Wednesday 25 May 2011

naomi's question of the day - #12

"naomi's question of the day" is a new feature of the Nishmablog featuring a question for you to ponder, extend and/or respond to through your comments.

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May 25, 2011

In the Amidah, it is written
"[He] resurrects the dead with great mercy"
and also
"[He] fulfills His trust to those who sleep in the dust."
What is the distinction? And if we sleep in the dust, how are we to understand the glory that is described as the World-To-Come?

2 comments:

Garnel Ironheart said...

Nah, there's a bigger question:
In one verse in Tehillim it says that God favours the simpleminded. In another it says that the death of His pious ones is precious to Him.
So if I want to live, naivete is the best option?

Rabbi R Wolpoe said...

The Distinction is AIUI two stages

2 Ultimately G-D wil Resurrect the Dead

1 in the meantime HE treats those lying in the dust with Kindness

Tangentially - I once heard this idea from a televangelist - that when a person Dies he loses consciousness and the next Conscious experience is the resurrection. So even if that spans a gap of centuries, it is experienced as instantaneous.

If so, it would be a big Chessed. The niftar passes away only to re-awaken resurrected w/o any hesitation. Quite a comforting notion when thinking about the diseased. We the bereaved do experience that loss, hence the comfort in the Amidah

RRW