Two good things are near to you and far from you, far from you and near to you: Repentance is near to you and far from you, far from you and near to you. Death is near to you and far from you, far from you and near to you. – Kohelet Rabbah 8.17 In parashatContinue reading “Shabbat VaYekhi: Deathbed Blessings”
Tag Archives: death
Hayye Sarah: No One Gets Out Alive
וַיִּהְיוּ֙ חַיֵּ֣י שָׂרָ֔ה מֵאָ֥ה שָׁנָ֛ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְשֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֑ים שְׁנֵ֖י חַיֵּ֥י שָׂרָֽה Sarah’s lifetime—the span of Sarah’s life—came to one hundred and twenty-seven years. (Genesis 23.1) Literally: “The life of Sarah was one hundred years and twenty years and seven years.” All that lives will die. Even you, even me. Despite exercise and diet. WhileContinue reading “Hayye Sarah: No One Gets Out Alive”
Shabbat and Pesakh and more, oh my!
Hag sameakh! Today and tomorrow are hagim, holy days that end our Pesakh Festival. Jewish offices are closed today and tomorrow, and Passover ends tomorrow evening at sundown with the end of Shabbat. On this Shabbat, the Shemini or 8th day of the holiday, we depart from our usual Torah parashat hashavua (reading of the week) and readContinue reading “Shabbat and Pesakh and more, oh my!”
Shabbat Akharei Mot-Kedoshim: The Goal of Torah Study
This week’s parashah is once again a double: Akharei Mot, “after death” and Kedoshim, “set apart”, which is what “holy” means in Jewish religious culture. Because every couple of years these two parashot occur as a double (meaning that we read at least a third of them both), it was only natural that our inquisitive andContinue reading “Shabbat Akharei Mot-Kedoshim: The Goal of Torah Study”
Shabbat Bo: When Will Death Come?
Have you seen the television commercial for heart health that begins with a person very matter-of-factly receiving a note that says “your heart attack is coming tomorrow.” As we know, says the voice-over, such events happen without any warning. If you could know when a life-threatening event would happen, you could prepare for it, dodgeContinue reading “Shabbat Bo: When Will Death Come?”
Shabbat Hayei Sarah: Live This Day As If It Is Someone Else’s Last
I believe passionately that the key to meaningful life is learning. And I am not simply offering you my personal opinion. Our Jewish tradition asserts that if we are open to learning new insights, new perspectives, new ideas all the time – even in situations that don’t seem suited to learning – we can redeemContinue reading “Shabbat Hayei Sarah: Live This Day As If It Is Someone Else’s Last”
Torah for the 21st Century by Rabbi Ariel Stone 