Shiv'a
The Shiv'a ( Hebrew שבעה from שבע = “seven”) is the time of mourning in Judaism in the first week immediately after the funeral of parents, spouses, siblings or a child (cf. Gen 50,10 EU ), the for the bereaved after the funeral begins.
The mourners stay at home for a week. Relatives, friends and acquaintances do not leave them alone in their pain, but rather assure them love, support and attention, take care of their needs and comfort them. The Shiv'a begins with eating a chicken egg that has previously been sprinkled with ashes. The ashes are a sign of mourning. There is a service in the mourning house in the morning and in the evening. The mourners then speak the kaddish . The kaddish is the prayer of "sanctification of God". This prayer has nothing to do with the death and during the service of prayer leader presented. During the week of mourning, those praying praise and profess God.
The mourners should feel that they are not alone, which is why visits to mourning are desired. Relatives and friends bring them food and drink. On the Sabbath , the mourners take part in the service. The soul light (a small lamp) burns in the mourning house and is supposed to remind of the deceased person. In Israel, the tombstone ( Mazewa ) is consecrated on the thirtieth day, in other countries this usually takes a year.
At the Shiv'a there is no work for seven days, you are not allowed to wear leather shoes or change. One crouches on the ground or sits on low chairs ( ski seats ; cf. Schulchan Aruch , Jore Dea 380).
literature
- Article Mourning, Trauergebräuche , in: Jüdisches Lexikon , Berlin 1927, Volume IV / 2
