Death, Burial, and Bereavement
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Burying a Tattooed Person in a Jewish Cemetery
According to Halachah, may a person whose body has tattoos be buried in a Jewish cemetery? Ho whose body has been pierced? Answer: It is not prohibited to bury someone who has tattoos or body piercings in a Jewish cemetery.…
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Understanding Shiva
Recently my father died and I had to sit Shiva. I felt totally out of place and it felt strange to me. I sat Shiva once before when my grandfather died, but I was only 12 years old and I…
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Obituary for the Living
My daughter has been assigned to interview a living person and write that living person’s obituary! I was horrified when I heard of this assignment. She feels it is “creepy’ and I feel it is in some way against Jewish…
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6 Million Kedoshim
Please define the term Kedoshim in reference to the memory of the six million who died in the holocaust. Answer: Kedoshim means sanctified ones. Meaning that one who dies because he or she is Jewish is sanctified to an extremely…
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Yahrtzeit
My best friend’s mother passed away in June, 2007. I know there is some sort of tradition for the one year anniversary and I would like to honour my friend by doing something for her to let her know I…
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Mourning for Fallen Soldiers
When should the Goldwasser and Regev families sit shivah for their murdered son/brother/husband? It could be two years since their deaths, but it was only confirmed today… Answer: That is a good question, although it is tragic that it must…
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The Fate of a Suicide
Recently, a friend of mine committed suicide. Has he sealed his fate? What does Torah teach on this matter? Please be brutally honest. Answer: I’m afraid that I’m in no position to give you an complete description of the religious…
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Funeral in Synagogue
Is it permissible to conduct a funeral with a casket in an Orthodox synagogue? Answer: You would have to ask your local, Orthodox Rabbi about this question, because without his approval it would certainly not be possible. In general, only…
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References for Resurrection and Reincarnation
Where in the bible do you get indications that resurrection and reincarnation are possible? Answer: Thank you for your excellent question. Resurrection is one of the basic dogmas of Judaism. The concept is that, at the end of the end…