In Hebrew, a funeral is called a levayah. Levayah comes from the Hebrew word meaning “to accompany.” At a funeral, we are accompanying the deceased as we return their body to the earth, and we accompany their soul on its final journey. And, perhaps even more importantly, a funeral is called a levayah because the community is there to accompany the mourners. This is why the notion of a “private” funeral is contrary to Jewish sensibilities; and why it is a mitzvah to attend a levayah.
In the past few weeks, we’ve had a spate of funerals at HEA. And for various reasons, a couple of these families needed help putting together a minyan for the funeral or shiva. With just a few emails and text messages, we were easily able to muster minyanim for these families. Our members – many of them volunteer leaders in our community – showed up, on a moment’s notice, for families they didn’t even know. What an amazing testament to the values and ethics of the HEA community!
There are many ways we can show up for others – by cooking a meal for a family sitting shiva, helping a neighbor who needs a ride to shul, giving of our time and resources to help those who need food and shelter or giving our money to causes we believe in. As important as all of these tangible gestures are, though, we shouldn’t discount the power and significance of simply showing up to accompany other people through the experience of life itself. My teacher, Rabbi Ed Feinstein, would say that Judaism teaches us that “life is better lived in the presence of others.” Levayah – accompaniment – is a powerful idea. It is the power of being present for other people, the power of bearing witness to the lives of others.
We come together to accompany one another in many different ways – from the saddest moments to the most joyous. This Shabbat morning, we will be celebrating at services with families who welcomed a new baby in the last year. “New Baby Shabbat” is a moment to recognize that our community continues to grow and thrive, even as we say goodbye to those who have passed on to the next world. I invite you to join us this Shabbat to bear witness to the vitality of our community and accompany these families in the journey of parenting.
Our showing up for one another throughout the various stages and moments of life is a powerful spiritual practice. It sends a message to others that they are not alone. They say “it takes a village to raise a child.” The truth is, it takes a village to be a human being. It certainly takes a village to be a Jew. In all sorts of ways, Jewish traditions and customs compel us to show up for one another because Judaism understands that our souls need other souls to flourish.
We’ve all had the experience of asking ourselves: should I go to that shiva minyan? Should I attend that baby naming? Should I go to shul this Shabbat? Who will miss me if I don’t go? My motto is: “when in doubt, show up.” Who knows: you might be the one to make the minyan for a family. Or, you might simply have the opportunity to bear witness to an extraordinary moment in someone’s life. Either way, your soul will be enriched, and you will enrich the soul of other people.
My heart is full of love and appreciation for the people of the Alliance who show up for one another all the time. May we continue to be companions to one another through life’s journeys.
