The Funeral Service and The Burial

The funeral service is a brief and simple service designed primarily for the honor and dignity of the deceased. The worthy values he lived by, the good deeds he performed, and the noble aspects of his character are eulogized.

The function of the eulogy by highlighting the good and the beautiful in the life of the departed it affords and implicit consolation for the mourners. There is also great psychological benefit from the funeral service itself, although this too, is not its primary purpose.

It enables many friends and relatives to participate in the situation of bereavement and, thus, relieve the terrible loneliness of the mourners.

The Funeral Service

In addition, since it not only praises the deceased but also confronts all who attend with the terrible fact of their own mortality, it impels them to “consider their days,” to take stock and live their lives creatively.

The service consists of a selection from the Psalms appropriate to the life of the deceased, a panegyric of his finer qualities which his survivors should seek to implant in their own lives, and a Memorial Prayer asking that God shelter his soul “on the wings of His Divine presence.”

The Burial

The sacred principle of the Jewish burial law which establishes that the deceased be buried in the earth requires lowering the casket to the bottom of the grave.

Leaving the casket at ground level during the service, in the company of the entourage, and then, without completing the interment, to turn one’s back on the unburied casket and return home, is a distinct affront to the dead.

The grave must be filled at this time. At the very minimum, the casket must be fully covered with earth to take on the form of a grave. After that, the laborers may assist in filling the grave if the others cannot perform this deed.

Avelus, the process of mourning, begins immediately after the deceased is interred and the casket is completely covered with earth. The mourners walk between the parallel lines of friends and relatives and are formally comforted by them.

They then proceed directly to the home where Shiva is to be observed. There, the observances commence as soon as the mourners demonstrate formal acceptance of mourning by removing their shoes and sitting on a low bench or stool.

Mourners who do not accompany the deceased to the cemetery begin their avelus at the approximate time of burial. The day of burial is counted as the first day of Shiva and the period ends on the morning of the seventh day.