Cyberthought by Rabbi Zelizer -- October 27, 2008

Frequent questions to the Rabbi about Judaism. His answers will be appearing as Cyberthoughts over time.

Question # 9

Q. What happens after we die?

A. It is notable that the Torah does not mention it. What I do know, and am rather agnostic about personally, is that Judaism says that after we die the soul separates from the body. At some future point when the Messiah arrives our physical bodies will be revived and reunited with our souls which continue after our immediate death. How does that happen? Does that happen? Wish I knew. What I do believe, which was suggested to me by my predecessor in this shul, Rabbi Herschel Matt, is that if God loves us in life, God's love is not limited by the fact that our physical being dies. In some way, a personal God who knows us in life can continue to know us in death. In the meantime the real question is "What do we do until that moment comes?"