Questions & Information
Chabad.org offers clear, respectful guidance on Jewish funeral traditions, customs, and what to expect. Below are some of the most frequently asked questions, with direct links to learn more on their website.
Should I Buy a Burial Plot?
All information below is from chabad.org
Question:
Many of my friends who are in their 70s are making arrangements for their Jewish burials, so that the burden won’t fall on their children. Is this appropriate? Or are we to simply leave our final requests in writing for our family when we are no longer in this world?
Answer:
You know the story of the charming husband who bought his wife a burial plot for her birthday? The next year he didn’t buy her anything. When she asked why, he responded, “I bought you a gift last year, and you didn’t use it.”
It’s a horrible joke. But even bad jokes have some truth to them. The sages of the Midrash advise us to purchase a burial plot even while we are still alive and well. And it is commonly said that doing so will actually bless one with a long life. So this guy’s wife should be blessed with good health for many years to come.
Click the link to read the full discussion and explore further guidance from chabad.org, Should I buy a Burial Plot.
What to Expect at a Jewish Funeral?
All information below is from chabad.org
The first-time visitor's guide to the levaya
By Menachem Posner
Chances are that you are reading this because you just got the news. Someone has passed away, and you are going to attend a Jewish funeral. First, I would like to express my condolences. Every death is sad, and while the soul lives forever, its departure from the body is a deeply painful event on so many levels.
In this article:
When is it appropriate to attend?
How to dress?
What do we do before the funeral begins?
What happens at the service?
What will happen at the cemetery?
Is there anything to do before leaving?
Click the link to read the full article and asnwers to the above questions at chabad.org, What to Expect at a Jewish Funeral.
What are the Basics of the Jewish Funeral?
All information below is from chabad.org
What are the Basics of the Jewish Funeral
The taharah, funeral and burial
"Earth you are, and to earth you will return," were G‑d's words to Adam, the first human being (Genesis 3:19). In the words of King Solomon, "And the earth returns to the land as it was, and the spirit returns to G‑d, who gave it" (Ecclesiastes 12:7). The next stage in the continuing saga of a human life is that the body should return to the earth, the source of all physical life, and be reunited with it, just as the soul returns to its divine root.
Indeed, these two "returns" are coupled. The earth is the source of physical life because G‑d's essence resides within it in a deeply hidden but profoundly real way. The natural decomposition of the body into the earth allows the expeditious return of the soul to its source.
It is therefore of utmost importance to preserve the integrity of the body, and to allow the burial to occur as soon as possible. The in-between state is most difficult for the soul, as it has no body with which to relate to our world, and neither is it free of its tenuous bonds to our world to see things from the purely spiritual perspective. The body's "returning to the earth" is directly commensurate with the soul's ability to return to the supernal Source from which it is drawn.
What are Jewish Traditions & Practices Relating to Death and Mourning?
Information from chabad.org
Jewish Traditions & Practice Relating to Death and Mourning
Our tradition encompasses all of life, day and night, light and dark. Even in the most difficult of situations—the imminent and then actual loss of a loved one—our Torah is there to strengthen us, to guide us, and to help us grow and see beyond our loss.
It is our hope that, whatever your reason for visiting here, these words and ideas are helpful to you . . .Read about death and morning in judaism.
