יום שישי, י״א תמוז תשפ״וFriday, June 26, 2026
Follow Us
Rabbi Larry Rothwachs, a licensed social worker, serves as senior rabbi at Congregation Beth Aaron in Teaneck, director of Professional Rabbinics at RIETS, and is the founding rabbi of meromeishemesh.org. To read more of his writings, visit larryrothwachs.com.
Read More
Aliyah is not only about leaving. It is also about carrying. And there are gifts from chutz la’aretz that I very much hope to bring with me.
Halachic authorities caution against overburdening mourners, and many contemporary guides acknowledge the legitimacy of firm visiting hours or limited access based on the mourner’s needs. Yet even these measures do not always suffice.
Nichum aveilim is indeed a mitzvah, but it is not like eating matzah or shaking a lulav, where the mitzvah is fulfilled through contact with an object.
Once upon a time, in the quiet of small semachot, we heard what mattered most. Have we gone deaf again?
June 26, 2026 
