he asked to be buried in white shrouds.
His teacher, Rabbi Yochanan, had asked to be buried in clothing that was between white and black.
White symbolized being brought back among the righteous at the time of resurrection of the dead.
Black symbolized the opposite.
(those who live more selfishly resurrect decades later or more)
Rabbi Yochanan chose something in between because he did not know where he belonged.
So Rabbi Yoshiyah’s students asked him:
“Are you greater than your teacher?”
Rabbi Yoshiyah answered:
“Should I be ashamed of my deeds?” (yerushalmi Kilayim 9:3)
That is a powerful line.
He was not saying he was perfect.
He was teaching that a person should live honestly enough that they do not need to hide from their life.
This may also help us understand why Jewish people are buried in white shrouds.
White can remind the soul:
Do not hide in shame.
Do not get trapped in the low self-esteem loop of only seeing what went wrong.
Be honest.
Remember the good you practiced.
Face what still needs repair.
The world of souls is not a place to protect an image.
It is a place to continue living with truth.
A person should do good, repair what needs repair, and trust that sincere effort matters to The Creator.
The goal is not to die with no mistakes.
The goal is to live with enough honesty that you are not ashamed to stand behind the life you practiced.
There is no physical suffering or physical pleasure in the world of souls, you feel emotions and continue as your personality,
some begin by hiding from other souls, that is hell.
If you want to go deeper into this work, explore the NextSelf 2026 and 2025 Indexes.
It organizes the core ideas on awareness, compassion, boundaries, and how they build real relationship and responsibility with The Creator.
