Judaism on the Soul and the Afterlife – Insights from the Torah and Prophets

Kobi asks: “Hello. My father passed away about two weeks ago. Where in the Torah are the soul and the World to Come mentioned, and why is this subject not emphasized more in the Written Torah? Thank you.”

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Shalom Kobi. I am sorry to hear about your father’s passing — may his soul be bound in the bond of eternal life. At the same time, I admire your desire to explore such important subjects in Judaism. Our sages taught that when a child strengthens himself in faith, he elevates the souls of his parents in the World to Come.

Deep within us, there is an inner knowledge of the soul’s existence, a truth that transcends times and cultures. We instinctively say “my hand”, “my body”, “my brain”, knowing that we are not the hand, the body, or the brain — they belong to us, but they are not us. We sense that we are only temporary guests in this world, using a body that ages and eventually perishes, while our essence has a higher purpose beyond this life.

Throughout history, wise men recognized that the human soul is unlike that of any other creature. Within us is a spiritual essence that seeks meaning, transcendence, and eternity. Because this essence is not material, we know that our true “I” — our inner self, continues to exist even after the body’s decay.

If we look at nature, we see that animals act purely by instinct, without free will. Humanity alone has the ability to choose between good and evil. This free will proves that within us exists something beyond the physical, something that does not obey the laws of matter. This gift of choice, and the inner struggle between good and evil, shows that God is testing us in this world in order to determine our place in the World to Come.

The Tanach explicitly speaks of the soul’s existence, and of reward and punishment for all of our deeds — this is promised both in the Torah and in the Prophets.

• In Bereishit (Genesis), we are told that unlike animals, only man received a divine soul: “And the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and He blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being” (Bereishit 2:7). To Abraham it was said: “You shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age” (Bereishit 15:15). Of Rachel it says: “As her soul was departing — for she died” (Bereishit 35:18).

• The Torah also mentions sins whose punishment is not carried out in this world, but rather: “That soul shall be cut off from its people” (e.g. Shemot 12:19; Vayikra 7:27). From this we learn that Jewish souls remain united in the World to Come, while a sinner may be cut off from them.

• The Torah prohibits communication with the dead: “There shall not be found among you... a charmer, or one who consults with familiar spirits, or a necromancer, or one who inquires of the dead” (Devarim 18:11).

• In Samuel I, 28, we read how King Saul sought to summon the soul of the prophet Samuel after his death.

• In Kohelet (Ecclesiastes), King Solomon reminds us: “The dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it... Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether good or evil” (Kohelet 12:1–14).

• The prophet Daniel describes the resurrection: “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2).

The Talmudic Sages also clarified what the World to Come is, and what it is not (Berakhot 17a): “In the World to Come there is no eating, no drinking, no trade, no marriage, no jealousy, no hatred, no rivalry, but the righteous sit with their crowns upon their heads and delight in the radiance of the Divine Presence.”

You ask why the Torah does not emphasize the afterlife more strongly. The answer is that the Torah’s goal is for Israel to serve God with pure love, and not for reward. As it says: “Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might” (Devarim 6:4–5). Rabbi Akiva explained: “Even if He takes your soul.” True devotion means loving God not because of what we expect to receive, but out of pure love.

That is why the Torah says: “Be wholehearted with the Lord your God” (Devarim 18:13). Rashi explains: “Walk with Him in wholeheartedness... and accept whatever comes upon you.”

The Oral Torah, preserved by our sages, revealed many details and secrets of the afterlife, but the Written Torah deliberately chose not to focus on them so that our service of God would not be built on reward-seeking, but sincere love. Later generations, as spiritual levels declined, emphasized descriptions of the World to Come including Gan Eden, Gehinnom, and resurrection, in order to inspire faith and strengthen people’s devotion, even “not for its own sake,” as eventually this leads to true and selfless faith.