Mourning rituals
Bet ha-Chajim – House of Life
In Judaism, the cemetery has various names:
Bet ha-Chajim – ‘House of Life’
Bet ha-Olam – ‘House of Eternity’
Bet Kwarot – ‘House of Graves’
According to Jewish understanding, these terms refer to the resurrection and eternal life. The deceased therefore have a resting place in the cemetery for an indefinite period. In accordance with Jewish law (Halacha), only burials take place. According to tradition, all the dead will experience a physical resurrection only upon the arrival of the Messiah. For this reason, and because the repose of the dead is sacred, Jewish cemeteries are never abandoned.
chaj in Hebrew characters
As each Hebrew letter is assigned a numerical value, interesting combinations arise from the words and numerical values in Hebrew. For example, the Chewra Kaddischa should ideally have 18 members. This is because the number 18 is formed from the letters yod (= 10) and chet (= 8) and can then be read as chay (= alive). Do you know of any other letter-number combinations in Judaism?
Eulogy and Kaddish prayers
To comfort the bereaved, a eulogy (hesped) is delivered at the grave. This speech in praise of the deceased is an important mitzvah (obligation) in Judaism. The Kaddish at the grave marks the solemn conclusion of the funeral ceremony. In the first year following the death of a loved one, the bereaved also recite the Yahrzeit Kaddish at the end of a service. The prayer, recited in Hebrew and Aramaic, is one of the oldest parts of the Jewish liturgy. Kaddish means ‘sanctification’; it is a prayer in praise of God. As in the Christian Lord’s Prayer, the Kaddish contains phrases such as ‘May His great name be sanctified’ or ‘May His kingdom come’. To recite the Kaddish, a congregation of at least ten men of religious age (minyan) is required.
Periods of mourning
In Judaism, there are precisely defined periods of mourning:
Shiva – seven days of mourning;
Shloshim – 30 days of mourning
Avelut – a year of mourning
Immediately after the funeral, the seven days of mourning (shiva) begin for the immediate family. During this period of mourning, the bereaved sit on low stools or on the floor. Tradition dictates that, as an outward sign, clothes are torn (keri’ah) and mirrors in the house are covered. Personal hygiene is also reduced to the bare minimum. Until the end of the 30 days (shloshim) – or, in the case of mourning for one’s own parents, a full year (aveluut) – the closest relatives abstain from all forms of entertainment. The mourning period ends with the erection of the gravestone, usually no later than the anniversary (Yahrzeit).
Chewra Kaddisha – Who looks after the dead and their bereaved families?
In every larger community, there is a Chevra Kadisha, a ‘Holy Society’, responsible for the burial of the deceased. In addition to holding the wake and supporting the bereaved, the voluntary tasks primarily involve the ritual washing of the deceased in the Bet Tahara (‘House of Purity’) at the cemetery. The members of the Chewra Kaddischa clothe the deceased in a white burial shroud and place them in a simple coffin. This tradition symbolises the equality of all before the Creator in the world to come. Men are also buried wearing their tallit, the prayer shawl. As a sign of connection to the Holy Land, a small bag of soil from Israel is placed in the coffin.
The Jewish cemetery as a place for eternity
Unlike Christian or municipal cemeteries, graves in Jewish cemeteries remain in place in perpetuity. Because the peace of the dead must remain inviolable, the graves are neither sold nor abandoned; ivy and moss grow over the gravestones. To preserve the sanctity of the dead, special rules apply in a Jewish cemetery. According to Jewish religious law (Halakha), the living must not derive any benefit from the dead. It is therefore not permitted to pick flowers or fruit in the cemetery. Furthermore, one must not walk through the cemetery simply to take a shortcut. The hope of resurrection is part of Jewish tradition. However, there are different views within Judaism as to how the resurrection will actually take place.