In Genesis 50:10, the reference is made even more explicit. The Rabbis of the Talmud cite Genesis 7:10 as the earliest instance of shiva: “And it came to pass, after the seven days, that the waters of the Flood were upon the earth.” The seven days, say the Rabbis, were a period of mourning for Methuselah, the oldest man who ever lived. The Talmud ( Sanhedrin 108b) holds that the practice originated prior to the Flood, which is described in the story of Noah in Genesis. Shiva is a Hebrew word meaning “seven” and refers to a seven-day period of formalized mourning by the immediate family of the deceased. The period of shiva is intended to see mourners through the first days of intense grief and disorientation Jewish tradition recognizes that grief continues long after shiva and offers additional rituals to support mourners beyond this initial period of grief. The first stage in this gradual process of healing is called shiva. Yet, beginning with the family’s arrival at home after burial, a process begins that leads the bereaved gently but firmly back to life and the world of the living. The open expression of sorrow is part of the process, even encouraged. The psychological brilliance of Judaism is apparent in its carefully ritualized structure for dealing with grief.
