifices, they only took place at the holy temple in israel if I'm not mistaken. Since the holy temple was destroyed, no animal sacrifices have taken place since. However, I've heard of one sect who would swing a live chicken around their head while confessing their sins on kol nidre, but other than that... no.

As for the denial thing, yes and no. Some sects will take you in if you just wish to marry your spouse and become Jewish that way, some sects will deny you repeatedly until you prove yourself, others would just have 3 people vouche for you that you are a good person who respects the culture and the religion.

But since we're having this tete a tete. I would like to ask you about your specific sect of christianity. I'm going to guess, born again fundamentalistm judging by your sig line and message text, But I could be wrong.

that and I've often stated that American Christianity was founded on Calvinism, and I wanted your opinion on Calvinism.

And here comes the history degree...

Yes it was a loaded question.


Calvinism is what all of American Christianity was based on at one time or another.

A splinter group from the Church of England, lead by John Calvin who believed in predetermination. Meaning simply, that when you are born, your life is already planned out in God's plan. (notice I didn't say G-d, this is their god, not mine.) This plan was set at the moment of conception and determined if you would go to heaven and hell and there was nothing you could do to change anything, it was God's plan for you, period.

Calvinists believed that a way to show that you were "elect" meaning you were going to go to heaven, was to be successful and well off in life. So to prove their own worth of being and prove to themselves that they would go to heaven, they worked hard and built up this country through toil and hard work. As the saying goes, "Idle hands are the devil's plaything." This is one of the main reasons, America is a capitalist country.

Also Calvinists did something that not many other people did, they kept journals of their daily lives writing down what they did, how they felt, inner emotions and confided in their journals. This is the first example of a culture of people who kept diaries.

Eventually as America grew, new ideas were introduced into the Calvinist philosophy, eventually it splintered. Presbyterians, Congregationalist, Universalist, Evangelical and any church(and IMHO, synagogue) with the word "Reformed" in it's title, owes it's existence to John Calvin.

However Calvin the man was also something to pay attention to, he is one of the reformers. He, along with Martin Luther and John Wycliffe, threw off the shackles of Rome and the Divine Right of Kings, paying homage to no man but only their Faith. Calvin helped people learn to think for themselves and be outside of the monolith of the roman catholic and state run churches. His ideals are still with us today, and I think every American who identifies themselves as a Christian needs to appreciate the man and how his belief in God and his teachings helped bring about Christian Individualism.

Oh and Hobbes is also a real person too, however he specialized in political philosophy, not theology.