In a Talmud class, during this time, I studied about a rabbi who lay dying. His devoted students prayed so hard that they kept his soul hovering, preventing it from departing. A woman servant slammed a window, and during the startled interruption of his student's prayer, the rabbi’s soul escaped.  The ensuing Talmudic discussion dealt with the very same issues that I struggled with while I witnessed my mother’s debilitating illness —  Are we permitted or mandated to “let someone die?”  What is the spiritual as opposed to the physical nature of death? And most of all, given our technological capabilities, how do we deal with the conflict between relieving suffering and prolonging life?

This painting is dedicated to my mother, Carrie Baumgart Cohen, z"l.