Final Judgement and the Dead in Medieval Jewish Thought

Susan Weissman is Chair of Judaic Studies and Associate Professor at Lander College for Women, Touro College and University System.

• Note on SourcesNote on TransliterationIntroductionPART ITHE DEAD OF SEFER ḤASIDIM The Dangerous Dead The Sinful Dead The Holy Dead The Neutral Dead and the Pietist Dead PART IITHE AFTERLIFE IN SEFER ḤASIDIM Status in the Hereafter On Sin, Penance, and Purgation Bonds Between the Living and the Dead I Bonds Between the Living and the Dead II Conclusion BibliographyIndex

‘This exceptional piece of work demonstrates almost beyond question that elements of Sefer Hasidim’s perception of key aspects of the afterlife were influenced by an array of beliefs current in the larger society involving both theology and folklore... The theses proffered are persuasive, grounded in a command of rabbinic material and familiarity with both Christian doctrines and European folktales... This is an eye-opening work that will have a significant impact on medieval Jewish studies.David Berger, Yeshiva University