About FUNERAL

Hebrew Name

לְוָיָה

English Name

FUNERAL

Phonetic Spelling

LE-VA-YAH

Burning,Candles,On,Dark,Surface.,Memory,Day

What does FUNERAL mean?

Levaya, Hebrew for “funeral,” is derived from the verb “to escort.”

וְשָׂמַחְתָּ֖ בְּחַגֶּ֑ךָ אַתָּ֨ה וּבִנְךָ֤ וּבִתֶּ֙ךָ֙ וְעַבְדְּךָ֣ וַאֲמָתֶ֔ךָ וְהַלֵּוִ֗י וְהַגֵּ֛ר וְהַיָּת֥וֹם וְהָאַלְמָנָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר בִּשְׁעָרֶֽיךָ׃
You shall rejoice in your festival, with your son and daughter, your male and female slave, the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow in your communities.
v'-sa-makh-TA b'-kha-GE-kha, a-TAH u-vin-KHA u-vi-TE-kha, v'-av-d'-KHA va-a-ma-TE-kha, v'-ha-lay-VEE v'-ha-GAYR v'-ha-ya-TOM v'-ha-al-ma-NAH, a-SHER bish-a-RE-kha
Deuteronomy 16:14

כׇּל־הַ֭יּוֹם חוֹנֵ֣ן וּמַלְוֶ֑ה וְ֝זַרְע֗וֹ לִבְרָכָֽה׃
He is always generous, and lends, and his children are held blessed.
KOL-ha-YOM kho-NEN u-mal-VEH v'-zar-O li-v'ra-KHA
Psalms 37:26

Description about FUNERAL

Levaya, Hebrew for “funeral,” is derived from the verb “to escort.” Jewish law obligates us to escort the body of the deceased all the way to the grave, to honor the person being buried. We are also obligated to escort visitors upon their departure from our homes. Hosts are required to provide their guests with food, drink and “escort.” Escorting guests out of one’s home provides both physical and spiritual protection to people as they embark on their travels, a potentially dangerous endeavor in ancient times. The Hebrew word l’halvot, “to lend,” is derived from the same root as levaya. When we help others by lending them money at a time of need, we “escort” them through a difficult chapter in their lives. The word levaya also shares the same root as Levi’im, the people of the tribe of Levi. The Levites had the special honor of working in the Temple in Jerusalem as gatekeepers, guards and musicians whose music accompanied, or “escorted,” every sacrifice that was offered by the priests. During the 40 years of the Israelites’ journey through the desert, the people changed locations many times, requiring the Tabernacle to be dismantled and reconstructed with each move. The Levites were charged with carrying the various pieces and parts of the Tabernacle as the nation traveled, literally escorting the Tabernacle on its journey. In the Land of Israel, the Levites were not allotted land like the other tribes, living instead in Levite cities scattered throughout Israel and subsisting on tithes and contributions. Their role was to serve as teachers to the rest of the nation and to escort them on their spiritual journeys through this world.

Attribute of FUNERAL

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