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What is the Jewish View on Cremation?
Discuss (99)Question:
What is the Jewish view on cremation?
Answer:
Cremation has always been looked upon with horror by every sector of Jewish thought. The body is sacred, because it is the "temple of the soul" and because it is the medium by which we do goodness in this world.
Belief in the resurrection of the dead is counted by Maimonides as the thirteenth of the Thirteen Principles of the Faith. There is no rabbinic authority who does not consider this to be a fundamental belief. The Mishnah declares denial of this principle to be heresy. The reason is quite apparent: As Jews, we believe there is purpose to life, purpose to this world, purpose to the act of Creation. Therefore, anything that is used towards that purpose has a permanence -- and a sanctity.
Six million of our people were denied proper burial, most of them cremated. Should we willfully continue that which our enemies began?
By Tzvi Freeman
Rabbi Tzvi Freeman, a senior editor at Chabad.org, also heads our Ask The Rabbi team. He is the author of Bringing Heaven Down to Earth. To subscribe to regular updates of Rabbi Freeman's writing, visit Freeman Files subscription.
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Riverside, CA, USA
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Every Jewish body is precious to the entire Jewish People. Precious and holy, for all the mitzvahs it has done, and for the holy soul it has housed.
muskegon, mi
Camarillo
We do have a choice otherwise.... may it be God's way...
Ridgefield, WA/USA
What about someone who is burned in a house or drowns in the depths of an ocean? I feel that I've exhausted this topic and I'm through talking about it. I hope you all have a wonderful week and a heart filled with joy.
Hurst , TX
Ridgefield, WA/USA
Don't look at the English translations, read the Hebrew. The word used, in Hebrew, means the Earth. From earth you were made and to the earth you will return.... Dust is not mentioned. "
It does not make any difference.
In any language, it does NOT say "smoke".
Cremated bodies become almost all smoke.
Why not also say that ice cream, the planet Neptune, and how to complete an IRS tax returns are not mentioned? They have just as much to do with this as whether "dust" or "earth" or "ash" or "shredded newspaper" is the correct translation has to do with this (nothing). Either it says smoke, or it does not say smoke. And the English translations and the Hebrew original text agree on the only point that matters: It does not say "smoke".
Camarillo, CA
chabadcamarillo.com
We are responsible for our bodies alive or dead.....We can make a choice -- it is always best to follow what GOD has to say on any subject..
Ridgefield, WA/USA