Question:
My grandmother is in the process of dying. She has been sick for about a year and has now been in hospice care for 10 days and hasn't been responsive for about two days.
I used to practice Kabbalah very regularly but haven't been as involved as I was for the last year. I became estranged from two of my best friends who were like brothers and began drinking and taking drugs. Now I am sober, but still feel empty. I've wanted to study Kabbalah again for a while, because I was never as happy as I was when incorporating the wisdom into my daily life. Now, with the looming death of my grandmother (to whom I was very, very close), I've decided to get back on track and continue my spiritual growth once again. I read the book about reincarnation and have to find it again so I can reread it.
But I guess what I'm trying to say is, how do you deal with and handle a close loved one’s death from a kabbalistic perspective? And how do you go about dealing with the grieving process? I've already come to peace with losing her and her moving on to a better place. But what about after she's gone—how do you handle that? ~LS
Answer:
Dear LS,
Congratulations on being clean and sober! Get back to your Kabbalah studies with the same determination that helped you overcome the drugs and alcohol. You say you were “never as happy as [you were] when incorporating the wisdom into [your] daily life.” Get to the Centre or continue learning online, and get happy again.
Concerning your grandmother, grief is natural. It is NEVER easy to lose a loved one. Rav Berg always said we are NOT made of stone and steel, so feelings are good; but it is what we do with the feeling and how we respond that makes a difference in our lives. So, share your love with your grandmother while you can. Scan as much Zohar as possible for her to have a miracle. And after a loved one leaves this world, a person can scan to help their soul to have a quick and easy elevation and continue their spiritual journey. It might be helpful to read To Be Continued or Wheels of a Soul again.
When a person leaves the physical world, they are met and greeted by loved ones that have passed on before them. When my father passed in 2005, it helped me to envision him being with his parents, sister, and relatives. Let yourself grieve, and as you said, she is moving on to a better place.
Sending you Light and strength,
Chaim
