Questions tagged [funeral-burial-levaya]
Questions pertaining to the funeral/burial process in Judaism
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How long does one say Kaddish for a parent?
For example, if one's parent died on 1 Nissan, and was buried on 2 Nissan, what is the last day on which kaddish would be said for them?
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Do surgically removed body parts require Kevurah?
If one has surgery (may it never be necessary) that requires the removal of an organ of the body (e.g. a gallbladder or appendix), is burial required? Or can the body part simply be discarded?
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According to Halacha, does one have to bury teeth?
Is there a halachic obligation to bury teeth that have fallen out, just as one buries other body parts that become detached?
If not, why?
Does the same apply to detached skin? Or hair?
Related: Do ...
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What happened to the Jewish practice of using burial caves?
A three-part question about funerary practices.
In ancient times, Jews used to bury people for a year or two, then, after the body decomposed, collect their bones and put them in a family cave. In ...
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Washing Hands post Funeral
What is the proper way to wash after a Funeral or a visit to the Cemetery?
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Can non Jews be buried in a Jewish Cemetery?
Can a non Jew be buried in a Jewish Cemetery under any circumstances?
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What is to be done with a Sefer Torah written by an apikoreis, or by a soffer of unknown apikoreis-status?
What is to be done with a Sefer Torah written by an apikoreis, or by a soffer of unknown apikoreis-status (whether it be a question of the status of the soffer who wrote it, or if it is unknown who ...
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Are we supposed to say "go..." when parting from the dead?
The g'mara on B'rachot 64a quotes R. Avin Halevi as saying that when we depart from a person we should say "go to peace" (like Yitro to Moshe), not "go in peace" (like David to Avshalom), but that ...
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Traditions what to do with removed foreskin
In Germany we recently started a debate, whether foreskin-amputation of children (not only Jews, but Muslims as well) has to be forbidden according to our fundamental laws.
Some magazine illustrated ...
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Ripping out a blade of grass by a funeral?
At my great-uncle's funeral today, all of the participants (except the mourners) were told to rip out a blade of grass and say a passuk (I don't remember which).
Is this a Jewish minhag? If so, what ...
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Closed caskets for Jewish burials
In the United States (and possibly other countries), what are the reasons behind Jewish funerals always having closed caskets?
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Attending Non-Jewish funerals
Is it permissible to attend a "wake" with a an open casket for a non-Jew held in a funeral home, not a church?
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Do modern Jewish cemeteries separate the "righteous" from the "wicked"?
Do modern Jewish cemeteries separate the "righteous" from the "wicked"? I have read in various sources that "we don't bury rashim near tzadikim"--that people must be ...
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Is there a halachic objection to human composting?
I just had a discussion with a friend about this organization, which proposes to inter human bodies in a giant composter (from which the family can retrieve the compost later) instead of burying them ...
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Can Jews be buried in the fetal position?
A friend of mine recently showed me this video describing a method of burial where the deceased's decomposing body is used to nourish a growing tree. In theory, I don't see any obvious halakhic issue ...
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Can a Jew who dies on Mars be buried there?
Recently, the news has been talking about sending people on a 1-way trip to Mars.
AFAIK, no Jews have applied or are scheduled to make the trip. B"H, because I see all sorts of interesting halachic ...
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Can you be buried in a Jewish Cemetery if you have a tattoo?
Can you be buried in a Jewish Cemetery if you have a tattoo?
I.e., is it just urban legend that you can't?
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(Why) May a Beit Din refuse to bury a body in order to coerce a man into giving a divorce?
I read recently of a case where a Rabbi (I assume as head of a Beit Din) instructed a Jewish burial society not to bury the body of a woman who is the mother of a man who refuses to give his wife a ...
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Why was Moshe buried alone?
Why did Hashem bury Moshe in an unknown place, and did not do so with other great Tzadikim like Avraham, Yitchak and Yaakov?
