In the grip of bereavement : an analysis of ten Aggadic legends on bereavement in the world of the sages / Chaim Licht ; translated by R. Schwartz.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Licht, Chaim.

Language:

English

Hebrew

Subjects (All):

Jewish mourning customs.

Bereavement--Religious aspects--Judaism.

Bereavement.

Children--Death--Religious aspects--Judaism.

Children.

Aggada--History and criticism.

Aggada.

Physical Description:

xiv, 258 pages ; 22 cm

Place of Publication:

Jerusalem ; New York : Gefen Publishing, [2009]

Summary:

Our daughter Danit passed away on 17 Mar-Cheshvan 5761 (November 15, 2000). Danit did not live to see her thirtieth birthday. A shy child, modest and smart, she grew and flourished in our home on the moshav, and in our travels in Israel and abroad. When she was about twelve years old, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor and underwent surgery. As a young girl she learned to live under constant medical attention and daily medications, which she following through on responsibly by herself.

She did not give in, and because of her strong will and perseverance, she completed her high school education, fulfilled her national obligation by serving in Sherut Leumi (the national service program that serves as an alternative to army service), and studied towards a bachelor's degree in education, diligently and successfully.

At the conclusion of her studies she entered the field of education as an elementary school teacher. Quietly and diligently, acting as a role model and dedicating herself to each, child, she succeeded in earning the trust of her students and their parents.

The sudden illness that overtook her defeated her in a very short time. Her memory will never leave our hearts. She continues and will always continue to live in us forever.

During the year following the daughter's sudden death as a young adult, Dr. Chaim Licht observed the traditional Jewish mourning practices, yet found that he still had questions about the meaning of his family's experience. As a scholar of Jewish literature, he turned to the literature of the combed the Ma'asei Hakhamim, stories of the sages in the aggadic literature, for stories of parental bereavement, and analyzed the responses of the bereaved parents as well as the consolation that was offered to them by others. This collection of stories and Dr. Licht's analyses form a rich and detailed portrait of the traditional views of the Jewish sages on the meaning of and the proper reaction to the death of a child. Book jacket.

Contents:

Part 1 Reflections on Death and Bereavement

Reflection on Biblical Verses 1

Reflection on the Sages' Literature 7

Part 2 Six Stories of Bereavement in the World of the Tannaim

Story 1 The Death of the Son of Rabban Yohanan ben Zakai 15

Story 2 Rabbi Eliezer's Illness 47

Story 3 The Illness of Shimon the Son of Rabbi Akiva 67

Story 4 The Deaths of Children in the Time of Rabbi Akiva 91

Story 5 The Deaths of the Sons of Rabbi Yishmael 115

Story 6 The Deaths of the Sons of Rabbi Meir 141

Part 3 Four Stories of Bereavement in the World of the Amoraim

Story 7 The Death of the Son of Rav Hiyya ben Abba 175

Story 8 The Death of the Daughter of Rabbi Hanina 193

Story 9 The Deaths of the Sons of Rav Huna's Neighbor 203

Story 10 The Death of the Daughter of Rav Shmuel ben Yehuda 217.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 247-258).

ISBN:

9652294462

9789652294463

OCLC:

294935732