From a biblical-Jewish perspective, the matter is more complex. Many believe that true life begins only after death. According to this view, our physical world is the place where we work and lay the foundation for our life in the world to come, where our soul will then enjoy the fruits of our labor.
The existence of an immortal soul that leaves the body at death has implications for whether one should cremate or bury a person’s mortal remains.
The biblical commandment
The soul of a person comes from above, as it is written: “He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.” When its earthly task is fulfilled, it ascends to God and returns to its origin.
The body, however, was taken from the earth—“The Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground”—and must therefore return to the earth. This is expressed in the words God spoke to Adam, the first man: “Dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”
This...
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Sounds like some folk religion thrown into the mix. Do you personally believe all this, Michael?