The differences between the Ashkenazi version, Sephardi in the Jewish funeral

The Jewish funeral – Jewish funeral – is an ancient ceremony that over the years has accumulated different practices among the Jews in various Jewish diasporas. But despite the varying customs among the Jewish population, there are some customs common to the entire Jewish population of the world – the world’s Jewish population.

For example, Jews do not bury in a coffin, instead, they wrap the dead in shrouds. Due to the verse “From the dust you came and to the dust you will return” (Genesis 3:19) the Jews believe that the dead must be buried, and therefore cremation is forbidden. In the ultra-Orthodox communities, there is also opposition to the autopsy unless special permission is given by a Rabbi because the corpse should be buried in its entirety. Organ donation is also a topic of religious controversy, and in Israel, the ZAKA organization works hard to identify victims of accidents and terrorism and bring all their organs for burial as much as possible.

In Israel and in Jewish communities, the organization responsible for burial is the Holy Society (Hevra Kadisha). In Israel, this is an official organization under the Religious Council and the Ministry of Religions, and around the world, it is a charity organization for those who want to conduct a proper Jewish burial.

The Jewish burial

A Jewish burial, must be performed by Jews, in a Jewish cemetery, at every stage. Anyone who is not a Jew according to Halacha or died by suicide is buried outside the cemetery. At every Jewish funeral, the dead are accompanied from the eulogy, his home, or the synagogue to the grave. There is also a funeral procession.

The Jewish funeral

The common denominator at a Jewish funeral with the various Jewish ethnic divisions is the burial itself, some of the blessings, the recitation of the Kaddish, the tearing of the garments, the recitation of the justification and the merciful God, the filling of the pit or the bed of the dead with ashes. A common practice is to say an obituary, memoirs about the dead, or give a Torah speech. However, there are differences in the order of the funeral in the different customs.

The Ashkenazi Jewish funeral

The main difference in an Ashkenazi Jewish funeral – Ashkenazi Jewish is during the time of the tearing of the garment, the Ashkenazis tear the garment before the funeral ceremony and before lowering the dead to the grave, while the Sephardim – Sephardic Jewish after lowering the dead to the grave and at the end of the funeral. When the bed is taken out, the verse from the Psalms is said: “Justice before him will go and set out on his way” 

(Psalms פה, יד) The order of the dedication is also different. Among the Ashkenazim, one of the dedications (Kaddish) is said after the funeral.

The Ashkenazim have a uniform wording for Kaddish and say this sentence:

  May there be peace from heaven, and may life be upon us and upon all Israel, and they may say, Amen.

The Ashkenazim end the burial with a call to mercy, contrary to the style of burial among the Sephardim. The recitation in God of Mercy is adapted to the gender of the deceased.

At the end of the burial at the Jewish funeral, the prayer of justification is read, which has a different wording among the Ashkenazim, and begins with the words “Hatzur Tamim.” On days when no prayer of supplication “Tzur Tamim” is not recited.  In the Ashkenazi communities, it applies that the verses beginning with “Gadel Etza” are added (Jeremiah, Lev, 19).

After the funeral, the Ashkenazim comfort the mourners “the place will comfort you” (Jeremiah, Lag, 11-10).

The Sephardi Jewish funeral – Sephardic Jewish

A Jewish funeral begins with eulogies, then the verses from Akavia ben Mahalal are recited, with the words “Know where you came from and where you are going.” Then the verse that begins with “Gadel Etza” is read from Jeremiah. After this, the mourners recite the sanctification of an orphan. There is a difference in the wording of the sanctification.  The Sephardi and Oriental Jews say May there be great peace from heaven, life and fullness, and salvation and comfort and salvation and healing and redemption and forgiveness and atonement and profit and salvation for us and all his people Israel and said Amen.

To the verse ‘makes peace’, they add “[in his mercy] shall make peace.” In the justification of the law instead of Hatzur Tamim, the Sephardim recite the prayer that begins with, righteous, You are Lord, and upright is your judgment (Psalms קיט, לז). After the burial, instead of the prayer ‘to a merciful God’ the Sephardim recite the funeral prayer, which begins with the words, “He who has mercy on all his creatures.” In both cases, the prayer is for the ascension of the soul of the dead.

The tearing of the garment ceremony is done after the funeral. Another difference is that the comforters comfort the mourners: “From heaven / from Jerusalem you will be comforted.”

Most of the Yemenite customs have been abolished in Israel but are practiced in small communities. Some of the remaining Yemenite Jewish customs: the tearing of the garment is done across it and not along it; Some still practice the custom of Jerusalem, to take seven laps around the dead before burial. Individuals tend to take their hand out of the sleeve and lift it up when burying their father. Accompaniers say aloud, “Let there be a comfort” and “sit in supreme secrecy.” The Yemenite custom is to tear the garment immediately upon death. Another custom is that the Yemenites hold the funeral procession barefoot and in black prayer shawls. After the laps, the Yemenite Rabbi recites the rest and when he is finished the congregation responds with “Soak and dance and allowed”.  In addition,  in a Yemenite Jewish burial, they say: “God, you said” The Yemenite Kaddish version is very different from the Ashkenazi and Sephardi version.  It begins with the words: May the great heavens be magnified and sanctified. [the people answer Amen]

דַּעֲתִיד לְחַדָּתָא עָלְמָא וּלְאַחָאָה מִיתַיָּא (cannot find translation)

The Shiva ceremony of the Jew – shiva Jewish and the thirty days, year of mourning

The Jewish Shiva ceremony is a mourning ceremony that begins immediately after the funeral, with the exception of Shabbat, and lasts seven days.  During this time the mourners, from the nuclear family, must be in the house of the deceased and not leave it until the seventh day. If that is not possible, the shiva takes place at one of the mourners. It is customary for the mourners to sleep on the floor or on a mattress on the floor, and no work should be done, the comforters cook and clean for them. They also do not go out to pray and recite only the prayers related to the laws of mourning. If the dead are buried in another country the mourners wait until they arrive in order to begin the seven days. If a holiday occurs during the shiva, the shiva is stopped and not continued. A person who is not present at the funeral and receives news of the death is obliged to keep the shiva ceremony if they received the news within the thirty days of mourning.

The first meal at the time of Shiva is the “convalescent meal” in which hard-boiled eggs and lentils are served symbolizing the cycle of life. During the shiva, it is forbidden to say hello, shave, get a haircut, wear new or ironed clothes, and more. After seven days the comforters tell them to “get up” and they must get up and leave the shiva.

Then the seven-day period ends, and the thirty-day period begins from the day of burial when the mourners are already allowed to go home, pray and work, but are still forbidden to shower, shave, celebrate, etc. At the end of the thirtieth day, they stop mourning except for those mourning for a parent. 

 Holidays or festivals stop the mourning and it does not continue.  It is customary at the end of the thirty days to go up to the cemetery and uncover the tombstone. Those who mourn for a parent will mourn for 12 months in which they will not celebrate or wear new clothes. The practice is not to get a haircut and not to shave unless you are told you must.

As we have seen, the Jewish funeral – Jewish funeral – is a complex ceremony and in the Diaspora, it is difficult to perform without proper guidance. American Jews can enlist the help of several Jewish committees American Jewish committee whose purpose this is.