<div dir="ltr"><div><div><div>As someone who is a member of a chevrah kaddisha, I will tell you that each chevra has their own minhagim and what they will and will not allow. I have seen requests for various things to be buried with or on the niftar including chumash, siddur, tehillim, flashlight, pictures,stuffed animal, jewelry. We let the officiating Rabbi handle these requests aside from seforim. Seforim we will bury with the niftar.<br>
</div><br>I find the story about Mr. Reichman very strange. Some items to ponder. Two wills to be read a month apart can/will create all sorts of problems<br></div> with paying debts, business decisions, family dynamics, etc. in a timley manner. What beis din is hearing a case, making a decision and not delaying a funeral, all on the same day. The decision is given by the "great rav", no name.<br>
<br></div>Saul<br><div><br><br></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sat, Feb 1, 2014 at 10:37 PM, Kenneth Miller <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:kennethgmiller@juno.com" target="_blank">kennethgmiller@juno.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">I had always thought that a Jew is buried with nothing other than a very limited number of objects prescribed specifically by halacha and minhag: tachrichim, a pasul talis for a man, soil from Eretz Yisrael, and perhaps others that I'm not aware of. But personal possessions are not included. "Tou can't take it with you," they say - nothing accompanies the niftar but his/her mitzvos, maasim tovim, Torah learning, and similar "things".<br>
<br>
This idea has been emphasized in recent years by a story of the philanthopist Edward Reichman, who instructed his children that he be buried with a certain pair of socks. The Chevra Kadisha refused to allow this, and if the story isn't familiar, you can read it at <a href="http://www.torah.org/learning/dvartorah/5771/behar.html" target="_blank">http://www.torah.org/learning/dvartorah/5771/behar.html</a><br>
<br>
But this Shabbos I read two different articles which suggest otherwise.<br>
<br>
The Inyan Magazine (of the Hamodia newspaper USA edition) has a story on page 10 about a frum restaurant owner in early 1900s New York:<br>
<br>
The business was first and foremost a chessed opportunity, and<br>
second, a livelihood. Newly arrived Yidden were never charged until<br>
they became somewhat established. He maintained an accurate record<br>
of the thousands of unpaid bills, telling his children that he<br>
wanted to be buried with that list. "Dus iz mahn shlissel tsu<br>
Ganeid'n - This is my key to Gan Eden."<br>
<br>
Similarly, Rav Frand (<a href="http://www.torah.org/learning/ravfrand/5763/terumah.html" target="_blank">http://www.torah.org/learning/ravfrand/5763/terumah.html</a>) wrote:<br>
<br>
Rabbeinu Bechaye adds that it was the custom of pious people in<br>
France to use the wood of their dining room table as building<br>
materials for their own coffins. Imagine -- being buried in one's<br>
dining room table! Why? The purpose was to teach them that they<br>
would not take a dime with them. Nothing will escort us to the next<br>
world except the charity that we gave during our life and the<br>
kindness that we showed towards others around our table.<br>
<br>
This seems to have been an accepted custom in Europe. People wanted<br>
to take an item with them which would argue on their behalf as they<br>
approached the Heavenly Court. I once heard from Rav Pam, that the<br>
honest tailors in Europe used to request that they be buried with<br>
the yardstick by which they measured material. The way to 'cheat'<br>
in the tailoring business 200 years ago in Europe was for the<br>
tailor to take as much material for himself as he could get away<br>
with (from the material that their customers would bring to them to<br>
make clothing). The honest tailors, who never used the yardstick to<br>
cheat customers, asked that the yardstick be included in the coffin<br>
with them -- as a critical defense attorney on their behalf, when<br>
they faced their final Judgment.<br>
<br>
So... Would it really have been wrong to let Mr. Reichman bring along his socks? Or some other piece of evidence to show to the Beis Din Shel Maalah?<br>
<br>
Akiva Miller<br>
____________________________________________________________<br>
Do THIS before eating carbs (every time)<br>
1 EASY tip to increase fat-burning, lower blood sugar & decrease fat storage<br>
<a href="http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3131/52edbda26976d3da24952st01vuc" target="_blank">http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3131/52edbda26976d3da24952st01vuc</a><br>
_______________________________________________<br>
Avodah mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:Avodah@lists.aishdas.org">Avodah@lists.aishdas.org</a><br>
<a href="http://lists.aishdas.org/listinfo.cgi/avodah-aishdas.org" target="_blank">http://lists.aishdas.org/listinfo.cgi/avodah-aishdas.org</a><br>
</blockquote></div><br></div>