6
Eggs
The Minhag to crack an egg on the head is a Kol Bo mentioned by the Beit Yosef and Rama (Yoreh Deah 352:4). Don't know about the pottery.
מעצימין עיניו של מת; ואם נפתח פיו, קושרין לחייו. ופוקקין נקביו אחר שמדיחין אותו במיני בשמים. וגוזזין שערו. הגה: וצפרניו. ומדיחים אותו היטב בכל מקום, שיהא נקי מכל טומאה (בנימין זאב), וטחין ראשו בביצים טרופים בקליפתן,...
3
As a member of the chevra kadisha in my community, we would put a shard of broken pottery on the eyes and mouth of the mais before covering the head with the hood of the tachrichim. I have been given different explanations which include a symbol of teshuva as well as showing that the earth has closed the eyes and mouth with the departure of the neshama. ...
2
Correct. Funeral homes do not use the same Mikve that the public uses for utensils or people.
I have never seen a Halacha to that effect, except for the Halacha to guards one's health.
Classicaly the Tahara was been done without a Mikve, but by pouring 9 Kav (11 liters / 3 gallons) of water on the body from 1, 2 or 3 vessels, as the Kitzur - in סימן קצז - ...
answered Sep 27 '17 at 8:37
Danny Schoemann
41.2k55 gold badges6868 silver badges181181 bronze badges
2
Some funeral homes do have a special mikvah in the preparation room. Otherwise the chevrah kadisha manually washes the body with tishah kabin;if I remember correctly, everyone pours from their vessel at the same time so that the water flows in a continuous stream over the body, or if they need more water, the second person begins to pour before the first ...
1
Burial:
The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch in 191:1 סימן קצט - דין הקבורה ובית הקברות does mention that in some areas only the Cohanim and firstborns were buried in coffins.Seems that there is a tradition that some people are more equal than others when it comes to burial.
יֵשׁ עוֹד מְקוֹמוֹת שֶׁקּוֹבְרִין שְׁאָר מֵתִים כָּךְ בְּלֹא אָרוֹן, וְרַק לְכֹהֲנִים ...
answered Jan 4 '18 at 9:57
Danny Schoemann
41.2k55 gold badges6868 silver badges181181 bronze badges
1
This is also true for kriah (rending the garment), SA YD 340:5 writes one should perform kriah when being present when a Jew dies. The Rema adds
one who was in the habit of committing sins, is not mourned
for; and so much the more for one who is an apostate in respect of
idolatry [...] and some say that we observe no mourning rites [for
him], and ...
Only top voted, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible
Related Tags
taharat-hametim × 5funeral-burial-levaya × 4
minhag × 2
halacha × 1
kohen-priest × 1
mourning-aveilus × 1
mikvah-ritual-bath × 1
tevilas-keilim-dipping × 1
levites-leviyim × 1
gender-identity × 1