Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz
Founder of The Israel Institute for Talmudic Publications

Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz

The Steinsaltz Edition of the Talmud, of which 37 volumes have been published so far, has made the Talmud accessible to Hebrew speakers.

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Spirits of the Body or the Mind?

I do believe in life after death, as it is one of the tenets of the Jewish religion. However, my perception of life after death is perhaps almost purely spiritual. It does not contain the folklore of legends or superstitions that is so often associated with this concept. I do not envision the souls of the departed as holding harps or walking in a garden.

I believe that once the soul departs from the body it begins a process of detachment from this world and its inhabitants. The soul begins to forget its body, its life, and its connections to the world. It no longer has a real world – only a dreamlike memory of a world. Many people subscribe to the myth that, after they die, they will meet their departed friends and relatives and re-experience the joy of their shared memories. But, because of the nature of a spirit without a body, those meetings are destined to be very unsatisfying.

Therefore, if I have been visited by the spirit of the dead, I possibly did not recognize it as such. Aside from the obvious influence of dreams and memories – which are very much part of this world – pure souls have a primarily unconscious relationship with us. The perception of visions and visitations by the dead are, oftentimes, the result of the living mind rather than of the departed spirit. Metaphors and legends about departed souls can be helpful and even illuminating, but they too belong to the world of the living.

By Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz  |  October 12, 2007; 1:26 PM ET
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Previous: Life To Come | Next: A Pagan View of Death

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eventually

Posted by: Anonymous | July 11, 2008 6:03 PM
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a chance to be Straight in 'Another-World'

Posted by: Anonymous | July 11, 2008 5:59 PM
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Who Miraculously appear in Carbon Based Photon mist Forms,

Posted by: Anonymous | July 11, 2008 5:57 PM
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Photon mist Forms,

Posted by: Anonymous | July 11, 2008 5:55 PM
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3) Hello Book "A SCRiBE IN MiRiCLES" by Helen SCHUCMAN (pbuh et al) The "1st American Woman" Prophetess whom also received the Melchizedek on “MT. WASHiNGTON HEiGHTS”, NEW YORK, USA. etc..

Hence why New York State is the New "JOKTANian-Race" Craddle Of "Gridarian Democracy" & "Transfinite Civilization"!! No longer From Overseas. NOT-iMPORTED Religion System(s)!!

"IT" (G-d is never nor ever can be called a "HE/Him" nor a "She/Her"..) is Prophecy! Do not Be in Denial To Self Nor others, especially ye "Future-Bound" & "Space-Forth Bound" KIDS!

Note: Firstly; American Born {Eclati}-{ON} BUCKMINSTER FULLER is a Prophet in his Own right. And American Born quasi/Prophet EDGAR CACEY is another exception.

Posted by: Anonymous | May 8, 2008 10:26 AM
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.

2) Hello {TRANS}-{FiNiTY} by Harry {Shi}-{Loh} THERiAULT (pbuh) a/k/a the “Religion Of Everything “before The “Science of Everything” Via the Melchizedek (full) Blessings!, given on “MT. {TRANS}-{FiNiTY}” , NEW YORK, USA. etc.. and

Posted by: Anonymous | May 8, 2008 10:24 AM
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Good Riddence To ALL "iMPORTED" & Competing 'Old Time religion(s) in Sweet AMERiCA!

Good Bye MECCA!
Good Bye JERUSALEM!
Good Bye VATICAN/CANTURBERY!
Good Bye NEPAL/TIBET!
Good Bye ARMISTAR!
Good Bye HELLENICS!
Good Bye CAVE/DESERT/JUNGLE/ISLAND “BiO-MENTALiTY!”

“Think Globally, act Locally”

AND say instead,

HELLO , "MODERN MORALiTY" (never Biblical Morality) & "APOCALYPTIC NATiON" Ye Sweet sweet, Made in U.S.A., The 3-American-Made "NEW-AGE", coming from an Old-Age of Religion(s).

