Q&A: Fear of Hell
Fear of Hell
Question
Hello Michi a0
I wasnt able to write in the column there.
Dont you see in the fear of death also a fear of punishment and hell and the like? After all, we find this many times in the Talmud.
And that brings me to a personal question: as far as I know, you were educated or spent time in places devoted to preaching various heavenly punishments. When you write heresies, werent you afraid? If you were afraid, how did it pass? It doesnt seem likely that it didnt…
Answer
Possibly. But even people who werent raised on hell are afraid of death. If you mean an implicit belief, I spoke about something similar.
As for the personal question, sometimes that kind of fear would pass through me. I too am subject to habits. But nowadays it really bothers me much less. The hearts are drawn after the actions, and once a person repeats something, it becomes permitted to him. 🙂
Discussion on Answer
I wondered in what valley of vision you saw that I dont answer email. I always answer, but I very much prefer doing it through the site.
Even if there is some concern, I try to conduct myself according to reason and not according to fears. Im not always sure that Im right, but Im fairly sure that if a person writes his opinion and offers arguments, he has nothing to fear even if he is mistaken.
Heaven too can be a frightening experience. Just imagine an enthusiastic Hasid being placed in heaven in the company of cold Lithuanians and having to listen to their conceptual Talmudic analysis for all eternity; or a dry Lithuanian being placed in heaven among Hasidim and being forced to listen forever and ever to Hasidic homiletic quips? Isnt that scary? 🙂
Best regards, Lucy Par
You wrote: Even if there is some concern, I try to conduct myself according to reason and not according to fears. Im not always sure that Im right, but Im fairly sure that if a person writes his opinion and offers arguments, he has nothing to fear even if he is mistaken.
Isnt there a connection between the result of an action and the level of certainty required? Surely its obvious that the degree of probability sufficient to justify an order to shoot a suspect is not the same as the degree of probability required before ordering the dropping of an atom bomb. And here too, since the effect of words is deep and far-reaching, and their consequences are fateful for many impressionable people, seemingly one ought to be obligated not to say throw atom bombs on the basis of something that is merely somewhat probable, but only to say something we are certain of beyond doubt [that is, if when we reach heaven it turns out we were wrong, we would be very surprised which I dont think would happen].
And one who acts otherwise would seemingly be called to account for the lightness of his decisions.
True, except that it works both ways. When not speaking also has fateful consequences, that too is a reason to speak.
Does your phrase much less bothersome imply that the disturbance still exists even today?
Im really curious: when you write unequivocal things on essential issues, are you overcoming fear, or are you confident in the rightness of your path (at least in principle) and simply dont entertain doubt except by standards of truth/falsehood?
Sorry for the very personal question, but it is Torah.
(I would have asked you by email, except that I foresaw that you dont answer there…)