The Gemara speaks of 'olam habah', when it is discussing the meaning of light, daybreak , and sunrise.
Question please: Does this 'Olam Habah' refer to the after-life-- ie. an existence after death-- or does 'Olam Habah here refer to the Messianic age?
Thank you. Kol Hakavod.
Matthew Kanter, Skokie, Illinois USA
From the context of the Gemara it would seem that the "light of the future" referred to in our Gemara is related to the Or ha'Ganuz which Hash-m will display for the righteous in the World to Come (see Chagigah 12a). This, in turn, is often associated with the light of the sun of Olam ha'Ba (see, for example, Nedarim end of 8b, Shemos Raba 15:21).
According to the Ramban in his Sha'ar ha'Gemul (pars. #95, 96, 101in the Rav David Sofer edition), these Midrashim are referring to the period called "Olam ha'Ba," which follows the periods of Yemos ha'Mashi'ach and Techiyas ha'Mesim.
It is evident from Rashi in Pesachim 8a DH Karnayim that the great light that casts its glow upon the Tzadikim is related to the Ziv ha'Shechinah that will sustain the righteous in Olam ha'Ba (see Berachos 17a, "In Olam ha'Ba there is no eating nor drinking... rather the righteous sit... and are sustained by the Ziv ha'Shechinah.")
For an extensive analysis of the opinions in the Rishonim about what the experience of Olam ha'Ba will be, see our Insights to Sanhedrin 90:3 .
Best wishes,
Mordecai Kornfeld
Rebbe,
When you refer to olam haba which one do you mean, the olom haneshamos where people get schar after their petirah or the one on this earth in the days of the moshiach and after?
I guess that's what the previous questioner Matthew Kanter meant. I just wasn't sure from your answer which one specifically.
SK
The latter (see Rambam ibid, at length).
MK