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This topic is of interest to me because each particular religion has a very distinct way of viewing death, especially the rituals that take place during this painful stage of life. Having lost my grandmother just recently, and having been involved in the peculiar but strict rituals of the Catholic Church, here are some of the facts that I learned about from the Jewish view of the death. Jewish death and mourning rites have two basic principles: kevod ha-met, respectful treatment of the dead, and kevod he-chai, consideration for the feelings of the living. These two principles are highly regarded by the Jewish community. When a member of a Jewish family is seriously ill it is mandated that immediate family visit the sick during the first three days of sickness. After the three days are over other friends and family can visit. Visitation is not allowed for the first and last three hours of the day, because medical attention should be given during those hours. The Rabbis of the Talmud (similar to a Catholic Priest) encourage the visiting of the seriously sick, claiming that this eliminates one sixth of the sick person’s pain.
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