I will not comment too much, however I will let your mind go over this response. I will say this; since there is no temple today or priesthood for one’s sins to be Forgiven/Atonement then with this mindset you die in your SINS PERIOD!!! Sharon Goodwin

Question:

“Does Judaism believe in life after death?”

Rabbi Tully Bryks Responds:

YES! But the World to Come is only hinted to in the written Torah (Bible), because the focus of Judaism is on this world. We don’t believe that one needs to sacrifice this world in order to obtain everlasting life in the next world. On the contrary, God demands that we enjoy this world to the fullest!

This principle is so axiomatic to Judaism that if a person abstains from a  permitted physical pleasure in this world, such as enjoying a piece of fruit, the person is taken to task for this in the World to Come.

Once we finish living this temporary life to the fullest, we can enjoy eternal pleasure! Since our life in the World to Come is eternal, one moment of pleasure in the next world is more enjoyable than an entire lifetime of pleasure in this world. Conversely, one moment of pain in the next world is more painful than an entire lifetime of pain in this world.

We only have a limited understanding of the nature of the World to Come. And since we are only accustomed to living in a finite world – confined by space and time – it is very hard for us to even relate to what life in an infinite world would be or feel like. Here is glimpse at some of the concepts we have information about:

When a person dies, the soul leaves their body.The more materialistic a person was, the more painful that transition can be. The anguish of a departed soul seeing bugs eat away at one’s dead body is more painful than the feeling a live person has when being jabbed all over with needles.

Initially, the soul tends to linger with the body and is certainly still focused on it during the funeral. The departed soul even listens to the eulogies being delivered.

Before the soul can be admitted to the World to Come for eternal pleasure, it must first be purified of any sins it has committed in this world. The purification process lasts a maximum of 12 months, but can be much shorter for a more pious individual. Loved ones of the deceased recite the Kaddish prayer, which has the power to ease the intense “pain” of the purification process.

 

A child recites the Kaddish on behalf of their deceased parent for only eleven months, as we would like to believe that our loved one did not require the entire twelve months of purification. (If one knows with certainty that his parent was evil, the child should recite the Kaddish for the full twelve months.)

Following the purification process, the soul experiences eternal pleasure. The level and intensity of the pleasure corresponds to the good deeds and commandments that one observed while alive. After death, we have full clarity of God and our purpose in this world.

It is too late for us to elevate our eternal status on our own. However, there are several ways that one’s status can still be elevated even after death. For example, loved ones and friends who are still alive can perform commandments and good deeds in the merit of the departed soul.

Alternatively, if a person did a good deed that had a lasting impact beyond one’s lifetime, the soul would still be elevated from the ripple effects of the good deed. Common examples include charity, kindness or teachings to others that continue to have lasting and sustaining effects into the future. Saving a life is another great example, as the departed soul benefits from the continued good deeds performed by the one whose life was saved.

One of the many beautiful aspects of the Jewish concept of the World to Come is that departed souls can see and watch over their loved ones who are still alive. This means that they can share in the joy of missed graduations, birthdays, weddings and the like. Also, the departed souls would now have full clarity about the importance of spirituality and of following the Torah’s precepts.

As such, they are rooting for their loved ones to improve their relationship with God and His teachings. Unlike many other philosophies, Judaism maintains that the World to Come can be obtained and enjoyed by all of God’s children, Jews and non-Jews alike.