I was going to put this in the Baptist Theology Forum as there is a discussion on there of a Biblical hell. Then I felt it would detract from the discussion and may offend some... So I put it here and to say that the Rabbi stretches the truth some is an understatement... Brother Glen:rolleyes:
Dear Rabbi,
Do Jews believe in Hell? I am not planning any trips there or anything, but I have heard conflicting reports about its existence.
Answer:
We do believe in a type of Hell, but not the one found in cartoons and joke books. Hell is not a punishment in the conventional sense; it is, in fact, the expression of a great kindness.
The Jewish mystics described a spiritual place called “Gehinnom.” This is usually translated as “Hell,” but a better translation would be “the Supernal Washing Machine.” Because that’s exactly how it works. The way our soul is cleansed in Gehinnom is similar to the way our clothes are cleansed in a washing machine.
Put yourself in your socks’ shoes, so to speak. If you were to be thrown into boiling hot water and flung around for half an hour, you might start to feel that someone doesn’t like you. However, the fact is that it is only after going through a wash cycle that the socks can be worn again.
We don’t put our socks in the washing machine to punish them. We put them through what seems like a rough and painful procedure only to make them clean and wearable again. The intense heat of the water loosens the dirt, and the force of being swirled around shakes it off completely. Far from hurting your socks, you are doing them a favor by putting them through this process.
So too with the soul. Every act we do in our lifetime leaves an imprint on our soul. The good we do brightens and elevates our soul, and every wrongdoing leaves a stain that needs to be cleansed. If, at the end of our life, we leave this world without fixing the wrongs we have done, our soul is unable to reach its place of rest on high. We must go through a cycle of deep cleansing. Our soul is flung around at an intense spiritual heat to rid it of any residue it may have gathered, and to prepare it for entry into Heaven.
Of course, this whole process can be avoided. If we truly regret the wrong we have done and make amends with the people we have hurt, we can leave this world with “clean socks.”
That’s why our Sages said, “Repent one day before you die.” And what should you do if you don’t know which day that will be? Repent today.
A Rabbi Explains Hell?
Discussion in 'Jokes & Humor (Clean)' started by tyndale1946, May 10, 2017.
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tyndale1946 Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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Greg Merrill New Member
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tyndale1946 Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
Do Jews Believe in Hell? - What Is the Jewish Belief on Hell? -
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tyndale1946 Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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tyndale1946 Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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Between my poor eyes and the small font on my IPad I keep reading the title of the thread as:
A Rabbit explains Hell
Rob -
tyndale1946 Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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Too bad he is ignorant of the fact; preparation for a soul to enter Heaven is accomplished when the soul is ON earth, IN the living body.
:Rolleyes -
JohnDBaptiste MemberSite Supporter