This article examines the expression “yodea misparkhem/mispar kulkhem”, which appears in the blessing recited upon passing through a cemetery. The discussion situates the phrase within the broader linguistic context of rabbinic blessings, which draw on multiple strata of Hebrew and form a poetic tapestry interwoven with biblical and midrashic language, often conveying theological themes.
The article proposes that the phrase “yodea misparkhem” should not be understood as referring to a numerical count of the dead, but rather as “knows the story of your lives”—a knowledge that forms the basis of divine judgment and the resurrection of the dead according to justice. To support this interpretation, the paper explores the possible meaning of the Hebrew noun mispar as “narrative” or “account,” a rare usage in Hebrew but attested in biblical and other early literature.
The article further suggests that the wording of the blessing preserves a homiletic interpretation of a verse from Balaam’s blessing (Numbers 23:10), which rabbinic tradition associates with resurrection. According to the proposed reconstruction, the phrases “‛afar ya‛akov” and “rova‛ Israel” were understood as metonymies for the dead, while the verbs mana and safar were interpreted in the narrative sense. Thus, the cemetery blessing is shown to reflect a rich poetic and exegetical tradition, embedding biblical reference and eschatological theology within a fixed liturgical formula.
This study investigates the effects of disclosing an autism diagnosis on non-autistic listeners' empathy and social interest towards the autistic discloser. In Study 1, participants (non-autistic students in the social sciences/humanities [n = 99; 70% female]) watched a video of an autistic adult sharing an autobiographical story and reported how they believed the storyteller felt, following an introduction in which the storyteller did or did not disclose their diagnosis. Their evaluation of the storyteller's emotions was compared to the storyteller's own reports, resulting in an empathic accuracy measure. Participants reported how empathic they felt towards the storyteller and how socially interested they were in them. Studies 2 and 3 replicated the same procedure with STEM students (n = 96; 40% female), and with non-student adults (n = 76; 50% female) from diverse professional/occupational backgrounds, with an additional question about working together. In Study 1, participants in the self-disclosure condition demonstrated higher empathic accuracy, reported more empathy, and greater social interest in the storyteller. Study 2 showed a similar trend of higher empathy in the self-disclosure condition but no differences in social interest measures. Interest in working with the storyteller was higher in the self-disclosure condition. In Study 3, participants in the self-disclosure condition demonstrated higher empathy and greater interest in hearing another story and working with the storyteller. An individual's self-disclosure of an autism diagnosis improved others' ability to empathize with them and willingness to work with them. We discuss the complex effect of self-disclosure on social interest in an autistic person.
