As a powerful emotion and a universal part of the human experience, grief appears in the many genres of the Jewish textual tradition. Biblical and talmudic sources tell stories of people who grieve. Halakhic texts discuss practices and customs of mourning, and works of Jewish thought discuss how to process and cope with grief.
Notable Sources
All Sources
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Jacob's GriefTANAKH
Jacob's Grief
TANAKH
One of the reasons that the narratives of the book of Genesis are so meaningful is that they resonate with our own human experiences. When the patriarch Jacob learned of the death of his beloved son Joseph — even though it was a lie — the book of Genesis narrates that he was bereft and refused to be comforted.
Grief Becomes JoyTANAKH
Grief Becomes Joy
TANAKH
One theme of the holiday of Purim is the transformation of grief into joy. The book of Esther records the triumph of the Jews — led by Esther and her uncle Mordekhai — over their genocidal enemies and the transformation of their grief into joy.
The Challenge of Comforting MournersTALMUD
The Challenge of Comforting Mourners
TALMUD
Attempts to comfort mourners by comparing their grief to others' suffering can inadvertently deepen their pain. Avot DeRabbi Natan, a talmudic-era companion volume to Pirkei Avot, explores the challenges of comforting mourners and the importance of empathy.
Grief Can Kill MIDRASH
Grief Can Kill
MIDRASH
The Torah recounts Sarah's death immediately after Abraham nearly sacrificed their son and the heir to the covenant in a narrative well-known as the binding of Isaac. Bereshit Rabbah, the ancient midrash from the land of Israel on the book of Genesis, makes meaning of this narrative juxtaposition and suggests that Sarah's grief killed her.
Textual ForeshadowingTALMUD
Textual Foreshadowing
TALMUD
What if the Tanakh used a specific word to signal impending grief? In tractate Megillah of the Babylonian Talmud, which discusses the holiday of Purim and the book of Esther, Rabbi Levi—though perhaps it was Rabbi Yonatan—makes just such a suggestion.
Proper Mourning HALAKHAH
Proper Mourning
HALAKHAH
Death is part of the natural lifecycle. To wit, Rambam teaches in his 12th-century legal code, Mishneh Torah, that one should not grieve overmuch and offers guidelines for appropriate mourning.
Ascending from One's Grief CHASIDUT
Ascending from One's Grief
CHASIDUT
When one finds they have fallen into hard times, it is quite natural for their souls to grieve and their mental health to suffer. In Rebbe Nachman of Breslov's Likkutei Etzot, he counsels that one may find relief by seeking out God.
Empathy and Divine Grief JEWISH THOUGHT
Empathy and Divine Grief
JEWISH THOUGHT
Can one grieve that which they never themselves have never experienced? Dr. Erica Brown explores how Jews can connect to the historical grief of Tisha B'Av, drawing on the practices of Rabbi Yehudah bar Ilai and God's empathetic grief.
Consoling a Crushed Spirit COMMENTARY
Consoling a Crushed Spirit
COMMENTARY
The book of Exodus recounts that when Moses arrived in Egypt to deliver the Israelites, they did not hear him. Meir Leibush Weisser, better known as Malbim, explains in his mid-19th-century Torah commentary that the Israelites could not hear Moses because their spirits were so crushed.
Trust and GriefJEWISH THOUGHT
Trust and Grief
JEWISH THOUGHT
Trust in God can transform how we handle grief and life's challenges. The 11th-century ethical work, Duties of the Heart, by Rabbi Bachya ibn Pekudah, explores the profound impact of faith on our emotional resilience.