Eruvin 19: The Jewish Hell

More aggadot. The gold on the gold-plated altar did not melt in all the years of sacrifices. So too the nature of the Jewish people, who may sin, but have enough mitzvot to their individual credit that the sin has no power over them. Also: 3 entrances to Gehinom - the wilderness (Korach), the sea (Yonah), and Jerusalem. Plus 7 names for Gehinom. How do you get there? By means of mistaken actions or sin, that still does not resemble the grim Christian conception of punishment, at least not from this daf. Also: Gan Eden! Where is heaven on earth? And to finish up, back to Eruvin topics - The number of boards contributing to an enclosure - as long as the gaps between them is within the measurement required. Plus: What's What: Mnemonics (and the orality and precision of the Oral Law). Note the scholarship of William A. Graham (Beyond the Written Word) and Rabbi Dr. Yaakov Elman z"l (Authenticity and Tradition).