Ask The Rabbi

Ask The Rabbi

category:  Chassidut

Afterlife

The Rav Name: Rabbi Yitzchak Arad

I’m very scared of dying as I am so scared of gehinom! Is it really a place of torture?
If so and Hashem is so merciful how can he let people be tortured?

Shalom and thank you for your question! You are concerned about what will happen to you in the afterlife… and this is very understandable. It is totally natural and even desirable to be concerned, for we need to know that life is not a ‘free for all’, but rather we are being supervised by a higher power (G-d of course) and we must take responsibility for our actions. This concern however, needs to be placed in its proper perspective. It should not cause us to panic or become fearful and anxious. ‘Easy for you to say’ you may be thinking, ‘but I am a regular flesh-and-blood and less-than-pefect individual, and probably deserve lots of pitchforks in my ribs!’ First of all I assure you that I am also as above, definitely not perfect, and this is not the Jewish view of Gehinom as far as I know.


So what is the story of Gehinnom? It is not the place of little red devils with pitchforks in a burning furnace as portrayed in some  medieval books or pictures. I don’t know exactly what it IS but will share with you some things I have learned.


G-d breathed soul into Adam and from then on we are creatures who have dual aspects, we are both physical and spiritual. G-d created the world as an arena where there is an ongoing struggle between good and evil. Each person is also a world, and as explained at length in the book of Tanya by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, inside of us are two souls which are struggling. The G-dly soul is a veritable part of G-d above, it strives to return to its holy source, it wants to learn Torah, to perform mitzvot, and connect to G-d. The ‘animal soul ‘ the part of our soul which animates – gives life – to the body, is interested in what is necessary for physical survival, and in physical pleasures and pursuits. Our job is to try our best to learn Torah and keep the Mitzvot despite the challenges from the world outside of us and from our own ‘animal soul’. Every time we do any of the above, take any step in learning Torah and keeping Mitzvot, we are connecting with G-d and helping change the world to make it the place that G-d desires to dwell in.


Each soul is destined to perform all of the mitzvot in the Torah. Whatever a soul wasn’t able to perform in one lifetime, it will have to perform in a successive lifetime. The soul is given chances. There is a maximum of twelve months of Gehinnom even for people who messed up seriously. The Gehinnom is a spiritual concept.  I heard an interesting explanation, but do not recall the source, that the definition of Gehinnom is that the righteous sit and bask in the Divine Presence in the world to come, as promised, while the less righteous individuals sit further away and are unable to participate in this Heavenly get-together.


G-d knows that we are fallible human beings. He created and recreates the world continuously. He celebrates every little success we have and is concerned when we are not succeeding so well.


The most important thing to keep in mind is that when we do Teshuvah out of love and joy, our past transgressions are turned into merits!! In this way we are saved from having to undergo unpleasant cleansing procedures in the world to come.


Teshuvah is often translated as repentance but it literally means return. Return to what? Teshuvah is תשובה in Hebrew, which is comprised of tbe words תשוב ה’. This can have at least two meanings. One meaning, according to the inner dimensions of Torah as explained in Chassidic teaching, is to reveal the part of G-d that is hidden in the physical world and thus reconnect it to its source. Another meaning is – return to G-d. The person who has distanced himself and disconnected from G-d returns to reconnect with Him. How do we do these things? How do we reveal hidden G-dliness and reconnect with G-d?


“The L-rd’s portion is his people Jacob, the lot of his inheritance,” (Deuteronomy 32:9). The Tanya explains that the Hebrew word which is translated in the above quote as ‘lot’ literally means rope. The rope that connects us to G-d is made up of six hundred and thirteen strands. These are the commandments of the Torah. The central Jewish prayer of Shema says as is written in the Torah “You shall love the L-rd your G-d.” When we love someone,  we want to do their will. G-d’s will is that we perform His commandments, so when we do so we have a strong rope. When we mess up and a strand or so gets torn, if we pay attention and tie it up – the rope is actually stronger than before!


A verse in Deuteronomy 10:12 tells us to’ go in HaShem’s ways’. Commentaries explain that this means that ‘just as the L-rd is merciful – you be merciful’, for example.

A story is told about a couple who were tested from Heaven. Elijah the prophet came and revealed himself to the husband while he was working in his field and told him that he can receive wealth for a certain amount of years, is he willing to receive it? The man said that he must take counsel with his wife. She agreed and the children discovered treasure in their yard. For the coming years the couple used the money wisely, and gave much charity. The wife kept careful record of all they did with the money. When Elijah returned at the allotted time, he asked for the money back. The husband said that just as he took counsel with his wife the first time,  he must do so again. Elijah agreed and the man went to consult with his wife. She gave him the records of all that had been done with the money and said to show Elijah and to tell him that if he can find someone else who will be a better steward of the money, he can take it back.


G-d entrusts us with physical and spiritual resources, and we need to be faithful stewards and have trust in G-d’s magnanimity, just as the wise wife did. The results can be surprisingly good!

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