What happens to the soul of a jew upon death

vanity

[lovesdogs]

My neighbor was buried today. He was a Jewish man of devout faith. Now mind you he was no saint, he had his share of issues just like anyone else. But in his later years, he became much more involved in the temple and study of the Torah. His Rabbi was at his home every other day and sometimes every day for study and company.

I looked all over for an answer to this question and I cannot find it. My friend did not accept Christ as his savior. As a Jew he did not accept Christian belief. Can anyone help me with what will happen to his soul? Will my prayer help? I have no experience with this sort of thing and I am heartbroken with the loss of this good man.

[GOPJ]

I know this - that you, norge - are in my prayers. I'm sorry about the loss of your wife - you must be dealing with a roller coaster of emotions so soon after the death. Around this time some of the numbness is wearing off - and the reality is sinking in - that's painful. Turn to your fellow freepers for prayers if you need extra strength. We're here for you.

[Sender]

One thing that I am sure of (in my own mind) is that God is a just and loving God. I am seeing many posts that claim that God’s standard is absolute perfection. If we so much as have a single impure thought, we fail utterly to be worthy of salvation. Who designed us? Were we designed to be absolutely perfect? If so, the designer utterly failed. I’d like to think that the designer was pretty good, so I am ruling out engineering error. We were designed in His image. IMHO, that means free will, able to make our own decisions and somewhat more than robots. If He knows everything, then He knows we are not perfect. He knew it from the day we were designed. We were not designed to fail; we were designed to be His greatest creation, one who may be somewhat unpredictable at times and stubborn. If we were perfect robots, what company would be be for God in the hereafter? I am not saying this as confronting the dogma of Christianity, but rather as I believe in the character of God.

[Sender]

But I am not a “universalist” who thinks that everyone on every path will get into heaven. I do believe in Jesus as the Messiah and I am trusting that God does not lie. I have met many people in my life that IMHO are unlikely to be saved, unless they have a complete repentance. I have met self-professed Christians and Jews who IMHO may not make the cut. I have met people who seem to have no conscience and even enjoy the suffering and humiliation of others. Of those people, IMHO God is not amused. There is hope for everyone, but eventually time runs out and for those people they will have to face whatever version of “hell” separation from God means. My opinion only, no one knows.

[norge]

Thank you for your kind thoughts. I will keep them in mind.

[norge]

There is a lot to agree with what you post. I can only be sure of this; if it were up to me and my goodness, I’m toast.

[norge]

Faith...I think you nailed it.

[CyberAnt]

You keep missing the point!

I DID NOT THINK YOUR “JOKE” WAS APPROPRIATE - BECAUSE IT WAS NOT FUNNY.

If you liked it .. fine .. but that does not REQUIRE ME TO LAUGH AT IT.

If that’s too tough for your ego .. oh well!!

[Sender]

If it were up to me and my tireless and unselfish service to my fellow man, I’m toast.

[The_Sword_of_Groo]

Attack attack attack, right? Easier than admitting the truth. So, let me get this straight...you called me ignorant because I made a joke you didn't like? Is that your story now? Grow up.
Once again, your projection is sadly transparent. Now you've trying to justify to yourself why you missed the joke by bringing ego into it, which is ironic since its your ego that wont allow you to just admit you either missed or didn't understand the joke, so you lashed out and attacked. Likewise, its your ego that keeps telling you I give a tinker's damn if you thought it was appropriate or funny.

As the saying goes, "the hit dog always hollers"

[GOPJ]

Understanding is faith’s reward...

[CyberAnt]

“... If you don’t give a tinker’s damn ...”

Then why are you continuing your rant ..??

Good bye! You still don’t get it!

[James C. Bennett]

The Bhagavad-Gita

 

Chapter VII

 

