LESSON 2

THE BURIAL IS JUST

THE BEGINNING

by Rabbi Lazer Gurkow

GLOSSARY

PROFILE

A brief biographical account of the author

noted in the body text

E XO R D I U M

A brief characterization of the noted book

THE SACRED SEND-OFF | LESSON 2

TEXT 1

All who tend to a corpse must be ‫ּכָ ל ִמ ְת ַע ֵּסק ְּב ֵמת צָ ִריְך לָ ַדעַ ת ֶׁשּיֵ ׁש לֹו‬
aware that they are handling a ‫ ּגּופֹו ֶׁשל ָא ָדם הּוא‬:‫עֵ ֶסק עִ ם ָד ָבר ָקדֹוׁש‬
holy entity. A human body is more ‫דּוּׁשה ֶׁש ִׁש ֵמׁש לַ ּנְ ָׁש ָמה‬
ָ ‫ל ֹא ַרק נַ ְר ֵּתיק ֶׁשל ְק‬
Gesher Hachayim than simply a sheath to a sacred ‫ ֶאּלָ א ֶׁשהּוא עַ צְ מֹו נִ ְת ַק ֵּדׁש ּגַ ם‬,‫ָהעִ יּלָ ִאית‬
Rabbi Yechiel Michel Tucazinsky entity, a tool that serves a supernal .‫ּתֹורה‬
ָ ‫דֹומה לְ ֵס ֶפר‬ ֶ ‫ ְּב‬,‫דּוּׁשה עַ צְ ִמית‬
ָ ‫ִּב ְק‬
was born in 1871 in Belarus. He soul. Rather, it has itself become
was a halachic scholar and author sanctified with an independent ‫א‬:‫גשר החיים ה‬
who served as rosh yeshiva of the
holiness similar to a Torah scroll.
Etz Chaim Yeshiva in Jerusalem.
He is best known for his work on Gesher Hachayim 5:1
the laws of mourning, Gesher
HaChaim.

TEXT 2
Notes

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We maintain a watch over the dead ‫ ֶׁש ִאם‬.‫ ִמּׁשּום ּכְ בֹודֹו‬. . . ‫ְׁש ִמ ַירת ַה ֵּמת ִהיא‬
. . . out of respect. For if we were ‫יַ נִ יחּוהּו לְ ַבדֹו ֲה ֵרי זֶ ה ּכְ ִאּלּו עַ זָבּוהּו ּכִ כְ לִ י ֵאין‬
to leave the body alone, it would .‫ֵח ֶפץ עֹוד ּבֹו‬
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appear as if we abandoned it like a
utensil that we no longer desire. ‫ד‬:‫גשר החיים ה‬
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Gesher Hachayim 5:4

