A Jewish View of "Hell"

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Published: July 21, 2007

Visitor Comments: 20

(20) SusanE, December 28, 2010 7:54 PM

Why is Gehenim painful?

Why is seeing our errors painful? We generally know our own faults, and if Gehenim, like a hospital can help us heal, wouldn't we feel better? Especially if we can progress by learning from our shameful parts. In this world we all have woulda' shoulda' coulda' issues. Don't most Jews renew and repair each year during the holidays so they can forgive and review their faults? If G-d created Gehenim, doesn't it have to be good for us?

(19) suzy, February 5, 2008 2:59 AM

gehenim is an extremely painful, where the soul gets cleansed.

Thanks for the reminder to take care of things now

(18) Roberto, December 12, 2007 11:47 AM

There's more to tell...

Lori's video is educating, and although she mentions the hospital, she doesn't mention that it, like a real hospital, heals.

It may be painful and it may be shameful, but ultimately, gehinnom is a healing place.

(17) Yaffa, October 17, 2007 12:23 PM

I love the live with Lori sessions. She keeps me on my feet and asking for more. She brings down to earth examples and assists in life altering decisions. Thank you.

(16) Yehoshua, July 28, 2007 6:11 PM

Another good analogy....

I too like this talk very much. I've heard that hell is like a washing machine, the worse the stains, the more harsh washing that's needed. Lately, I've heard hell defined as a clinic for drug- withdrawel: the more a person is "addicted" to harmful=materialistic "substances," the more painful his "cold-turkey" experience is going to be. But at last his soul will come clean and ready for cleaving to its Maker.

(15) apryl, July 27, 2007 1:43 AM

THANK-YOU!

Lori, thank-you for speaking the truth so gently and so honestly. You have wisdom and courage that are honorable. May you be blessed.

(14) Ann, July 25, 2007 1:34 PM

Awesome!

Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!
What more can I say?
God is real,
Heaven is real, and Hell is real.

(13) Leigh Anne Petersen, July 24, 2007 11:04 AM

Hell

This teaching on Gehenna is an awesome video. I would like to know more about the "hospital for the soul" side that she alluded to.

(12) Nechama, July 24, 2007 7:56 AM

More to it than that

Lori, I really enjoy your articles. They are inspiring and uplifting. However, where Gehemom is involved, I think you have overlooked some of our beliefs. I'm not an expert on the subject but I know that there is definitely more to it than feeling shame. There are angels whose task is to beat the soul, (malachei chabablah) and other punishments such as wandering without rest or being thrown from one end of the universe to the other (kaf hakela).
I don't think it's fair to give people the wrong impression and not mention these things. Also, the heavenly court which judges before handing down a verdict and the great fear that the soul experiences while it cannot deny the truth in any way.
With prayer that we all will repent and merit going straight to gan eden.

(11) michelle, July 23, 2007 1:34 PM

good.

very well said.... it really went into my heart..
thank you for youre inspirying words..
tisku l mitzvot..

(10) Paul, July 23, 2007 11:18 AM

A very superficial, naive view.....

Make a horror film about a "hospital" that would torment you instead of heal or cure and you have an true idea of what Gehenna is like. It would be worse than your worst nightmare because it would be real. Gehenna offers no cures like a hospital does, there is no resolution to your problems there as you would have the opportunity for on earth. You definitely DO NOT want to go there!!!

(9) Adara, July 23, 2007 11:07 AM

Lori, toda raba

You always have such extremely thought-provoking words. I'd write more, but I have a few things to do just right now...

(8) Renata, July 23, 2007 10:39 AM

Awesome!

What a great little video! Short but so insightful!

(7) Yisroel Pollack, July 23, 2007 9:06 AM

The Truth

Thank you, Mrs. Palatnik, for that inspiring, illuminating piece and soulful presentation. It hits home here in Brooklyn as much as in Canada and other places of the world. Now if only I had someone with whom to correct my mistakes with...

