The concept of death in Judaism - Research Paper Example

The concept of death is an important one in most religions of the world. In most religions, it is given an importance that is rivalled only by death and marriage. The different rituals that surround death and the theories regarding what happens following death also affirm its importance. These attest to the fact that death is something that not only affects an individual but also the society as we know it today. Judaism is a religion that can be considered to be one that is a part of western cultures and societies.

There are many people in western countries who are adherents of the Jewish religion and it can thus, be regarded as a western religion as well. The concept of death in Judaism, like in most other religions of the world, is a very clearly elucidated one. The concept of afterlife influences the Jewish understanding of death to a great extent. Death in this case ceases to be a full stop in the life of a soul but a new beginning. The death of a person thus marks the end of the life on earth but the beginning of another in another sphere.

The quality of this life would be based on the deeds that had been performed by the person during his or her earthly life (Rich). This understanding of death is very similar to the ideas of death that are held by Islam and Christianity; thereby revealing the great commonalities that these religions have amongst themselves. The importance of death is not lessened as a result of the fact that a note of finality is not struck with this event. The end of the earthly life brings with it the necessity of having to judge the earthly life that had just passed.

Apart from this, it also brings in the aspect of the earthly worth of the deceased. Many of the Jewish practices that follow death are connected to the social aspect of it. The practice of mourning for the dead, for instance, is for the benefit of the memory of the dead and for the consolation of the people who were close to the deceased (Rich). The importance that is given to memory as a part of the rituals connected to death makes it clear that Judaism places importance on the rituals connected with death for the society as much as for the family and friends of the deceased.

The importance that is thus given seeks to cement the place of the deceased in the collective memory of the society that he or she was a part of during their lifetime. As a result of the individual spiritual and social aspects of the practices that are connected to death in Judaism, these rituals are carried out in such a way that shows great respect for the body of the person who has died. This fact makes the social aspect of the death in the religion more pronounced. The society has to conduct the rituals of the funeral with great care and many details are given instructions for as to how to deal with.

The people who are supposed to take care of the body of the dead person are supposed to be volunteers who work for a person who would be unable to do anything in return for the services that are rendered by the volunteers. These people, the “shomerim”, are not allowed to eat or drink while they are in the presence of the dead body. This is considered to be an act of a lack of respect towards the deceased as they would not be able to do these activities. The work of such volunteer is considered to be of great merit.

The work of such a volunteer thus, sets off a chain where people would do this work so as to gain a certain amount of merit for the afterlife. Death and afterlife thus have a great effect on the activities of mankind. The office of the shomerim