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Tachrichim (
Tachrichim (Hebrew
Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...
: תכריכים) are traditional simple white burial furnishings, usually made from 100% pure linen
Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant.
Linen is very strong and absorbent, and it dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. Lin ...
, in which the bodies of deceased Jew
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...
s are dressed by the Chevra Kadisha
The term ''chevra kadisha'' () gained its modern sense of "burial society" in the nineteenth century. It is an organization of Jewish men and women who see to it that the bodies of deceased Jews are prepared for burial according to Jewish tra ...
, or other burial group, for interment after undergoing a '' taharah'' (ritual purification).
In Hebrew, ''tachrichim'' means "wrappings" (: "And Mordechai left the king's presence in royal apparel of blue and white and a huge golden crown and a ''wrap of linen'' ''(tachrich butz)'' and purple, and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was happy''").''
History
Tachrichim are white and entirely hand stitched, without tying knots. Regardless of gender, they include atunic
A tunic is a garment for the torso, usually simple in style, reaching from the shoulders to a length somewhere between the hips and the ankles. It might have arm-sleeves, either short or full-length. Most forms have no fastenings. The name deri ...
, pants, hood, and belt. The belt is tied to form the shape of the Hebrew letter '' shin'', which stands for '' Shaddai'', one of the accepted representations of God's ineffable Name. If the pants are not closed at the bottom to cover the feet, "booties" are additionally provided. The face is generally covered with a '' sudarium'', much as in traditional artistic representations of Lazarus or Jesus in his tomb. In earlier times, the sisterhoods or women's auxiliaries would make shrouds for their community; this practice may still occur in traditional communities.
Today, virtually all Jewish mortuaries carry tachrichim. The prices vary, depending on whether it is cotton or linen, or whether it is hand sewn.
See also
*Shroud
Shroud usually refers to an item, such as a cloth, that covers or protects some other object. The term is most often used in reference to ''burial sheets'', mound shroud, grave clothes, winding-cloths or winding-sheets, such as the Jewish '' ...
References
Bereavement in Judaism Hebrew words and phrases {{Judaism-stub