There are lots of responsa when matza-baking machines were introduced instead of everyone doing it by hand. When power machinery came up to make grave-digging faster/easier, did any rabbis object that it was a bigger/better mitzvah or the like to do it manually?
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2I thought the matza issue was if it counts as lishmah– HeshyJul 8, 2021 at 10:29
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Even though there is machinery that can refill the grave, there is still a practice for people to shovel the dirt. Maybe this is a backwards proof that digging initially can be done by machine.– rosendsJul 8, 2021 at 13:25
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@Heshy that was a later concern. (And if you viewed them as kosher-but-not-lishmah, some were afraid they'd get used at the seder too.) Some declared them chametz entirely. Some worried about putting the humans out of business, or taking away the religious opportunity.– ShalomJul 8, 2021 at 23:39
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1 Answer
Nitei Gavriel Aveilus1 75:6 says that the grave should be dug by a Jew. In the footnote he says that a Jew should be the one who operates the tractor that digs up the ground.
There is no mention of any disagreement on that.
answered Jul 8, 2021 at 14:11
