Burial & Mourning
Funeral Service
On days when the supplicatory prayers (תחנונים) are said, it is customary to make seven circuits around the bier of a man in the mortuary hall. With each circuit one verse is chanted. On all other days, and in the case of women, this is omitted.
The verses for the seven circuits:
01_p197c_Vetamid_Yithalekh.mp3 (the first half of the first verse - Rakhem_Na_Alav - is missing in this recording)
02_p197d_Hanun_Berov_Rahamav.mp3
05_p198c_Nishmatkha_Telekh.mp3
Before the body is removed from the mortuary Psalm 16 is said on all days, and for both men and women.
The body is then taken to the cemetery. Before entering, the following blessing is said.
11_p199b_Barukh_Mehaye_Ametim.mp3
As the body is lowered into the grave, the Psalm 91 is recited.
After the burial, and before re-entering the hall, the hands are washed and the following is said.
On days when the supplicatory prayers (תחנונים) are said, the following (known as "Tziduk Hadin") is said at this juncture.
Hashkaba for a man
For a distinguished rabbi, start here:
For a distinguished lay member of the community, start here:
21_p200h_Tov_Shem_Mi_Shemen.mp3
For most men, start here:
Hashkaba for a woman
For a married woman:
For a single woman the words "Eshet hayil..." are replaced with "Rabot banot...", as printed in the prayer book.
Hashkaba for a child
37_p203e_HaKel_Av_HaRahaman.mp3
After the appropriate Hashkaba has been recited, the following is said to the mourners:
The mourners then say a special version of Kaddish that is said only on this occasion:
26_p201d_Kaddish_at_Burial.mp3
A general Hashkaba is then said for all those buried in the cemetery.
32_p203b_General_Hashkavah.mp3
Any other mourners or relatives of people buried in the cemetery, join with the new mourners in reciting the regular Mourners' Kaddish, which concludes the burial service..
Grace After Meals for mourners
On their return home from the cemetery, the mourners are given a meal of bread, a hard-boiled egg and something to drink. If there are three, they begin Grace After Meals with the following special Zimun:
Grace After Meals
Evening Service in a house of mourning
50_p205a_Uteshuat_Tsadikim.mp3
Arbit is said in the usual way.
After Arbit it is customary to add the following:
Ps. 119 has a 22 paragraphs, in each of which all the verses begin with a particular letter of the Hebrew alphabet. At this point the paragraphs whose initial letters make up the name of the deceased are customarily read. In the example below, the paragraphs for Yossef (Yod-Vav-Samekh-Peh) are given.
58_p205i_Uteshuat_Tsadikim.mp3
Kaddish is then said by the mourners, concluding the service.
Prayers at a tombstone setting
On entering the cemetery:
61_p208b_Barukh_Mehaye_Ametim.mp3
66_p208g_Uteshuat_Tsadikim.mp3
Mourners Kaddish is then said by the mourners
Kaddish Derabanan is said.
"Tzidduk Hadin" is said:
The service concludes with the reading of the tombstone inscription.