Acharei Mot: What Now?

One of the most enduring concepts in Judaism, which has played a critical role in keeping us alive for so many millennia, is the notion of time being circular, not linear. Just think about the cycle of the year, the cycle of life, concluding the Book of

Deuteronomy only to immediately restart at Genesis, or books like Ecclesiastes which remind us over and over again, "There's nothing new under the sun." Every volume of Talmud begins on Page Two, because the discussions are never starting or ending, you are ALWAYS joining a conversation - a dialogue across vast distances of time AND space - already (and constantly) in progress. I submit to you that one of the most striking examples of this is death. For us, as Jews, death is a part of the life cycle, and our returning to the earth is as natural, inevitable, and harmonious as it could be. It is simply NOT the final period at the end of a story; a full-stop after which there is only nothingness. Our Torah portion is a good example of this, as is the special theme for our Shabbat here at Ohev, as is the painful observance we just passed earlier this week.

Torah portions throughout the Five Books of Moses get their names from the first significant words in that parashah. This week's reading is called "Acharei Mot," because the first verse states: "Adonai spoke to

Moses AFTER THE DEATHS of two of Aaron's sons" (Lev. 16:1). Our story, therefore, begins with death. It doesn't place death where you "might" have expected it, at the end, but rather at the start. And without going ANY further into this text, we've already learned something extremely valuable: When there is death, there will always be an "after death." Life goes on. Aaron's sons, Nadav and Avihu, died violently and tragically... and yet even then, life goes on. Despite our own feelings of depression, numbness, chaos, anger, mourning - life still goes on. This message has fundamentally strengthened the Jewish People to survive and overcome anything that may befall us.

This past week, we observed Yom Ha-Shoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. Never before were we quite so close to the brink of extermination; ruthlessly, cold-

heartedly, methodically targeted for complete annihilation. Six million deaths, entire regions of Jews wiped out, cultures lost. But even then, even in the face of the worst atrocity imaginable, there is STILL an "Acharei Mot," a continuation after death. Though we may spend the day grieving, lighting candles, reading names of the deceased, and condemning our oppressors, we should also always, always remember that we are still here. Our story did NOT end, and our collective spirit somehow persevered and continues to be strong and vibrant. I think the mourning is important, and I would never suggest we cease remembering. But we also MUST focus on the "Acharei Mot," on reminding ourselves that death is not an ending. It too is merely one part of a cycle, a circle, that keeps going around and around.

For me, one of the most powerful - and personal - examples of this is a special Torah scroll here in our congregation, which was saved from the horrors of the Holocaust. Scrolls like these, in other congregations, are even named Holocaust

Scrolls, which I personally find problematic, because again we are focusing exclusively on death and not on life. Instead, we call ours the Lostice Torah (pronounced "LOSH-tea-tzeh"), in honor of the Czechoslovakian town from which it came. Yes, that community was destroyed, but death was not the end of their story. They too are granted an "Acharei Mot." This Saturday, May 4, is our annual Lostice Shabbat, where we DO mourn and recite the Kaddish prayer in memory of the Jews of Lostice... but we also talk about the mystic scribes who lived there, the stinky gourmet cheese they produced, and the incredible poet, Fanny Neuda, from Lostice, who in the 1840s wrote a fabulous book of prayers for women! Lostice Shabbat is truly an "Acharei Mot" story. And I pray it reminds us all that tragedy, hardship, scandal, illness, and challenge may all be inescapable parts of life. But we persevere. The cycle continues, life goes on, and there will ALWAYS be another chapter to the story, even After Death.


CC images in this blog post courtesy of:
1. Pat Castaldo on Flickr
2. Phillippe Put on Flickr
3. Sterling Ely on Flickr
4. Photo of our Lostice Torah (black mantle) among the other Ohev Shalom scrolls, courtesy of Rabbi Gerber