Tearing Keriya

From Halachipedia

If one's relative passed away, one is obligated to tear one's garments as an act of mourning.[1] 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[2] without a bracha.[3]
  2. A elder or disabled person who can't stand, should tear Keriyah while seated. [4]

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). [5]
  2. One must tear the garment where it was originally complete and not an area which was only sewn together. [6]
  3. Nowadays, the practice is for someone to begin the tear with a knife and then the mourner should complete the tear himself. [7]
  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.[8]

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. [9]
  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. [10]
  3. If one only tore some of the garments which one was obligated to tear, one has not fulfilled his obligation. [11]

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. [12]
  2. One who is mourning one's parents should tear until the skin covering one's heart is revealed. [13]

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. [14]
  2. Nowadays, the sephardic minhag is to tear Keriyah after the grave is closed. [15]

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.[16]
  2. The minhag of some Sephardi women is not to tear Keriyah at all out of concern for tziniut. [17]

For whom does one tear Keriyah

Talmid Chacham

  1. The minhag is not to tear Keriyah upon hearing about the passing of a Talmid Chacham unless it is one's Rebbe Muvhak.[18]

Patient at time of death

see Nishmas Avraham vol 1 oc 223:6 and vol 2 Y.D 340:2 for lengthy discussion

  1. While the Talmud and the Shulchan Aruch clearly state that a person is obligated to rend one’s garments when present at the passing[19] of another Jew[20], the common practice is to be lenient[21], especially for doctors and nurses.[22]
  2. One who does rend his garments when present at the time of death need not tear a full tefach for each passing, rather one tefach for the first and then add on a little bit (kol shehu) for each subsequent passing.[23]

Sources

  1. ↑ Kitzur S”A 195:1
  2. ↑ Kitzur S”A 195:1
  3. ↑ Rav Mordechai Eliyahu's comment on Kitzur S”A 195:1
  4. ↑ Rav Mordechai Eliyahu's comment on Kitzur S”A 195:1
  5. ↑ Kitzur S”A 195:2
  6. ↑ Kitzur S”A 195:2
  7. ↑ Rav Mordechai Eliyahu's comment on Kitzur S”A 195:3
  8. ↑ Kitzur S”A 195:4
  9. ↑ Kitzur S”A 195:3 writes that one who is mourning a relative other than a parent should rip one's outer garment. Rav Mordechai Eliyahu's comment on Kitzur S”A 195:4 writes that such a mourner should rip his shirt and not his coat.
  10. ↑ Kitzur S”A 195:3 writes that one who is mourning a parent should rip one's outer garment as well as all inner garments until one reveals one's heart, but one doesn't need to rip a coat which sometimes wears. Rav Mordechai Eliyahu's comment on Kitzur S”A 195:4 writes that such a mourner should rip his shirt and not his coat.
  11. ↑ Kitzur S”A 195:3
  12. ↑ Kitzur S”A 195:3
  13. ↑ Kitzur S”A 195:3
  14. ↑ Kitzur S”A 195:1
  15. ↑ Rav Mordechai Eliyahu's comment on Kitzur S”A 195:2
  16. ↑ Kitzur S”A 195:3
  17. ↑ Rav Mordechai Eliyahu comments on Kitzur S”A 195:5
  18. ↑ Yalkut Yosef YD 9:15
  19. ↑ The Bet Yosef Y.D 340:6 notes that the Ramban and the Rosh cite the Raavad that this includes from the time of death to the time of burial (also Ritva Moed Katan 25a, see Prishah on the Tur note 10). However, the Rama Y.D 340:5 citing the Raavya limits it to the simple interpretation of being present at the time of death, and the practice is to be lenient (Rambam Avel 9:11 seems to hold this way as well).
  20. ↑ The gemara in Moed Katan 25a praises one who mourns an “adam kasher” and states that in fact it is an obligation. Similarly, the gemara says that if a person was standing by a Jew at the time of death then again there is a requirement to mourn and tear keriya. Tur Y.D 340 cites R Yonah that so long as the person is not suspected of sinning, one rends his garment. He further cites the Maharam Rutenburg who maintains that the enactment includes Jews who at times violate commandments for pleasure or out of laziness, but not apostate Jews. The Shulchan Aruch Y.D 340:5 writes in accordance with R' Yonah, whereas the Rama writes in accordance with the Maharam Rutenburg. The Rambam (Avel 9:11) seems to understand that the gemara was not relating to the previous statement when it cited the law that one rend one’s garment over the passing of another Jew, and thus rules that this applies to all Jews. The Nishmas Avraham Vol 1 (O.C 223 note 6) write that for this enactment to apply, the deceased must be one who is not suspect on any transgressions. See there for further discussion.
    The gemara explains that the reason for this enactment is because when a Jew dies it is like a sefer Torah was burned. There is a version of Rashi which elaborates that this line means that the person could have learned more Torah. Some explain that according to Rashi this enactment does not apply to women (Ramban, Ritva, Tur). However, others explain that even Rashi would agree that this enactment applies to women (Rashba, Beit Yosef).
  21. ↑ There are three reasons brought down for the leniency today: 1) the takanah is waived so that people will stand there at the time of death (Shulchan Gavoha YD 339:4, Gesher Hachayim 14:9); 2) the sick person waives the takanah so that people will be there at the time of death (Shut Torat Chesed OC 17:6); 3) practically we cannot allow so much garment rending; otherwise people will run out of clothing and die of cold (Shulchan Gavohah YD 339:4 based on Rama YD 340:7; also Kaf Hachayim OC 547:25). The Nishmas Avraham (vol 2 YD 340:2) holds that there should be a chiyuv as these reasons are weak and the rabbis never worried about such things. However from what he writes in OC 223:6 it is clear that he does not believe that one who does not rend one’s garments is mistaken, nor is it clear that he would advise one to rend, based on common practice not to do so.
    Rav Schachter (oral communication cited in Halachos for Professionals) said regarding similar laws of kriya on non-relatives, like a rebbe muvhak, that one should only observe these laws nowadays if his actions will not seem out of place or disproportionate to his relationship with the person or otherwise inappropriate; however if it would not seem out of place or cause stress to the mourners then such expressions would be appropriate.
  22. ↑ The Nishmas Avraham discusses poskim who are lenient not to tear since the coat that they wear on top is not their own (Tzitz Eliezer vol 13 35:4). He himself holds on principle that one would be required to rend the garment underneath for two reasons: first, because some say that if one rends the lower garment one still fulfills his obligation, and second as the white doctors’ coat does not count as an upper garment, rather the lower garment (the doctor’s personal shirt) would count as the upper garment (Rabbi Neuwirth, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach). It would seem that today even the Nishmas Avraham would agree not to rend for doctors and nurses who wear scrubs and their lower garments are also not their own. (See Shulchan Aruch YD 340:34)
  23. ↑ Igros Moshe CM vol 2 73:10
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