amitymamaThe Attachment Parenting Community

amyorama · 08-21-2006, 12:55 AM

I went through a cemetery today, and there were rocks on some of the Jewish tombstones. Why were they there?

Barb · 08-21-2006, 02:02 AM

http://judaism.about.com/library/3_a...onesgraves.htm

Quote:

We are taught that it is an act of ultimate kindness and respect to bury someone and place a marker at the site. After a person is buried, of course, we can no longer participate in burying them. However, even if a tombstone has been erected, we can participate in the mitzvah of making a marker at a grave, by adding to the stone. Therefore, customarily, we place stones on top of a gravestone whenever we visit to indicate our participation in the mitzvah of erecting a tombstone, even if only in a more symbolic way.

amyorama · 08-22-2006, 11:37 AM

Thanks Barb.

DH tells me that they leave stones on Thoreau's grave, too.

Rebecca · 08-26-2006, 04:20 PM

What a neat custom! Glad you posted this.