The Jewish belief revolves around the concept of the afterlife. We have the Torah which teaches us mitzvos and aveiros. Mitzvos are in order to teach us what is the correct way to live our lives so that we can then move on to the next stage of our life: heaven. Aveiros are telling us what not to do; they are incorrect and when we do them, we will be sent to Gahenem after we die. This world was created in order for us, the Jewish people, to conquer the test that God has given us of doing right or wrong. The obdurate actions that we do in this world determine our destiny in the world to come either for reward or punishment.
To be Jewish you technically need to believe in the afterlife; that your deeds in this world will cause you to be rewarded or punished in the afterlife, because otherwise there isn’t any inclination to follow the Torah. However, many Jews don’t believe in it; yet we were still raised with good morals, therefore we do the mitzvos anyways. Moreover, Hashem created this world to test us because He didn’t want to just give everyone the reward. He decided that people need to deserve it so he created olam hazeh. So, in this world, earth, everyone was created in order to move on to the better world, olam habah. We have a choice; either follow Hashem’s Torah and do His mitzvos to get into the world to come or do bad things and go to Gahenem. Depending on the person, each one will truly get what’s coming to them. However, Hashem wants everyone to go to heaven, but sometimes people choose material things/pleasure in this world over the greater good in the world to come.
This view on the afterlife is hard to believe because we have no physical evidence that the afterlife exists. We have a blind faith that we have to behave and follow a set of rules because the world after this one’s apparently pleasurable and unfathomable or incomparable to anything in this world. However, in Daniel (12:2) it states, “וְרַבִּ֕ים מִיְּשֵׁנֵ֥י אַדְמַת־עָפָ֖ר יָקִ֑יצוּ אֵ֚לֶּה לְחַיֵּ֣י עוֹלָ֔ם וְאֵ֥לֶּה לַחֲרָפ֖וֹת לְדִרְא֥וֹן עוֹלָֽם.” That means, “Many of those that sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to eternal life, others to reproaches, to everlasting abhorrence.” This implies that once you die, you, your neshama, will be judged. Those judged favorably will live forever and those judged bad will be punished.
The non Jewish belief on the afterlife depends on if u believe in g-d or not. The typical atheist believes that they were born with no specific purpose and the world just happened. That lead them to believe that there is no afterlife and there are no consequences for their actions. But other religions that do have a g-d for example Christianity, since its a break off of an Abrahamic religion, also believe in the afterlife and that you are judged for what you do. Additionally, to them, they also have to listen to JC and if they do then they will go to heaven. This shows the Christian belief involving the afterlife.
The Jewish belief on olam haba is that its filled with unbelievable measures of pleasure and everyone’s going to be learning all day. There are 7 levels and on the top level you can learn there, with Hashem, but you can’t see Him of course because we aren’t worthy enough for that. Gahenem though is full of suffering.There are seven levels there too, with the bottom one being the worst. Jews believe that everyone goes to Gahenem just for a little because it’s a cleaning slate for the neshama. However, no one is ever there for more than 11 months. Therefore, we never say Kaddish for a passed one after that extended period of time because kaddish is supposed to elevate one that is in Gahenem.
The non Jewish belief on heaven and Gahenem is that you are at either one for eternity. There are some people that believe in purgatory which is neither good or bad for if you were neither good or bad and if you pass and go there you just walk aimlessly for eternity.
Overall, this world was created as a test for us, the Jewish people, to follow in the way of Hashem. However, if you fail to do so, you will end up in Gahenem. Hashem wants all of us to strive, to be the best we can be because after all, we are in this world to help us get into the better world, olam habah. Hashem doesn’t give anyone a test that they can’t handle. Because at the end of day he wants all of us to be in olam habah, we just need to deserve it first.
8.1.2019