Mortality and Morbidity
Tragedy has once again struck the Jewish People, not once but twice within an extremely short period of time. When these horrifying events occur, we hope that we will make a change. Hope that this time will be the last time that we need to be shaken awake from our slumber. We hope that it will give us perspective. Perhaps, this will give us the direction that we need. It reminds us of our own mortality. Every minute we live is a gift. We do not know when that gift will cease. There are no guarantees. I have a chilling memory from when I was in seventh grade. A friend of mine turned to me during lunch, distraught," What if I don't wake up tomorrow?!" I had nothing to say. I could not reassure her that she would. How do I know what tomorrow will bring? Rather, I have no idea what will happen in twenty minutes from now. We live with a sense of calm and complacency. We live our lives as we should, without ever thinking about our own mortality. It is somethi...