Posted by ayrity on October 5, 2002, at 14:09:49
In reply to why flowers are not left on the grave, posted by BeardedLady on October 5, 2002, at 11:14:00
> My husband and I leave rocks we've collected
> from around the world, ones that have special
> meaning for us and are beautiful.That's a beautiful tradition.
> My favorite custom is the covering of the
> mirrors, so mourners can't see their grief.
> long-winded beardyAlthough that might be part of the reason, the real explanation of this act is that during shiva, when a minyan is held and Kadish is recited at home (in fact, during any prayer), there are not supposed to be any human figures visible that might violate the rule against idolatry- hence, no figure paintings, sculptures,photographs, etc. in an observant schul. This applies to mirrors,too, in which one might see a human image during prayer, so they are covered during the shiva period, when prayers are said frequently at home.
poster:ayrity
thread:1011
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faith/20021001/msgs/1020.html