Death and Mourning

Is it morally wrong to celebrate a person’s death? I always felt it was. But now I find myself joyed by the death of my ex-husband, on the inside if not publicly. When I was married to him, he abused me and tormented me for many years. I was stuck with him or else I would have had to share custody of my kids with him. I finally left him when the youngest kids were in their teens and there would be no custody battle. All but one of them never contacted him again. All the time we were married, few in the community suspected anything. Everyone who knew us thought we were just like any other couple and family. We had many Shabbosos with friends, bar mitzvahs, and weddings of our grown children as we walked them to the chuppah. People thought we were wonderful hosts. Everything seemed normal on the outside. Behind closed doors was another ugly scene. It was very hard to end our marriage. There were rabbis who convinced us to stay together and work things out. They wanted us to remain married for life. To his dismay, I ignored the rabbi of our shul and made my move to my own apartment when I felt I could. After I received my get, he continued to stalk and taunt me. This went on for many more years, so much that I had to call 911 more than once. The police kept warning him, but never made any effort to stop him. He died several months ago, and I’m the happiest I have ever been now. I feel so much at peace because I don’t have to worry about him constantly tormenting me at random unexpected moments. He always wanted me back, and he unrealistically believed I would change my mind someday. I was afraid he could kill me or harm me some other way until the day he died. More than 40 years of my life were consumed with my fear of him. I feel no sadness that he’s gone and I don’t miss him.

Dear Rabbi, What’s the reason for Judaism teaching that although we should mourn for someone who has passed, we should not mourn excessively? Thanks

Sir, In Finland nowadays growing number of dead bodies are cinerated i.e. burnt to ashes. What is Jewish opinion about this ? I mean religious opinion. Finland is mainly atheistic country today probably due to Luther doctrine. Will those people go to Hell after their death because their bodies are burnt and those people themself also by freewill want that their body is burnt to ashes after their dead ? Best regards, Kari Laiho Finland

Hi Rabbi, I am very bothered by something that happened to my wife. My mother in law passed away after an illness and my parents attended the funeral and shivah. On Friday afternoon they insisted that we move out of their home before the coming Monday, even though they knew of her illness. is there a halakha or advice from Rabbis about how to treat the aveil (mourner)? Are parents allowed to make requests of a business nature during shivah?

Is it problematic at all in Halacha with Jews reciting yizkor prayers for non observant parents who have died? Or no, even if they weren’t particularly observant or religious is it still preferable to say after they’ve passed?

I have heard of a new and emerging medical technology called organ farming. There are many people across the world who die every day due to the shortage of organs. Organ farming is where a genetically manipulated cow or pig (mostly a pig) is implanted with an embryo has been changed to have some human stem cells, so that the animal they give birth to is a pig but with say, a human liver. This organ would also have a better chance at lasting in the persons body, as the stem cell would come from the human who needs the liver. I am interested in what the Jewish perspective would be on this medical technology, and if it is accepted as a possible option for a Jew who urgently needs an organ.

I am a 66 years old healthy woman. I am Orthodox but lately I can't seem to understand why we live and life is good but then we have to die. Thinking about this makes me very anxious. In Judaism is it wrong to think like this?  

Does the service leader announce, "we are saying yahrzeit for" and say the mourner's names first followed by "has yahrzeit for" followed by their relation to the deceased (i.e. "their mother") and then the deceased name? Or do they announce, "we are saying yahrzeit for" ...the deceased's name, followed by the relationship (i.e. "mother of") then the mourner's name?

My beloved teacher died and he had no living relatives. Am I permitted to sit shiva for him?