A Message to a Yartzeit Gathering

A Yartzeit is generally associated with two mixed feelings. On the one hand, as we learn from our sacred sources, the soul of the departed enjoys on the day of its Yartzeit an elevation, passing from one spiritual world into a higher one, closer to its creator. This is, therefore, a day of rejoicing for the soul, the hence a day of corresponding joy also for the near and dear ones left behind, for long and happy life.

On the other hand, the Yartzeit naturally refreshes in the mind the loss sustained by children in the passing of their parents, giving rise to a feeling of sadness.

In truth, however, the Yartzeit should not call forth any feeling of sadness, but rather a feeling of earnest reflection, introspection and self-examination. With a view to attuning one’s life on this earth to the life-path of the soul Above, which is constantly on the ascent. This is to say, just as the soul On High is continuously rising, year after year, going "from strength to strength," so must also all those left behind on this earth, who are the associated with the departed soul, steadily go from strength to strength, through advancement in “Torah, worship, and the practice of good deeds.”

In this way, also, children give the greatest possible joy to their dear departed parents.

This also underlines the basic view of our religion, that in reality there is no ‘death’ in matters of G-dliness, Torah and Mitzvoth, experience this transition is one direction only – going strength from strength, higher and higher, first in this world and later in the following world – Olam Haba – always on the ascent.

-- A message to a Yartzeit gathering, 1952.