Acharei Mot...Kedoshim. After Death there is Holiness

In parasha Acharei Mot, God gives Moses a whole set of instructions to give to Aaron after the death of his two sons. The Parasha linked with this portion is Kedoshim. Holiness. When we say the names together-we have After the Death-Holiness. This work-linkage is interesting in translation and brings a new perspective to these texts (Thanks to this week's D'var Tzedek from AJWS for this little nugget).

I sat today at length and spoke with Clark, a gentleman of great Christian faith who works at HUC. We were talking about faith and how people SHOULD rely on their faith to get them through the tough stuff. I asked the following question of Clark because I wanted to understand if he had tested this theory so I said, Clark, I am not asking what the experiences are, but have you known suffering? I did not mean it to sound like a challenge in anyway-it was really a clarifying question.

He paused a long and heavy pause. And said yes. He began talking about Jesus again and then said, I had a daughter who died in a fire when she was five...that was about 12 years ago...she had third degree burns everywhere...they had her all wrapped up in gauze and all I could see were her little toes and her eyes...she was like a mummy...she was doing better and then worse...

I lost it when he talked about her toes. All I could see were these gauzy feet with this little, tiny toes sticking out. I imagined Clark loving those toes with such intensity and joy...

When she died I blamed her mother for being careless...I should have a 17 year old girl now...and it took me a long time to get over it...and finally I found the faith and I let it go...

Tears all over my face, a smile all over his. He reflecting on God, me on loss.

Somehow...somehow Clark came to understand these words...
After death...holiness

And I thought about Aaron losing his sons and I said a little prayer that one day he too came to know holiness too.