You are the children of the LORD your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave the front of your heads for the dead . . . — Deuteronomy 14:1

The Torah portion for this week is Re’eh, which means “see,” from Deuteronomy 11:26–16:17, and the Haftorah is from Isaiah 54:11–55:5.

It is said when a soul comes into the world, the new baby cries while we shout for joy. But when a soul leaves the world, we cry while the newly departed rejoices in heaven.

Losing a loved one is one of the most difficult things in the world. And yet, death is an inevitable part of life. If we are granted a good and long life, invariably, we will lose loved ones along the way. In this week’s reading we receive some comforting words to help us through life’s most challenging moments.

The verse reads, “You are the children of the LORD your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave the front of your heads for the dead.” The Sages question what the first part of the verse has to do with the second half. Clearly, this verse teaches us that it is forbidden to mutilate our bodies as part of mourning. This was a popular ancient custom that God did not accept. But what does being “children of the LORD” have to do with it?

The Sages explain that God is speaking to our pain. It is as if God were telling us: “You are all my children. When a person passes on, he or she is rejoining Me in heaven. I am the true Father and with Me is an everlasting home. So do not lose yourselves in mourning. Take heart and know that your loved one is in a good place. When the time is right, all My children will be together again.”

I am reminded of a famous story in the Talmud which recounts how a great rabbi endured one of the most difficult losses – the loss of his two sons. The story goes that the two boys passed away from an illness on the Sabbath. Rabbi Meir’s wife, Beruriah, wanted to break the news to him gently. She asked her husband a question, “Someone gave me a treasure to guard for them, but now he has asked for that treasure back. Must I give it to him?” Rabbi Meir answered, “Of course you must return the treasure to its owner.” With that, Beruriah led her husband to their deceased children and explained that their true owner had come for them.

Friends, there are two lessons that we must learn from this teaching. The first is to cherish every moment that we have with the invaluable people in our lives — our greatest treasures. The second is that when the time comes, we must let them go. We must take comfort in the knowledge that our loved ones are with their Father in His heavenly home.