Originating out of a superstition in the early post-Talmudic period, the ritual of washing one's hands after being at the cemetery was done to dispel the evil demons that might have attached themselves there. Another explanation is to cleanse oneself of the ritual impurity of being in contact with the dead in any way.
WHY DO WE WASH OUR HANDS AFTER THE FUNERAL AT THE CEMETERY AND LATER AT THE MOURNER'S HOUSE? This is a symbolic, ancient custom of purification, performed after contact with the dead. It's intended to turn the attention back to the living and the value and dignity of life.
Water flowing over hands represented a symbolic cleansing, or ablution. According to the Bible, Pontius Pilate washed his hands with water not to clean them of Christ's actual blood but to wash away symbolically the sins that the blood signified.
In Judaism, ritual washing, or ablution, takes two main forms. Tevilah (טְבִילָה) is a full body immersion in a mikveh, and netilat yadayim is the washing of the hands with a cup (see Handwashing in Judaism).
Burial is considered to allow the body to decompose naturally, therefore embalming is forbidden. Burial is intended to take place in as short an interval of time after death as possible. Displaying of the body prior to burial does not take place.
A 1986 report by the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards states that cremation is against Jewish tradition and should be advised so by the Rabbi. The report goes on to say that if your family ignores the Rabbi's advice, the Rabbi may still choose to officiate the service at a funeral parlor before the cremation.
They wash the body with warm water from head to foot and, although they may turn the body as necessary to clean it entirely, including all orifices, they never place it face down. The body is dressed in white burial shrouds (tachrichim), which are purposely kept simple to avoid distinguishing between rich or poor.
Food that is not allowed is called treif. Examples include shellfish, pork products and food that has not been slaughtered in the correct way, known as shechitah . Animals must have their throats cut with a sharp knife by a shochet , a person trained to slaughter animals in a kosher way.
A person of Muslim faith is supposed to perform a ritual washing of their bodies before praying to get rid of these minor impurities. Wudu is to be performed, as was done by the Prophet Muhammad, in a specific order before praying, which takes place five times a day.
On Shabbat, some people wash their hands before blessing and eating the challah. This ritual can be traced back to ancient times when the priests lived off of donations from farmers.
An example of OCD could be someone who has anxiety about germs. They might think their hands are never clean. They stand in front of the sink and wash their hands over and over. Often, someone with OCD will have a special number. If a person's “number” is seven, they would wash their hands seven times, every time.
All those who attended the funeral should wash their hands ritually, once outside the cemetery area. Take a large cup of water in the left hand, pour it over the entire right hand, covering up to the wrist. Take the cup in the right hand, and pour it over the entire left hand, covering up to the wrist.
Carrying a coffin with the feet first helps keep it balanced and also means the deceased is being handled with great care. The funeral director will provide instructions on how to take the coffin.
The Embalming Process, Step by Step
Before the embalming begins, the body is washed in a disinfectant solution. Limbs are massaged to relieve the stiffening of the joints and muscles. Any necessary shaving would also take place at this time.
Christianity strongly affected the development of holy wells in Europe and the Middle East, and its water are known for its healing properties. The use of water in many Christian countries is due in part to the biblical toilet etiquette which encourages washing after all instances of defecation.
Since the 7th century, Islam has always placed a strong emphasis on hygiene. Other than the need to be ritually clean in time for the daily prayer through Wudu and Ghusl, there are a large number of other hygiene-related rules governing the lives of Muslims.
According to the Bible, a woman who is menstruating or who has pathological vaginal bleeding is unclean. Anybody who touches such a woman's bed or her personal things is also regarded as unclean and should therefore, wash carefully.
The Torah forbids the cooking and consumption of any milk with any meat to prevent one from cooking a kid in its mother's milk. According to Kabbalah, meat represents gevurah (the Divine attribute of Judgment) and milk represents chesed (the Divine attribute of Kindness).
Prohibition in Jewish law
The Torah (Pentateuch) contains passages in Leviticus that list the animals people are permitted to eat. According to Leviticus 11:3, animals like cows, sheep, and deer that have divided hooves and chew their cud may be consumed. Pigs should not be eaten because they don't chew their cud.
Jewish tradition permits controlled alcohol drinking, whereas Muslim tradition prohibits the use of any alcohol.
At this time, individuals are instructed to focus on grief and mourning rather than themselves. In order to prevent selfish thoughts, all mirrors are covered within the homes of mourners.
Judaism teaches that honor, respect and caring for a person who has died is one of the greatest mitzvot (commandments). It is Jewish practice to bury the deceased as quickly as possible to provide comfort for their soul and expedite the person's journey to the Next World.
Open-casket funerals or any display of the deceased is forbidden and seen as a violation of the deceased's dignity and privacy. According to Chabad.org, Jewish tradition states that, if possible, only fellow Jews should handle the body of a deceased Jew, carry the casket, and lower it into the earth.