[Avodah] a troubling halacha

[R Davidovich]

> In the latest shiur...someone repeated the halacha against
> informing women of the death of a close relative
 and

See KSA 206 - 9, 10, 11 - http://www.kitzur.net/main.php?nk=1&siman=206


I think the context of these halachos needs to be explored.  The halacha
that prefers the concealing of sad tidings is not applicable to family that
lives in the same neighboorhood or shtetl, since they would find out in any
case.

Up till recently, the state of travel and postal services was such that
family that lived in another town or country wasn't heard from for months or
even years at a time.  Given that reality, it might make sense not to
trouble someone and shut down his life for a week for someone he wouldn't
see or hear from for several months.  The story about the Alter concealing
the news of R Yehuda Leib Ruderman's death from his son is a case in point.
Given the distance, there was nothing the young YY Ruderman could have or
would have done for his family in any case.  There is a similar story about
the Netziv accidentally discovering that a brother had passed away.

However, where phone communication and travel allow for more immediate
comfort to other grieving relatives, there is more at stake.  Just imagine
the pain of an elderly woman who has lost a husband or CV a child, and can't
have her other chuldren nearby because nobody wanted to be "the bearer of
bad news."

That's how I understand these halachos.  I don't know if that fits in with
the shiur of the rov in question. But that's how I would interpret his
message.

Raffy Davidovich
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