Why did God create purgatory?
In this discussion, I will address the basic points taught in kiruv camp to answer this question – none of which actually addresses the core issues or is remotely supported by the classic commentators. To highlight the fallacy of each approach I would like to go through this issue systematically.
The Problem
The basis of the question is simple.
According to universally held Jewish thought, Hashem’s relationship with this world is that of a Maitav – a source of good. Inherent in this relationship is the premise that God is not evil or indifferent to human suffering. This point may seem obvious, but allow me to elaborate on it anyway. If Hashem made this universe to hone his squishing abilities, and, like a bunch of empty soda cans, we were created for practice, then an observer witnessing us getting mashed would have no deep existential questions about the nature of God. Life would be unpleasant, but it would be clear.
The Derech Hashem writes that Judaism believes that Hashem created this world to express tov. This is accomplished by creating creatures and giving them amazingly awesome good stuff – li’hanos mi’ziv shichinaso. In fact, Jewish thought firmly believes that one day we will realize that absolutely everything that exists in this universe is an expression of Hashem's pure goodness. The only qualifier is that Hashem wants us to earn the good ourselves so we can be – on some level - the master of our own bounty.
In light of this backstory, the existence of Gehenom - a place of incredible pain and suffering – demands an explanation. Philosophers can argue over the exact definition of Hashem’s pure goodness, however, I think we can all agree that putting someone in hell forever is pretty much the opposite of being a maitav.
So we are left with a simple question – what is the purpose, in a universe of goodness, for purgatory? When asked, most people promote any of the following points:
Answer One: Gehenom is Just a Tough Therapy Session
Hell is not a fiery inferno. The “fire” is actually just the fire of embarrassment over what we have done wrong. Think of the pain of Gehenom as a very difficult therapy session. Gehenom is simply Judaism’s way of referring to a difficult healing process that some souls must undergo to properly cling to Hashem.
The Reality of Hell
I have heard this argument presented by Rabbi Orlofsky as well as, ironically, the Aish website. Unfortunately, this approach is false. It is an outright lie seemingly created to assuage the hearts of troubled kiruv cases. The truth is that, according to our sages, except for very specific cases, (which we will discuss below) Gehenom is a real burning fiery inferno that exists somewhere underground on this physical planet.
Proof One: The Hot Springs of Tiberius The Ramban brings two proofs to this concept. Firstly, the Gemara records a discussion regarding the legal status of bathing or cooking in the hot springs of Tiveria on Shabbos. The issue centers on the source of the heat of the springs. The first option presented is that they are heated by the warmth of the sun, giving it the status of toldos chama – an object heated by the sun, making it permissible to bathe in the Tiberian springs. The Gemara, however, rejects this reasoning and says that the actual heat source for the Tiberian springs is its proximity to the fire of Gehenom. Because of this reality, the Gemara concludes that the springs have the status of toldos ha’or – an object heated by fire, and it is therefore forbidden to bathe in them on Shabbos.
Think about that for a moment. The Gemara is asserting that the springs of Tiveria are being physically heated by the fire of Gehenom. This fact is not presented as part of a metaphorical or mystical discussion; rather it is a legal discussion with practical ramifications. The Ramban proves from this that Gehenom is a real place with real fire that is imbued with the power to burn souls.
Proof Two: The Dimensions of Gehenom The second proof the Ramban brings to the physical fire-filled reality of Gehenom is the tremendous amount of time our sages spend describing the place. The Midrash goes through each level of Gehenom with a tape measure and meticulously catalogs the size as well as describes the function of each level. The Ramban rightfully asserts that it is inappropriate to dismiss all these Gemaras as mere allegory. While many commentators do refer to the shame that sinners experience in Gehenom, their intention is not to define this as the only suffering one experiences in purgatory, but rather to highlight an additional aspect of the purgatorial experience.
Answer Two: We Are Dirty
Gehenom is not a medieval torture chamber. When a person sins their soul becomes dirty. This makes them unable to perceive Hashem’s light in all its clarity. In Hashem’s infinite kindness he created Gehenom as is a way of cleansing a person of their sins to allow them to enter Gan Aden clean and pure.
