Olam Haba - The World to Come

Olam Haba (The World to Come) is a term for the period of reward that comes after the service in this world.

There are two interpretations of what constitutes Olam Haba: According to Rambam, Olam Haba is Gan Eden (Paradise), the world of souls, and the ultimate reward is for souls without bodies. According to Ramban, Olam Haba is the world of resurrection, and the ultimate reward will be for souls that remain in bodies and live eternal lives. According to all opinions, Olam Haba is completely different from this world in that there is no eating, drinking, or physical bodily needs as in this world.

Chassidic teachings decide in favor of Ramban's view, that Olam Haba is the world of resurrection; although sometimes the term "Olam Haba" is used in relation to Gan Eden.

Rambam's Opinion

In Sefer HaYad HaChazaka, Rambam explains at length that the complete reward for mitzvos will be in Olam Haba, where there will be only souls without bodies. As proof for this, he cites the statement of our Sages: "In Olam Haba there is no eating or drinking, but rather the righteous sit with their crowns on their heads and enjoy the radiance of the Divine Presence." Since there is no eating or drinking, it is proven that there is no need for the physical body in this world; therefore Rambam interprets the words "the righteous sit with their crowns on their heads" as a metaphor, and similarly interprets the feast of the righteous that will take place then as a metaphor.

In the introduction to Perek Chelek, Rambam elaborates and establishes his approach. He explains that the reason why many cannot understand the purpose of reward in a world of souls without bodies is because as limited and physical people, the only pleasure we can comprehend is physical pleasure, and we have no ability to grasp or understand what spiritual pleasure is. However, in truth, it is precisely this pleasure that is the true pleasure. In Igeres Techiyas HaMeisim, Rambam adds and argues that since the entire need for the body is for physical matters—such as eating and drinking and the like—once these needs are eliminated, there will no longer be a need for the body's existence.

Therefore, according to Rambam, after all of Israel rises in the resurrection of the dead, the existence of the world of resurrection will be for a limited period, after which the bodies will cease to exist, and the souls will receive their reward in the spiritual Olam Haba. He interprets the statements of our Sages about the elimination of death and eternal life as referring to the life of the soul, which will be eternal and in which destruction is not applicable, but not regarding the body.

Ramban's Opinion

Ramban in Shaar HaGemul disagrees with Rambam and explains that Olam Haba is the world of resurrection, in which the Jewish people will live as souls in bodies in eternal life. He proves this from several sources:

• The Mishnah states: "All Israel has a portion in Olam Haba... and these are the ones who have no portion in Olam Haba: one who says that resurrection of the dead is not derived from the Torah," and the Gemara explains this: "He denied resurrection of the dead, therefore he will have no portion in the resurrection of the dead." Thus, Olam Haba is the resurrection of the dead.
• In many sources, physical matters are attributed to Olam Haba. For example, in the Midrash it states that all the treasures of pearls and precious stones from ships lost in the great sea, the Holy One, blessed be He, will wash up to the sea of Haifa for the righteous in Olam Haba. Similarly, the Midrash lists innovations that the Holy One, blessed be He, will introduce in Olam Haba, including many innovations related to physical things—such as building Jerusalem with sapphire stone, trees and fruits, animals, birds, and reptiles.
• Regarding several righteous individuals, it is mentioned after their passing that they are prepared for the life of Olam Haba: about Moses our teacher, "he was hidden away for the life of Olam Haba," and about Rabbi Akiva, "he is destined for the life of Olam Haba." This proves that the world in which the souls of the righteous are currently located—Gan Eden—is NOT Olam Haba, but rather Olam Haba will come only afterward.

Ramban explains how the body will exist even though there will be no eating or drinking—similar to Moses our teacher when he ascended Mount Sinai, who existed for forty days and forty nights without eating or drinking, but rather the body was nourished from the radiance of the Divine Presence. This is how the life of the soul in the body will be in Olam Haba. Ramban continues and asks—what, then, is the need for the existence of the body when there is no eating or drinking? He does not answer this question, saying that there are "deep secrets" in this—and only the Holy One, blessed be He, who created the body, knows what the need for it is. And we must believe in this with simple faith.

Nevertheless, the Rebbe notes that in Olam Haba there will be eating and drinking, and what our Sages meant by "there is no eating or drinking in it" is that there will be no need for eating and drinking for the purpose of connecting the soul with the body, but it will exist for another purpose.

The Decision of Chassidus

The Tzemach Tzedek in his sefer Derech Mitzvosecha brings both opinions, and determines regarding the Ramban's view: "And this is the truth according to Kabbalah." He continues to explain at length the reason why the reward in Olam Haba will be for neshamos in bodies, unlike Gan Eden - since in Gan Eden the light of the "memalei kol almin" (that which fills all worlds) shines, which clothes itself internally within the worlds, and therefore through this light only the neshamos - which are vessels for this - can grasp Elokus, but not the bodies. This is not the case in Olam Haba - the world of resurrection - where the light of "sovev kol almin" will shine, a transcendent light that is completely above the worlds, and therefore it can shine to neshamos in bodies just as it does to neshamos without bodies without distinction (and on the contrary, specifically in the lower body the superiority of the higher light is revealed more - because "their beginning is wedged in their end").

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Neshamos in Bodies Even According to the Rambam

The Rebbe establishes that even according to the Rambam, the reward for mitzvos will be complete specifically in the world of resurrection, but he didn't mention this explicitly in his sefer - since it is a book of halachos, he wrote in it only about the completeness of reward as it relates to created beings; but the main and complete reward as it is connected to the Holy One, blessed be He, will be specifically in the world of resurrection.

The Ascents in Olam Haba

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In Olam Haba there will be two periods, expressing two ascents: in the first period-ascent there will be (at its beginning) the feast of the Wild Ox and the Leviathan, and in it will be the reward for Torah study and fulfillment of mitzvos.

In the second period, there will be an even greater ascent - about which it is said "In Olam Haba there is no eating or drinking, but the righteous sit with their crowns on their heads and enjoy the radiance of the Shechinah." This ascent is beyond any connection to Torah study and mitzvos fulfillment, and it comes from the aspect of the Essence.

All Israel Has a Portion in Olam Haba

The Mishnah states that "All Israel has a portion in Olam Haba" (this is unlike Gan Eden, where only a Jew who merits it can ascend to Gan Eden). The reason for this is because in Olam Haba the virtue of the fulfillment of mitzvos by the Jewish people will be revealed, and in the fulfillment of mitzvos - all Israel fulfill in the same measure (unlike Gan Eden where the virtue of Torah study is revealed - and in Torah study there are differences between Jews, not everyone learns in the same way).

On a deeper level, in Olam Haba the virtue of the Jewish people themselves will be revealed, as they are united with the Holy One, blessed be He, which is even higher than the virtue of fulfilling mitzvos.

This chapter is incomplete. Please contribute to Chabadpedia and complete it. There may be more details on the discussion page.

See Also

• Gan Eden
• Techiyas HaMeisim

External Links

• Olam Haba: All the details on the Geulah website