The funeral in the Jewish rite
By now we know, every religion has one's own conception of death and, of course, one's own customs concerning the funeral rite.
In this the funeral of the rite Jewish is no different: depending on the community to which they belong, Orthodox, Conservative or reformed, there are precise rules.
All of them, however, have in common key moments that we are going to discover.
Features of the Funeral in the Jewish rite: the vigil
The Jewish funeral rite is based on First of all, on two principles: respect for the deceased and comfort for family members who continue their life path on earth.
A basic rule is that between the The time of death and the funeral must not elapse more than 24 hours. During During this time and until burial, the deceased must never be left only.
A vigil is then organized Here the body is lying on the ground surrounded by candles, with the feet turned towards the door and a sheet of paper to cover his face. Family members present at the vigil they read the Psalms and observe total fasting.
Afterwards, it is washed of the corpse with water and the ritual of purification. To this This is followed by dressing with a white shroud and tallith, a Traditional dress.
Ceremony and burial of the deceased
Not being allowed from the funeral burial and cremation, after preparation The body is buried in the ground. Also in At this stage, it is necessary to follow very specific rules: the coffin must be Sober, simple, without any embellishment.
All relatives and friends present At the ceremony, they must have their heads covered. At this point you can the tearing of the garments, during which the guests They tear off the edges of their clothes to communicate their desperation and suffering.
At the end of the funeral rite, respect 7 days of mourning, during which the relatives of the deceased are exempt from any activities of daily life, especially the work and can only eat one meal a day.
If you are curious about the customs of others religions, take a look at the rite and to that muslim.