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TEXT 3

1. These are the customs observed .‫בּורה ּכָ ְך הּוא‬ ָ ‫ ִמּנְ ַהג יִ ְׂש ָר ֵאל ְּב ֵמ ִתים ִּוב ְק‬.‫א‬
by the Jewish people with regard ‫ וְ ִאם נִ ְפ ַּתח ִּפיו‬.‫ְמ ַא ְּמצִ ין ֵעינָ יו ֶׁשל ֵמת‬
to corpses and burial. We close the ‫ּופֹוק ִקין ֶאת נְ ָק ָביו ַא ַחר‬ ְ .‫קֹוׁש ִרין ֶאת לְ ָחיָ יו‬ ְ
Maimonides eyes of the deceased. If one's mouth .‫ וְ ָסכִ ין אֹותֹו ְּב ִמינֵ י ְּב ָׂש ִמים‬.‫ֶׁש ְּמ ִד ִיחין אֹותֹו‬
Rabbeinu Moses ben Maimon, hangs open, we tie the jaw closed. ‫יׁשין אֹותֹו ַּתכְ ִריכִ ין‬ ִ ‫ּומלְ ִּב‬
ַ .‫וְ גֹוזְ זִ ין ְׂשעָ רֹו‬
commonly referred to by his After washing the corpse, we stuff
acronym Ramba”m, was one of
‫ וְ ל ֹא יִ ְהיּו‬.‫פּורין ְּבחּוט ֶׁשל ִּפ ְׁש ָּתן לְ ָבנִ ים‬ ִ ‫ְּת‬
closed the orifices, anoint it with
the most prolific and influential ‫סּודר ְׁשוֵ ה‬ ָ ‫ וְ נָ ֲהגּו ֲחכָ ִמים ְּב‬.‫ְּד ֵמ ֶיהן יְ ָק ִרים‬
different fragrances, cut its hair,
Torah scholars of the Middle Ages.
and dress it in shrouds of white ‫ּומכַ ִּסין‬
ְ .‫זּוז ֶׁשּל ֹא לְ ַבּיֵ ׁש ֶאת ִמי ֶׁש ֵאין לֹו‬
Born in 1135 in Cordoba, Spain,
linen which are not expensive. ‫ְּפנֵ י ַה ֵּמת ֶׁשּל ֹא לְ ַבּיֵ ׁש ֶאת ָהעֲ נִ ּיִ ים ֶׁש ְּפנֵ ֶיהם‬
the Rambam worked as a rabbi,
physician and philosopher in Fez, Our Sages followed the custom of :‫ֻמ ְׁש ָח ִרין ָּב ָרעָ ב‬
Morocco and later in Fustat, Egypt. using a cloak worth a zuz, so as not ‫ וְ ָאסּור לִ ְקּבֹר ְּב ַתכְ ִריכִ ין ֶׁשל ֶמ ִׁשי ְּובגָ ִדים‬.‫ב‬
Maimonides is known for his major to embarrass a person who lacks
halachic works, such as the Sefer .‫קּומין ֲא ִפּלּו לְ נָ ִׂשיא ֶׁש ְּביִ ְׂש ָר ֵאל‬
ִ ‫ַה ֻּמזְ ָה ִבין ָה ְר‬
resources. We cover the faces of the
Hamitzvot and Mishneh Torah, .‫ּומעֲ ֵׂשה עַ ּכּו''ם‬ ַ ‫רּוח וְ ַה ְׁש ָח ָתה‬ַ ‫ֶׁשּזֶ הּו ּגַ ּסּות ָה‬
as well as for his Commentary on deceased so as not to embarrass
‫סֹובלִ ין ֶאת ַה ֵּמת ַעל ַהּכָ ֵתף ַעד ֵּבית‬ ְ ְ‫ו‬
the Mishnah. Another significant the poor whose faces turned black
text of the Rambam is the Guide because of hunger.
:‫ַה ְּק ָברֹות‬
for the Perplexed, which seeks to ‫ ֵאין ַמ ְׁש ִהין ֶאת ַה ֵּמת ֶאּלָ א ַמ ְד ִחין ִמ ָּטתֹו‬.‫ז‬
reconcile Aristotelian metaphysics 2. It is forbidden to bury the dead,
with that of the Torah. even a nasi among the Jewish .‫ִמּיָ ד‬
people, in silk shrouds or clothes ‫רמב"ם הלכות אבל פרק ד‬
embroidered with gold, for this is
an expression of haughtiness, the
destruction of useful property, and
the emulation of gentile practices.
Notes
7. We do not delay the burial of the
_____________________________________________ dead. Instead, we hurry to bury him
immediately.
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Maimonides Laws of Ave chapter 4

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TEXT 4

_____________________________________________ If, however, he directed that he ‫ׁשֹומ ִעין לֹו‬

ְ ‫ ֲא ָבל ִאם צִ ּוָ ה ֶׁשּל ֹא יִ ָּק ֵבר ֵאין‬.‫א‬
not be buried, we do not heed )‫בּורה ִמצְ וָ ה ֶׁשּנֶ ֱא ַמר (דברים כא כג‬ ָ ‫ֶׁש ַה ְּק‬
_____________________________________________ him for burial is a mitzvah, as ."‫"ּכִ י ָקבֹור ִּת ְק ְּב ֶרּנּו‬
Deuteronomy 21:22 states: "And
_____________________________________________ you shall certainly bury him." ‫רמב"ם הלכות אבל פרק י"ב‬

Maimonides Laws of Ave chapter 12

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TEXT 5
Notes

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If, however, he directed that he ‫ׁשֹומ ִעין לֹו‬
ְ ‫ ֲא ָבל ִאם צִ ּוָ ה ֶׁשּל ֹא יִ ָּק ֵבר ֵאין‬.‫א‬
not be buried, we do not heed )‫בּורה ִמצְ וָ ה ֶׁשּנֶ ֱא ַמר (דברים כא כג‬ ָ ‫ֶׁש ַה ְּק‬
him for burial is a mitzvah, as ."‫"ּכִ י ָקבֹור ִּת ְק ְּב ֶרּנּו‬
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Deuteronomy 21:22 states: "And
you shall certainly bury him." ‫רמב"ם הלכות אבל פרק י"ב‬
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Maimonides Laws of Ave chapter 12

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TEXT 6
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“For dust you are, and to dust ‫אׁשית‬ ִ ‫(ּב ֵר‬

