Everyone is curious and interested to know about the nature of the afterlife and if it even exists at all. If people were sure that there is life after their existence in this world, then many individuals would behave quite differently. And if it could be proved that there is absolutely no existence beyond this world, then many
During an exciting opening Shabbos dinner of the fall semester 24 years ago, two freshmen, whom we’ll call Molly and Susan, introduced themselves and asked if they could stop by my office one day during the week. A common request seemingly to fine-tune their orientation to Jewish life on campus,
Last week, we hosted an event on the growing drug issue in the Jewish community. A few hours before the event, a young man I know, or thought I knew well, sent the letter below to me. He asked that I share it with the hope his story can help others and I began the program by reading it. When I
In this three-part series on the World to Come, we will discover that there is more to the world than meets the eye. Fundamental to the Jewish worldview is the understanding that a spiritual reality exists beyond what we experience in the physical world. When a person dies, only his body is buried while his... Read more »
Many people are surprised to learn that Judaism actually affirms belief in reincarnation, whereby the soul returns to the world to live a new life, a doctrine usually associated with Eastern religions. In reality, though, it should not seem so surprising. The basic concepts underlying reincarnation are fundamental to Jewish outlook, such as the eternity... Read more »
It may be surprising to discover that the concept of resurrection is central to Jewish thought, given the fact that many people are familiar with it through other religions. But in fact, Techiat HaMaitim (the Resurrection of the Dead) in the future World to Come is one of the most fundamental principles of Judaism, and... Read more »
In the first NLE Morasha class on the World to Come, we saw that life after death is fundamental to Jewish thought. We presented the two phases of life after death: the transition of the soul into the World of the Souls, and the return of the soul to the body during the Resurrection. In... Read more »
The existence of the soul is one of the fundamental underpinnings of Judaism. The Torah teaches that God creates each person with a physical body and a Divine soul, and it is the soul that is the person’s essence. Just as we need to attend to our body’s physical needs, we need to nourish the... Read more »
