What Happens at Death in Judaism?
Judaism has various customs have arisen that directly relate to the Jewish view of death. These traditions stem from the view that a body is holy because it contained the essence of the individual, his soul. Traditions include ritually cleansing the body, guarding the body, and proceeding with the funeral as soon as possible. Jewish tradition teaches that the soul experiences an afterlife.
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In God's Image
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Judaism teaches that God created Man "B'Tzelem Elochim," in His image. In the same way that God is eternal, something exists within every human being that is also eternal. The concept of B'tzelem Elohim teaches that each person's life is holy and unique. Jews refer to this essence as man's "nefesh," or soul. Man's inner identity, his nefesh, is immortal. Although the person's body might waste away, the soul exists forever. The Book of Ecclesiastes expresses this view in verse 12:7: "And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to G-d, who gave it."
Physical and Spiritual
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According to Jewish teachings, after death the soul passes from a physical existence to a spiritual form. In that spiritual form, the soul stands before the Heavenly Court, reviewing its deeds and actions from its physical life. The pleasures that the nefesh experiences in its life in "The Next World," also called "Gan Eden," directly relate to the charity, honesty, selflessness and other attributes that the person exhibited during her physical life. Judaism doesn't promote the idea that the nefesh will be punished in the next world if the person acted inappropriately or disobeyed God's will. Rather, the rewards of the next world will increase proportionally to how carefully the person followed God's will during her lifetime.
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Family of the Deceased
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Family members and others can "raise the level of the soul," increasing the nefesh's status in Gan Eden. Individuals can recite prayers and psalms, contribute to charity and undertake good deeds in the deceased person's name. These actions accrue merit for the departed person and contribute to his closeness to God and enhanced experience in the world to come. Actions that family and friends may take include the recitation of the "Kaddish" prayer, which first-degree relatives recite three times daily for eleven months after a death. Saying the Kaddish honors the departed and, Jews believe, raises his level of pleasure and contentment in Gan Eden.
Resurrection
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Belief that the dead will return to life when God wills it is one of Maimonidies' 13 Principles of Faith. Observant Jews recite these principles during daily prayers. Most Jews, though not all, accept this view and point to biblical texts, including Genesis 25:8, Genesis 25:17, Genesis 35:29, Genesis 49:33, Deuteronomy 32:50 and Kings 22:20, as the source for this belief. They believe that resurrection will occur during the messianic age. At that time those who lived a righteous life will return to the world of the living and experience the messianic era that their righteousness helped create. Many members of the Reform Jewish movement do not accept this belief.
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References
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