Preparing a Jewish Body for Burial is called a Taharah

Preparing a Jewish Body for Burial is called a Taharah

There are three major stages to preparing the body for burial: washing (rechitzah), ritual purification (taharah), and dressing (halbashah). The term taharah is used to refer both to the overall process of burial preparation, and to the specific step of ritual purification.

The general sequence of steps for performing taharah is as follows. Blessings, prayers, and readings from Torah, Psalms and other Jewish scripture may be recited at several points:

  1. The body (guf) is uncovered. (It has been covered with a sheet awaiting taharah.)
  2. The body is washed carefully. As all blood must be buried along with the deceased, any open bleeding is stopped. The body is thoroughly cleaned of dirt, body fluids and solids, and anything else that may be on the skin. All jewellery is removed.
  3. The body is purified with water, either by immersion in a mikveh or by pouring a continuous stream in a prescribed manner.
  4. The body is dried (according to most customs).
  5. The body is dressed in traditional burial clothing (tachrichim). A sash (avnet) is wrapped around the clothing and tied in the form of the Hebrew letter "shin," representing one of the names of God.
  6. The coffin (aron) (if there is a coffin) is prepared by removing any linings or other embellishments. A winding sheet (sovev) is laid into the coffin. Outside the Land of Israel, if the person wore a prayer shawl (tallit) during their life, one is laid in the coffin for wrapping the body once it is placed there. One of the corner fringes (tzitzit) is removed from the shawl to signify that it will no longer be used for prayer in life and it also signifies that the person is absolved from having to keep any of the Mitzvot (Commandments) as written in the Torah.
  7. The body is then lifted into the coffin and wrapped in the prayer shawl and sheet. Soil from Israel (afar), if available, is placed over various parts of the body and sprinkled in the coffin.
  8. The coffin is closed.

Once the body is dressed, the coffin is sealed. Unlike other religions, in Judaism there is no viewing of the body and no "open casket" at the funeral, though the immediate family is allowed a visitation right prior to the coffin being sealed to pay their final respects. In Israel caskets are not used at all, with the exception of military and state funerals. The body is carried to the grave wrapped in a tallit.

Once the coffin is closed, the chevra then asks for forgiveness from the deceased for anything that they may have done to offend them or not show proper respect during the taharah. If the body is not taken immediately for burial, guards or watchers (shomrim) sit with the coffin until it is taken for burial. It is traditional to recite Psalms during this time.