Shiva (Judaism)

is the week-long mourning period in Judaism for first-degree relatives. The ritual is referred to as "sitting " in English. The period lasts for seven days following the burial. Following the initial period of despair and lamentation immediately after the death, embraces a time when individuals discuss their loss and accept the comfort of others.
Its observance is a requirement for the parents, siblings, spouses, and children of the person who has died. At the funeral, mourners wear an outer garment that is torn before the procession in a ritual known as. In some traditions, mourners wear a black ribbon that is cut in place of an everyday garment. The torn article is worn throughout the entirety of. Typically, the seven days begin immediately after the deceased has been buried. Following burial, mourners assume the halakhic status of . This state lasts for the entire duration of.
It is necessary for the burial spot to be entirely covered with earth in order for to commence. During the period of, mourners remain at home. Friends and family visit those in mourning in order to give their condolences and provide comfort. The process, dating back to biblical times, formalizes the natural way an individual confronts and overcomes grief. allows for the individual to express their sorrow, discuss the loss of a loved one, and slowly reenter society.

Etymology

The word comes from, referring to the seven-day length of this period.

Biblical accounts similar to ''shiva''

A number of Biblical accounts describe mourning for fixed periods; in several cases, this period is seven days. For example, after the death of Jacob, his son Joseph and those accompanying Joseph observed a seven-day mourning period. The seven-day period of mourning that Joseph underwent was depicted by the sages before the revelation at Mount Sinai. In the Book of Job, it is stated that Job mourned his misfortune for seven days. During this time, he sat on the ground, with his friends surrounding him.
Biblical mourning involved refraining from feasts, songs, and Temple rituals. Amos declared to the people that God would "turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentations" as a punishment for sin, describing this mourning as similar to "the mourning for an only son". After two of the sons of Aaron, a High Priest, were killed, Aaron refused to eat the animal sacrifices, saying this would be inappropriate at a time when he was mourning the sons' death.

Stages of bereavement

The process of mourning begins with the first stage, otherwise known as Aninut. During this time, individuals experience the initial shock of their loss. Often emotions associated with the period of Aninut include anger, denial, and disbelief. During this period, which technically precedes the official mourning, the mourner is exempt from performing most positive commandments. The keriah is performed during this period. Aninut begins the moment the individual dies and lasts until the end of the funeral service. Following Aninut is shiva, in which the mourners dedicate seven days to remembrance of the deceased person. Throughout shiva, individuals are instructed to take a break from their routines in order to focus on their loss. For these seven days the mourners' home is generally an open house for friends and family to come to offer comfort. The stage of mourning known as sheloshim lasts until thirty days after the burial. The first seven days of sheloshim is the period of shiva; sheloshim continues after shiva has ended. After the intense period of shiva, which is mainly contained to the home, during the remainder of sheloshim the bereaved leave their residences and begin to interact with others again. Sheloshim encourages individuals to participate in social relations in order to slowly ease back into normal daily activities. The final stage, shenat aveilut, is a twelve-month period of mourning, during which limitations are placed on mourners in the realms of wearing newly bought clothing, attending social gatherings and receiving gifts. During the first eleven months Kaddish is said. After the year's conclusion, yearly remembrance ceremonies, known as yahrzeit or hilula and yizkor are held for the individual who died.

Computing the timing of ''shiva'' and ''sheloshim''

The shiva period commences immediately after the burial. The remainder of the day is considered to be the first day of shiva, even though it is only a partial day. On the seventh day, shiva ends in the morning after shacharit prayers ; thus, the seventh day is again a partial day. The sheloshim continues until the end of morning services on the 30th day, 23 days after the end of shiva; as with shiva, the two partial days at the beginning and end are counted as full days.
Had the news of a close relative's death reached them 30 days after their deceased relative had expired, the 30th-day included, the mourner is only obligated to sit in mourning for one day. However, had the news of a close relative's death reached them within 30 days after expiration, the mourner is required to sit in mourning for seven days.

