The Grieving Process With Rabbi Funeral

By Laura Long


It is so hard losing a loved one and this is especially so if not lived a full life but it was cut short. A Rabbi funeral in Jewish cases is what is called for and knowing a bit about the ceremony itself can leave one relaxed that all is taken care of. There is a set procedure that makes up the funeral and some of these points are noted here.

Many find the laws meaningful and in keeping with practices that have been passed down for millenia. Some choose to keep these and to abide by them as they help with the grieving process. Others stick to customs that their parents had and some of these include wearing socks only around the home and covering hanging mirrors and paintings.

This prayer is said during the morning, afternoon and evening services in Synagogue with decorum of ten men present. It may not be said unless this prerequisite is complete in that ten men over the age of Barmitzvah are in attendance. Immediately after the burial has taken place, there is a period known as Shiva in which the family of the deceased accepts guests into their home to offer condolences and support.

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 prayers have been said mourners will say a prayer for the dead known as Kaddish. This prayer will be said for the next eleven months whilst mourners attend Synagogue for morning, noon and evening prayers. It is in respect of the dead so that their soul may be elevated and granted peace in the next world.

It is a time of reflection and remembrance when family members grieve and remember the good times that they had with the deceased. It should also be realised that this life is short and that the soul continues its journey in the next world or world to come. Getting a Rabbi to help and assist is essential when times such as these arise.




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