For Matanos L’evyonim donations Click Here

Destiny of Man/Prayer without Intent

Respected Sir, what is the final destination of a human being after death? Does only Jew go to heaven?

Another question: when we offer prayer we transmit thoughts to God, and not words. What then is the significance of uttering the memorized words without knowing their meaning, as both Jew and Muslim do in their pray?

Answer:

1) The Talmud describes the afterlife of the righteous as experiencing the intense pleasure (for want of a better word) of being in the presence of God, and experiencing the “glow” of His brilliant light. Of course, we cannot know or sense what this means, but we know that it is something entirely beyond any experience of this world. The “next world” in the afterlife is not reserved for Jews alone, and the Sages teach that the righteous among the nations also receive a portion of the World to Come. God does not desire that all the people of the world should become Jewish, but rather that all the people of the world should know Him, and should fulfill their purpose in His plan.

2) It is true that the central aspect of prayer is the human “heart,” the intent and the thoughts that one offers. Indeed, the Talmud calls prayer “service of the heart.” Yet, there is also importance in words. The greatest power of the human, and the principle faculty that separates him from animals, is the power of speech. In particular, the words of the Jewish prayer were written with prophetic wisdom (they were enacted by a group of scholars that included a number of the last prophets), and therefore they are able to “take effect” even without proper intent. Of course, a prayer with proper intent cannot be compared to a prayer without intent.

Best wishes, and may we each find the true path in the service of God.

Join the Conversation

2 Comments

  1. Respected Sir ,I want to know did jews really torcher muhammad and jesus too much?According to jewish history what kind of person was muhammad?

    1. There is no Jewish tradition of torturing Yeishu, and surely none of harming Muhammad. Judaism believes that prophecy ended with the last prophets of Scripture, and therefore does not view Muhammad as a prophet who was worthy of changing the Law (the Koran involves a major change from biblical laws and traditions).

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *