Israeli Chief Rabbi, the Rishon Letziyon Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, sent a letter to Religious Services Minister Michael Malkieli, regarding the question raised by families of those murdered on the Gaza Perimeter, asking about the customs they must heed when the seven days of the shivah mourning period end, in visiting the grave of the murdered in cemeteries – should they go, given the security risk and rocket warnings and the like? Family members wished to know if they must try and heed the custom and go to the graves, despite the danger.
In his letter, the Rishon Letziyon notes that although this custom exists, where there is even a fear of danger, there is no need to visit the grave, and the custom can be observed by saying kadish and learning Mishnah portions in memory of the deceased: “This will be very beneficial for the ascension of their souls. With God’s help and the end of the difficult situation, they will visit the grave with a prayer quorum of ten and say kaddish and the whole order of memory, each according to their custom.”
In response to the question of what to do about erecting a gravestone, the Maran Rishon Letziyon instructed that because of the difficult situation, this should be avoided where there is a fear of danger.
He instructed the Hevra Kadisha burial societies to cover the grave in concrete: “The Hevra Kadisha dealing in the burial should cover the grave in concrete immediately at the end of the shivah, as is customary before erecting a gravestone and this suffices, and they should leave the erection of the gravestone to after the danger (passes).”
The current letter is a follow up to consultations held between the Rishon Letziyon, Religious Services Minister Malkieli, Ministry Director-General Yehudah Avidan, and the Chief Rabbinate’s representative responsible for identifying bodies, Rabbi Yaakov Rozhe, in discussing all matters related to identifying and burying the murdered on the Gaza Perimeter.