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Date: Wed, 19 Feb 1997 03:43:42 -0500
From: rhendel@mcs.drexel.edu (Russell Hendel)
Subject: Re: "The World to Come"

Shoshana Lebovic in Torah Forum V3 n22 asks:
>  why is there no mention of Olam Haba in the Torah?

Olam Haba is mentioned in the Torah; it just isn't called Olam Haba it is
rather called "Long Days".

The rewards for several mitzvoth --honoring your parents, freeing the
mother bird (Deut 5:16;22:6-7)---are "In order that your years be lengthened"

The Talmud cites the story of a father who told his son to climb a latter
to free a Mother bird and the son died by falling from the latter even
though the son tried to fulfill the two commandments that give long life!
In fact two famous Rabbis, Tzadok and Baytoth rebelled against Judaism
because of this event. The Talmud explains the verses "..that your years be
lengthened" to refer to the state of existence "where life is lengthened"

This is the Biblical mention of the next world. The Prophetic mention of
the next world occurs (according to the simple meaning of the text) in
Ezekiel 37:"...and I will bring a spirit into you and you will become
alive". Although technically this is talking about the resurrection,
following Nachmanidees in the Gate of Retribution, people have "their
bodies"in the next world.

Finally I mention a Hagriographic source for the next world: Daniel 12:2
explicitly states that "Many from those (who are) dust and soil will rise:
Those for eternal life and those for disgrace and eternal damnation"(Some
say the verse should be interpreted like Yechezkel: Those who sleep inthe
dust).

I hope this satisfies the quest for such verses

Russell Jay Hendel, Phd, ASA; RHendel @ MCS . Drexel . Edu

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