Jewish Views of the Afterlife

In Jewish Views of the Afterlife, Simcha Paull Raphael guides the reader thru 4000 years of Jewish thought on the afterlife by investigating pertinent sacred texts produced in each era. Thru a compilation of ideas found in the Bible, Apocrypha, rabbinic literature, medieval philosophy, medieval Midrash, Kabbalah & Hasidism, readers learn how Judaism conceived of the fate of the individual after death throughout history. In the wake of the deaths of six million Jews in the Holocaust, many turned away from Judaism & shunned a God who had seemingly allowed this senseless act of cruelty to occur. Others turned toward the faith, desperately wanting to believe in the doctrine that those whose lives had ended prematurely had passed on to another a better life. But does an afterlife even exist? What role does it play in Jewish theology? While many affirm a belief in the afterlife, a scarce few are aware of where these teachings can be found in Jewish literature. Among the topics discussed in this fascinating volume are heaven & hell, Olam Ha-Ba (The World to Come), Gan Eden, resurrection of the dead, immortality of the soul & divine judgment prior to death.