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Correct, as my recent appreciation for the Kabbalah has unquestionably shown me.
Judaism does not have a specific doctrine about the afterlife, but it does have a mystical/Orthodox tradition of describing Gehinnom. Gehinnom is not hell, but originally a grave and in later times a sort of Purgatory where one is judged based on one's life's deeds, or rather, where one becomes fully aware of one's own shortcomings and negative actions during one's life. The Kabbalah explains it as a "waiting room" (commonly translated as an "entry way") for all souls (not just the wicked). The overwhelming majority of rabbinic thought maintains that people are not in Gehinnom forever; the longest that one can be there is said to be 12 months, however, there has been the occasional noted exception. Some consider it a spiritual forge where the soul is purified for its eventual ascent to Olam Habah (heb. עולם הבא; lit. "The world to come", often viewed as analogous to heaven). This is also mentioned in the Kabbalah, where the soul is described as breaking, like the flame of a candle lighting another: the part of the soul that ascends being pure and the "unfinished" piece being reborn.
Correct, as my recent appreciation for the Kabbalah has unquestionably shown me. Judaism does not have a specific doctrine about the afterlife, but it does have a mystical/Orthodox tradition of describing Gehinnom. Gehinnom is not hell, but originally a grave and in later times a sort of Purgatory where one is judged based on one's life's deeds, or rather, where one becomes fully aware of one's own shortcomings and negative actions during one's life. The Kabbalah explains it as a "waiting room" (commonly translated as an "entry way") for all souls[/b] (not just the wicked). The overwhelming majority of rabbinic thought maintains that people are not in Gehinnom forever; the longest that one can be there is said to be 12 months, however, there has been the occasional noted exception. Some consider it a spiritual forge where the soul is purified for its eventual ascent to Olam Habah (heb. עולם הבא; lit. "The world to come", often viewed as analogous to heaven). This is also mentioned in the Kabbalah, where the soul is described as breaking, like the flame of a candle lighting another: the part of the soul that ascends being pure and the "unfinished" piece being reborn.
so you are learning about reincarnation.
Last edited by Tzaphkiel; 07-28-2021 at 06:59 AM..
I never stop learning, Tzaph. I have always held the refinement process in the back of my mind as a "recycling" of the dross. I still do not see the utility of abandoning all prior memory so I still prefer my version of the refinement process. In fact, I am not sanguine or comfortable at all contemplating any further physical life.
I never stop learning. I have always held the refinement process in the back of my mind as a "recycling" of the dross. I still do not see the utility of abandoning all prior memory so I still prefer my version of the refinement process. In fact, I am not sanguine or comfortable at all contemplating any further physical life.
whether you are comfortable or not with how a process works, does not affect how the process works.
when a person recognizes that the benevolence of the divine permeates everything----that includes the process of reincarnation.
whether you are comfortable or not with how a process works, does not affect how the process works.
when a person recognizes that the benevolence of the divine permeates everything----that includes the process of reincarnation.
I understand your point of view, Tzaph, and I have no doubt whatsoever about the benevolence of God. I just would absolutely hate to have to go through another physical life for any reason. I am relying on that benevolence and my knowledge of science to believe I am right and God will accede to my wishes because that is how it actually works.
I understand your point of view, and I have no doubt whatsoever about the benevolence of God. I just would absolutely hate to have to go through another physical life for any reason. I am relying on that benevolence and my knowledge of science to believe I am right and God will accede to my wishes because that is how it actually works.
a person's "knowledge of science" has no bearing whatsoever on the process of reincarnation or how it works.
neither does "wishing"
Last edited by Tzaphkiel; 07-28-2021 at 08:52 PM..
for the same reason that a person's knowledge of baking cookies or playing hockey have no bearing on how the process of reincarnation works.
This is actually not placing "science" in the proper context. "science" is the data set we have to describe the world around us.
Science to reincarnation is not like hockey is to reincarnation. you would better off referencing a more reliable comparison.
Science is to reincarnation like science is to hockey. Or science is to baking cookies.
You have to avoid using logic to maintain your world view. We have the same types in atheism. Sometimes a statement of belief about religion totally consumes a person. Usually the people consumed by it have been "touched" personally in some way. Well, I haven't met one that hasn't been anyway.
The brain seems to latch onto ideas that keep the mind together. I call them strings. Strings are notions that a brain latches onto so it doesn't go blue-screen. It puts whatever thoughts are in there in some order so that it doesn't lock up. They almost look like dogma sometimes.
"we don't need science"
"we don't have to say anything"
are examples of meaningless, almost dangerous, statements about defining reality that a mind latches onto to keep itself thinking its has a handle on the situation. The are dogma looking in that they they hold true only under a severely limited set of conditions. "dogma" doesn't have to hold up under any conditions.
This is actually not placing "science" in the proper context. "science" is the data set we have to describe the world around us. Science to reincarnation is not like hockey is to reincarnation. you would better off referencing a more reliable comparison. Science is to reincarnation like science is to hockey. Or science is to baking cookies. You have to avoid using logic to maintain your world view. We have the same types in atheism. Sometimes a statement of belief about religion totally consumes a person. Usually the people consumed by it have been "touched" personally in some way. Well, I haven't met one that hasn't been anyway. The brain seems to latch onto ideas that keep the mind together. I call them strings. Strings are notions that a brain latches onto so it doesn't go blue-screen. It puts whatever thoughts are in there in some order so that it doesn't lock up. They almost look like dogma sometimes. "we don't need science" "we don't have to say anything" are examples of meaningless, almost dangerous, statements about defining reality that a mind latches onto to keep itself thinking its has a handle on the situation. The are dogma looking in that they they hold true only under a severely limited set of conditions. "dogma" doesn't have to hold up under any conditions.
a person's "knowledge of baking" does not have bearing on how the process of reincarnation works.
a person's "knowledge of hockey" does not have bearing on how the process of reincarnation works.
a person's "knowledge of science" does not have bearing on how the process of reincarnation works.
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Correct, as my recent appreciation for the Kabbalah has unquestionably shown me.
