Editing Olam Haba - The World to Come (section)

== 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.