Some episodes start light. This one starts with a candle. We begin with Jay’s yahrzeit for his mom, twelve years gone and still deeply missed, and the Rabbi walks us through what the anniversary of a death really means in Jewish tradition. From there we widen out to a fast day heavy with history and a piece of tech that might change how any of us learns Torah.
In this episode, we get into:
What yahrzeit means and why we say Kaddish for eleven months, then every year after
The Rabbi’s own story of counting down the days, and the strange sadness when Kaddish ends
The five tragedies of the 17th of Tammuz and the start of the Three Weeks
Why you can get engaged during the Three Weeks but not married (and what that says about free will)
Yochai, the new AI tool that turns anyone into a Torah study partner
I really love hearing about how Jews mourn the passing of loved ones. It seems so incredibly emotionally healthy when we lose someone to be sad, but mostly to have immense gratitude that g-d put that person in your life. Thank you guys!
Hi, just a question - sorry it might sound a little silly or superstitious. My husband died nearly 10 months ago (and thank you Chaya Leah for your kind messages to me during a really hard time). He converted through the reform synagogue which I know is not acceptable for Orthodox Jews, but in any case he was the proudest Jew and the biggest Zionist. I have not been saying Kaddish everyday (I have started saying shema and mode ani when I remember). Does this have any impact on his soul at the time of the Yarzeit? I know this sounds like such a childish question. I don’t even know what I believe anymore. I so want to believe in the soul and Hashem. I look for signs and things from the other side but I don’t know if that is me trying to convince myself. I wish my faith were more certain. But I feel so worried that I may be doing things that impede my beloved’s soul. I hope for some wisdom from any three of you. 💙