Articles in Death
Chukat: Live or Die
What do you think Judaism advocates, that we live for G-d or that we die for G-d?
Throughout history there have been two classic Jewish views. One was to place physical survival above spiritual; to live at all costs even the violation of our sacred Torah principles and cherished Jewish traditions. …
Chayei Sarah: Why We Bury
After the binding of Isaac, Abraham discovered that his wife Sarah had passed, and he hurried from Jerusalem to Hebron to eulogise, mourn and bury her. This is the first description of a burial in the Torah, which gives us an opportunity to discuss the question of why we bury.
Many …
Acharei Mot: Post Shivah
The Shelf Life
I have seen it as often as you have. Someone loses a loved one, family, friends and acquaintances close ranks around them, attend Shivah, coordinate details, bring food and provide comfort. Then Shivah ends, everyone bids the bereaved farewell and return to daily life.
It is now post Shivah, …
Devarim: Your Dying Words
What Would You Say
If you were told you had five months left, who would you spend it with and what would you tell them?
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Pinchas: Moses is You
The Past
There is a large cemetery in the annals of academia in which the past lies buried. This cemetery takes the form of history books monuments and museums. We visit our past, research and teach it, but we don’t live it. The past is simply, in the past. Judaism is …
Chukat: Withdrawal or Engagement
The Debate
Our culture is one of robust debate. Hardly a topic is left undisputed by our sages. One of the central debates across Jewish history was that of withdrawal or engagement. Should the Jew be engaged in the material world, actively seeking to better society and environment or should we …
Vayechi: Leave No Word Unspoken
Eternal Regret
A common regret expressed by bereaved family members are the words that were left unspoken. I remember one man, whose father passed away at a younger age than most, who regretted not having expressed his love for his father more frequently. I recall another whose loved one passed away …
Naso: Mourners Kaddish
Empty Shoes
One of the most poignant monuments in the Unites States Holocaust Memorial Museum is the mountainous display of empty shoes. Thousands and thousands of ownerless shoes; old people’s shoes, young people’s shoes, sturdy shoes, torn shoes, large shoes, little shoes and even infant shoes. All are empty; their bearers …