Religious holidays during times of mourning

Religious holidays during shiva and sheloshim change the mourning period slightly. Because Judaism embraces the holidays with joy, the sadness and grief associated with mourning are meant to be set aside until the holiday concludes. Typically, if an individual dies before the beginning of a holiday, the holiday removes the observance of shiva or sheloshim. The days of the holiday are counted towards the days of mourning, and the rules enforced during mourning are revoked in order to encourage the celebration of a holiday. If a death occurred during the holiday or unknowingly, mourning commences after the holiday ends. In other situations, if the entirety of shiva has been observed prior to the start of a holiday, the holiday will cancel the observance of sheloshim, signifying the fulfillment of this period of mourning.
The occurrence of a major Jewish holiday terminates the shiva. If the funeral occurs during a festival, the start of the mourning period is delayed to the end of the festival.

Sabbath

During Shabbat, private mourning continues, while public mourning is suspended. Individuals are permitted to wear shoes and leave their home to partake in public prayer services. In order to prepare for Shabbat, individuals are allowed to interrupt shiva for up to one hour and fifteen minutes in order to cook, dress, and perform other tasks. If this is not enough time to do so, in certain situations there may be two and a half hours allotted for such.

Passover

During Passover, any days in observance of shiva before the start will equate to seven when the holiday begins. Since Passover is celebrated for eight days, any mourning prior will total to fifteen days when holiday ends, leaving only fifteen days of observance of sheloshim.

Shavuot

During Shavuot, any days in observance of shiva before the start will equate to seven when the holiday begins. The first day of Shavuot equates to seven days. The second day of Shavuot is considered the fifteenth day, leaving only fifteen days left of observance of sheloshim.

Sukkot

During Sukkot, any days in observance of shiva before the start will equate to seven when the holiday begins. Since Sukkot is observed for seven days, any mourning prior will total to fourteen days when the holiday ends. Shemini Atzeret is considered the eighth day of Sukkot, and equates to seven days of mourning. Simchat Torah is considered the twenty-second day of mourning, leaving only eight days of observance of sheloshim.

Rosh Hashanah

During Rosh Hashanah, any days in observance of shiva before the start will equate to seven days when the holiday begins. Yom Kippur following Rosh Hashanah, will symbolize the end of mourning, and the end of both shiva and sheloshim.

Yom Kippur

During Yom Kippur, any days in observance of shiva before the start will equate to seven days when the holiday begins. Sukkot, following Yom Kippur, will symbolize the end of mourning, and the end of both shiva and sheloshim.

Yom Tov

If the death occurs during Yom Tov, shiva does not begin until the burial is completed. Burial may not take place on Yom Tov, but can during the intermediate days of Sukkot or Passover, otherwise known as Chol HaMoed.

Chol HaMoed

If a burial occurs on Chol HaMoed of Passover, shiva does not begin until after the Yom Tov is completed. In the Diaspora, where most Yamim Tovim are observed for two days, mourning does not take place on the second day, but the day is still counted as one of the days of shiva.

Shiva customs

There are many traditions that are upheld in order to observe shiva. Throughout this time, mourners are required to stay at home and refrain from engaging with the social world.

Keriah

After hearing of the death of a close relative, Jewish beliefs and traditions instruct individuals to tear their clothing as the primary expression of grief. The process of tearing the garment is known as keriah. The tearing is done while standing and is required to extend in length to a tefach, or what is equivalent to about. Upon tearing the clothing, the mourner recites a blessing which describes God as "the true Judge". This blessing reminds mourners to acknowledge that God has taken the life of a close relative, and is seen as the first step in the acceptance of grief. The garment is torn over the heart if the individual who died was a parent, or over the chest on the right side if the individual who died was another relative. The torn article of clothing is worn throughout the period of shiva, the only exception being on Shabbat.