Death, Burial, and Bereavement
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Aaron Between the Living and the Dead
In the Torah portion of Korach it says that Aaron went between the living and the dead in order to end the plague. Since Aaron was a Cohen, how could he be permitted to come close to the dead? Answer:…
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Shoveling Dirt on the Coffin
Why do family and close friends cover the coffin with a few handfuls of dirt at a funeral? Answer: A rabbi once told me of an experience he had in the greater NY area. He was called in to conduct…
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Taking the Soul of the Deceased to the Next Level
I was writing, and at some point I was not aware of what I was writing. I found that I had written “Your father can not go to the next level”. My dad passed away several years ago, and I’m not sure what…
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Soul Hovering After Death
I read that per Jewish custom an individual had to be deceased for at least four days before they were truly considered dead. Is this True? Answer: I think that you are referencing a Jewish belief that the soul does…
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Naming Children After the Deceased
Why do we name our children after deceased people? Answer: To perpetuate their memory. If a man dies without children, his widow should (in Biblical times) marry the deceased’s brother so that the child born to them would continue the…
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Golden Calf Casualties
At Mt Sinai what happened to those who built the Golden Calf. I understand they were all destroyed when the earth opened up. Are their souls also now in the earth? Was that the punishment for not believing in G-d…
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Why do we mourn if we should be content with Gd’s judgment?
We practice a period of mourning after a death of someone close. How does that work with the approach of accepting Gd’sactions? One would think when we accept Gd’s actions we would be content with the way the world is,…
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Soul Talk & Dimentia
Someone in our family has had Dementia for quite a while and is not well. At this time she’s talking as if she is leaving us. Is there such a thing as Neshama (Soul) Talk? Answer: You have made a…