Cantor Jill Abramson

The portion begins with the two words: Acharei mot. With gerotranscendence in mind, we realize: the most important word is not mot (death), but the word acharei (after). We all encounter death. We all grieve. We mourn. The important question is: what do we do after the death of those around us? How do we live our lives? Our Torah teaches that there is something quite literally, acharei mot, after death.

On Yom Rishon shel Pesach (first day of Passover), we read "And you shall explain to your child on that day, 'It is because of what Adonai did for me when I went free from Egypt.'" (Ex 13:8). How can we best explain to our children this enduring lesson of Passover?

Treating a person with a disease is the subject of this week's Torah portion. In Parashat M'tzora, we read about the ancient priests who served as diagnosticians for a skin disease known as tzara'at. The priests served as biblical dermatologists, assessing the skin condition and rendering a diagnosis and a treatment plan.

An article in the New York Times describes a moving ritual by hospital staff to honor a deceased person who intends to be an organ donor. This ritual stuck in my mind. I was struck by the way in which the hospital staff had created a ritual, complete with special choreography and the involvement of the entire community, to honor this poignant moment.

The fishing guides on Florida’s Anna Maria Island had affectionately named him Jerry. Jerry was a Great White Egret who stood over three feet tall and perched on a worn wooden beam in close proximity to the shore. The anglers would share bits of unused fishing bait with Jerry, who would quickly consume the scraps between the sharp snap of his golden yellow beak.