Mourning

Jewish customs and practices surrounding the death of an immediate family member – like burial and tearing one’s clothing – often have roots in biblical texts. Later Jewish works elaborate on how to act during different stages of mourning – before burial, the week following the burial, the month following death, and the year following death – and how practices may differ depending on the mourner's relationship to the deceased. Many Jewish mourning practices embody values such as honoring the dead and elevating their souls.