CHAPTER 3 Misconceptions About Jews and the Afterlife Robert: What do you think are the biggest misconceptions both Jewish and non-jewish people have about Judaism? Rabbi: Wow there are many. Off the cuff, first, a lot of people think that Judaism is Christianity minus Jesus. It s not. They think the only difference is that we re waiting for our messiah and the Christians have theirs. However, it s a completely different theology, a very different system. We re talking apples and oranges, not two kinds of apples. Robert: What are big differences between Judaism and Christianity that people may not be aware of? Rabbi: It s hard to say because the many denominations of Christianity have a whole spectrum of beliefs. But a common difference lies in the traditional Christian belief that people were born with original sin so they are stained with this sinful state. They need redemption; they need to be saved from this naturally horrible state, and there s only one way to do that through Jesus as a savior. 27
Pizza with a Rabbi: A Stroll Through Traditional Judaism This inherited sin is not really found in mainstream Jewish thinking. In Judaism, we believe people are essentially good. Each person is born an innocent unblemished baby, a soul who comes down to earth charged with a mission. We try to do what s right and to be upstanding people as dictated in the instructions of the Torah. Another difference is that, for many other faiths, it s their way or the highway. It s as if they re saying, Our book is correct and the only thing that has any truth to it. Therefore, the only way to get to heaven, to get to G-d, is through our path. We, and only we, are the secret elixir for life and afterlife. Judaism is not like that at all. Not only do we not try to convert people, but if potential converts want to become part of the Jewish Nation, they re turned away several times to let them know they don t have to be a part of our people in order to be right with G-d. Furthermore, in Christianity and many other faiths as I understand it, there is a big focus on the afterlife, whereas in Judaism, the primary focus is on this life. Many different peoples are trying to figure out everything they can do to get a bigger cloud or more front row seat in the next world. In Judaism, life is about our task in this world. We re trying to make this world a place that brings out G-dliness. It s a selfless attitude toward living and it s about what has to be accomplished as opposed to what s in it for me. Therefore, it s not about how will this action help me achieve a place in the afterlife. Rather, Judaism is about where is my place in this world? What can I do to uplift the world through the lens of the Torah? as opposed to I ll do whatever I want within certain boundaries, and 28
Misconceptions About Jews and the Afterlife then I m going to have eternal bliss. Our focus has to be on how I can sanctify the actions of my life and my respect for G-d and G-d s laws. Again, we have respect everyone else s beliefs and do not try to change them to become Jewish. Robert: Do Jews believe in an afterlife? Rabbi: A lot of people think that Jewish people don t believe in hell, heaven, or an afterlife at all but that s not true. One foundation of Judaism is that righteousness is rewarded and the opposite is punished. Yes, Jews definitely believe in an afterlife, but it s different than what most people imagine from the movies. When we say that Jews don t believe in hell, that s true in a certain sense. It s not the hell that might be portrayed in a horror movie with goblins, devils, fires, lava, and torture. It s a spiritual rather than physical experience. We have to divorce our minds from physical depictions when talking about a spiritual or soul experience. The same thing applies to heaven. Heaven s not a place where you float around on a cloud all day playing the harp. It s a spiritual experience something that can t be described with physical terminology. So we believe in an afterlife, but not the kind that s been instilled in our minds through paintings, movies, and so on. Robert: What s the purpose of the afterlife for a Jewish person? Rabbi: The purpose, essentially, is to reap the reward or have the experience of all the good you did in your life. I said earlier 29
Pizza with a Rabbi: A Stroll Through Traditional Judaism that Jews are more focused on this world, and that s true. But that doesn t negate our belief in the afterlife, and that G-d rewards and punishes for the things people do right or wrong. When a person does something right, any good thing he or she does is counted eternally. It s a permanent record that carries with it a lot of positive energy, which becomes a part of the person s energetic being or spiritual aura, you could say. The same thing happens regarding negative things people do. That negative energy becomes part of the spiritual baggage they carry around with them. In the next world, they will experience that negative energy. I compare how the soul experiences the afterlife to a story about something that happened to me when I was four years old. I was playing on the patio with different things including crayons, play dough, puzzles, and the like. I went inside to eat lunch and when I came out, the blazing Florida summer sun beating on the patio had melted all my crayons. My play dough, however, wasn t melted; it was rock hard. So you might think, why is it that the same source the sun created two completely different effects? The different result is based on the different materials these things were made out of. Well, it works the same way with the soul. After the soul has had its time in this world, it spiritually experiences G-dliness. Just like how the sun affected the toys, that one source G-dliness will have a different effect on one s soul depending on what the person has made out of himself or herself in that lifetime. 30
Misconceptions About Jews and the Afterlife If a person has done the right things and made a lot of positive decisions carrying positive energy, G-dliness will strengthen the soul just like the play dough. However, if the person has been self-centered and cared only about the physical, not seeking G-d in the ways that the Torah has laid out, the person or soul will experience a weakening or a negative result. Thus, the same cause like the crayons will have a different effect. The main thing to remember is that these results are not physical places. Rather, they are spiritual experiences. They will either strengthen the soul or weaken it from all of the missed opportunities it did not take advantage of. Think of how many opportunities we all have each day, each month and during our lives to give, to help others, to be more patient. Either we use these opportunities as best we can or we don t. Please ask your friends to visit: www.pizzawitharabbi.com 31