Chevra kadisha
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{{main|Bereavement in Judaism}}
A '''''chevra kadisha''''' ([[Aramaic language|Aramaic]]: חברה קדישא, "holy society") is a loosely structured but generally closed organization of [[Jewish]] men and women who see to it that the bodies of Jews are prepared for burial according to ''[[Halacha]]'' (Jewish law) and are protected from desecration, willful or not, until [[burial]]. Two of the main requirements are the showing of proper respect for a corpse, and the ritual cleansing of the body and subsequent dressing for burial.
The task of the ''chevra kadisha'' is considered a laudable one, as tending to the dead is a favour that the recipient cannot return, making it devoid of ulterior motives. Its work is therefore referred to as a ''chesed shel emet'' (a good deed of truth), paraphrased from {{bibleverse|Genesis||47:29|HE}} (where Jacob asks his son Joseph, "do me a 'true' favor" and Joseph promises his father to bury him in the [[Land of Israel]]).
At the heart of the society's function is the ritual of ''[[Bereavement_in_Judaism#Preparing the body -- Taharah|tahara]]'', or purification. The body is first thoroughly cleansed of dirt, body fluids and solids, and anything else that may be on the skin, and then it is ritually purified by immersion in, or a continuous flow of, water from the head over the entire body. ''Tahara'' may refer to either the entire process, or to the ritual purification. Once the body is purified, the body is dressed in ''[[tachrichim]]'', or shrouds, of white pure cotton garments made up of ten pieces for a male and twelve for a female, which are identical for each Jew and which symbolically recalls the garments worn by the [[Kohen Gadol]] (High Priest). Once the body is dressed, the casket is sealed. When being buried in Israel, however, a casket is not used.
The society may also provide ''shomrim'', or watchers, to guard the body from theft until burial (although in some communities this is done by people close to the departed). At one time, the danger of theft of the body was very real, now it has become a way of honoring the deceased.
A specific task for the burial society is tending to the dead who have no immediate next-of-kin. These are termed a ''meit mitzvah'' (a [[mitzvah]] corpse), as tending to a ''meit mitzvah'' overrides virtually any other positive commandment ''(mitzvot aseh)'' of Torah law.
Many burial societies hold one or two annual fast days and organise regular study sessions to remain up-to-date with the relevant articles of Jewish law. In addition, most burial societies also support families during the ''[[shiv'ah]]'' (traditional week of mourning) by arranging [[Jewish services|prayer services]], meals and other facilities.
While burial societies were, in Europe, generally a community function, in America it has become far more common for societies to be organized by each synagogue. However, not every synagogue has such a society.
==See also==
* [[ZAKA]]
* [[Hebrew Free Burial Association]]
==Further reading==
* ''Chesed Shel Emet: The Truest Act of Kindness'', Rabbi Stuart Kelman, October, 2000, [http://www.ekspublishing.com/tw000.html EKS Publishing Co.], ISBN 0-939144-33-6.
==External links==
*[http://www.Jewish-funerals.org Jewish Funerals Burial and Mourning]
*[http://www.myjewishlearning.com/lifecycle/Death/Practical_Aspects_Death/Why_I_Joined_a_HK.htm Why I joined our Chevra Kaddisha]
{{Jewish life}}
[[Category:Bereavement in Judaism]]
[[Category:Aramaic words and phrases]]
[[Category:Jewish communal organizations]]
[[Category:Jewish religious occupations]]
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[[he:חברה קדישא]]
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[[yi:חברה קדישא]]