Jewish tradition has a place for them, a place of purification and, yes, punishment called Gehenna. It's not exactly hell, but it's definitely not a pleasant resort.
But who's in charge down there? According to tradition, Gehenna is ruled by the angel Dumah. Think of him as the warden of the netherworld. Schwartz, in Tree of Souls, tells us that Dumah was specifically appointed to this daunting task. He’s not alone, either. He commands three terrifying angels of destruction: Mashit, Af, and Hema. (Try saying those names three times fast!). These three aren’t just middle management; they, in turn, command legions of avenging angels. Imagine the sheer cacophony!
The Zohar, that foundational text of Jewish mysticism, paints a vivid picture. All of Gehenna is filled with the din of these angels and the shrieks of the punished. The noise is so intense, it reaches all the way up to heaven! That’s why, the tradition says, the cries of the wicked are barely heard. And why, perhaps, no one has mercy on them.
According to these accounts, every night – except for one – the angels of destruction get to work, punishing those whose evil deeds were conceived in darkness. That one exception? The Shabbat, the Sabbath.
Isn't that amazing? Even in Gehenna, Shabbat brings respite. From the moment Shabbat begins, judgment vanishes from the world. The wicked get a break! The angels of destruction cease their torment, all the way until Shabbat ends. It's a universal day of rest, affecting even the afterlife.
Then, alas, the reprieve is over. As Shabbat departs, the wicked are dragged back to the dungeons of Gehenna, and their punishment resumes. It’s a stark reminder of the consequences of our actions.
But here's where things get really interesting and, perhaps, a little hopeful. There's a fascinating tradition that in the future, all the people of Israel will enter Gehenna together with the nations of the world. But, the tradition continues, the nations will perish, while Israel will emerge unharmed. As it says in Isaiah 43:2: "When you walk through fire, you shall not be scorched; through flame, it shall not burn you."
What does this mean? It's open to interpretation, of course. Some see it as a symbolic cleansing, a final purification before the messianic age. Perhaps it's a statement about resilience, about the enduring spirit of the Jewish people. Or maybe it speaks to the idea that even in the darkest of times, hope and redemption are always possible.
Gehenna, then, isn't just a place of punishment. It's a reminder of the importance of our choices, the universality of Shabbat, and the enduring promise of eventual redemption. It is a complex concept that continues to provoke thought and discussion.