Every language reflects the culture and inner lives of the people who speak it. The way Jewish people refer to death, with many nuanced and varied ways of saying essentially the same thing, speaks volumes about the Jewish approach to death and the afterlife. Some of these examples are Biblical, others are from the Talmud and classic rabbinical and mystical literature, and still others are culled from the Yiddish vernacular. Read on for 11 ways Jews refer to the end of life in this world and the beginning of the next.
Biblical
1. Vayamot (“died”). Noun form: mitah
This is the standard Hebrew word for death, and the one the Bible uses most often. Interestingly, the Hebrew root letters (מת), when transposed, form the word תם, complete, perhaps alluding that the person has now completed their mission in this world.
2. Vayigva (“expired”). Noun form: geviah
In some places, the Torah uses the word geviah to describe death. The commentators explain that it refers to a quick, painless passing.1 When paired with asifah (see next item), it describes the passing of the righteous.2
3. Vaye’asef el amav (“gathered to his people”). Noun form: asifah
This term, associated with the death of the righteous, highlights the eternal nature of the soul. While in the body, the soul is somewhat separated from its Source on High. After the body passes on, the soul doesn’t disappear but is “gathered” to join the other souls (“his people”) in Heaven and bask in the Divine Presence.3
4. Vayishkav im avotav (“lay with his ancestors”). Noun form: shechivah
Scripture also describes death by saying “he lay with his ancestors,” implying that the deceased has joined his forebears in Heaven.4 Interestingly, Scripture consistently uses this expression for the passing of the kings of Judah and Israel, perhaps because they were buried in royal burial crypts.
Read: Do Jews Believe in an Afterlife?
Talmudic
5. Nach nafshei (“his soul reposed”)
In the Babylonian Talmud, this is a common way of saying that someone has passed away. Life in this world involves toil, not only to put bread on the table, but also spiritually, as we battle the evil inclination that unceasingly tries to pull us down. The end of this phase of life can rightly be described as a well-deserved rest.5
6. Damach (“slept”)
In the Jerusalem Talmud and the Midrash, death is described not just as rest but as sleep. Sleep carries a meaningful connotation: just as a sleeping person eventually wakes up, the dead will ultimately awaken with the Resurrection.6
7. Shavak chaim l’chol chai (“left life for all the living”)
This expression may seem peculiar, but it carries deep significance. The true life of a righteous person is not physical but spiritual: faith, love, and fear of G‑d. When one passes away, their real life remains behind in those who were influenced by, and continue to benefit from, the spiritual qualities of their teacher.7
8. “The angels vanquished the pillars, and the Holy Ark was captured”
This poetic phrase was coined by the sage Bar Kapara to describe the passing of Rabbi Yehuda the Prince. Picture a battle between the celestial angels and the righteous mortals (the “pillars” of the world) over Rabbi Yehuda, likened to a Holy Ark. In the end, those Above prevailed over those below, and Rabbi Yehuda was taken Above.8 Throughout the ages, the phrase has been borrowed to describe the passing of other righteous people.
Read: Rabbi Judah the Prince
Common Speech
9. Niftar (“left”). Noun form: petirah
In everyday conversation, this Hebrew term is perhaps the most popular. Rather than using blunt language, you’re gently saying that a friend or acquaintance has left and is no longer here. It also emphasizes that death is not the end: the deceased has simply left one world for another. Similarly, English-speaking Jews will often use the term “passed away.”
You might see the words “l’beit olamo” (or “olamah” for a woman) added to niftar, often abbreviated in Hebrew as נלב"ע. Together they mean “left for his/her everlasting home,” the place where the soul will reside forever—not literally, but until the dead are resurrected and return to their previous home in this world.9
10. Nistalek (“arose”). Noun form: histalkut
While nistalek likewise means “left,” it can also mean “arose.” That's why many prefer it over niftar when speaking of the righteous. For such a person, leaving this world is an ascent, as the soul climbs ever higher in the supernal realms and cleaves ever closer to G‑d.
For certain righteous people, though, the meaning is deeper. A true leader never forsakes their flock. Even after passing, they continue to intercede for their followers before G‑d and bestow their blessings. For such people, histalkut means that while they are still here, their presence takes a loftier form.10
11. Gepeigert (“became a corpse”)
In Yiddish, one might say that someone iz avek (has left) or, more directly, iz geshtorben (died). But if the person spent his life terrorizing others, say the poritz (local squire) who tormented his serfs, or the local priest who incited the masses against the Jews, those terms simply don’t do justice. Instead, you would probably have heard the Jewish townspeople say that he had gepeigert and become the corpse he always was.
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May we speedily merit the time when death will cease and “G‑d will remove tears from every face,”11 amen!
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