Let’s call this the “cleansing theory”. While this answer may sound good, it fails on two fronts, one factual and the other theoretical. The factual problem is that Gehenom can only be constructive if the sinner eventually goes to Gan Aden at the end of the ordeal. However, there are many cases where Gehenom is meted out to people who will never experience Gan Aden. Here are some examples:
1 - Heretics The Bais HaLevi discusses the purpose of the various punishments that the Torah prescribes for various offenses. He says that it is incorrect to believe that killing a person who violated a capital crime (for example, someone who tied a double knot on Shabbos) is a form of retribution (ni’kama) or ‘payment’ for the sin. In fact, says the Bais HaLevi, such an arrangement would be impossible. Why? Because the punishment that a person deserves for doing the smallest sin is incomprehensibly large and a mild stoning would do no justice to the amount of pain and punishment a person deserves for defying his Creator by committing even the smallest sin. Rather, says the Bais HaLevi, punishments are given as atonement (ka’parah) for the person. By publicly killing the sinner, others are conditioned to avoid the sin and the increased religiosity amongst the onlookers serves as atonement for the person, mitigating his ultimate sentence.
Then the Bais HaLevi proceeds to extend this concept to Gehenom. Gehenom can’t be simply a place for punishment, because all the fires of Gehenom would not suffice to punish a person for going against his Creator, posits the Bais HaLevi. Rather, besides being just a vehicle for punishment, Gehenom is also a place designed to rectify (be mis’akan) a person. How is this atonement achieved? By the fact that the souls in heaven can look down and see the sinners being tortured for desecrating God’s word. This visual demonstration of God’s Glory serves to increase kavod shamayim. This increase in God’s Glory serves to atone and recertify the sinner.
However - and this is the punch line - says the Bais HaLevi, this rectification is only relevant for people who sinned out of desire. However, heretics and those who sinned to spite Hashem go to Gehenom forever. For these sorry folks, the Bais HaLevi says, “ain Gehenom la’hem li’tikun” - the purpose of Gehenom is not to purify them, rather it serves simply as punishment and retribution (nikama).
There are a lot of points to make regarding this Bais HaLevi. (See Addendum below) however, the point that is relevant to us is his closing remarks. The Bais HaLevi is saying that some people, (actually quite a lot of people) will burn in Gehenom forever as a punishment for their misdeeds. For them, Gehenom serves no constructive purpose. As such, for these sinners the “cleansing therapy” is inapplicable.
2 - The Yor’dim Vi’aino Ma’alim The Gemara in several places says that some sinners are punished in Gehenom li’olai o’lamim – forever and ever. The Gemara says that at the end of time Gehenom ka’lim vi’ham anam ka’lim – Gehenom is destroyed yet they are not destroyed.
What does this Gemara mean? Amongst the commentators, there are three approaches.
a) The Literalists
The first camp is the commentators that understand this Gemara literally. Their opinion stems from an inherent contradiction in the Gemara. On the one hand, the Gemara say that the sinners are judged forever, yet it also says that Gehenom eventually dries up? Without Gehenom, how are the sinners punished?
To answer this question, the Ritva asserts that the proper reading of the Gemara is as follows: “Gehenom Kalim” – in general, Gehenom is destroyed, “viham anam kalim” – the area of Gehenom that houses this group of sinners continues existing forever.
The Noda Bi’Yehuda answers the above contradiction by stating that Gehenom is indeed entirely destroyed, but Hashem creates a new method of punishment for these sinners. God removes the sun from ‘its sheath,’ and the sinners will continue to be burned from that light forever.
These commentators understand that this Gemara is teaching us that sinners continue to experience excruciating pain for the entirety of existence. I find this concept mind-boggling. Yiddishkeit, with all its beautiful elements, believes that for the entire span of infinity, there will always exist a flaming barbeque that perpetually burns people alive for actions committed during one tiny speck of their existence. This is a difficult and horrifying concept to grasp. To quote Woody Allen, eternity is a really long time, especially near the end.
b) The Quasi-Literalists
The second group of commentators understands that at the end of time sinners will be spared the fire of Gehenom, but they will always suffer from the pain of the embarrassment that they are total and complete failures. They are not actively punished; however they do not receive any reward, rather they mill around outside in the rain watching through the window as the tzadikkeim chill in heaven. Forever.
