What is the Benefit of Adorning him with Flowers and Greenery?” The Attitude of Rabbis in Germany and the Land of Israel in Modern Times to Laying Wreaths at Burial and Memorial Ceremonies

Rabbinic literature in modern times includes a list of halachic debates on the integration of mourning and memorial customs, originating in general society, into the Jewish-traditional burial ceremony. Examples include: transporting the deceased to the cemetery in horse-drawn carriages; wearing black clothes or a black ribbon on the mourner’s clothing; three-volley salutes at military funerals; and standing while the siren is sounded on Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day and on the Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism.1 The poskim (adjudicators) dealt, among other things, with the halachic attitude toward laying wreaths on coffins, graves, and memorials. Initial doubts regarding this custom began to emerge in Jewish communities in nineteenth-century Europe. The issue continued to trouble halachic authorities during the twentieth century, particularly after the State of Israel was founded, and documentation of such deliberations may be found in the literature and on the internet up to present times.2

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