Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-22
Whdt VIII HaPPen ZZ%SzzAfter Death

resurrection of the national body. the
coming of the Messiah and retribution-
The history of $500 years of thought
on future punishment can be summed
up as follows, with fairness at least:
Hell, as now understood. took its
location from Greece (Hades). its lake
of fire from. Persia and its develop
mept from Christianity. Gehenna, or
Gehinmon of the Bible is not hell. 1t
was beautiful valley tGe) south of
Jerusalem belonging to Messrs. Hinnom
& Co.. Limited Ger. I. 80. Its reputa-
ton became unsavory because IT
was the dumping ground for the ofai
of the city. and also accursed because
sacrifices had been offered there in
transformed into 'Sheol,' as place
where the dead pass shadowy eX-
iStence, but cannot praise God.
(Psalms, 115. $3.50
Under Persian influence the ideas
of good and evil gods give to Sheol
retributive characteristics. and. under
the stress of persecution and the long
ing for a Messiah the idea of a resur-
rection of the people became COM
forting attachment to II. On this
string, with varying discord and gusto
the Christian writers constantly
harp.
He'll begets vividness in the
Apocalypse of Enoch (Jewish Encyclo-
pedia. vol. 5, page $50, for details).
while the II Maccabees. y, "A, fur
nshed doctrine upon which the
Catholic church reared its pillar
Here in this Apochryphal book. the
Jew comes nearest the idea of inter
cession in behalf of dead sinners.
When the doctrine of depravity and
the redemption of humanity by the
mediating grace of Jesus became firmly
rooted in Christian consciousness. the
Jew, by sheer force of self-defense,
propounded the idea of the saving
grace of Israel by the virtues of the
raelite past. He Rugged the teaching
of original virtue rather than that
of original sin.
The kaddish. the prayer of pious
resignation in the face Of death, show
ing doubtless Catholic influences of
the ninth and tenth centuries con-
vincingly- proves that then the virtues
of the children and their prayers were
intercessors for the souls of the dead.
Thus the Kabbala. the mysteries of
Rabbi Simeon ben Jochai of the eighth
century, and the opinion of Rabbi Chat
Gaon. two centuries later, prove that
ideas of he'll and purgatory had cap
tured and captivated the imagination
of Israel at that time. despite. the
mighty protest to the contrary OF
NaiElonides. the greatest Jewish au-
thority of the middle ages.
The views of modern Jews, at least
of the reform wing. are based upon
the teachings of Maimonides and Men
delssohn in this respect. Our idea of
I'm TN Sb mo
immortality of the soul The belief
in it and in a denial of the resurrec-
ton of the individual body, which
returns to the dust as it was. has
won the acceptance OF reform Juda-
ism. The resurrection of body being
eliminated. future reward and punish
ment must be dealt only the soul.
which returns to the God who gave it,
''In other words. future rewards and
punishments are spiritual. not physical
nor material. He'll and heaven must
therefore be states of soul not spatial
realities. The exquisite honily. told by
the rabbis is very much to the point:
After death the be dy and soul come be-
fore the divine judgment scat. Each lays
the blame for its past sins upon the
shall ray the penalty. since, having come
from heaven. it alone is responsible
Eternal progress Of the soul to ever
higher levels of spiritual states of hapDl-
ness is cur ideal. Nor is that hope de-
MED the sinner. Remorse of conscience
carried beyond the grave is considered
agony eaougll Not knowing, We trust
that the soul handicapped on earth. or
hax endurance
cumring to the wileS o. sin, may retrieve
itself purify itself and be enabled to
gain the spiritual conquest winch IL 1alled
TO win on earth. There is no hell. de-
clared q Talmudic r3hbi of the third CEN
fury lNedarim. Sb,. He'd is. after all. a
matter of personal privilege. Sin must
bring its train o. consequences with II,
but If suffering there IS to be. 1t must
be terminated in the Very nature OF
thin-s. and III the very nature OF God.
IF. in the second commandment, the
punishment upon sinners extends only
10 1h, second az. third Generations. while
the reward of virtue ottiaSts il ny hNe
times shall We believe less OF God
power and justice and mercy beyond the
crayeo Gods grace is greater tnan The
theology OF so2:r Of His lovers. The j."
refuses TO co::-crt Inc future into an
eternal n,ric:i or limitiess in9d!sition
He does not Ia, i neCs@s''.' :, even now,
to wi"l,i IL: t.'oc; o";cai cub.
In sn,. t.i:t.T--, with ny whole soul
tina. tn.e nj lea will recede from
h,1,t,-.. l"s -'..:s'<~.ass III the same meas
Ire aaa =. o.,artion - We bring heaven
sc,-u - car,.i and make this earth of
f!:r= the sweetest era nest lovabie spot
in the universe. We can afford to trust
the elc!.Ia! is.JIe in tie hands of God
AT last analysis, The rnsact and the prac-
teal MESSAGE OF p. ..;ecussion on future
reward ard Punishment is that We love
auoth -