Hark The "O.ne U.niversal R.eligion Book" Not imported & a TRUE (opposite of MYTH) Singularity (MONOism) of a HOLY-COSMiC genuine Faith or Belief, better than a Religion, so to speaketh and thus no more PLOY-THEISTiC Pre-Apocalyptic Foreign Made competing SYSTEM(s) for a Name For the 'Creator Of O.U.R. Photons/Light awareness!

so SAY

1) Hello “Book Of "MORMON" By Joseph SMiTH (pbuh et al) “The MELCHiZEDEK (partial) Peace Blessing” Given on “MT. CUMORAH, NEW YORK, USA. etc..

Posted by: Anonymous | May 8, 2008 10:22 AM
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Hello Norrie Hoyt,

Belief in afterlife is one of Maimonides' 13 Precepts of Faith. As the actual nature of this life and afterlife or (indeed) soul is a deeper aspect of various faiths, the form this belief or disbelief takes is very personal and profound, something an individual can study extensively, but (like many other things) something one must wrestle with and enjoy oneself!

Again, (it appears to be a theme with me), the fullness or wholeness of an idea depends on one's involvement with and stance within a system or various systems of thought.

As the Rabbi says: "Metaphors and legends about departed souls can be helpful and even illuminating, but they belong to the world of the living."


ET AL
"Information" resides in and moves between bodies.
What more can we add to this?

-Mason

Posted by: Mason | January 27, 2008 6:51 PM
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Rabbi Adin..I can only agree with you,if people find comfort a calling the dead,where being loss of a loved causing continued great grief.Being there no such thing as spirit's to comfort them then Allah as the Alimghty will make such..such the love of the Lord it be beyond all measure. When in heaven between births,choice of future nationality can arouse some excitment,with the younger spirits.Be older spirits,never choice only acceptance.Yet still being the case,young as older spirits if ISRAEL be ever mentioned it still send an cold shiver through one's spirit. Adin,seems you havE lasted well...per'aps your next life,be as without religion.After ISRAEL, how does it sound,next lifetime being that of an $millionaire playboy,on the Costa Brava. xxx X

Posted by: ANONYMOUS | October 14, 2007 12:42 PM
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POSSUM:
So most Christians, and quite especially the Mormons (and perhaps a few others that I am less familiar with) are in essence being duped by a mythology? Those very precious beliefs are on the same bookshelf as Zeus, Thor, Apollo, astrology and druidism?

ALL religious beliefs fall under the category of mythology. I include my own beleifes in this, since I don't see "myth" as a dirty word. Myth doesn't mean falsehood, it just refers to religious cosmology in general. So actually, Christian beliefs ARE on the exact same bookshelf as the Greek, Roman, and Norse gods, astrology, and Druidism, as well as Judaism, Mormonism, Islam, Asatru, Hinduism, Scientology, Vodoun, and any other religion you care to name. Which "book" you choose from the common "shelf" is really just a matter of what beliefs resonate with your own life experiences.

Posted by: lepidopteryx | October 14, 2007 10:38 AM
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"I do believe in life after death, as it is one of the tenets of the Jewish religion."

I'd really like posters to discuss this.

My impression, as a non-Jew, has always been exactly the opposite: that Jews generally do not believe in a life after death.

And that, except for a small stratum of folklore, life-after-death was simply not part of Jewish belief or thought.

Can anyone enlighten me?

Thanks.

Posted by: Norrie Hoyt | October 14, 2007 10:24 AM
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Gosh Paganplace, Only those without brains can hold information in their heads without a body. Sound in the air has the air mass. Light is, according Einstein "like bullets out of a machine gun."

Try harder. I'm sure you'll think of some way to send a message that has no body. Don't forget that electrons have mass and so do pixels, what you use to send messages here. It's not really magic, just looks that way.

