Tearing Keriya

If one's relative passed away, one is obligated to tear one's garments as an act of mourning. This obligation is called Keriyah (lit. tearing). The details of this halacha are discussed below.

Procedure

Standing

1. One must tear Keriyah while standing. If one did it seated, one didn't fulfill one's obligation and so, one should tear one's garment again without a bracha.
2. A elder or disabled person who can't stand, should tear Keriyah while seated.

Where on the garment to rip

1. One should tear the front of one's garment starting from the collar of the shirt downwards (vertically) and not across (horizontally).
2. One must tear the garment where it was originally complete and not an area which was only sewn together.
3. Nowadays, the practice is for someone to begin the tear with a knife and then the mourner should complete the tear himself.
4. One who is mourning a parent should tear on the left side of one's body so as to uncover one's heart, but one who is mourning any other relative should tear on the right side of one's body. If one did otherwise, after the fact one fulfilled one's obligation either way.

Which garments to tear

1. One who is mourning any relative other than a parent should tear should tear one's outer garment such as one's shirt, but not an outer garment which one only wears sometimes such as a coat or jacket.
2. One who is mourning a parent should tear one's outer garment as well as any undershirt that one is wearing until one reveals the skin covering one's heart. One does not need to tear a outer garment which one only wears sometimes such as a coat or jacket.
3. If one only tore some of the garments which one was obligated to tear, one has not fulfilled his obligation.

How far to tear

1. If one is mourning any relative other than a parent one should tear the length of a Tefach and not more because of a concern of Baal Tashchit.
2. One who is mourning one's parents should tear until the skin covering one's heart is revealed.

When to tear Keriyah

1. Preferably, one should tear Keriyah before the grave is closed since that is the time when the mourning is most intense.
2. Nowadays, the sephardic minhag is to tear Keriyah after the grave is closed.

Keriyah for women

1. A woman who is mourning a parent should tear Keriyah on the inner garment first, turn that tear to the side, and then tear the outer garment so as not to reveal the skin covering her heart.
2. The minhag of some Sephardi women is not to tear Keriyah at all out of concern for tziniut.

For whom does one tear Keriyah

1. The minhag is not to tear Keriyah upon hearing about the passing of a Talmid Chacham unless it is one's Rebbe Muvhak.