KRISHNA: LEARN now, dear Prince! how, if thy soul be set
Ever on Me—still exercising Yôg,
Still making Me thy Refuge—thou shalt come
Most surely unto perfect hold of Me.
I will declare to thee that utmost lore,	5
Whole and particular, which, when thou knowest
Leaveth no more to know here in this world.
Of many thousand mortals, one, perchance,
Striveth for Truth; and of those few that strive—
Nay, and rise high—one only—here and there—	10
Knoweth Me, as I am, the very Truth.
Earth, water, flame, air, ether, life, and mind,
And individuality—those eight
Make up the showing of Me, Manifest.
These be my lower Nature; learn the higher,	15
Whereby, thou Valiant One! this Universe
Is, by its principle of life, produced;
Whereby the worlds of visible things are born
As from a Yoni. Know! I am that womb:
I make and I unmake this Universe:	20
Than me there is no other Master, Prince!
No other Maker! All these hang on me
As hangs a row of pearls upon its string.
I am the fresh taste of the water; I
The silver of the moon, the gold o’ the sun,	25
The word of worship in the Veds, the thrill
That passeth in the ether, and the strength
Of man’s shed seed. I am the good sweet smell
Of the moistened earth, I am the fire’s red light,
The vital air moving in all which moves,	30
The holiness of hallowed souls, the root
Undying, whence hath sprung whatever is;
The wisdom of the wise, the intellect
Of the informed, the greatness of the great,
The splendor of the splendid. Kunti’s Son!	35
These am I, free from passion and desire;
Yet am I right desire in all who yearn,
Chief of the Bhâratas! for all those moods,
Soothfast, or passionate, or ignorant,
Which Nature frames, deduce from me; but all	40
Are merged in me—not I in them! The world—
Deceived by those three qualities of being—
Wotteth not Me Who am outside them all,
Above them all, Eternal! Hard it is
To pierce that veil divine of various shows	45
Which hideth Me; yet they who worship Me
Pierce it and pass beyond.
I am not known
To evil-doers, nor to foolish ones,
Nor to the base and churlish; nor to those	50
Whose mind is cheated by the show of things,
Nor those that take the way of Asuras.
Four sorts of mortals know me: he who weeps,
Arjuna! and the man who yearns to know;
And he who toils to help; and he who sits	55
Certain of me, enlightened.
Of these four,
O Prince of India! highest, nearest, best
That last is, the devout soul, wise, intent
Upon “The One.” Dear, above all, am I	60
To him; and he is dearest unto me!
All four are good, and seek me; but mine own,
The true of heart, the faithful—stayed on me,
Taking me as their utmost blessedness,
They are not “mine,” but I—even I myself!	65
At end of many births to Me they come!
Yet hard the wise Mahatma is to find,
That man who sayeth, “All is Vâsudev!”
There be those, too, whose knowledge, turned aside
By this desire or that, gives them to serve	70
Some lower gods, with various rites, constrained
By that which mouldeth them. Unto all such—
Worship what shrine they will, what shapes, in faith—
’Tis I who give them faith! I am content!
The heart thus asking favor from its God,	75
Darkened but ardent, hath the end it craves,
The lesser blessing—but ’tis I who give!
Yet soon is withered what small fruit they reap
Those men of little minds, who worship so,
Go where they worship, passing with their gods.	80
But Mine come unto me! Blind are the eyes
Which deem th’ Unmanifested manifest,
Not comprehending Me in my true Self!
Imperishable, viewless, undeclared,
Hidden behind my magic veil of shows,	85
I am not seen by all; I am not known—
Unborn and changeless—to the idle world.
But I, Arjuna! know all things which were,
And all which are, and all which are to be,
Albeit not one among them knoweth Me!	90
By passion for the “pairs of opposites,”
By those twain snares of Like and Dislike, Prince!
All creatures live bewildered, save some few
Who, quit of sins, holy in act, informed,
Freed from the “opposites,” and fixed in faith,	95
Cleave unto Me.
Who cleave, who seek in Me
Refuge from birth and death, those have the Truth!
Those know Me BRAHMA; know Me Soul of Souls,
The ADHYATMAN; know KARMA, my work;	100
Know I am ADHIBHUTA, Lord of Life,
And ADHIDAIVA, Lord of all the Gods,
And ADHIYAJNA, Lord of Sacrifice;
Worship Me well, with hearts of love and faith,
And find and hold Me in the hour of death.	105
Here endeth Chapter VII. of the Bhagavad-Gîtâ,
entitled “Vijnânayôg,” or “The Book
of Religion by Discernment”

 

 

 

 

   

 

Chapter XII

 

 

