About a moment of silence. This has a bad rap because of its use in the secular world, and the Israeli siren meshugass. It is nevertheless, a legitimate expression of avelus or tanchumim. We learn aveilus from Iyov, and not to speak before the avel speaks. I once asked a shaila if I was yotze nichum avelim if I just sat silently, at a loss for words. I was told that the essence of nichum avelim is to identify and share the avel’s tzaar and this can be by just being there, even if silent.
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