Jewish Views of the Afterlife

By Simcha Paull Raphael

Book Overview

Originally published in 1994, Jewish Views of the Afterlife is a classic study of ideas of afterlife and postmortem survival in Jewish tradition and mysticism.

As both a scholar and pastoral counselor, Raphael guides the reader through 4,000 years of Jewish thought on the afterlife by investigating pertinent sacred texts produced in each era. Through a compilation of ideas found in the Bible, Apocrypha, rabbinic literature, medieval philosophy, medieval Midrash, Kabbalah, Hasidism and Yiddish literature, the reader learns how Judaism conceived of the fate of the individual after death throughout Jewish history. In addition, this book explores the implications of Jewish afterlife beliefs for a renewed understanding of traditional rituals of funeral, burial, shiva, kaddish and more.

This newly released twenty-fifth anniversary edition presents new material on little-known Jewish mystical teachings on reincarnation, a chapter on "Spirits, Ghosts and Dybbuks in Yiddish Literature", and a foreword by the renowned scholar of Jewish mysticism, Rabbi Arthur Green.

Both historical and contemporary, this book provides a rich resource for scholars and laypeople and for teachers and students and makes an important Jewish contribution to the growing contemporary psychology of death and dying.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1538103451
• ISBN13: 9781538103456
• Release Date: April 2019
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Length: 528 Pages
• Weight: 1.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Exceeded my expectations

This book far exceeded my expectations...it covers a huge amount of intellectual material, but remains easy to understand throughout. Though the author will resist the appellation, this is the "Jewish Book of the Dead" for english readers. Highly recommended and downright inspiring. Bravo.

A terrific introduction, scholarly and beautifully written

It is rare to find a scholarly book that is a pleasure to read. Simcha Paull Raphael's book is one of these gems. The scope of his knowledge is amazing, and his writing style is a breath of fresh air. The author explores the evolution of Jewish beliefs about life after death from biblical times to the present. This is, without doubt, the best introduction I have seen. It is must read for anyone interested in this topic.

A scholarly treatment of dying,death and the soul's journey

The fate of the soul after death is the major focus of Simcha Paull Raphael's beautifully written tome. Culled from 4,000 year of classical Jewish source material it's topics include resurrection, Gan Eden and Gehenna, angels; the, history and tradition of the souls appearance and disappearance from the modern Jewish world, etc. You can start anywhere and skip about to your heart's content. Any good Jewish library is incomplete without it.

A fascinating and important read !

Most Jews are under the mistaken impression that Judaism does not believe in an afterlife. This is not so, and in fact Jewish texts preserve a rich tradition of how this concept has been understood and taught throughout Jewish history. This book is an excellent introduction and overview of how the afterlife is viewed in The Torah, The Talmud, the medieval works, the Midrash and the books of the Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism). One of its special features is that many medieval Jewish texts are presented here for the first time in English!