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Finding Basic Details Of Jewish Funeral Rites
A traditional Jewish funeral has certain elements to it. The main aim of these rituals is to honor the dead person, while being sensitive to his surviving family members. Generally, the specific customs carried out depends on the community the deceased person hailed from. But there are general customs that are observed at most burials.
Burial should take place as soon as possible. This is normally on the same day that the person has died. However, since it is not always possible to have all the family members around when the person dies, it may be necessary to delay the burial for sometime until all the mourners have arrived. It is up to the family to decide if they will delay the burial or not.
Open caskets are not allowed at memorial services. The casket chosen should be simple and totally biodegradable. This means that it should be made purely out of wood. Even nails are not allowed, as they are metallic and can't decompose.
Preservation of the body through embalming is not allowed, unless demanded by local laws for health reasons. This is to allow the body to decompose naturally. If the family wishes, they can call a pious society of men and women who have devoted themselves to the task of cleaning and dressing dead bodies as required by tradition.
The burial ceremony does not take a long time. It can be completed in less than half an hour. Flowers are normally considered as frivolous adornments, so they are often avoided at burials. If you wish, you can choose to have a small floral tribute, as long as the officiant is not opposed to it. Mourners cannot talk to the attendees until the whole burial ceremony is over.
At a Jewish funeral, the attendees form a double line when leaving the site after the burial. The family members of the deceased walk through the pathway that has been formed. This gives an opportunity to the attendees to greet and offer words of comfort to the bereaved.
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