Shabbat 152: Confronting Human Mortality

A request from the Roman Caesar that R. Yehoshua Ben Chananiah show up at the House of Avidan. Plus: Riddles! Fundamentally, on aging. (Addendum: the Queen of Sheba's riddles for King Solomon, as part of the culture of riddles). Note the challenge of this kind of reminder of our own mortality. So: biblical interpretation where a person's soul mourns over him. From there, an inference that the soul mourns for 7 days, as we keep 7 days of shiva. Also: R. Yehuda made sure to bring a minyan to a home of someone who died with no mourners. And he is given comfort that he did the right thing in providing this comfort. Plus: The purity of the soul and the challenge of living up to giving back your soul in purity.