ְ "‫"ּכִ י ָע ָפר ַא ָּתה וְ ֶאל ָע ָפר ָּתׁשּוב‬
_____________________________________________ you will return” (Genesis 3:19). ‫ וְ ֶד ֶרְך‬,‫ ּכִ י גּוף ָה ָא ָדם ִמן ֶהעָ ָפר ָהיָ ה‬.)‫יט‬, ‫ג‬
Man’s body comes from the earth ‫ ּוכְ ֶׁש ֵּמת צָ ִריְך‬.‫הּופ ַקד ְּביַ ד ָה ָא ָדם‬
ְ ‫ִּפ ָקדֹון‬
_____________________________________________ and is left with him as a deposit. ‫לּוקח‬ַ ‫לְ ַה ְחזִ יר ַה ִּפ ָקדֹון ֶאל ֶה ָע ָפר ֲא ֶׁשר ִמ ֶמנּו‬
Upon death, the deposit must be .‫קֹוברֹו‬
ְ ְ‫ּול‬
_____________________________________________ returned to the earth from where
it came. '‫הרב חיים ויטאל עץ הדעת שנח‬
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Rabbi Chaim Vital, Ets Hada’at Tov 358

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“And the dust shall return to the '‫" ר' חלקי‬,'‫"וישוב העפר על הארץ כשהי‬
ground as it was.” “Rabbi Chilkiah ‫אימתי תשוב‬, ,‫ פנחס בשם ר' סימון‬,'‫ור‬
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and Rabbi Pinchas said in the name ‫הרוח אל האלה'? כשישוב העפר על‬
of Rabbi Simon: When will the ".'‫הארץ כשהי‬
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spirit return to G-d? When the dust
returns to the ground as it was. ‫ילקוט שמעוני קהלת תתקפט‬
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Yalkut Shimoni Koheles 989

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THE SACRED SEND-OFF | LESSON 2

TEXT 8
Notes

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11. When a person commits suicide, ‫ ַה ְמ ַא ֵּבד ַעצְ מֹו לָ ַד ַעת ֵאין ִמ ְת ַע ְּס ִקין ִעּמֹו‬.‫יא‬
we do not engage in activity on ‫לְ כָ ל ָּד ָבר וְ ֵאין ִמ ְת ַא ְּבלִ ין עָ לָ יו וְ ֵאין ַמ ְס ִּפ ִידין‬
their behalf at all. We do not mourn ‫אֹומ ִרין‬
ְ ְ‫ׁשּורה ו‬ ָ ‫עֹומ ִדין עָ לָ יו ְּב‬ ְ ‫ ֲא ָבל‬.‫אֹותֹו‬
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for him or eulogize him. We do, ‫עָ לָ יו ִּב ְרּכַ ת ֲא ֵבלִ ים וְ כָ ל ָּד ָבר ֶׁשהּוא ּכָ בֹוד‬
however, stand in a line to comfort
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‫ ל ֹא‬.‫ וְ ֵאי זֶ הּו ַה ְמ ַא ֵּבד ַעצְ מֹו לָ ַד ַעת‬.‫לַ ַחּיִ ים‬
the relatives, recite the blessing for
‫אֹומר ֲה ֵרינִ י‬ֵ ‫ּומת ֶאּלָ א ָה‬ ֵ ‫ֶׁש ָעלָ ה לַ ּגַ ג וְ נָ ַפל‬
the mourners and perform any act
_____________________________________________ ‫ ָראּוהּו ֶׁשעָ לָ ה ִמּיָ ד‬.‫עֹולֶ ה לְ רֹאׁש ַהּגַ ג‬
that shows respect for the living.
‫ ֲה ֵרי‬.‫ּומת‬ ֵ ‫ֶּד ֶרְך ּכַ עַ ס אֹו ֶׁש ָהיָ ה ֵמצֵ ר וְ נָ ַפל‬
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What is meant by a person who ‫ ֲא ָבל ִאם‬.‫זֶ ה ְּב ֶחזְ ַקת ֶׁש ִא ֵּבד עַ צְ מֹו לָ ַדעַ ת‬
commits suicide? Not necessarily ‫ּומ ְׁשלָ ְך‬
ֻ ‫ָראּוהּו ָחנּוק וְ ָתלּוי ָּב ִאילָ ן אֹו ָהרּוג‬
one who climbs up on a roof, falls,
_____________________________________________ ‫עַ ל ּגַ ב ֵסיפֹו ֲה ֵרי זֶ ה ְּב ֶחזְ ַקת ּכָ ל ַה ֵּמ ִתים‬
and dies, but rather, one who
:‫ּומ ְתעַ ְּס ִקין עִ ּמֹו וְ ֵאין מֹונְ עִ ין ִמ ֶּמּנּו ָּד ָבר‬ ִ
says: "I am going up to the top of
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the roof." If we see him climb up ‫רמב"ם הלכות אבל פרק א‬
immediately in anger or know that
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he was distressed and see him fall
and die, we presume such a person
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is one who committed suicide. If,
however, we see him strangled and
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hanging from a tree or slain and
lying on the back of his sword, we
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presume that he is like all other
corpses. We engage in activity on
_____________________________________________ his behalf and do not withhold
anything from him.
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Maimonides Laws of Ave chapter 1

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