Tag: Death

Parashat V'zot Habrachah Study Guide: Who Is Writing Moses' Death?

Study Guide: Who Is Writing Moses’ Death?

In the study guide for V'zot Habracha, Vered Hollander-Goldfarb explores who is writing Moses' death and what we can learn.
Parashat Korach Study Guide Do As I Mean, Not As I Say

Study Guide: Do As I Mean, Not As I Say

Korach led a rebellion against Moshe (and Aaron). Ahead of the incense trial, Korach gathers the congregation against Moshe and Aaron.
Spies and Tzitzit: Camela and Death

Spies and Tzitzit: Camels and Death

Our parashah is bookended by the story of the spies and tzitzit. This leads to a discussion on the obligation of mitzvot.

Jewish Viewpoints on Serious Illness

We give thanks to God every day for the gift of life, but recognize that we are mortal and that illness and death will come.

Mourning Practices for the Loss of a Parent

The period of mourning for one’s parents is a full twelve months, and serves a deeply therapeutic function for the mourner.
death

When Death is Imminent

Judaism does not recognize any gray area between life and death. Whenever possible, a dying person should not be left alone.

Yahrzeit: The Jewish Anniversary of Someone’s Death

Yahrzeit should be a day given over to remembering and honoring an individual for whom one once sat shivah and is learning to live without.

What is Yizkor?

Yizkor consists of a collection of readings and recitations revolving around two central prayers: Yizkor prayers, and the El Malei Rachamim.

Tombstone Customs in Judaism

Tombstone customs in Judaism stem from the religious obligation to mark a grave. This is traditionally done with tombstones or stone markers.

What Does Jewish Law Say About Autopsies and Organ Donation?

The halakhah does not generally permit autopsies, due to honoring the dead. However, there are two important exceptions to that rule.

Kohanim and Funerals

Kohanim were forbidden to come into contact or share indoor space with the bodies of the dead, apart from their closest of relatives.

How to Comfort Mourners During Shivah

What do I do when I go to a shivah? Remember that conversation should be about the deceased, not the mourners or the visitors.

Jewish Laws and Rituals for Funerals

What are the Jewish laws and rituals regarding funerals? Generally, a ritual washing, burial, and a funeral, each with their own customs.

What is Sheloshim?

Shloshim are the thirty days that follows the week of shivah and is considered a period of reduced mourning.
Floating candle

What is Shivah?

The word shivah refers to the seven days of mourning that follow the burial of a parent, child, sibling, or spouse.
Parashat Vayechi Haftarah: On Loss

On Loss

This week's haftarah juxtaposes King David preparing for his own death with both Jacob and Joseph's preparations for their own deaths.
Parashat Vayechi Study Guide: My Wife or Your Mother?

Study Guide: My Wife or Your Mother?

In this week’s parashah, Jacob asks Joseph to swear to bury him not in Egypt but rather lay him to rest with his ancestors.
True Lovingkindness

True Lovingkindness

Parashat Vayechi chronicles the deaths of Jacob and his son, Joseph, both of whom provide explicit instructions regarding their burials.
What is the jewish afterlife

What is the Jewish Afterlife?

What does Judaism say about the afterlife? Exploring the inherent conflicts between the different ideas and why that's a good thing.
Parashat Vayetzei Haftarah: "Mostly Dead is Slightly Alive"

Mostly Dead is Slightly Alive

As we read the stories of Jacob, it is worthwhile to pay attention to the interplay between hope and God as the redeemer us from ...