Dr Iris Cohen Fineberg
International Observatory on End of Life Care
Lancaster University
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Judaism is full of tradition
Across time and geography, changes to
traditions have taken place yet many
traditions persist
Different Jewish groups, with differing
histories and degrees of religiosity, may have
widely varied approaches
Ask two Jewish people...get five answers
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The sanctity and preservation of life in
Judaism is of paramount importance.
Jewish law maintains that one has no absolute
ownership of one's body. We are given a body
for a fixed time. We are obliged to guard it
for safe-keeping. We have no rights to
tamper with life except for the purpose of
preventing its destruction or loss.
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If a person is considered to be truly at the
end of life, it is considered permissible to
withhold interventions that would artificially
prolong life.
Some people would support the withholding
of interventions (such as life support) but
would not allow the removal of such
interventions if they were started.
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Suicide in Jewish law is forbidden. A person's
soul is not his to extinguish, and he cannot
not direct someone else to assist him in
ending his life.
Under no circumstances may a doctor directly
kill, or indirectly provide the means for
suicide.
Any form of active euthanasia is strictly
prohibited and condemned as plain murder.
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Death is seen as a part of life and a part of Gd's plan.
The underlying idea for how we treat the
dead is that people are created in the image
of G-d.
There is reverence for the dead, not worship
of the dead.
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Guiding principles in around death and dying
in Judaism focus on (a) respect for the dead
(kevod ha’met), and (b) care of those
remaining.
The mourning rituals in Judaism do not
indicate a protest of death, but demonstrate
the great value Judaism places on life in
general and the life of each individual person.
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A rabbi or central person in the synagogue should be
contacted.
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There are specific rituals for care of the body and
preparation for burial.
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Burial should take place as soon as possible and
within 24 hours, following a principle of honoring the
dead (k'vod hamet). Only if immediate relatives
cannot arrive in time from abroad, or there is not
enough time for burial before Shabbat or a holiday,
are burials postponed for a day. Anything else is
considered a "humiliation of the dead.”
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After death the eyes are closed and the body
laid out.
From the moment of death, the body is not
left alone until after burial. This practice,
called guarding/watching (shemira), is also
based on the principle of honoring the dead.
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Most Jewish communities have a special
group of volunteers, the Chevra Kaddisha,
whose job is to care for the dead.
Women care for women, and men care for
men, in accordance with traditions of
modesty.
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Members are responsible for washing the body
(Taharah) and preparing for burial in accordance
with Jewish custom. They wash the body with
warm water from head to foot, and although they
may turn the body as necessary to clean it
entirely, they never place it face down.
The body is never left alone. A family member, a
Chevra Kaddisha member, or someone arranged
by the funeral parlor passes the time by reciting
psalms (Tehillim) as this person watches over the
deceased.
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Dead bodies may not be cremated.
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Embalming and the removal of organs and fluids
(mutilation of the body) is prohibited.
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However, many Liberal rabbis will officiate at funerals
involving cremation and embalming.
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There are allowances for autopsies and organ
donation. The former can be done if it would save a
life or if local law requires it; the latter may be done
since the organ's eventual burial will fulfill the
requirement to bury the entire body.
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Orthodox Judaism only practices burial for the following reasons:
◦ That it is commanded.
◦ That the body should be returned to the earth.
◦ That the corpse should lie in soil to speed up decomposition. This
accounts for the Ultra-Orthodox custom of burying bodies
wrapped in shrouds with no coffins.
◦ Because the body should lie and wait for it's resurrection.
◦ It is the only way to give due honour to the body.
In the last 100 years since modern techniques of cremation have
become available, many Jews have left instructions that they
should be cremated. When Jewish cremation takes place the
same prayers are said as at a burial.
One emotional problem which tends to prevent Jews from opting
for cremation is the memory of the fact that many of the
Holocaust victims were forcibly cremated in the death camps.
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The body is dressed in white burial shrouds
(tachrichim), which are purposely kept simple to
avoid distinguishing between rich or poor.
Men are buried with their prayer shawl (tallit), which
is rendered ineffective by cutting off one of the
fringes.
The coffin is plain for the same reason of avoiding
distinguishing between rich and poor. It is a simple
pine wood box. In Israel, burials are often done
without caskets.
There are no open casket funerals.
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Once the coffin is lowered into the grave,
family and close friends cover the coffin with
a few handfuls of dirt.
A Jew who is a Cohen, a descendant of the
priestly class, will only attend the funeral and
burial of his immediate family as he is
otherwise forbidden to come near a corpse.
You may see a close friend or relative who is
a Cohen remain outside the funeral parlor or
cemetery because of this law.
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Keri'ah (tearing) is the tearing of garment by close mourners.
This was an ancient way of expressing grief which existed in
biblical times. Originally the tearing was done on hearing of the
death.
Today, Keri’ah is usually done immediately before the funeral
service. When the tearing takes place the mourner says a
blessing. Some people pin a black ribbon to their clothing.
