- Burial 2
- Moshe Ben-Chaim
- I am doing a nursing course and have to find information on burial
ceremonies from different cultures. Could you please help me with some
information on Jewish ceremonies. Thank you.
Judaism doesn't partake of "ceremonies" in general, let
alone burial ceremonies. Burial is viewed by Judaism as the proper
honor due to a body which was joined with the essential element of
"man", namely, the soul. As the body functioned together
with the soul, we show respect to the true person, the soul, by
burying the body. Ornate caskets are not used, as this would elevate
the importance of the body, which now serves no purpose. Ancient
Egyptians would make the pyramids as conduits to the afterlife, and
stored all the pharaohs' treasures with him, as they felt incorrectly
and unsubstantiated that the pharaoh would "take it with
him" when he goes to the next world.
- However, based on a lecture by a Rabbi, he mentioned that Abraham
upon burying his wife, felt compelled to purchase the field from
Ephron the Hittite, (and did not accept Ephron's offer of the field as
a gift) as Abraham viewed death was a positive existence, and not the
mere removal of life. Abraham therefore desired to demonstrate this
positive most mortal existence through purchasing the field.
Demonstrating that this was not merely a removal of a corpse.
- Philosophers unanimously attest to the existence of the soul after
life, and state that this life should really be viewed as only an
entrance way to the "banquet hall" which is the Afterlife.