Korach led a rebellion against Moshe (and Aaron). Ahead of the incense trial, Korach gathers the congregation against Moshe and Aaron.
Our parashah is bookended by the story of the spies and tzitzit. This leads to a discussion on the obligation of mitzvot.
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.
The period of mourning for one’s parents is a full twelve months, and serves a deeply therapeutic function for the mourner.
Judaism does not recognize any gray area between life and death. Whenever possible, a dying person should not be left alone.
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.
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 stem from the religious obligation to mark a grave. This is traditionally done with tombstones or stone markers.
The halakhah does not generally permit autopsies, due to honoring the dead. However, there are two important exceptions to that rule.
Kohanim were forbidden to come into contact or share indoor space with the bodies of the dead, apart from their closest of relatives.
What do I do when I go to a shivah? Remember that conversation should be about the deceased, not the mourners or the visitors.
What are the Jewish laws and rituals regarding funerals? Generally, a ritual washing, burial, and a funeral, each with their own customs.
Shloshim are the thirty days that follows the week of shivah and is considered a period of reduced mourning.
The word shivah refers to the seven days of mourning that follow the burial of a parent, child, sibling, or spouse.
This week’s haftarah juxtaposes King David preparing for his own death with both Jacob and Joseph’s preparations for their own deaths.
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.
Parashat Vayechi chronicles the deaths of Jacob and his son, Joseph, both of whom provide explicit instructions regarding their burials.
What does Judaism say about the afterlife? Exploring the inherent conflicts between the different ideas and why that’s a good thing.
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 various Sheols.