It is important to remember that the pain of embarrassment is simply one of God's creations. Just like God can create living things without a nervous system or pain receptors, so too, there is no irrevocable reason why God has to allow these sinners to feel the pain of their shame for eternity. Anyone who has been in an unhealthy relationship knows being shamed can hurt as much as being physically abused. Whether these sinners deserve their suffering or not is immaterial to the fact that God is subjecting them to an eternity of a particular form of suffering that is simply one of his creations.
c) The Reinterpreters
The third group is the Marhram Mi’Pano, and, according to Rabbi Moshe Shapiro, the Ramchal. These commentators reject the literalness of this Gemara and posit that despite it saying that sinners are punished li’olmi o’lamim – forever and ever, in fact, the Gemara only means that sinners will be judged for four generations. God is not so sick as to punish sinners forever, rather after four generations in Gehenom, the sinners are liberated and are then merely burned to ashes and spread at the feet of the tzaddikim in Gan Aden, where, as ashes, they can enjoy eternal bliss.
Conclusion
What is clear from this discussion is that most commentators understand the Gemara literally – that many sinners (Heretics, people who didn’t put on tefillin, people who gave their friends nasty nicknames, people who returned their foreskin) will burn forever in Gehenom. Now I ask, why is this true? For these people, Gehenom cannot be a constructive form of intense therapy. Why? Because it lasts forever. As long as heavyweights in Jewish thought believe in the concept of eternal punishment, that belief must be explained.
3 - Those who are Spiritually Excommunicated
The Ramban records the opinion of the Rambam regarding the nature of karais – ex-communication of the soul. From a simple reading of the Rambam it seems that he believes that the soul of a person who committed a karais-worthy offense simply disappears when he dies. The Rambam likens this to the process that happens when an animal dies - The spiritual material of the animal’s soul simply returns to its base elements. The Ramban vehemently rejects this approach and denies that the Rambam ever meant this literally. The reason the Ramban gives for rejecting this understanding of Karas is absolutely astonishing. The Ramban asserts that simply destroying the sinner’s essence contradicts the basic idea of justice. Asks the Ramban, how is it possible that a soul deserving of karais simply disappears – that person must have performed wrongdoings during his lifetime. How can he simply disappear without experiencing punishment for the sins that he committed throughout his lifetime? It is not fair for him to “get off the hook” and painlessly puff out of existence. To answer this question the Ramban asserts that, in fact, karais is a two-step process. First, the soul of the sinner is sent to Gehenom to be punished for his misdeeds. Then, only after receiving his just reckoning, is his soul finally condemned to disappear.
This Ramban is providing us with a clear example of Gehenom serving in a non-constructive capacity. What is the point of hurting this - soon to be exterminated - soul? God is about to obviate him out of existence, why does he have to torture him first?
Lost in a Parable
In truth, the problems with the existence of Gehenom are much larger than these points. The past three examples prove that Gehenom serves as a place of punishment without any constructive purpose to the soul being punished. However, even in a scenario where a person will be sent to Gehenom to be cleansed before going on to his eternal reward should strike a thinking person as bizarre. Why does pain need to be inflicted on someone before they can go to heaven? This approach seems lost in a parable filled with imagery of ‘cleansing’ and ‘purification.’ As someone who has done laundry, I understand that the dirtier something is, the more it has to be cleaned. I can even imagine that if clothing had feelings they probably wouldn’t enjoy their trip in the washing machine. However, I fail to understand why this paradigm is extended to our relationship with the creator.
To illustrate, imagine someone goes to heaven and is found to have performed one hundred truly good deeds, yet when he comes to collect his reward he is only given payment for ninety good deeds. When asking the ministering angels why ten good deeds have been removed from his account, he is told simply that everyone must pay tax on their mitzvos.
“Tax?” The man asks. “Why would I have to pay tax on my good deeds?”
“Well, have you ever heard of import tax?” The angel responds. “Have you been living under a rock your whole life? Every single country in the world charges some form of tax on incoming goods. The good deeds that you performed were in a different world so of course there will be some form of tax when you try to redeem them in this world.”
