A text describing tiers of judgment in Gehinom raises the question of whether the 12-month limit really applies to everyone.
Q. Dear Rabbie, I have a question. I’ll keep it short. Today I found a text about types of judgments in gehinom and it said: normally sinners come in gehinom for a maximum of 12 months but the gehinom itself is not just 12 months it can last 100, 200… years if that is supposed to be, then it said there are sinners whose soul is destroyed after gehinom and a third type who are there forever. Is that true? Thank you in advance
The answer is simply simantics. What our sages call “Gehinom” is up to 12 months, but other (educational) punishments can be longer, as long as needed. Similarly there is the possible punishment of having the soul destroyed, or alternatively, eternal punishment. Sometimes some term all of these punishments ‘Gehinom’. But again as I wrote previously, as opposed to other religions like Christianity, Judaism is much more focused on improving myself and bettering Am Yisrael and this world, so I suggest “moving on” and focusing accordingly, and not be preoccupied with Heaven and Hell, which you will receive anyway according to what you did in this world.
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