Posted September 6 2007
Life Before Life
There’s a saying: “those who do not believe in the World to come will not merit it.” It’s actually paraphrased from the Talmud in the last chapter (or second to last, depending on the edition) of the section “Idol Worship” (Avodah Zarah).
This idea in the Talmud, the belief in an afterlife, is one which is shared by most (not all) of the Jewish sects throughout the ages. The grandness of that afterlife changes, and continues to change, constantly. The change is humorous considering that the generation of Abraham went to Sheol after they died. Sheol is a word which can’t really be translated accurately, but when people try, they end up with words like “netherworld” or “pit.” In later generations, people went to their ancestors. While this has become a metaphor, originally it was quite literal… when you died you were tossed in the family grave-cave, with your parents and grandparents.
Now all this is a fun prelude to the topic of the soul, but it really has little to do with my title: life before life. One of my favorite verses in the Bible (I do pick favorites) is Deuteronomy 29:15 (29:14 in translations that follow the Leningrad Codex, including JPS and other “standard Hebrew” versions) . Translating the verse is essential. KJV’s translation is: “Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath; But with him that standeth here with us this day before the LORD our God, and also with him that is not here with us this day:” (29:14,15). Now while that is a fine translation, what I see when I read the Hebrew is: “Not with you alone do I establish this covenant and this oath. For those that are here, stand with us today before God our Lord. And those that are not- are here with us today.”
The second reading- my reading- gives biblical claim to the life of the soul outside the body. In this instance, before life with the body has begun.
You may say, “well any crackpot can misinterpret a verse.” And you’d be wrong. There are many crackpots who wouldn’t even know that Hebrew is read from right to left. On the other hand, I am going to translate word for word the verses. Every dash indicates the next Hebrew word, every semi-colon indicates a hard pause, every comma indicates a short pause and every period indicates a full stop.
“And No - with you , by yourselves; I , cut - the covenant - this ; and the oath , this . Because , that - they are , here , with us - stand - today; before , Lord - Our God; And - that - are not , here , with us - today.”
Maybe it’s over analyzing, maybe it’s just me looking for signs of life where there are none. But whenever I read this verse in the Hebrew it immediately translates in my head as “those that are, stand with us here today… and those that are not, are here with us today.”
I don’t know if the Five Books of Moses give any indisputable indication of the soul’s life outside of the body. But I invite everyone to join in and give their thoughts on the topic here on jewneric.com as well as on this week’s radio show on WMCA 570AM in the New York region. That’s early morning September 9th 2007, phone lines will be open from 3am to 5am EST. You can listen live or download the show during the following week at wmca.com
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