Now obviously this story makes little sense. Simply because a concept of import tax exists doesn’t mean that it is a logical paradigm to extend to Olam Haba. Similarly, the concepts of cleansing and purification are concepts that exist in laundry and, (I guess,) some forms of intense therapy. Yet, just because these concepts exist in certain frameworks does not mean that it is logical to extend them to creating a well-designed system of reward. I am writing ad nauseuum, but I find that, as frum people, we are so steeped in the imagery of ‘purification’ and ‘cleansing’ and the ‘stench of avairos’ that it is hard to understand that this paradigm is really just an artificial extension of a laundry metaphor - and not an intrinsically necessary or logical idea. Once one takes a step back it becomes clear that a normal and mentally healthy creator would never apply this construct to his creations.
Playing God
At this point, people often throw up their hands and ask, “Well, what exactly do you want Hashen to do with sinners?” To answer that, let’s try to follow some of the basic logic underpinning our religion. We know that God created the world to give good to mankind. Now, apparently, he ran into a problem, namely, that in order for mankind to experience true bliss, they cannot have goodness simply handed to them on a silver platter. True goodness is defined as being as close to the Creator as possible, a fact that implies being the source of one’s own good. As such, mankind must choose goodness from their free will.
From here the plan should be simple. Make a world, create humans, balance the will to pick good with an equal will to reject the offered goodness, and allow people to pick whichever side they want.
Now if the person picks the blue pill everything is good. He goes on to experience eternal bliss, happy in the knowledge that he earned it himself.
But what happens if someone rejects the offered goodness? God has several options: The most obvious would be to give the person whatever good they can possibly receive, despite it being tainted with the taste of ni’hamah di’kisufa. However, if God really wants the person to get the best goodness, he presumably still has several options. He can give the person another chance, via reincarnation or some other method. Another option is to create a process, for example, repentance, that generates another chance. Or, God can give the person a lower level of goodness and create another person to test until enough people pick the good side that everyone is happy.
Instead, it seems God veered in another direction – punishment.
God said that instead of giving people another chance; He will hurt them, rather brutally. Once that happens they will get eternal bliss. This is illogical and not in line with a benevolent creator.
Answer Three: The Logic Bomb
There is one other possible solution to this issue that deserves to be discussed. I have never seen anyone actually give this answer, although Rabbi Dovid Gottlieb gives a similar version of this answer to address the Problem of Evil. The answer is based on a two-step thought process.
According to the Rambam, while Hashem can perform an action that contradicts the laws of physics, he is unable to perform an action that contradicts the laws of logic or mathematics. God cannot make a ‘square circle’ or 2 + 2 = 1. This is used to answer the famous question of, “can God make a stone that he cannot lift.” The obvious question on this proposed limitation is that, just as God created the laws of physics and is therefore not bound by them, so to, he created the laws of logic and should not be bound to follow its rules. To avoid this problem, Rabbi Gottlieb embraces the supposition that the inability to defy the laws of logic does not stem from a deficiency in God, but rather in our ability to express a coherent request. Asking for God to create a square circle is the same thing as asking him to create #@(F)!j. both have no meaning and are therefore invalid requests.
It would violate the laws of logic for God to create a world without Gehenom, therefore, despite being insanely nice, God was forced to create Gehenom. Tada! Question answered!
God’s Limitations
Now both the above assertions require analysis. Firstly, how clear is it that God cannot violate the laws of logic. I (as well as many medieval philosophers) don’t particularly agree with the claim that a paradoxical request is inherently nonsensical. Can God create a circle that is also completely square? Why not. The fact that such an entity does not exist in our frame of reference does not imply that it cannot exist in any frame of reference. Just like the word ‘apple’ is an abstract jumble of sounds that is used to identify a particular object, so too we can form words that accurately and coherently refer to paradoxical situations or objects that cannot exist in our universe. The fact that a ‘square circle’ cannot exist in our universe does not mean that it is non-sensible to ask if God can create a universe where a square circle can exist without breaking any rules of logic. An Omnipotent God can certainly create a universe where a square circle exists without contradicting the laws of logic. Our ability to express a paradoxical entity exists irrespective of our ability to jibe it with our current laws of logic.