ARJUNA: LORD! of the men who serve Thee—true in heart—
As God revealed; and of the men who serve,
Worshipping Thee Unrevealed, Unbodied, far,
Which take the better way of faith and life?
KRISHNA: Whoever serve Me—as I show Myself—	5
Constantly true, in full devotion fixed,
These hold I very holy. But who serve—
Worshipping Me The One, The Invisible,
The Unrevealed, Unnamed, Unthinkable,
Uttermost, All-pervading, Highest, Sure—	10
Who thus adore Me, mastering their sense,
Of one set mind to all, glad in all good,
These blessed souls come unto Me.
Yet, hard
The travail is for whoso bend their minds	15
To reach th’ Unmanifest. That viewless path
Shall scarce be trod by man bearing his flesh!
But whereso any doeth all his deeds,
Renouncing self in Me, full of Me, fixed
To serve only the Highest, night and day	20
Musing on Me—him will I swiftly lift
Forth from life’s ocean of distress and death
Whose soul clings fast to Me. Cling thou to Me!
Clasp Me with heart and mind! so shalt thou dwell
Surely with Me on high. But if thy thought	25
Droops from such height; if thou be’st weak to set
Body and soul upon Me constantly,
Despair not! give Me lower service! seek
To read Me, worshipping with steadfast will;
And, if thou canst not worship steadfastly,	30
Work for Me, toil in works pleasing to Me!
For he that laboreth right for love of Me
Shall finally attain! But, if in this
Thy faint heart fails, bring Me thy failure! find
Refuge in Me! let fruits of labor go,	35
Renouncing all for Me, with lowliest heart,
So shalt thou come; for, though to know is more
Than diligence, yet worship better is
Than knowing, and renouncing better still
Near to renunciation—very near—	40
Dwelleth Eternal Peace!
Who hateth nought
Of all which lives, living himself benign,
Compassionate, from arrogance exempt,
Exempt from love of self, unchangeable	45
By good or ill; patient, contented, firm
In faith, mastering himself, true to his word,
Seeking Me, heart and soul; vowed unto Me,—
That man I love! Who troubleth not his kind,
And is not troubled by them; clear of wrath,	50
Living too high for gladness, grief, or fear,
That man I love! Who, dwelling quiet-eyed,
Stainless, serene, well-balanced, unperplexed,
Working with Me, yet from all works detached,
That man I love! Who, fixed in faith on Me,	55
Dotes upon none, scorns none; rejoices not,
And grieves not, letting good and evil hap
Light when it will, and when it will depart,
That man I love! Who, unto friend and foe
Keeping an equal heart, with equal mind	60
Bears shame and glory, with an equal peace
Takes heat and cold, pleasure and pain; abides
Quit of desires, hears praise or calumny
In passionless restraint, unmoved by each,
Linked by no ties to earth, steadfast in Me,	65
That man I love! But most of all I love
Those happy ones to whom ’tis life to live
In single fervid faith and love unseeing,
Eating the blessèd Amrit of my Being!
Here endeth Chapter XII. of the Bhagavad-Gîtâ,	70
entitled “Bhakityôgô,” or “The Book of
the Religion of Faith”

[The_Sword_of_Groo]

Just so I understand, defending myself from your personal attack is a "rant"? Nice.

You attack people you disagree with. And from what I can tell, you attack people who admitted that they agree with your point of view! I bet you are an absolute JOY to live with.

Keep telling yourself whatever you need to sleep better. Deep down, I suspect you know the truth. Judging by your actions and demeanor, I'd say it was pretty ugly. But then, considering you know everything else I guess you already know that too

[Jack Black]

Thanks for posting that. I haven’t read it since college. It is much more beautiful than I remember it being.

[blasater1960]

Thank you for loving your neighbor. A lot of people, even some here in FReepland would have despised him for being a Jew. The fact that you cared so much for him says a lot about you too.

In Judaism, there are several means of forgiveness of sin. The main three are prayer, repentence and charity. The Jewish scriptures are full of examples. Contrary to Christian teaching, it is not "all about the blood".

Neither does the Jewish scriptures require a belief in a Messiah, otherwise a person will perish. Not once is this mentioned.

We are to love the L-rd with all our heart, soul and might. When we blow it and sin, ask for forgiveness, repent and/or give to charity. Why? Because it repairs our relationship with G-d and also repairs the world. You see it isnt just about us....it is also about our neighbors...like yours!

[ladyL]

I am so sorry I just read your post from the 17th. Didn't mean to not respond to your questions. The House of Israel and the House of Judah were formed after Solomon died and there was a split in the Kingdom. The ten northern tribes formed the HOI and the two southern tribes formed the HOJ. All of this is scripturally and historically based in
1Kings chapters 11&12 and 2Kings chapter 17. It's completely Biblical and unless you have this understanding of the TWO separate Houses you cannot correctly interpret 97% of the Bible. Not my words but Rev.F.F. Bosworth who was the Billy Graham of the 30’s, also one of the Azzuza Street Pastors.

[CyberAnt]

You’re still mixing Jews and Christians .. and they are two different groups of people; not two different houses made up of Jewish people.

Remember, the Bible is progressive revelation. Adam and Eve didn’t know very much about God. We, on the otherhand, know a great deal more. What Bosworth knew in 1930 is nothing compared to what preachers know and understand about the Bible today, and how the Blood of Jesus was the sacrifice for all our sins.

I spend most of my time in the NT .. maybe that’s the problem. I’m more concerned with learning what Jesus blood bought for me and my life .. and how knowing that can change my whole life and that of my family.

Maybe it’s important to you to know there was a House of Israel and a House of Judah, but I really don’t see it’s relavence to how the Blood of Jesus washed away all our sins.

Sorry!

[FreeKeys]

“I think vital religion has always suffered when orthodoxy is more regarded than virtue. The scriptures assure me that at the last day we shall not be examined on what we thought but what we did.” — Benjamin Franklin [letter to his father, 1738]