Exploring the Afterlife: Insights into Gehenna

Announcements in Gehenna

When souls leave the body and strive to ascend to their resting place in Heaven, external forces may prevent them from rising, passing them to the angel Duma to bring them to Gehenna. Some souls ascend briefly between punishments, only to be held by these forces, who announce their wrongdoing: 'These are the ones who transgressed their Creator's commandments.'

They are paraded around and shamed globally, then returned to Gehenna. This torment lasts up to 12 months until they find their rightful place, whereas the righteous ascend immediately to their proper resting place in Eden.

(Zohar, Chayei Sarah 130, Matok Midevash pgs. 54-55)

Experiences of the Soul in Gehenna

Upon death, if a soul is deserving, it ascends and adorns itself in Eden. Otherwise, legions of harmful angels seize it to deliver to Duma, guardian of Gehenna. Thirteen thousand multiplied by ten thousand guards are ready to punish the wicked.

Gehenna has seven levels, each with a gate. Wicked souls are guarded by angels at these gates, under the supervision of Duma. The outer gates are open, but the inner gates remain shut, except on Shabbat, when all gates open. The wicked reach the outer gates and meet souls who are still transitioning and cannot yet ascend to Eden. After Shabbat, the wicked return, reigniting the flames over them.

(Zohar, Vayechi 237, Matok Midevash pgs. 337-338).

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Time Division in Gehenna

Rabbi Yehuda told Rabbi Yitzchak how Rabbi Chizkia interpreted, 'Not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet' (Proverbs 31:21 - 'A Woman of Valor' on Shabbat night). The penalty for the wicked is 12 months: half ablaze for violating negative commandments, matched for their intense wrongdoing, and the other half in frost, symbolizing laziness against positive commandments due to the cold strength of Hashem unrivaled in worldly winters. Ultimately, the righteous are unafraid of this cold due to their fulfilled commandments fervently.

(Zohar, Vayechi 238, Matok Midevash pgs. 347-348)

Location of Eden and Gehenna

[As Arizal wrote] This earth, symbolizing the sovereignty of creation, is a complete array of ten Sephirot with arms. Thus, Earthly Eden (the right arm secret) is situated directly south in the middle of the world, while to the north lies Earthly Gehenna. Pathways from Israel to Eden go through Hebron with the Patriarchs' Cave while opposite it lies an entry to Gehenna.

(Zohar, Vaera 28, Tosefta Matok Midevash pg. 191).

The Seven Realms of Gehenna

Seven types of wicked ones are described: evil, worthless, sinful, destructive, mocking, arrogant, and each receives their appropriate realm in Gehenna, judged according to their sins. Each realm has an angel command who governs under Duma, with thousands of accuser angels to mete out justice.

Below's Gehenna flame arises from a fiery river above, scorching the wicked with sins likened to burning desires. Areas in Gehenna, like 'boiling excrement,' reflect transgressor's waste from sins. Unrepentant souls wallow in semi-liquid filth, having died without repentance, continually disobeying and leading others astray. Ever-unyielding in life, they face perpetual punishment here.

The wicked are taken to view Sabbatical violators' punishments, led by the angel Santerial, who punishes and tortures the wicked and drags the spiritual aspect of the Shabbat violator's body from the grave to Gehenna, shamed before all. Thus, violators’ bodies are ridiculed as flames ensnare their souls. Their humiliation makes violators wish they hadn't been born, for this shame exceeds all penalties. The Gehenna flames around them never extinguish, marking them forever scorned, as even Gehenna's wicked express weary exasperation from witnessing such woe.

Rabbi Yossi confirmed Rabbi Yehuda's claims: Shabbat violators don't find rest in Gehenna due to transgressing the essence of Torah, the fiery aspect of its spiritual energy, igniting Gehenna’s flames eternally over them.

(Zohar, Terumah 150, Matok Midevash pgs. 296-300).

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