Funeral Ceremony
About This Entry
Josephus describes the proper proceedings for a funeral ceremony, which includes burial, a mourning procession, and subsequent purification. Shortly after these instructions, he mentions the general practice of never leaving a corpse unburied even if found on the road or in the company of one’s foes.
Our divine law has also provided for the decent burial of the dead, without extravagant burial rites or the building of illustrious monuments. Rather, it enjoined that the funeral arrangements be performed by the nearest relative, and it regulated that all who pass by when a person is being buried should accompany the funeral and join in the lamentation. It further ordains that the house and its residents be purified following the funeral rites, in order that anyone who has committed murder might be kept at a great distance from the appearance of being pure.
Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 2: Emerging Judaism.
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Proper Size for a Tomb
Laboring for the Dead
m. Mo‘ed Katan 1:5–6
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m. Mo‘ed Katan 3:7–9