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Rabbi Elchonon Zohn Visits San Jose
Hamodia - June 17, 2009
reprinted with permission
In an inspiring and informative
trip, Rabbi Elchonon Zohn
of the National Association of
Chevra Kadisha, head of the
Chevra Kadisha of the Vaad
Harabonim of Queens, visited
the Bay Area to discuss topics
related to the organization’s
work.
Rabbi Zohn gave his first
presentation in Kehillas Am
Echad of San Jose, where he
was introduced by the Rav,
Rabbi Menachem Levine.
Rabbi Zohn addressed regular
members of the Chevra Kadisha,
giving them chizuk and
recognition for their efforts,
and conducted an advanced
question-and-answer session.
Rabbi Zohn then gave a talk
at South Peninsula Hebrew Day
School, which was attended by
members of all the neighboring
Bay Area communities, including
San Francisco, Oakland,
San Jose, Palo Alto, and
Sunnyvale. This time he spoke
to those who were new to the
mitzvah of doing taharos, giving
a two-hour presentation in
which he demonstrated the
halachic and practical aspects
of preparing a niftar for kevurah.
The third part of the program
was a lecture on the
Jewish approach to petirah.
Rabbi Zohn explained how
each aspect of a taharah offers
clear lessons on the Torah’s
approach to death. In his discussion
of burial shrouds, he
pointed out that tachrichim are
not tied in knots, in order to
show that petirah is only temporary.
They also do not have
pockets since a person takes
nothing with him on his final
journey. Tachrichim are often
made of linen, representing the
clothing of the kohen gadol, to
remind us that just as
the kohen gadol stood before
Hashem on Yom Kippur, we
stand before Hashem on our
final day of judgment. Rabbi
Zohn also explained that a person
is buried in the ground to
show that just as a seed is
planted and sprouts new life, a
niftar will come forth from the
ground with renewed life
at techiyas hameisim.
Rabbi Zohn illustrated the
value of every moment of life
with a comment of Harav
Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, zt”l,
on the Asarah Harugei Malchus,
about whom we read on Yom
Kippur. In the account of the
ten martyrs, it states that Rabi
Yishmael lifted up the head of
Rabi Shimon ben Gamliel, crying
in pain at the tragic death
of this tzaddik. Rabbi Zohn
asked how it was possible for
Rabi Yishmael, who was
a kohen gadol, to be
metamei himself by touching
the head of a niftar.
He gave the answer of Harav
Auerbach, who said that Rabi
Yishmael was not in a position
to simply pick up Rabi Shimon
ben Gamliel’s head; he was a
man in captivity, about to be
executed! He had to ask permission
and wait for the guards
and executioners to discuss
whether it was appropriate to
grant his request. In the
process, Rabi Yishmael
received an additional few
moments of life. Although he
was a prisoner and had just witnessed
the horrific death of
Rabi Shimon ben Gamliel,
Rabi Yishmael recognized
that every moment of life is
invaluable, and he did what he
could to extend his own life for
even a short while.
On Monday, June 8, Rabbi
Zohn and Rabbanim from the
Bay Area communities went to
the new Gan Shalom Cemetery
to dedicate the Orthodox section.
Led by Rabbi Zohn, the
group consecrated the area al
pi halachah, which entailed
fasting until after the dedication,
doing seven hakafos
around the area while
reciting specific perakim of
Tehillim, and pledging money
to tzedakah after each circuit.