Religion and Theology

From the selection Israels Role among the Nation, it is being discussed who among the nations have the share in the world to come.  The main issues here are from Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Jeremiah.  All of us are sinners, and accepting this as a fact, Rabbi Eliezer believes that no one has the share to the world of God and every one of us shall go to Sheol which is a place for spiritual purification or a punishment for the wicked dead in Judaism (a set of beliefs and practices originating from the Hebrew bible), it can be a site wherein heaven is at the greatest possible distance.  Rabbi Jeremiah argues with this and pointed out that it was said as, The wicked shall go to Sheol and all the nations that forget God shows that there are righteous people who can share with the world to come and not all are wicked.

This selection was taken from the Hellenistic period, the era which followed the conquest of Alexander the Great and a world of constant wars for the claim of political power.  Greeks power and influence was at its zenith in Europe and Asia.  Hellenistic period is considered as time of transition.  This issue about who can have the share in the world to come can be an emblem of the Hellenistic period having the words of Rabbi Jeremiah as the period of transition.  When he said that there are righteous people that can be welcomed in the world to come, he brought people the idea that one can always repent from the sins he has done.

If before, people would automatically consider them as sinners, then they would never have the hope to be able to live again and believe that their destiny was to be at the Sheol.  But the argument Rabbi Jeremiah gave defied that idea and gave people the chance to be righteous.  Rabbi Eliezer acted as Alexander when he wanted to create a unified ruling class bounded by marriage ties.  This shows how Rabbi Eliezer stand up to his belief that everyone is a sinner and are bound to be at Sheol.  While Rabbie Eliezer acted as Alexander, Rabbi Jeremiah acted a Macedonian who resented Alexanders plan.  Alexander also uses specified empire for his plans Persian and Greek same as Rabbi Eliezer as he only uses the Israelites, Levites and priest.  It was said before that Hellenistic period is a war to claim political power.

In the selection, the priests, Israelites and Levites claim the power to be the only righteous one.  This shows that they are the only people who die with repent for it was said that the statement an individual have no share in the world to come are for those who dies without repenting.  If this is the case, then what would be the purpose of the gentiles that repent   Rabbi Jeremiah explains that selections from the bible uses man as a representation of the righteous and that it did not specify anyone who can be welcomed to the world to come.  Rabbi Jeremiah approaches the issue with an open-mind and brought change to the people of Judaism.