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"How long is a Jewish funeral?"
A non-Jewish co-worker who was invited to a Jewish funeral asked me how long they typically are.
I told her that, thank God, I hadn't been to many, but my understanding is that they probably vary a ...
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Above ground burial
Is an above-ground burial halachically acceptable? For example, I've seen multi-story graves that look like a parking garage and tombs that are carved into the side of a mountain.
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How was Rabbi Yochanan allowed to walk with his son's bone?
It says in Brachos 5B that R' Yochanan used to show people his tenth son's bone (all of his children passed away, and he used to carry a bone of his tenth child).
How was he allowed to not bury this ...
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What is appropriate covering for non-Jewish men at a Jewish funeral?
I am going to the funeral of a close friend's sister; the family is Jewish. In the funeral notice it states: "Gentlemen please wear head covering".
My question is: what is an appropriate covering ...
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Do cremated remains contaminate with tumas mes?
If a body is cremated, do the ashes transmit tumah as do other human remains, or does cremation render the body no longer tamei?
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Could a Cohen burn a body to escape the impurity?
Excuse the extreme hypothetical, but:
If a Cohen were locked in a room with no windows and a dead body, and just so happened to have lighter fluid and a pack of matches (and there were small holes in ...
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Attending a Christian Funeral in a church
Is it permissible for a Jew to attend a Christian funeral service? Specifically, in a church?
If so, is it a serious breach of Jewish law? How serious? How can one perform redemption for such a breach?...
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Are there burial requirements for pets?
Halacha requires certain burial practices for people, because people are special. Are there any requirements or, especially, prohibitions regarding pets who have died? Is it acceptable to cremate ...
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When may a body be removed from its resting place and buried elsewhere?
In what instances may a body be removed from its resting place and be interred elsewhere?
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Does a meis mitzvah acquire the land he's on even in the Temple?
I'd like to understand the concept of meis mitzvah a bit better. Specifically: there is a decree that a meis mitzvah acquires the place he or she is on to be buried there, even if it is private ...
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Can a born-Jew who converted out of Judaism be buried in an Orthodox Jewish cemetery? [duplicate]
We've discussed previously that halacha prohibits the burial of non-Jews in the same cemetery as Jews. But what about born-Jews who converted out? What about Jews who were simply atheists?
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Is there an obligation to be buried in Jewish Cemetary?
The traditional practice is to be buried in a Jewish Cemetary exclusive to Jews. Such as Har Hamenuchos and Har Hazeisim.
Is it an obligation to be buried specifically in a Jewish Cemetary or could ...
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What are the oldest known Jewish graves/tombs? [closed]
I was thinking about old Jewish graves.
Certainly there's Ma'aras HaMachpeila in Chevron (was that continuously identified by Jews, or did our identification rely on Arabs' identification) and the ...
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Halachot of burial vs. minhagim thereof
This answer gives a rough estimate that about 90 percent of hilchot kevura (laws of burial) are based on local minhag, rather than actual halacha. Taking this into account, the next logical conclusion ...
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Burial in Kittel
There is a custom for men to wear a Kittel, a special white robe, on the High Holidays and at the Pesach Seder. Also, a Kittel is one of the traditional Jewish burial garments. The same word is used ...
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Can an Orthodox Jew go to a reform burial?
Halachically speaking, Can an Orthodox Jew attend a reform or Conservative burial?
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Is one allowed to attend a wake for a Jew?
As far as I understand, Jews are not allowed to have a wake for a Jewish person. But, let's say for some reason, they do it, anyway. Is a Jew allowed to attend this event if s/he doesn't view the ...
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Reform/Liberal Burials
Is there a problem with the way Progressive Judaism carry out their burials according to Orthodox Jewry?
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Shiva and Cremation
In the event that a deceased individual is willfully cremated, a common p'sak I have heard many times is that the relatives do not sit Shiva as one normally does for the deceased. In particular, ...
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