How Should Noahides Mourn for Deceased Relatives or Friends?
It is important to set limits in intensity and length of time for mourning. Even before the Flood, there was a tradition of observing seven days of mourning. In Genesis 7:4, G-d told Noah, “For in another seven days’ time I will send rain upon the earth…” On this verse, Rashi explains, based on the Midrash, “These are the seven days of mourning for the righteous Methuselah, for the Holy One, Blessed is He, spared his dignity and delayed the punishments [of the Flood, so that the generation's mourning for Methuselah could be properly expressed]. Go and calculate the years of Methuselah, and you will find that they end in the six hundredth year of the life of Noah” [when the Flood came].
The following suggestions for funeral and memorial services were provided to Ask Noah International by Rabbi Immanuel Schochet o.b.m.:
Prayer for a Departed Soul:
All or part of the following prayer may be recited (not more than once daily) during the funeral, memorial gathering, week of mourning, anniversary of passing, or other special occasions that are deemed appropriate.
May G-d remember the soul of [my father, mother, husband, wife, friend, etc.; add the name of the deceased along with "son/daughter of" and the names of his/her parents, and if desired one can add the family-name] who has gone on to his/her world. By virtue of my praying on his/her behalf, and, without making a vow, my intent to donate to charity on his/her behalf, may his/her soul be bound in the Bond of Eternal Life together with the souls of the righteous, and let us respond: Amen.
All or part of Psalm 49 and/or Psalm 139 should be recited as meditations on earthly life. The mourners or eulogist may recite Psalm 23.
For the entire Prayer please send us an email to noahideinfo@gmail.com
For the burial service:
The Rock – His working is perfect, for all His paths are justice; a G-d of faithfulness and without iniquity, He is righteous and fair! (Deuteronomy 32:4)
We know, G-d, that Your judgment is righteous; You are righteous when You speak and pure when You judge. There is naught to murmur about the way of Your judgment. You are righteous, G-d, and Your judgments are fair.
G-d gave, and G-d took; blessed be the Name of G-d!
As a principle for life, it is important to always have faith in G-d’s active Divine Providence over all details and occurrences in the creation. (The Torah views pagan-based practices such as self-mutilation or tearing out patches of one’s hair during mourning as evil.) One should also keep in mind Psalm 100:2, which encourages us to serve G-d with gladness and joy.
How should Noahides be buried?
Adam was commanded in Genesis 3:19: “… until you return to the ground; for out of it were you taken; for you are dust and unto dust you shall return.” As a Divine directive, this is a Torah commandment for Jews, who have many positive (“to do”) commandments in addition to many negative (“don’t do”) commandments. On the other hand, Gentiles do not transgress the Noahide Code if they utilize another process such as cremation or cryogenic preservation. But a meritorious soul will lack the mode of cleansing from unrepentant sins that burial in the earth can provide. In other words, for a Gentile, cremation is not sinful, and it does not alter the general destiny of the soul in its afterlife. However, burial is preferred and encouraged, and it is the most honorable way to treat the specialness of the deceased human body, which was a host to a human soul which is created “in the image of G-d.”
So it is not a sin for Gentiles if they don’t bury their dead intact, but as a part of Torah, they can accept it upon themselves in order to gain these advantages.
Brought by Rabbi Moshe Perets
Rabbi Moshe Perets is the Founder and Executive Director of NoahideAcademy.org, the world’s largest Noahide informational website. He has established the Noahide Academy of Israel website under the non-profit organisation - אור לעמים - Light Unto the Nations since 2016. He accomplished his Rabbinical Studies at the Chabad Yeshiva of Brussels in 2011. He has a medical degree by the University of Louvain in Brussels as well a Masters in Biomedical Research by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has for the past years focused on Psychotherapy and developed a new approach: Deep Soul Therapy. He is a spiritual mentor, teacher, coach, and healer who has helped facilitate profound shifts for hundreds of people around the globe. His teaching activities at the Noahide Academy allowed students from all over the world to live passionate, purposeful lives, connect more intimately with G-d, and reveal the hidden light and power of their souls. Rabbi Moshe Perets lives currently in Israel with his wife and 5 children.
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