The World to Come
Question
What do you think about Judgement day ? What judaism believe what will happen to humans after they are dead ?
Answer
Shalom!
Thank you for your question!
The topic of the World to Come in Judaism is a gigantic topic and not possible to fully discuss it here.
I will, however, list a few of the more important teaching relating to the World to Come
1. The first explicit mention of the World to Come appears in the Talmud, where we are told “All of the Jewish people have a share in the World to Come.” (Though some exceptions are listed).
2. The Talmud (Berachot 17a) says: “The World to Come is not like this world. In the World to Come there is no eating, no drinking, no procreation, no business negotiations, no jealousy, no hatred, and no competition. Rather, the righteous sit with their crowns upon their heads, enjoying the splendor of the Divine Presence.”
3. The Mishna in Pirkei Avot (4:16-17) says: “Rabbi Yaakov says: This world is like a hallway before the world to come. Fix yourself in the hallway so you may enter the drawing room…One hour of repentance and good deeds in this world is better than all the time in the World to Come. And one hour of pleasure in the World to Come is better than all the time in this world.”
4. The Talmud (Berachot 57b) teaches that Shabbat is one-sixtieth of the World to Come — that is, the joy of Shabbat is but a hint of the great pleasure that away the righteous in the World to Come
5. Maimonides teaches that the World to Come is the reward for the righteous after death. As he writes, “The hidden good in store for the righteous is the life in the World to Come. It is a life connected with no death and no evil.”
6. It is worth noting that some use the term the “World to Come” to refer to the Messianic era. For example, Nachmanidies distinguishes between the “World to Come” which refers to a Messianic-era physical world and the “World of Souls” where the soul goes after the death of the body.