Points you don’t want to miss:

“Shemira” means to guard. In modern times it means to be on guard duty as part of a security protocol. In the traditional sense, it refers to a person assigned to guard a dead body so that the dignity of the body should not be violated by people or animals, and to provide comfort to the Nishama (soul) that it is great transition immediately after death.

In a hospital setting where their are protective protocols in place, and the body is placed in the morgue in secured refrigeration, the concern of violation is less pronounced. Nevertheless, the concept of Shemira remains relevant in our time regarding keeping the body company, as this is a comfort to the Nishama, to see that the body is regarded as sacred, as well as keeping the Nishama company during this period of transition as it remains near the body until burial.

There are situations where it is impossible for a Shomer to stay literally in the same place as the body. In the hospital setting, the room may be secured, and the Shomer would stay as nearby as possible, often in an adjoining room. Similarly, during transfer from the hospital to the funeral home, it may be prohibited for a Shomer to drive in the same vehicle. Instead, they should drive along in a different vehicle, provided an entourage, as closely as feasible.

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A man may not show off his Tzitzis in front of a deceased person because that is an act of disrespect. The deceased can no longer do this treasured Mitzvah. To show off that you can, is an act lacking sensitivity.

There is discussion whether this applies in the presence of a deceased woman, who even when alive was not required/ permitted to do this Mitzva. As a practical matter, the custom is to make sure that Tzitzis are tucked in well when in a cemetery or attending to the deceased.

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The Talmud explores what dead people are aware of after their passing, as far as what goes on in this world.

In looking to clarify this, the Talmud relates a story in which Shmuel’s father passed away without revealing where the money was hidden. Significant sums had been entrusted to him on behalf of orphans, and so finding the money became a top priority.

Shmuel made a request to speak with his (deceased) father. He asked his father where the money was, and his father described the hiding place. His father said, “The top and bottom purses are ours, the middle one is the charity fund.” He explained, “I placed my own money on top and bottom strategically. If a robber would find the hiding place, he would take the top purse (ours) and not realize to keep looking. If the earth would shift and absorb, it would take the bottom one (ours). In this way the charity fund was the most secured.”

Indeed, in a number of places we see how Shmuel’s father was well regarded as a great person. Interestingly, although apparently great in his own right, he is known to us simply as “The father of Shmuel,” his son, Shmuel, being the leader of one of the greatest academies in Babylonia.

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