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What is the Jewish View on Cremation?


By Tzvi Freeman

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?
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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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Reader Comments
Latest Comments:
Posted: Nov 30, 2011
Re: What if you can't afford?
Barbara, you need to speak with your rabbi about this. Every Jewish community has a society to take care of burial of those who cannot afford--and they are supposed to do it in a discrete manner so that no one realizes or is embarrassed.

If you don't know which rabbi to turn to, please contact us through our "ask the rabbi" feature, and we'll do all we can to get you in contact with the right person.

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.
Posted By Rabbi Tzvi Freeman

Posted: Nov 27, 2011
creamation of a jewish woman
What if you can't afford to be buried and don't want to burden your children with the thought of not having enough money to cover the cost of burial.
Posted By barbara haywood, muskegon, mi

Posted: Oct 27, 2011
At Stephen Weinstein
You say all that matters is that it does not say smoke. But while it does not say you should cremate, it also does not say you shouldn't be cremated. But even if the body does become mostly smoke, and even if that smoke remains in the atmosphere for a while before finally coming back down to earth (gravity!) it will eventually become part of the earth again. Perhaps even faster than if a person was buried, especially in a coffin, as it wouldn't take the body as long to break down and become part of the earth again. We would all become part of the earth sooner or later, cremated or buried. So what is the problem with cremation?
Posted By Caitlin, Camarillo

Posted: Oct 24, 2010
Ball in my court
In the case of a house fire or drowning in the ocean- we have no choice...
We do have a choice otherwise.... may it be God's way...
Posted By Michael Dineen, Ridgefield, WA/USA

Posted: Oct 23, 2010
Yada, yada
Mary, Oregon is indeed beautiful. I've spent many a day at Multnomah falls. I got to spend some time behind the falls before the area wasw put off limits.
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.
Posted By Beverly Kurtin, Hurst , TX

Posted: Oct 12, 2010
To Michael Dineen
Thank you for your post. Yes, it is always best to follow GOD. BTW, I live in Oregon. Beautiful area we live in, eh? Bless you.
Posted By Mary Beth Johnson

Posted: Oct 11, 2010
COMPLETE JEWISH BIBLE
B'reishit Chap. 2:7 -- G-d made Adam out of adamah = dust
Posted By Michael N Dineen, Ridgefield, WA/USA

Posted: Oct 11, 2010
Read ANY language you want--It does NOT say SMOKE
Beverly wrote: "READ HEBREW, NOT ENGLISH
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".
Posted By Stephen Weinstein, Camarillo, CA
via chabadcamarillo.com

Posted: Oct 11, 2010
To Mary Beth
Thanks for not believing in cremation anymore --Very wise choice...... The bones are very important to our GOD---Nowhere in the Hebrew Bible will you find the word cremation..
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..
Posted By Michael N Dineen, Ridgefield, WA/USA

Posted: Oct 9, 2010
cremation
First of all, I'm not Jewish that I know of, but I love Israel and G-d's chosen people. As far as cremation goes, at one time I would have chosen that, but not any more. I read somewhere that the bones of the dead are important. Can you explain why? Thank you.
Posted By Mary Beth Johnson, Medford, USA



 


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