Having an Impact After Death
Quote from Rabbi Nachman Kahana in an article at http://nachmankahana.com/emor-5778/:
There are numerous sources that on Rosh Hashana HaShem, as it would be, has two books open before Him – the book of those who are alive and the book of those who have already passed on. Why does the Judge of mankind relate to the actions of the dead when they can no longer perform mitzvot or sins?
Answer: Because death is not as final as one would believe. The actions of man during his life, can even after death continue to influence the world, as in the case of the kohen who married in sin continues to invalidate his offspring from the grave, until the end of time. So, every year HaShem recalculates the status of the souls in the next world.
Even some people who are not religious believe that their impact on the world even after they have died will be a source of spiritual bliss or anguish for their souls.
Unfortunately, even if they wish to have a long lasting impact on the world after they are gone, their system of warped values leads them to promote deeds that they consider good but are in fact evil. I recently heard for example, of a woman who was very into kindness, but how did she use or abuse this attribute? She donated a kidney to a person who is at war with the nation of Israel.
As proof that kindness to the enemies of Israel is not a good thing.
Melachim – Kings Chapter 20 as translated by https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/15904/jewish/Chapter-20.htm
31 And his servants said to him, “Behold; we have now heard that the kings of the House of Israel are kindly kings. Let us put sackcloth on our loins and ropes on our heads and let us go out to the king of Israel, perhaps he will spare your life.”
32 So they girded sackcloth on their loins and ropes on their heads, and they came to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-Haddad said, “Please, may my life be spared.” And he said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”
33 And the people took it for an omen, and they hastened and caught it from him and said, “Your brother Ben-Haddad.” And he said, “Come and take him.” Ben-Haddad went out to him, and he helped him climb up into the chariot.
skipping to verse 41
41 And he hastened and removed the headband from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him, that he was one of the prophets.
42 And he (the prophet) said to him, “Thus said the Lord, ‘Because you have released the man whom I designated for destruction, from your hand, it will be your life instead of his life and your people instead of his people.’ ”
43 And the king of Israel went to his home sad and upset, and he came to Samaria.
If you want advice if the good deed, you want do, to have a lasting positive impact on the world is in fact a good deed, you can write to Rabbi Nachman Kahana at http://nachmankahana.com/contact-us/
As a follow up to this article, I will link to the most popular article on vilnagaon.org which discusses:
The Experience of People Who Were Clinically Dead
And Came Back to Life
One friend brings another. The permanent location of this blog post is at https://vilnagaon.org/having-an-impact-after-death/