An introduction (1) to the Laws of Mourning: The Inauguration of the Mishkan
Studying the laws of mourning is sometimes accompanied by a bit of nervous energy. People often want to stay away from this area of Halakha until someone passes away1. I understand those feelings and want to honor that experience. At the same time, the laws of aveilut have much to teach even people who are not currently observing these dinim. Also, there is a real value in having a framework in which these mysterious laws and customs can be approached so that when someone experiences a loss, they can do so with a deeper understanding.
Each essay in this series will present one or two texts in the original Hebrew or Aramaic along with a translation. The texts that I have chosen are significant in the history of Halakha and also have a broader message that reflects the human insight of chazal. We will begin with an enigmatic text from the Talmud Yerushalmi that opens with a surprising question:
מניין לאבל מן התורה שבעה?
From where in the Torah do we know to observe mourning for seven days? …