CONDOLENCE and SHIVA
Sympathy Gifts & Gift Baskets
Shiva is the Hebrew word for the number seven, and refers to the traditional seven-day mourning period following burial. The day of burial is counted as the first day even though it is not a full day. Weekends and holidays are also included in the seven-day period. Calls During Shiva
It’s a mitzvah, or great deed, to call upon a person in mourning.
The purpose of the condolence call is to help relieve the mourner of his or her feeling of loneliness. Yet, at the same time, the visitor waits for the mourner to initiate the conversation. It is up to the mourner to dictate what he or she wants to talk about and express.
The last thing a visitor says to the mourner before leaving is: "May G-d comfort you among the other mourners of Zion and Jerusalem", or in Hebrew, "Ha-Makom y'nachem et'chem b'toch sha'ar aveilei Tzion v'Yerushalayim." This refers to the present mourning for the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash or Holy Temple in Jerusalem.
Kosherline.com offers a selection of shiva gifts to send.
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