Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah Siman 353

Siman 353

Presented here for study, not as a practical ruling. The Shulchan Aruch rules by Sephardi custom, the Rema's glosses by Ashkenazi custom, and the Kitzur follows Ashkenazi custom. For a practical question, ask your rabbi.

א בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה הָיוּ מְגַלִּים פְּנֵי עֲשִׁירִים וּמְכַסִים פְּנֵי עֲנִיִּים, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁמַּשְׁחִירִים בִּשְׁנַת בַּצֹּרֶת, וְהָיוּ עֲנִיִּים חַיִּים מִתְבַּיְּשִׁים. הִתְקִינוּ שֶׁיִּהְיוּ מְכַסִים פְּנֵי הַכֹּל.
1 Formerly, they used to uncover the face of the rich [dead] and cover the face of the poor [dead] because their faces [i.e., of the poor dead] turned black in years of dearth and the surviving poor [near-of-kin] felt ashamed; hence, they ordained that one should cover everyone's face.
ב אֵין מַנִּיחִין סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה עַל מִטָּתוֹ שֶׁל חָכָם.
2 A scroll of Law is not placed on a scholar's bier.
ג כְּבוֹדוֹ שֶׁל חָכָם לְהוֹצִיאוֹ דֶּרֶךְ הַפֶּתַח, וְלֹא לְשַׁלְשְׁלוֹ דֶּרֶךְ גַּגּוֹת; וּבְמִטָּה רִאשׁוֹנָה, וְלֹא לְשַׁנּוֹתוֹ מִמִּטָּה לְמִטָּה.
3 The honour of a scholar [requires] that he be taken out [in his bier] through the door and not to lower him from the roof; and [he should be taken out] on the first bier and not to transfer him from one bier to another.
ד תִּינוֹק בֶּן ל' יוֹם, מוֹצִיאִים אוֹתוֹ בְּחֵיק לְבֵית הַקְּבָרוֹת, וְלֹא בְּאָרוֹן, וְנִקְבָּר בְּאִשָּׁה אַחַת וּשְׁנֵי אֲנָשִׁים; אֲבָל לֹא בְּאִישׁ אֶחָד וּשְׁתֵּי נָשִׁים, מִשּׁוּם יִחוּד. וְאֵין עוֹמְדִים עָלָיו בְּשׁוּרָה, וְאֵין אוֹמְרִים עָלָיו בִּרְכַּת אֲבֵלִים וְתַנְחוּמֵי אֲבֵלִים, וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם קִים לָן שֶׁכָּלוּ לוֹ חֳדָשָׁיו.
4 An infant [who dies] within thirty days [after birth] is carried out in one's arms to the cemetery and not in a coffin, and is buried by one woman and two men but not by one man and two women, on account of privacy. And one does not stand in the line [of comforters] for him, nor does one recite for him the mourners' benediction, nor does one offer condolence to the mourners, even if we are certain that his months [of pregnancy] were complete.
ה בֶּן ל' יוֹם גְּמוּרוֹת, יוֹצֵא בִּגְלוּסְקָמָא (פי' אָרוֹן וַיִּישֶׂם בָּאָרוֹן (בְּרֵאשִׁית נ, כו), ת"י וְשַׁוּוּן יָתֵהּ בִּגְלוּסְקָמָא נ"י) הַנִּטֶּלֶת בַּאֲגַפַּיִם (פי' נֶסֶר רָחָב, וּפי' אֲגַפַּיִם, זְרוֹעוֹת), וְעוֹמְדִין עָלָיו בְּשׁוּרָה, וְאוֹמְרִים עָלָיו בִּרְכַּת אֲבֵלִים וְתַנְחוּמֵי אֲבֵלִים. בֶּן י"ב חֹדֶשׁ, יוֹצֵא בְּמִטָּה. וְכָל הַיּוֹצֵא בְּמַטָּה, רַבִּים מַצְהִיבִים עָלָיו; וְשֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹצֵא בְּמִטָּה, אֵין רַבִּים מַצְהִיבִים עָלָיו. וְכָל הַנִּכָּר לָרַבִּים, רַבִּים מִתְעַסְקִין בּוֹ; וְכָל שֶׁאֵינוֹ נִכָּר לָרַבִּים, אֵין רַבִּים חַיָּבִים לְהִתְעַסֵק בּוֹ.
5 One who is thirty complete days old, is taken out [for burial] in a case, ( i.e., a coffin; 'and he was put in a coffin ', is rendered by Targum Jonathan, ושוון יתיה בגלוסקמא), that is carried in the arms, ( i.e., a wide board; אגפיים means arms); and one stands in the line [of comforters] for it, and one recites for it the mourners' benediction, and one offers condolence to the mourners. One twelve months old is taken out [for burial] on a bier. For one who is taken out on a bier the public show their grief; for one who is not taken out on a bier the public need not show their grief. And whoever is known to the people at large, the public should attend to him; and whoever is not known to the people at large, the public need not attend to him.
ו תִּינוֹק שֶׁמֵּת קֹדֶם שֶׁנִּמּוֹל, מוֹהֲלִין אוֹתוֹ עַל קִבְרוֹ, בְּלֹא בְּרָכָה, וְקוֹרִין לוֹ שֵׁם.
6 [With respect to] an infant that died before it was circumcised, [the law is that] one circumcises it at its grave without [reciting the usual] benediction; and one [also] names it [then].
ז אֵין מוֹצִיאִין מֵת בְּמִטָּה, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן הָיָה רֹאשׁוֹ וְרֻבּוֹ קַיָּם.
7 A corpse is not taken out [for burial] on a bier unless its head and the greater part of its body are intact.
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