Gone Without a Trace – Mourning an Unverified Death

האם מותר להניח פרחים מעל ארון או קבר המת? הבנה יסודית בהגדרת האיסור והטעמים שלא ללכת בחוקות הגויים, מביא אותנו לסכם את שיטות הפוסקים בדין הנחת הפרחים.

A cornerstone of our belief is that a life of good deeds is rewarded with “a world that is truly good” in the Hereafter.
Is there another way? Can one “purchase” eternal reward on the open market? Can you get the “deal of a lifetime” (or the afterlife!) on ebay?
What are the Halachic principles of such a transaction? Can one buy or sell such ‘intangibles’? Would the transaction by valid, legal tender? Do “free market principles” and “art of the deal” apply? How does this compare to the historic partnership of Yissachar-Zevulun?
Includes a collection of stories about tzadikim who engaged in such “commerce” throughout the ages for the benefit of klal Yisroel.

מסתבר שכולנו בקיאים בתורה, או ליתר דיוק – היינו. אכן, במעי אמו, מלמדים להעובר כל התורה כולה. אלא כי רגע לפני צאתו לאויר העולם, בא המלאך ומשכחו. מהי אפוא מהותה ומטרתה של לימוד זו? ללמוד כדי לשכוח?

Emulating G-d’s example, we are encouraged to visit and tend to the sick. Our presence is assured by the Talmud as having the power to heal a portion of the patient’s suffering. Does Halacha provide guidelines for the visitor in the performance of this mitzva?

Prayer, too, is an integral part of this mitzvah. What particular prayers should be said for their recovery? What about assisting the individual in the recitation of prayers during their final moments?

From the moment Avrohom circumcised himself at 99, the Jewish Bris has been the pivotal act of Jewish identity throughout history. It is at this moment that a Jewish boy is given his name. Yet when a bris must be delayed for medical reasons, can the parents give him his name anyhow, or must the boy remain nameless until the Bris takes place? 

Ancient Jewish sources indicate that Jews would bury their dead twice. What was the reason for this?