Burying a niftar in Eretz Yisroel

Question:

1. I was participating in a levaya in Eretz Yisroel, and I had always known that in Eretz Yisroel the niftar is buried without a coffin, but I hadn't realized that the tallis too is taken away at the end of the levaya in Eretz Y I am wondering why this is the case?
2. Also, I was not able to see exactly what was happening, but it seemed to me that in the burial plot, some sort of stone tiles were put on top of the niftar before the dirt was shoveled in, and that the people who had placed the niftar in the plot were standing on top the tiles after they were put on top of the niftar. I am confused why stepping on the tiles right on top of the niftar - before any dirt is shoveled in - is not a desecration, or is there a reason that they are supposed to do that? Thank you so much.

Answer:

Hello,

1. What you are writing is correct. In chutz la’aretz they bury the niftar in his tallis[1], however the minhag of Eretz Yisroel[2] is to specifically to remove the tallis before the burial.

It happens to be that there are various opinions among the Rishonim regarding this, (see Gesher Hachaim vol. 2 14-b), and the monhag in EretzYisroel is based on those Rishonim who hold not to bury in a tallis. Aside from this, there are other reasons, for the minhag, see footnote[3]. One of them is[4] because there were people that didn’t wear of have a tallis or tzitizis, and in order not to embarrass them, the established minhag in Eretz Yisroel is not to bury in a tallis. Another reason is because it is loeg lrash “ riduling the poor”, to bury the niftar in a tallis, because right now he doesn’t have this mitzva.

2. The reason that tiles are placed over the niftar is for kavod hames. There are blocks on the sides of the kever, and the tiles are like the top of a box which surrounds and covers the niftar. This way the earth is not put straight into the niftar’s face, rather on the tiles, which are on top of an air space. The chevra kaddisha person, is above the niftar, but not standing on him. He has to stand on the tiles, in order to make sure that they are properly in place without any holes between them, and to make sure that the first few shovels of earth go into the corners etc. Whatever they are doing is not a desecration, but for the benefit of the niftar.

May we merit to see Moshiach and Techias Hameisim b’karov

Sources:

[1]  כמו שמבואר במעבר יבק שפת אמת פ' כ"ה, וכן באמרי נואם פ' כ"ו.

[2] גשר החיים פ"י אות ה', וכ' שם שאפילו אלו שהגיעו מחו"ל עם טלית מסירין אותו מהם כיון שאין לקבור מת א' שונה מהאחרים.

[3] ושמעתי מחברא קדישא א' וכן הוא בגשר החיים פ"י אות א', שא' הטעמים הוא שמקפידים, שהנפטר ילובש דוקא בפשתן, וכל התכריכים, וגם התפירות יהיו רק מפשתן, דומה לכהן הגדול הנכנס לפני ולפנים.

[4]  כ"כ בגשר בחיים ח"ב ס' י"ד בשם תוס' ברכות דף יח עמוד א' בד"ה "למחר" והרא"ש, ועוד ראשונים.