(6) ruth housman, July 23, 2007 7:42 AM

take care of your mistakes here

Yes, I do think there's a learning curve in life but I also don't believe we suffer on the "other side" as souls. I believe that God knows everything, meaning our lives are certainly scripted or why ask for another year in the Book of Life? Now I am saying this because I am experiencing massive visible synchronicity which tells me that what is happening in my life, in a most profound way, is "meant to be".
Now I do know that my own life has its stories and that through story, my own, and its intersects, I am learning all the time about a way of life that is about profound respect for all living things and this creation. I am saying we do hopefully learn from our mistakes and that we are being presented with opportunities everywhere to move through story and to make apparent choice. Those choices on this plane must be moral, as Lori so beautifully expresses. Now on the other "hand" there is a ring around all of our stories and I am seeing this and can prove this through my Diary. This is a journey of soul. Life contains inherent paradox and there is no way around this issue. One can go deeper and deeper. I don't believe in Gehenna as hell. I do see that the henna in Gehenna has to do with a dyeing or a changing of hue. I do believe that when we die, the soul continues and the YOU that is surely, has learned lesssons, but if not, there is a reckoning meaning an understanding of story, for us all, and that our God is a God of infinite wisdom and intelligence that is difficult to comprehend. This story, our greater stories, forms a weave and it is beautiful and a fabric of many colors.

(5) Zissi, July 22, 2007 9:05 PM

How we judge, that is how we are judged

If we judge favorably, G-d judges us favorably. If not, we are judged harshly. Good lesson to relearn; hard, but necessary.

(4) Catherine Manna, July 22, 2007 5:05 PM

My thoughts.

Gehenna is a place where i dont want to check into. I like the way things are put into a different perspective, that makes you think. TO tell you the truth,I hate hospitals, I try to avoid them but somethings are out of your control in this life. but it is there if you need it. Truth is, i dont trust what would happen if I went there. would they help me or I could actually die or, i could get better, who knows? God knows. Can i avoid going to the hospital? Who knows? I can try? can i avoid going to gehenna? WHo knows? I can only try, only God knows, all we can do is our best, to avoid these places. our best effort, to stay clear, and focused on living the best way possible now like you said,so we can try to avoid the worst, where it is possible, and thats all that matters. Our ultimate best effort, to follow God with a complete heart and self! We leave the rest up to him. anything after this life, is a deserved gift and a blessing from God. I love God with my whole heart, and will accept whatever he gives me, after all it was a pleasure to have been given this life full of his wisdom and awesome his wonderfull creations in the first place, anything else to me, is a bonus!. If I Expect nothing more from God, then I wont be dissapointed. We should do our best to follow his ways to the best of our abilities,everyday in this life,that God gave us right now. Doing all the good that we can and maybe we will be pleasently surprised! WHo know? God knows? I said to an aquaintance yesterday, I dont know what happens when we die, but i know something does. I have never had the experince, and i dont know anyone that has that can tell me. {My thoughts.} But i do believe one thing, we all have to make an account for ourselves to the almighty creator, sometime. I love you lori, even if i dont quite understand everything!!! Im with YA! where ever that takes me! IM WITH YA!

(3) aaron, July 22, 2007 12:58 PM

That is really an amazing way to look at it...

Thanks for those words of wisdom. Kol Hakavod L'Aish Hatorah.

(2) Cindy, July 22, 2007 10:32 AM

Scary . . .

but true.

(1) Rosen, July 22, 2007 7:20 AM

Atoning from chaos

Good point about Hell/Gehenim, Lori. We can try to be the best we can be, even though we are all too imperfect, where we should practice mitzvot, forgive mistakes and admit wrongdoing whenever necessary, and that will be how G-d will judge us. Whatever "hell" life throws at us (e.g. traffic delays and wrecks, poor customer service, computer malfunctions, etc.), it is a test of how we will go about overcoming these obstacles. Life apparently is one test after another, so we have to fix the mistakes we make and embrace the good times during our lives in this world.

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About the Author

Mrs. Lori Palatnik

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Lori Palatnik is a writer and Jewish educator who has appeared on television and radio, and is the author of "Friday Night and Beyond: The Shabbat Experience Step-By-Step," "Remember My Soul - What to do in Memory of a Loved One," and co-author of "Gossip: 10 Pathways to Eliminate It From Your Life and Transform Your Soul." She is a much sought-after international speaker, having lectured in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, U.K., Central America, South America, South Africa and Israel, including featured talks at Yale, Brown and Penn. She lives in the Washington D.C. area, with her husband, Rabbi Yaakov Palatnik. Lori is the Founder of The Jewish Women's Renaissance Project, an international initiative that brings over 1,000 women to Israel each year from ten different countries on highly subsidized programs to inspire them with the beauty and wisdom of their heritage. She is the busy mother of five children, ages 24 to 14; and her son, Zev, just finished serving as a sharpshooter in the IDF. Her weekly video blog, "Lori Almost Live" is a popular feature on aish.com, viewed by over 50,000 people each month.

Follow Lori on Twitter, @LoriAlmostLive

A Jewish View of "Hell"

A world of shame.

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