Coping With the Death of a Child
Comfort for grieving parents
Many parents visited the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902-1994) for advice and comfort after losing their child. The Rebbe would respond with patience and empathy, giving words of consolation and encouragement. Here are some of the Rebbe’s insights on the terrible tragedy of child loss. (What follows are not actual quotes, but merely … Continue reading The Rebbe Speaks to Grieving Parents About Child Loss
Preparing for the Unexpected I’m a firm believer in the Boy Scout motto ‘Be Prepared’. I sometimes think about various scenarios and wonder how I would respond. Now, I don’t often meet new people. And now, with the Covid situation, I’m not meeting anyone at all. But if I did meet someone for the first … Continue reading Answering A Painful Question
Does G-d Create Good and Bad? An Intriguing Verse From the Torah Seems to Say Yes Death. It’s a word not easily defined. It’s something no one wants to discuss. However, when we do think about death we view it as something negative or even evil, especially when it happens to someone we love. But … Continue reading Blessings, Curses, and Colored Glass Bottles
I Felt Guilty When My Son Suddenly Passed Away When my adult son passed away, the nagging feelings of guilt set in and made me more miserable than I already was. I thought to myself, ‘Was there something I could have done to prevent what happened?’. Jacob, being a stoic young man, never complained about … Continue reading Dealing with Guilt and Hashgacha Pratit
When my adult son died suddenly, everything seemed upside down. I was confused, agitated, unable to focus on anything for more than five minutes. The world seemed as if it was running backwards. Children are supposed to bury their parents, not the other way around. Intellectually, I knew that I was not the first person … Continue reading Parents Mourning Children in Torah and Tanakh
