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From: samet@sfmag.UUCP (A.I.Samet)
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Re: After life
Message-ID: <528@sfmag.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 22-Mar-85 12:57:52 EST
Article-I.D.: sfmag.528
Posted: Fri Mar 22 12:57:52 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 24-Mar-85 03:57:40 EST
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From postnews Fri Mar 22 12:55:38 1985

> I think maimonides said that there will be no reincarnation after the messiah
> comes but things will continue as they were.  This is in contrast to Judah Ha
> Levi who believes that all Jews will be reincarnated in Israel at this time.
> Thus to my question:  What is the normative view of after life in Judaism?
> Does it differ between conservative and orthodox?  Does it differ between
> Sefardic and Ashkenazie?
> Caution: All the "facts" about the Rambam and Judah Ha Levi should be viewed
> with caution since they are rememberances from many years back
> -David Sher
> sher@rochester

The afterlife, resurrection of the dead, and  the  Messianic  era
are actually three separate subjects.

The reference to the Rambam is misunderstood. He lists belief  in
resurrection  if  the  dead  (techiyas hamaisim) as one of his 13
principles  of  Jewish  belief.  The  mishna  in   perek   chelek
(Sanhedrin)  lists  one  who denies resurrection of the dead as a
principle from the Torah among those who have no portion  in  the
world  to  come.  The  general  acceptance  of  this principle is
reflected in the fact that it is stated in the  first  prayer  in
of  the  Amidah (shmoneh esreh): "...Boruch atah Hashem, mechayeh
hamaisim." (Blessed are you G*d who  resurrects  the  dead.)  The
Rambam  was merely differentiating between the era of the Messiah
and techiyas hamaisim. He is reflecting the Talmudic dictum  "Ain
bein achshav l'yemos hamashiach ela shibud malchiuys bilvad. (The
only difference between now and the era of  the  Messiah  is  the
subjugation  of  the  Jewish  people to foreign dominion.)"  This
means that the messianic era is not a supernatural one.

Olam  haba  (afterlife)  generally    refers   to   a   spiritual
(heaven/hell)  existence  after  death  where  the  soul receives
reward and punishment. This is also a generally held belief.  The
Rambam   (Hilchos  Akum,  VIII)  devotes  an  entire  chapter  to
explaining  this noncorporeal existence. Again,  he  follows  the
normative talmudic statements.

There is generally no debate on these basic doctrines  among  the
Rishonim   (Rambam's   contemporaries)   except   concerning  the
interpretations of certain Biblical phrases   alluding  to  them.
However,  there are no halachic consequences resulting from these
differing interpretations. Also, Sephardim and Ashkenazim do  not
differ concerning these fundamental doctrines.

The doctrine of olam haba is central in that it helps to  explain
how  injustices  can  be  allowed  by  Hashem,  i.e.,   why  "the
righteous suffer in this world and the wicked prosper." The score
is  more than settled in the next world. The subject of olam haba
is addressed extensively by the Talmud,  the  rishonim,  medieval
Jewish philosophers, sifrei mussar (ethics) etc. It is definitely
a normative belief subscribed to by all orthodox elements.

				Yitzchok Samet