Saturday 23 March 2019

Thinking About Jewish Commitment Services

By Debra Hayes


Being a Jew is not as easy as it looks but it is something that most are proud of whether they do a little of what is required of them or a lot. It is a way of life that is governed by different bodies of Jewish commitment services. For instance, there are rules of governing bodies required when it comes to foodstuffs consumed and even procedures that must be followed when burying the dead.

There is something that affects the layperson when for example attending a funeral service. Firstly, one's head must be covered with a skullcap if man and a scarf or sheitel if one is a woman. This is a sign of respect and is there to remind the person that there is a higher power in this world that controls the flow of life and death.

Some go so far as to have milk products for instance, watched by qualified members of the community to ensure that the process from milking to production is adhered to strictly. This is known as Chalav Yisroel and is a very strict variation of kashrut or dietary laws. The cows are actually watched in the milking process to ensure that no other particles or even blood from a bleeding nipple enters the milk.

For instance, some Jews will wait up until six hours have passed before consuming milk products after meat has been eaten. It is a matter of custom too and there are some that only wait up to one hour. These laws were put in place to safeguard and ensure that the primary law was not broken and so rabbinic decrees where put into place over the millennia to ensure just this.

Another service that is provided for by the community is preparing the dead for burial. Here there are laws too that must be abided by, laws that have been handed down from generations up until today. The process of preparing the departed for burial is known as Taharah. Here too volunteers who have been taught what is required are called upon to prepare the body for burial.

This requires that the body be washed and then placed in clothe with is sewn closed. It is a big honour to do this, to ensure that the body is properly prepared for burial. It is something that is said will be rewarded in the afterlife as it is an honour to look after the body until it is laid to rest.

As mentioned there are even services that are called upon when needing to bury the dead. One can apply to do Taharah work at the cemetery which is a great service. This requires that the persons called upon to do this work must understand and know how to prepare the body for burial and how it must be washed.

Judaism is a very exact religion. There is much to learn and to understand. A bit at a time ensures that one understands what is required and how to put laws into practice.




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