Why do Jews bring stones to the cemetery, not flowers
You will never meet a person with flowers in a Jewish cemetery. Moreover, any flowers, cut, in wreaths, flowerpots or just in the ground, are almost not found there. Instead of flowers, there are... stones on the graves of Jews. These can be the most ordinary pieces of rubble or beautiful stones, large and small – they are on almost all graves. Why do representatives of this people not recognize flowers in their cemeteries?
Cemeteries were not divided by religious denominations and nationality. Therefore, the peculiarities of Jewish burials did not catch the eye. But abroad, where representatives of different faiths were buried separately, the stones on Jewish tombstones did not surprise anyone.
The custom of laying stones, not flowers, on burials is related to the peculiarities of Judaism. Jews have believed since ancient times that everyone is equal in the face of death. Therefore, they bury everyone in the same simple shrouds. It is not customary to place anything on the grave, including flowers. In the understanding of the Jews– it is an attribute of luxury, contrary to the canons of faith.
Imagine that one family will cover the grave of their relative with a carpet of expensive flowers. The other, poor, can only bring a small bouquet. This unwittingly divides the deceased into rich and poor, which is forbidden. It should also be noted that Jews generally do not bring anything alive and edible to the cemetery. Any flowers are related by Judaism to living objects.
The fact that Jews sacredly preserve their identity also plays a role. This feature allowed this people, living among other ethnic groups, to preserve their identity. Christians, with whom Jews have long been neighbors, decorate tombstones with flowers, but Jews have not adopted this custom.
But why do the Jews carry stones to the place of eternal rest? No one knows when this custom appeared. Some Judaists claim that stones appeared on tombstones in the Middle Ages. There is also an opinion that they have been doing this for more than one thousand years, since the time of the biblical Exodus.
Some people believe that the stones represent funerals held by Jews in the desert. When the prophet Moses led his people through barren rocky lands, the dead were buried under piles of stones. A noticeable grave is an indispensable condition for the funeral of the Jews. It must be preserved from disappearing until the end of time, so that the deceased can appear before By God.
But this is only one of the versions. There are also those who believe that the stone is a symbol of eternity. By bringing eternal objects to the grave, the Jews thereby tell the deceased that their memory of him is timeless. At the same time, the stones also symbolize the destroyed Jerusalem temple and generally tragic moments in the history of the people. Stones are also brought to memorials dedicated to the Holocaust.
The Jews also have a legend about the Kabbalist Rebbe Kalonymus, explaining the stones in cemeteries. According to this story, the Jews of one city were accused of the ritual murder of a child. To prove the innocence of his fellow tribesmen, Kalonymus committed a great sin – he revived the murdered man for a while. The deceased pointed out the culprit, and the community was saved.
But the Rebbe's soul did not know peace. He asked his countrymen to throw stones into his grave after his death, as a sign of atonement. But the Jews did not throw stones at the scientist's resting place, but respectfully laid them on the tombstone. Gradually, the custom took root and became generally accepted. And again - this is just one of many beautiful legends.