Is Shomer Negiah in the Torah?
A person who abides by this halakha is colloquially described as a shomer negiah (“one observant of negiah”)….Negiah.
| Halakhic texts relating to this article | |
|---|---|
| Torah: | Leviticus 18:6 |
| Babylonian Talmud: | Sabbath 13a |
Who can be a shomer?
The shomer may be a family member, a friend, or a member of the congregation or chevra kadisha. As the shomer may be required to stay with the body for an extended period of time, it is not uncommon to have more than one shomer or people taking turns acting as the shomer.
What does Shomer mean in Hebrew?
guardian, watchman
Definition of shomer : guardian, watchman: such as. a Judaism : someone who watches over the body of a deceased person until burial. b history : a mounted guard of Jewish settlements in the Palestine region prior to the period of British mandate.
What happens if you touch a Torah?
There are several reasons for this: handling the parchment renders one ritually impure and the often-fragile parchment is easily damaged. Moreover, the vellum parchment does not absorb ink so touching the scroll with fingers will damage the lettering.
Can the Torah be touched?
The scrolls are not directly touched when unfurled on the Bimah (raised platform in middle of the synagogue). A pointer or Yad (hand) is used instead. This is in the shape of a hand with an outstretched finger. The reading or chanting is performed by a person who has been trained in this task.
Is a shomer allowed to sleep?
The shomer is supposed to remain awake the entire shift, but not many successfully resist the lure of shut-eye: “We tell families that the shomer may doze off,” Rabbi Zohn says. But even if that happens, he adds, it doesn’t violate Jewish law.
What is the role of the Shomer?
Before the advent of modern funeral homes and morgues, shemira served a very practical purpose: the ‘shomer,’ as the guardian or watcher is called, was there to shoo away any animals that may disrupt the corpse.