Sad Times With Rabbi Funeral

By Laura Long


It is inevitable that a person life will end at some point. A Rabbi funeral is called for to officiate the ceremony and lay the dead to rest. There are customs that must be adhered to and laws that must be abided by at times such as these.

There are laws in Judaism that are adhered to in order to make the grieving process that more meaningful. For instance, there is a seven day period called Shiva which are the first days directly after a burial has taken place. Some traditions require the mourners to sit down on a low couch or chair whilst guests and attendees come and pay their respects.

These are all signs that say a person is in mourning but there is more meaning to them than just custom. The first period of mourning is known as Shiva which roughly translated means The Seven or seven days of mourning. During this time the family members receive guests who will want to offer their condolences and really just to talk and give the mourners that bit of strength to carry on.

Then there is the burial itself where there is a set procedure as to how it is carried out. The dead are not buried in fancy and expensive coffins but rather in a pine casket that is modest. Before the burial takes place the body is washed in what is known as Tahara or cleansing after which it is laid to rest in the coffin sometimes wrapped in a prayer shawl especially for men.

The coffin is not fanciful and expensive but is modestly made out of pine. It is customary to put soil from the Holy Land into the casket with the body. The body itself, should it be male, is wrapped in a prayer shawl or is put in white linen that is sewed around the body in order to enclose it completely.

There are other customs that are kept and some of these include eating hard boiled eggs and bagels. The bagel is round signifying the totality of life whilst the egg is a sign of the soul continuing its journey from this world to the next. The body is but a shell and a vehicle for the soul in this world and it should be understood that its journey continues far into the next world.

Once at the grave site the body is lowered and prayers continue to be said. One such prayer, at the conclusion of the ceremony, is called Kaddish and is a prayer that will be said in Synagogue for the next eleven months during morning, afternoon and evening prayers. It helps to grieve during this period and not to block those emotions that need to be expressed as if not allowed, one can suffer longer than one should and this is not in keeping with this Religion.

Death is never a good thing and saying goodbye to a loved one really hurts deep down. By following the laws of burial one can find peace and with it the ability to move on. Finding a suitable Rabbi to officiate the ceremony is a must as he will be able to enlighten one as to its practices.




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