Grieving And Using A Rabbi Funeral

By William Stewart


In Judaism there are set laws regarding mourning and burying the dead. A Rabbi funeral requires a qualified Rabbi to officiate when burying someone of this religion. It is a sad time when losing a loved one or close friend and it is believed and practiced that the sooner the burial takes place the better.

This is why Jews bury their dead very quickly so as not to cause more anguish than necessary to those left behind. Sometimes delays do happen especially should family members and close friends having to fly in for the ceremony. It is best to consult a Rabbi should this be the case so that he can advise on what is permissible in Jewish Law and what is not.

This is the crux of Judaism in that mitzvot need to be done in this world in order gain a closer relationship with the Creator. It is about separating the holy from the unholy or elevating the mundane for that matter to higher end. This is why religious Jews say blessings for almost about anything and this is also the reason why these are said before partaking of any food.

Losing someone close is never easy even though it is understood by many that the soul continues its journey in the next life wherever that may be. It is just the shell of the body that is left behind but it is believed that the soul goes to Gan Eden or the Garden of Eden or paradise should it have done good on earth as opposed to going to a place of shame if the opposite is true. It is believed also in Judaism that when the task of a person is complete then God collects the soul and brings it to himself for a review on the life spent on earth.

It is the soul that continues its journey into the next world after its work is done in this one. This is spoken about often even in non Jewish circles especially for those who have had NDE experiences. Near death experiences are common in the world and one should take comfort in this that the soul has gone on to a better life after doing good in this one.

Apart from this doing all one can to do what is prescribed by Jewish Law helps one to mourn and to overcome the grief that is felt. Sometimes it takes longer to get over the death of a loved one and this is understandable as it leaves one with a gaping hole that is difficult to get over. But with time things do get easier and one eventually learns to live with it.

A person must allow time to grieve. Rather than believe everything is okay one should be kind to oneself and allow one to feel the loss. It is best to talk about it and this is especially so for younger children.

It is a difficult time. One that is fulfilling if one knows one is doing it the right way. It is best to consult with a Rabbi if a mourner does not know what to do.




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