The Afterlife & the Messiah
Life After Death
What happens after we die? Judaism is famously ambiguous about this matter. The immortality of the soul, the World to Come, and the resurrection of the dead all feature prominently in Jewish tradition, but the logistics of what these things are and how they relate to each other is open to interpretation.
Read moreLife After Death
The World to Come
A complicated doctrine.
Immortality
Everlasting life was not always guaranteed to the Jewish soul.
Jewish Spirituality and the Soul
Different beliefs throughout history.
Reincarnation
A controversial notion, embraced by kabbalists.
The Transmigrating Soul
A Yiddish folktale.
Messiah
Jewish Messianism
The redeemer of Israel, who will usher in a better, more perfect era.
The Messianic Age
Jewish texts offer glimpses into this future time.
Jewish Utopia
In Jewish sources, the ideal society will be situated in Israel and ushered in by catastrophe.
Modern Messianism
Jewish messianism has been repeatedly reinterpreted in the modern era.
Mystical Messianism
Scholars debate the relationship between catastrophe, Jewish mysticism, and messianic fervor.
Resurrection
Resurrection
When and how will the dead will be resurrected? An open debate.
Jewish Resurrection Gets New Life
By the second century, belief in resurrection had entered Jewish liturgy and legal writing.
Modern Liturgical Reforms
Amending prayers that mention resurrection to accord with modern sensibilities.
Afterlife and Messiah 101
The resurrection of the dead is briefly mentioned in the biblical books of Daniel and Isaiah.
Quiz Yourself
How much do you know about the immortality of the soul, the World to Come, and the resurrection of the dead?
Controversies
Heaven and Hell
Jewish sources provide images of a torturous hell and heavenly paradise.
Afterlife for Animals?
Jewish authorities disagree as to whether all cows go to heaven.
Who is the Messiah?
A humble child or perhaps a victorious and wise ruler.
Gog and Magog
Leader and nation who will battle Jews before the coming of the Messiah.
Messianism
Messianism in Chabad-Lubavitch challenges Jews of all denominations to consider the limits of Jewish theology.