Is Catholic Purgatory the same as the Jewish Gehinom?

[holy_wood]

Orthodox Jewish practices, which branched off from the Old Testament religion, to this day reflect belief in this “place” of final purification which they call Gehenom: when an Orthodox Jewish person dies, a ritual called the *taharah *is performed by the “Chevra kaddisha – gmilat khessed shel emet,” the “Holy Society” or “Burial Society” of Jews knowledgeable in these traditional duties. They cleanse and prepare the physical body and recite the required prayers (Chevra Kadisha) which ask God for forgiveness for any sins the departed may have committed, and beg Him to guard and grant eternal peace to the departed. For eleven months after the death of a loved one certain members of the family pray a prayer called the Mourner’s *Qaddish *(or Kaddish) for their loved one’s purification.
Sabbath 33b:

“The judgment of the wicked in purgatory is twelve months.” Rosh HaShanah 16b-17a:

"It has been taught that the school of Shammai says: "There will be three groups on Judgment Day (yom haDin):

**(1) one that is completely righteous, **

**(2) one that is completely wicked, **

**(3) and one that is in between." **
The completely righteous will be recorded and sealed at once for eternal life. The completely wicked will be recorded and doomed at once to Gehinnom, as it says:

“And many who sleep in the dust of the earth shall rise up, some to eternal life and some to shame and eternal rejection”** [Daniel 12:2].**

Those in between will go down to Gehinnom and cry out and rise up, as it says:

“And I will bring the third part through the fire and refine them as silver is refined and test them as gold is tested. They will call on my name and I will answer them” [Zechariah 13:9]

Rabbi Shammai (50 BC - AD 30), one of the two main teachers of early rabbinical Judaism, also is on record as having interpreted Zechariah 13:9 as referring to a state of purification after death.

fisheaters.com/purgatory.html

 

[holy_wood]

Relevant Scripture

**2 Samuel 12:13-16
**

David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” And Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the LORD, the child that is born to you shall die.” Then Nathan went to his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uri’ah’s wife bore to David, and it became sick. David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in and lay all night upon the ground. [Note that God has “put away” David’s sins, but David still fasts. This is the same as in Numbers, when Moses was still excluded from the Promised Land even after he was forgiven for his sin of striking the rock twice with his rod.]

**2 Maccabees 12:43-46 **

He also took up a collection, man by man, to the amount of two thousand drachmas of silver, and sent it to Jerusalem to provide for a sin offering. In doing this he acted very well and honorably, taking account of the resurrection. For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin.

Wisdom 3:1-7

But the souls of the just are in God’s hand; no torment will touch them. in the eyes of the foolish they seemed to be dead; their departure was reckoned as defeat, and their going from us a disaster. But they are at peace, for though in the sight of men they may suffer punishment, they have a sure hope of immortality, and after a little chastisement they will receive great blessings, because God has tested them and found them worthy to be His. He put them to the proof like gold in a crucible, and found them acceptable like an offering burnt whole on the altar. In the hour of their judgement they will shine in glory and will sweep over the world like sparks through stubble.

Isaiah 66:15-16

For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.

Daniel 12:2

And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Daniel 12:10

Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.

Zechariah 13:9

I will lead that third into the fire, and refine them as silver is refined, test them as gold is tested. They will call on my name and I shall listen; and I shall say: These are my people; and each will say, “Yahweh is my God!”

Malachi 3:2-3

But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.

 

[chosen_people]

"Gehenna is fairly well defined in rabbinic literature. It is sometimes
translated as “hell”, but Jews must take note that the Christian
version of hell is different from the Jewish view of Gehenna. Some
Christians believe that hell is an abode of eternal torment where
sinners go, and is also for anyone who does not accept Jesus as their
messiah and G-d. Other Christians believe Hell is a place of
separation from G-d (which, for Christians, is torture enough), from
which believers are eventually saved by Jesus. Roman Catholics believe
that Hell is a place of eternal suffering–physical, mental and
spiritual suffering. In the Roman Catholic view of Hell, the physical
pain is constant and severe; but the worst torture of Hell is the
knowledge that they will never see G-d and that they will remain in
Hell for eternity. For Roman Catholics, Hell is permanent and eternal.
For Roman Catholics, the soul that has deliberately and knowingly
disobeyed G-d’s commandments in life and that remains in a state of
mortal sin upon death has through it’s own free will damned itself to
Hell for all eternity. Roman Catholics also have the notion of
Purgatory, which is for souls that are truly repentant, but not in the
state of grace upon death. Purgatory is similar to Hell in that there
is physical suffering, the Roman Catholic belief is that the soul will
return to G-d when it is purged of its sins. Purgatory can last a day
or thousands of years depending on the amount of purging the
individual soul requires.

However, for Jews, gehenna–while certainly a terribly unpleasant
place–is not hell. The majority of rabbinic thought maintains that
people are not tortured in hell forever; the longest that one can be
there is said to be 12 months. It is a spiritual forge where the soul
is purified for its eventual ascent to Gan Eden [Heaven], and where
all imperfections are purged. [In this sense, it is somewhat similar
to the Roman Catholic purgatory, however the time period has a
definate maximum]. Gehennom (lit: the valley of Hinnom, in Jerusalem;
i.e. hell) is the sinner’s experience in the afterlife. In other
words, it’s the same “place” as gan eiden (lit: the garden of Eden;
i.e. heaven) – it’s the perspective of the individual that makes it
one or the other."

source:faqs.org/faqs/judaism/FAQ…section-9.html

From the above the answer is quite simple. The jewish concept of “Gehenna” although translated in the encyclopedia as “hell” is not the Christian concept of “hell”.

Incidentally your “fisheater” website is filled with inaccurate and antiJewish (as well as antiprotestant) links from inaccurate and false quotes from the Talmud concerning Gentiles, to talk of Jewish power and domination to “the holocaust industry”)

 

[blossom02]

Fisheaters has some good things for apologetics but is a pius the X group and they are in schism with the Catholic Church. Let me know if I’m wrong.

 

[holy_wood]

Incidentally your “fisheater” website is filled with inaccurate and antiJewish (as well as antiprotestant) links from inaccurate and false quotes from the Talmud concerning Gentiles,** to talk of Jewish power and domination to “the holocaust industry”)**

Mind explaining that please.

 

[Nita]

Roman Catholics also have the notion of
Purgatory, which is for souls that are truly repentant, but not in the
state of grace upon death. Purgatory is similar to Hell in that there
is physical suffering, the Roman Catholic belief is that the soul will
return to G-d when it is purged of its sins. Purgatory can last a day
or thousands of years depending on the amount of purging the
individual soul requires.

Good post chosen people. Thanks.

Just one correction on the Catholic teaching. People who go to Purgatory are in the state of grace. Only those who go to hell are not.

Nita