Comforting the Mourner (Nichum Aveilim)

For a week after a funeral, the close relatives of the deceased sit and mourn the loss of their relative. “Shiva” is Hebrew for “seven,” since this stage of mourning lasts for seven days.

What we say to a mourner and how it provides comfort.

She asked me what happened. Why did we lose track of each other? I said in those days, with no email, she moved to Israel and I stayed behind. It was harder to work at staying in touch and just easier to let things drop and occasionally hear about her fro...

“When I was about three years old, the war broke out. I was too young to know why things were so hard, but old enough to know that every egg and every piece of fruit was a real treasure.”

This class gives us a better understanding of the mitzvah of comforting a mourner.

The acts of kindness and generosity taking place at every moment, and the feeling of Jewish unity worldwide, is unparalleled.

I just didn’t see G‑d in the picture at all.