Aside from my reservations about the above concept, the assertion that God cannot act against the laws of logic is only held as a minority opinion. While this is indeed the opinion of the Rambam, it seems that most commentators argue on him. There are a number of Gemaras that record God breaking the laws of geometry, and all the commentators who understand these Gemaras literally are necessarily rejecting the Rambam’s theory.
Secondly, and more importantly, why is it considered a logical impossibility to have a universe that is devoid of pots brimming with boiling semen? The correctness of a concept can exist on a large spectrum. Concepts can be plausible, sensible, rational, probable, likely, very-likely, certain, and - at the very end of the spectrum - logically necessary. Not only is this answer trying to make the astonishing and unsupported claim that the concept of Gehenom is somehow sensible and rational, it is trying to say that the concept of Gehenom is logically necessary - so much so, that even entertaining the thought of a universe without Gehenom is an inherently meaningless exercise.
Viewed critically, this answer seems to be nothing more than a justification made in hindsight. In fact, it is far more sensible and in-line with a benevolent creator to construct a universe containing only positive incentives for appropriate action, and not disincentives for inappropriate action.
All one hears in response to these arguments is a weak plea that God is justice or that one must live with the consequences of having distanced himself from Hashem. Please! God created the concept of ‘justice’ and ‘distance’ just as much as he created the concept of ‘concepts’. It is up to him to pick whatever construct is appropriate to achieve his goal. The only place where the paradigm of “kal nikamos Hashem” exists is in iron-age monarchies and BDSM movies. (How do I know what happens in BDSM movies? Sod Hashem Li’yi’rayav)
Perhaps I am knocking down a straw man. After all, despite searching for an explanation for purgatory in Jewish thought I have not found anyone posits that Gehenom is somehow a logical necessity to the universe.
Addendum: A Closer Look at the Bais HaLevi
Incidentally, while we are on this topic I would like to talk about two ideas discussed by the Bais HaLevi.
First of all, the Bais HaLevi claimed that it is impossible that the death penalty or Gehenom simply serves as retribution for a person’s sins. His logic to defend this supposition was that there is no amount of pain that a sinner could experience that would ever suffice to avenge the act of countermanding the will of the King of Kings. Even a trillion bazillion years of having your flesh peeled from your body while being forced to eat three-day-old sushi would not suffice to erase the evil of disobeying even the smallest mitzvah.
Let’s think about that for a minute. God created a system where we can pick our own destiny. He gave us a packed lifetime on this planet and commanded us to constantly and without fail to obey thousands of laws, regulations, and responsibilities. He also purposely made it a flat 50/50 which direction we are inclined to pick. (In fact, after the sin of Adam, the Ramchal writes that it is significantly harder for humans to pick the side of good.) Because of this, the Gemara says that there is pretty much no one that died sin-free.
If so, why is God soooooo upset if a person makes a wrong choice? Left shoe first!! An eternity of hell will never pay off the sickness and horror of your action! Yet, despite its absurdity, this is exactly what the Bais HaLevi calls a proportional, if not drastically understated, reaction.
I understand how someone can argue that God created us and we kinda’ owe him a lot. I get it. But if he is even mildly mentally stable he will understand that a person who sins does not mean it personally. In fact, God is condemning mankind to a 50% fail rate.
Secondly, the Bais HaLevi seems to address my whole tirade on some level. He says that Gehenom atones for people because it serves as a kiddush Hashem when the universe sees the wicked getting punished. That itself is the kaparh for the people getting punished.
This does not make sense. How does witnessing the burning of a bunch of souls who missed zman Ki’rias Shima prove the glory of God? No one witnessing the destruction of the sinners has any free will at this point. Remember, this is taking place after people have died and gone to heaven. Seeing the sinners’ burn cannot spur anyone to serve Hashem better. According to the Bais HaLevi, God is simply making a spectacle of his power by hurting wrongdoers.
Imagine walking in on a child playing with Legos. He has two piles, one containing a group of happy Lego mentchies lounging on a beach and the other containing a big pile of broken Lego limbs and heads.
“What are you making?” you ask.
“These Lego people are worshiping Me,” the child answers.
“Whoever listens to My commandments gets to hang out on the beach,” the child explains. “And whoever is wicked and doesn’t listen to My Will is broken apart and serves to reveal My Glory to the ones sitting on the beach.”
This kid really needs help.