Biblical Hebrew Forum

[a.c.smith AT juno.com (Andrew C Smith)]

Dear b-hebrew members:
I found the following on a rabbi's web page - perhaps it's off-topic, but
I found it interesting - is there any basis at all for such things in the
actual text of the Tanakh?

Jews believe in life after death.  We call it the World to Come.  
Gehinom -- a purification process -- is part of the World to Come.  When
a 
person dies, his soul gets a chance to "think objectively" about his 
lifetime spent on earth.  Depending on how the person spent his life,
this 
can be a painful process in which the soul mourns its bad deeds, lost 
opportunities and wasted potential. Ultimately, the gehinom process is
temporary, and eventually enables the person to enjoy the benefits of all
the good things he did during his lifetime.

Nevertheless, Judaism emphasizes life in this world.  Here's a 
parable to explain:  A wealthy man goes on a cruise ship.  The ship
sinks, 
and he finds himself afloat in a tiny rubber raft.  This raft is his only

hope of arriving safely to his family, his mansion and all his wealth.  
Judaism looks at this world like a raft.  By following the survival
manual 
-- the Torah -- this little raft can bring us safely to the World to
Come.

.
.
.

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