Laws and Customs of a Funeral: Difference between revisions

# One should wash one's hands before entering a house.<ref>Rama YD 376:4</ref>

# One should not pass the cup used for washing hands from one person to another. Instead it should be put down for the next person.<ref>Eliya Rabba 224:8, Chazon Ovadia (Aveilut v. 1 p. 332)</ref>

==Where to Do the Burial==

# Generally it is forbidden to bury someone in another cemetery if there is a closer one in town. Exceptions to this rule include burying the corpse in Israel, burying them in a family plot, or if the deceased left an explicit directive to bury him in a certain location. <ref>Shulchan Aruch and Rama YD 363:2</ref>

# It is forbidden to delay a burial. Some rishonim hold that this means that the burial must take place before nightfall, while others hold that the burial has to be before the next dawn.<ref> The Sefer Hachinuch clearly implies that the burial must be the day of the death, meaning that it must be before nightfall. The Yereyim (no. 152), however, holds that it is only considered delaying a burial if it is delayed past dawn of the next morning just as we find regarding Notar. The Magen Avraham 72:2 and Mishna Brurah 72:6 assume like the first approach.</ref>

# It is forbidden to move a skeleton to rebury it in another grave even to place it in a nicer coffin and grave.<ref>Shulchan Aruch YD 363:1</ref> Furthermore, it is forbidden to move a skeleton to make more room for another deceased.<ref>Shulchan Aruch YD 363:3</ref>

# It is permitted to move a skeleton to another grave in order to bury someone in a family plot, to move them to Israel, or if they originally buried him with intentions to move him it is permitted. <ref>Shulchan Aruch YD 363:1</ref>  

# Technically it is permitted for a person to be involved with the moving of his parent's bones after the flesh has disintegrated, however, it is proper to have someone else do it.<ref>Shulchan Aruch YD 403:7</ref>

# When moving bones it is disrespectful to place the bones in a bag.<ref>Shulchan Aruch YD 403:10</ref>

==Mourning when Moving a Skeleton==

# If someone moves the bones of a relative he should mourn that day from the moment that the bones are unburied<ref>Shach YD 403:1</ref>. This aveilut includes the regular halachot of shiva including not sitting on a chair, not wearing shoes, tashmish, bathing, anointing, working, and learning. That night it is permitted.<ref>Shulchan Aruch YD 403:1</ref>

# Jewelry on a dead person at the time of death isn't forbidden to benefit from unless it was attached to them such as a gold tooth. However, a ring or bracelet is permitted.<ref>The Gemara Erchin 7b cites a dispute between Rav and Rav Nachman Bar Yitzchak whether hair of a corpse is forbidden. Rav holds it is. Additionally, Rav holds that a wig which is tied to a woman's hair is also forbidden. The Tur YD 349 holds like Rav, while the Rambam Avel 14:21 rules that hair is permitted. Tosfot Bava Kama 10a agrees with the Rambam. Lechem Mishna 14:21 explains that the Rambam ruled like Rav Nachman. Shulchan Aruch YD 349:1 rules like the Tur. Rama clarifies that jewelry that is tied to the corpse at the time of death is forbidden. The Bear Heitiv cites the Bach who is more stringent and even if the jewelry is pinned onto the body it is also forbidden. The Pitchei Teshuva YD 349 quotes the Bechor Shor who says that it would seem that a tight ring would be forbidden according to the Bach. However, he thinks that we can be lenient since there are many rishonim who hold like Rav Nachman, including Tosfot and the Rambam. Also it isn't clear that we should extend the halacha of the gemara from a wig to jewelry. Lastly, the Rama thinks that as long as the jewelry isn't tied onto the body we can be lenient.</ref>

#Some have a minhag not to use the shoes of someone who died.<ref>Sefer Chasidim 454. Yabia Omer YD 3:5 quotes some who are lenient if the shoes weren't on his feet when he was sick or died.</ref>

==Sources==

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[[Category:Mourning]]