Keri'ah is only required for those who have lost:
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Father
Mother
Brother
Sister
Half-Brother
Half-Sister
Son
Daughter
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Shiv’ah – the first seven days
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Shloshim – the first 30 days
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Year of mourning
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Yahrtzeit – the anniversary of the death
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Unveiling – unveiling the headstone at the
cemetery; any time after the 30 days
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Jews do not send flowers but may make a
donation to charity in memory of the deceased
When paying a Shiva call it is appropriate to bring
food, because the person mourning is not
supposed to worry about such mundane matters.
Being surrounded by family and close friends
often helps mourners cope with the immediate
loss. Family members find solace from sharing
memories of the deceased during Shivah.
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After the funeral mourners return to the home of the deceased or
closest relative and stay there for seven (Shiv'ah) days. (The
seven include the day of the funeral.)
During the seven days the mourners if strictly observant are
required (among other things):
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Not to leave the house.
To sit on low stools.
Not to wear leather shoes.
Not to shave.
Refrain from sexual intercourse.
Not to do business or any manual work.
Not to bathe or anoint themselves except for hygienic reasons.
A Shiv'ah is interrupted by the Sabbath for that should not be a
day of sadness. It is terminated completely when a major festival
intervenes. Not everyone observes a full seven days in this way.
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Because the mourners do not go out to attend synagogue
services, services are held each day in the home. Friends
and relatives come to visit. Comforting mourners is
considered a commandment (mitzvah). The visitors also
help to make up the minyan (10 people) for the prayers.
Many present day mourners feel that they have a duty to
supply refreshments for the people who call during the
seven days. However the original Jewish tradition was quite
the opposite. Mourners were thought not to be in a fit
state to prepare food and the friends and relatives who
visited were expected not to call empty handed but to
provide food for the mourners. The first meal after the
funeral either contained lentils or eggs. The latter being a
symbol of new life.
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It is now common practice for people to cover
mirrors in a house of mourning or else turn
them to face the wall. It is however not
required and appears to be just a folk custom
that originated outside of Judaism.
One reason is to reflect that as mourners we
should not have vanity (worry about how we
look).
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Throughout the seven days of the Shiv'ah a
light is kept burning. The light may be
symbolic of the soul of the departed.
We use a light to remember someone who
brightened our lives when we light a Yahrtzeit
candle. Amid the sadness and gloom of
mourning, light is a symbol of hope and of
comfort.
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At the end of the year a matsevah (tombstone) is put on
the grave. Stone masons recommend that relatives wait at
least six months before erecting a stone as the ground
needs at least that time to settle. The Sephardim usually
have horizontal stones, so that nobody is higher than
anyone else in death. Many Ashkenazi cemeteries have a
height limit for the same reason.
It is the custom to have a short service of consecration
around the stone (unveiling), which often also serves to
mark the end of the year of mourning.
When people visit a grave it is a common practice to place
a small pebble on the grave to show that one has visited.
The origin of this custom may possibly go back to Biblical
times. By placing a pebble on the grave the visitor is
helping to preserve the memory of the dead person.
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A Yahrtzeit is the anniversary of the death of a
parent. The word is Yiddish and means a year's
time.
Although it was originally introduced as a day to
say Kaddish (a specific prayer) for a mother or
father, today, many also keep the Yahrtzeits of
other close relatives.
The day is observed by the lighting of a memorial
light and by keeping it burning for the full Jewish
day from sunset to sunset.
It is usual to attend Synagogue on that day or on
the Shabbat before the date to say Kaddish.
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Jewish sacred texts and literature have little to
say about what happens after death.
Judaism is much more focused on actions than
beliefs, with a focus on the commandments
(mitzvot) to be performed in this life.
Jewish holy texts focus on the purpose of earthly
life, which is to fulfill one's duties to G-d and
one's fellow person. Whether anything at all
happens after death, is not as important.
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Variation is the rule rather than the exception
◦ Even when principles are similar, traditions vary
◦ Each community may have certain traditions
◦ Each family will have views, needs, and traditions
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It is better to ask a patient and family what
their views, wishes and traditions are rather
than assuming that because they are Jewish
they subscribe to any particular set of ideas
and traditions.
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The Jewish Way in Death and Mourning by
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Ethnic Variations in Dying, Death, and Grief:
Diversity in Universality, edited by Donald P.
Maurice Lamm (Jonathan David Publisher, 1969;
new edition published in 2000)
Irish, Kathleen F. Lundquist, Vivian Jenkins
Nelsen (Taylor & Francis Publishers, 1993).
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Cross-Cultural Perspectives in Medical Ethics (2nd
ed.), edited by Robert M. Veatch (Jones and
Bartlett Publishers, 2000)
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http://web.ukonline.co.uk/lawrence.rigal/jewish/cust
oms/index.htm
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United Jewish Communities/Jewish Federations of
North America http://www.ujc.org/page.aspx?id=937
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http://www.religionfacts.com/judaism/cycle/death.ht
m
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http://judaism.about.com/
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http://www.jlaw.com/Commentary/AsstSuicide.html