Jewish tradition has a lot to say about it, and it’s pretty mind-blowing.
Imagine a world without the sun or moon. I know, sounds like science fiction, right? But the prophet Isaiah, in chapter 60, verse 19, tells us, "No longer shall you need the sun for light by day, nor the shining of the moon for radiance by night." So, what will illuminate the world? Isaiah answers that too: "Yahweh shall be your light everlasting!" A pretty powerful image.
The Talmud, specifically Berakhot 17a, paints a picture of this future. It’s a radical departure from our everyday existence. No more eating or drinking, no more... well, you know, procreation. And get this: no more trade! Can you even imagine? No bustling markets, no online shopping, no haggling over prices?
What would we even do with all that free time?
Well, according to Pesikta de-Rav Kahana 21:5, jealousy and hatred will also vanish. A world without those corrosive emotions? Now that's a world worth striving for. Instead, the righteous – those who lived lives of integrity and compassion – will sit with crowns on their heads, basking in the splendor of the Shekhinah. The Shekhinah, that indwelling divine presence, the feminine aspect of God, will be the source of our nourishment and joy.
This messianic era, often called the End of Days, isn't just a vague hope. It's envisioned as a kind of heaven on earth. Some see it as a return to the Garden of Eden, a restoration of paradise before the whole apple incident. Think about it: Jewish history, in a way, is a story of exile from Eden, with the Messianic Era promising a return to that original state of harmony.
Or, perhaps, it's more like an eternal Shabbat, a permanent state of rest and spiritual connection. A Shabbat where the stresses and anxieties of the week melt away, replaced by a sense of peace and wholeness.
The text Gan Eden ve-Gehinnom in Beit ha-Midrash offers further insights into this profound shift.
So, what does all this mean for us, here and now? Is it just a fantastical story for the future? Maybe. But maybe it's also a call to action. A reminder that we can start building that world, that messianic era, right now, in our own lives. By cultivating compassion, by rejecting hatred and jealousy, by striving for justice and peace, we can bring a little bit of that future into the present.
What kind of world are we building, today?