I read your long and meaningful piece about death and yizkor with great interest and valued your message to appreciate life and allow death to be part of life not excluded from it. I wanted to share with you a thought or two that I had this weekend related to this subject. in light of the recent tragic attacks in Israel Rabbi Arnowitz spoke about how holocaust victims and Israeli soldiers died l'Kiddush hashem. He stated that rather than thinking of death as a moment of kiddush hasehem we actually should be living our lives as an example of Kiddush Hasehm. It made we think of your piece and how in Tana Toraja they understand that their burial ceremony is a celebration of the persons life and rather than just focussing on their moment of death it focusses on their life. That reminded me of how the Noble Peace prize was created. Apparently Alfred Noble 's brother (or relative) died but the obituary was mistakenly written about him, Since Noble was the inventor of dynamite he got to read in his obituary that he would always e remembered tor inventing one of the worlds most destructive weapons that had killed thousands of people during war. He was appalled to think that dynamite and its destructive power would be his legacy, at that moment he vowed to change that and created the Noble Peace prize to hopefully change his obituary and legacy and it obviously did. I have often used that story to inspire myself and others to live as if you were about to die and had to read your obituary. Would you be proud of what was written about you at your time of death and if not do something about it and live a better life with greater meaning and value. Make God proud of you. dont die but rather Live l'kedush Hashem. As the title of Jim Morrison's biography "No One gets out of here Alive " reminds us, death is part of everyones life. We all have reason to let our impending death be an inspiration to live a better life so that when we die ias they know in. Tana Toraja t can be a celebration and not something to be hidden or avoided.
Very interesting, as always! My first crush was on your Uncle Morty, OBM, in grade school! He only knew it in later years! Death is certainly mystifying. Curious about Moses’s death! I do think Judaism honors dying so properly, from beginning to throughout. Yiskor at Traditional, my shul, is done with a beautiful prayer book. I cry, I remember, I smile, and appreciate the blessings. Chag S’meach Shabbat! Love you! ❤️✡️Zeta
Dear Adir,
Chag Sameach and regards home!
I read your long and meaningful piece about death and yizkor with great interest and valued your message to appreciate life and allow death to be part of life not excluded from it. I wanted to share with you a thought or two that I had this weekend related to this subject. in light of the recent tragic attacks in Israel Rabbi Arnowitz spoke about how holocaust victims and Israeli soldiers died l'Kiddush hashem. He stated that rather than thinking of death as a moment of kiddush hasehem we actually should be living our lives as an example of Kiddush Hasehm. It made we think of your piece and how in Tana Toraja they understand that their burial ceremony is a celebration of the persons life and rather than just focussing on their moment of death it focusses on their life. That reminded me of how the Noble Peace prize was created. Apparently Alfred Noble 's brother (or relative) died but the obituary was mistakenly written about him, Since Noble was the inventor of dynamite he got to read in his obituary that he would always e remembered tor inventing one of the worlds most destructive weapons that had killed thousands of people during war. He was appalled to think that dynamite and its destructive power would be his legacy, at that moment he vowed to change that and created the Noble Peace prize to hopefully change his obituary and legacy and it obviously did. I have often used that story to inspire myself and others to live as if you were about to die and had to read your obituary. Would you be proud of what was written about you at your time of death and if not do something about it and live a better life with greater meaning and value. Make God proud of you. dont die but rather Live l'kedush Hashem. As the title of Jim Morrison's biography "No One gets out of here Alive " reminds us, death is part of everyones life. We all have reason to let our impending death be an inspiration to live a better life so that when we die ias they know in. Tana Toraja t can be a celebration and not something to be hidden or avoided.
I've learmed that most Americans, especially our Jewish people, think that dying is optional.
Very interesting, as always! My first crush was on your Uncle Morty, OBM, in grade school! He only knew it in later years! Death is certainly mystifying. Curious about Moses’s death! I do think Judaism honors dying so properly, from beginning to throughout. Yiskor at Traditional, my shul, is done with a beautiful prayer book. I cry, I remember, I smile, and appreciate the blessings. Chag S’meach Shabbat! Love you! ❤️✡️Zeta