Questions tagged [funeral-burial-levaya]
Questions pertaining to the funeral/burial process in Judaism
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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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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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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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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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Just how overpriced was Efron's burial cave anyway?
In B'reishit 23 Avraham pays 400 shekels to Efron for the cave of Machpelah. This seems to be an enormous amount of money and Rashi suggests it's even worse than it appears (referring to larger ...
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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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May a Jewish cemetery refuse a body?
Based on a recent news item wherein cemeteries have been refusing to inter the body of one of the (alleged) Boston bombers, I am curious whether a Jewish cemetery's operators are allowed to refuse to ...
user2110
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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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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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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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"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.
user8726
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What does a tahara accomplish for a dead person?
What does a tahara, the process of washing and dressing a dead person, accomplish spiritually for the meis?
user2110
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Is cremation halachically lawful for the Gentiles?
I am an Italian noahide.
I wonder if Halakhah allows Gentiles to cremate bodies. My personal opinion is that this practice does not violate Noahide Laws, as it is not included in one of the relevant ...
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Can one write one's own Hespid?
Tragically, I have an incurable disease and have little time left. I have told a number of friends about this and said good-bye to them in an email. In return, I have received a number of emails ...
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Miriam's Death in the Midbar
Why wasn't Miriam's body taken to Eretz Yisrael for burial when she died?
In her merit, the well followed B'Nei Yisrael in the desert. She saved Moshe by taking care of him as a baby in the Nile River....
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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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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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Washing Hands post Funeral
What is the proper way to wash after a Funeral or a visit to the Cemetery?
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What is the significance of the skull of Araunah the Yevusi?
Araunah the Yevusi sells the land upon which the beis hamikdash will eventually be built to Dovid HaMelech (II Shemuel 24:18). Subsequently his skull is found underneath the mizbeach at least twice (...
user2110
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Why are women on right side of room by a funeral & left side by weddings?
I just came from an orthodox funeral & noticed that the women were on the right side of the room & the men on the left. By weddings however it's the opposite with men on the right & women ...
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Why are Bikkurim and burial different from each other?
In this week's parsha we read about the mitzvah of Bikkurim. The Torah tells us to bring our first fruits of the season to the Beit Hamikdash, and offer it to the Kohanim. We are also told that the ...
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Onen and Meis Mitzvah
If an onen comes across a meis mitzvah (let's assume there is either another person to be involved with the onen's personal meis or there is more time to be involved with his meis later), is the onen ...
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Can I bury my own sheimos? [duplicate]
If I don't want to pay to have someone bury sheimos for me, is it ok to bury them in my backyard? Is there any procedure that I would have to follow as far as how to deep to bury it or any certain ...
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Why doesn’t mes mitzvah push aside shabbos?
If mes mitzvah is doche avoda and avoda is doche shabbos. Shouldn’t mes mitzvah be doche shabbos? Simple logic
If A is greater than B and B is greater than C
Logic dictates that A is greater than C....
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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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Jerusalem Sand at a Burial
I just observed an on-line remote funeral service for my cousin. As part of the service, the Rabbi took out a bag of sand which he said was specially flown in from Jerusalem. He spread the sand in the ...
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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 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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Burying on shelves, one on top of the other
Recently I read an article regarding burial in Israel. There seems to be a shortage of graves and therefore there are those that are using this method of burying 4 deep underground in order to ...
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Human Composting - Implications for Kohanim
In recent news, Washington State, has becomes the first state ever to allow human composting.
The question has already been raised in this forum: "Is there a halachic objection to human composting?"
...
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After-death care of a non-Jewish relative
If a Jew has been entrusted with the after-death care of a non-Jewish relative, what should be done? Specifically, if the non-Jewish relative requested to be cremated after death, can or should a Jew ...
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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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How to be prepared for participation in the Chevra Kaddisha
What are some things that I (or anyone) should take into consideration before participating in a tahara, the ritual preparation of a body for burial?
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burying the dead in Jerusholaim - 1948
The Rambam (Beis Habechira 7 14) rules that one may not bury people in the old city of Yerushlaim.
What did they do during the siege in 1948 when they couldn't leave the old city? Where did they bury ...
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Does Judaism require burial of the dead?
Does Judaism require burial of the dead? What Biblical passages mandate that?
Can grave sites be reused after some time (e.g. 200 years) ? I am asking this because the practice of burying the dead in ...
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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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Why are Mordechai and Esther buried in Hamedan, considering it is distant from Shushan?
According to Google Maps, Hamedan is about 470 KM from Shush, the Biblical town of Shushan.
If Mordechai and Esther lived in Shushan (where Esther served as Queen), why were they buried so far away ...
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When is a Yartziet Observed?
When is a Yartzeit observed, the day of death or the day of burial? I ask this question in response to the news of the terrible death of the three boys in Eretz Yisrael who died weeks before their ...
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How long must a grave remain a grave?
I was recently reading an article which suggested planting trees over graves which made me think of this question...
How long does Jewish law require a grave to remain as a grave for the original ...
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Burying face down in Judaism
I understand in other cultures burying face down is a sign of disgrace and is generally frowned upon. How is it viewed in Judaism? Is the position of the body at burial of concern? If a body is buried ...
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Why is Shimshon buried "in the grave of his father" and not father and mother?
Nearly everywhere in the story of Samson, more than in most stories in Tanakh, both parents are mentioned quite frequently. Leading up to birth, both parents share about equal page-time. After birth,...
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Burial with Geniza
I once heard a Rav say that one way in which he disposes of his stash of Geniza is to bury it with the deceased if the family allows. He claimed that it was a segula (I can’t recall his source). I ...
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Is a cardboard coffin appropriate?
Inspired by the film Avatar (2009)
In the opening scene of the film, set in the mid 22nd century, we see a non-Jewish funeral for the protagonist's brother, in which his body (in a cardboard aron) is ...
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Should we ask a non-Jew to wear a kippa for a burial?
Should we ask a non-Jew to wear a kippa for a burial? He likely doesn't have an obligation to do so. We often ask them in a synagogue (and this answer discusses the reasons) but what about a cemetery?
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Parent dying overseas - visit now or attend funeral?
A person lives far away from a dying parent and cannot afford more than one visit. What do the halachic sources say about when they should visit? Should they visit the parent immediately and miss the ...
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