I think that hoax buster fellow, Mr Hunt says there are two gods left, electricity/magnetism and gravity. Invisible forces must be the work of supernatural beings. Huh? How dose gravity reach out across space without a body and deliver the message, "come see me?" There must be a gravity god. If you could do that, deliver a message that has no body then you would be, "like unto God." That's a worthy goal with some nasty pitfalls, take Eve for example.

Gods, gods are the product of false science, ignorance. Specifically that the air has no mass, the sun is a living being because it flies, (dead birds don't fly) etc. We are all children of the fertility god. Ask your president if you don't believe me.

For the scientific types here about, is there a physical connection between every particle of matter and ever other particle of matter or is there at least two Gods/gods? You're not out of business yet Paganplace, got those non believing scientist right where you want them.

Be extremely careful else you'll decide matter doesn't even exist, just the figment of your imagination. Could it be so, "there is no reality, only perceived reality?"

Posted by: BGone | October 13, 2007 12:46 PM
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Great face, full of character. Well-written, but you beg the question. To have life after death requires the soul you write of, and you've yet to prove existence of the soul.

Posted by: John Griffith (Bright) | October 13, 2007 9:49 AM
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In a less adversarial world, maybe we could talk to each other about such things, instead of fighting over them because of the political implications.

Posted by: Paganplace | October 13, 2007 12:30 AM
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Hey, Bgone:

"Once you understand, and I doubt you ever will, that information cannot exist without a physical, corruptible body, then you will know the absurdity of a spirit, bodiless being world."

What makes you think so?


Information, or from what we *derive* information exists in many forms far more durable than our present forms.

Or our ideas of what we're arguing about. :)

Posted by: Paganplace | October 13, 2007 12:26 AM
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Apologies to all... this is off topic so please ignore. Don't yell, just ignore, and don't bother spell-czeching either...I already know..

BGONE... for reasons that are still not quite clear to me (rationalization, I've been debating the pagans and am feeling a bit sparkly, twinkly and and giddy) I went to that hoax-buster site... I think I know that guy... seriously... I have humongous connections to Hunt's alma matter...

Do you know him?


Posted by: Possum | October 12, 2007 5:41 PM
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Possum:

Boy oh boy. Next thing I guess you'll claim is those supernatural beings in the underworld, pictures at http://www.hoax-buster.org were just a lie. What? You did already? I'll wager you don't believe there is an underworld. Everything has an under. Doesn't it? Where do you think Australia is anyhow? Everybody knows Australia is heaven.

Posted by: BGone | October 12, 2007 5:26 PM
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“It does not contain the folklore of legends or superstitions that is so often associated with this concept”

“Many people subscribe to the myth that, after they die, they will meet their departed friends and relatives”

Rabbi;
So most Christians, and quite especially the Mormons (and perhaps a few others that I am less familiar with) are in essence being duped by a mythology? Those very precious beliefs are on the same bookshelf as Zeus, Thor, Apollo, astrology and druidism?

Legends, folklore, mythology…. Please tell me Rabbi, how is Judaism not ALSO merely one or more of these silly things?

Posted by: Possum | October 12, 2007 4:43 PM
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Once you understand, and I doubt you ever will, that information cannot exist without a physical, corruptible body, then you will know the absurdity of a spirit, bodiless being world. It's alright for you to believe whatever it is even though you surely realize the nonsensicalness of a world you cannot imagine yet expect to live there. The impossible nature of spirit worlds doesn't rule out more life, eternal life even after this life.

I'm going to be real disappointed if we don't get a second shot at people like Hitler. And with no more intervention from God than we get right now. And it's going to be a non event raising knots of a ghost's head.

You got the more life part straight. Now all we need do is to refine that a bit making sure that absolutely no one is left out especially folks like Hitler. Otherwise it can't possibly be much fun. You did see the picture of what happened/is happening to the bit Nazi at the hoax buster place? One man's heaven is another's hell I'd say.

Posted by: BGone | October 12, 2007 4:30 PM
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