I love Chabad, and I loved this article for a number of reasons.
When Jewish people die, they are never left alone. There are righteous men and women who wash and dress the body in simple burial shrouds or the tallit, and who sit with the body and recite psalms until the funeral and burial.
This act of loving kindness ("chessed") is one of the highest in Judaism because it's the only mitzvah that can be done without any expectation or possibility of reciprocity.
Death is sad and tragic and hard. Jewish mourning rituals and customs bring comfort, dignity and honour through their respectful, very prescribed stages and customs.
Anyway, see what you think. I also generally like reading about Jewish gangsters, tough guys and warriors-not in any particular order.
