In the reading of a will, what is

if the estate is responsible for paying for something, who or what is it?? does that include monies paid out of life insurance policies also?
Life insurance proceeds are included in the estate only if the estate is the beneficiary. If the beneficiary is a specific person, the pay out is not part of the estate but is the product of a contract that is unrelated to the estate. The deceased does not own the proceeds and cannot control their disposition after his death.
The estate is all property in all of its forms and can include those insurance policies
All assets the person had when they died, including insurance policies, 401 k accounts, bank accounts, personal property, real estate, etc., and liabilities as well.