Comforting Mourners by Phone or Letter
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Question
Is it possible to fulfill the mitzvah of comforting mourners by phone or letter?
Answer
It is preferable to personally visit and comfort the mourner at their home, but if that is not possible, one can partially fulfill the mitzvah of comforting mourners through a letter or phone call.
Source
The Rambam writes in "Laws of Mourning," Chapter 14, Halacha 7: "It seems to me that comforting mourners precedes visiting the sick, as comforting mourners is an act of kindness both for the living and the dead." This is also ruled by the Rema in Siman 376, paragraph 10.
Therefore, it is evident from their words that in comforting mourners, there is kindness for both the living and the dead. In comforting mourners by phone or letter, kindness is fulfilled for the living, as they are comforted, but not for the dead, as demonstrated in the Talmud, Shabbat 152. And from the words of the Shulchan Aruch in Siman 376, paragraph 3, that comforting the dead is only possible at their place.