The flow of events around death generally follows this general path in the Jewish world:
- Making arrangements for a pending death
- Illness or injury
- Dying and death
- Between death and burial
- Preparation of the body for burial
- Funeral and burial
- Mourning
There are local customs and many variations of the above, of course, depending on circumstances. In order to present what is traditionally done for a Jewish death, the following topics are included in the Hineni tool, listed in approximate chronological order of need based on the above progression.
Big picture and making plans for death:
Jewish Death Practices – an overview, the big picture
Preplanning for Death – an overview of what’s involved in thinking ahead about death
Approaching death:
Bikur Cholim – visiting those who are ill: comforting the sick and dying
Vidui – deathbed confession: who it’s for, what’s it about
Between death and burial:
Shmirah – comforting the soul between death and burial: how it’s done, who it’s for
Taharah – respectful preparation of the body for burial: what’s involved in this
Caskets and Garments – what is traditionally used for Jewish burial and why
Funeral, burial, and mourning:
Kriah – the tearing of garments as a sign of grief: how this is done today
Jewish Funeral – what is involved today
Jewish Mourning – big picture overview of Jewish mourning practices
Burial and Disposition – choices in today’s world and traditional Jewish practices
Jewish Cemetery – what makes a cemetery Jewish, why it matters
Important related topics:
Afterlife in Judaism – traditional views of the afterlife and how this is reflected in our rituals
Chevrah Kadisha – what this organization is and how it is involved in Jewish death practices