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Shabbatשבת

Handling the Dead on Shabbat

These sources address the halakhic considerations when a death occurs on Shabbat, including restrictions on preparing a body for burial and the use of items fashioned by non-Jews on Shabbat itself.

מֵת שֶׁעָשׂוּ לוֹ נָכְרִים אָרוֹן וְחָפְרוּ לוֹ קֶבֶר בְּשַׁבָּת

2 sources · all verified

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What the sources say

The sources retrieved do not address the carrying of a corpse on Shabbat in the context of Eruvin. Mishneh Torah, Admission into the Sanctuary 3:20 deals with the removal of ritual impurity found in sacred precincts on Shabbat, ruling that it is carried out using simple wooden vessels that cannot contract impurity so as not to compound the impurity — a concern unrelated to the laws of Eruvin and domains.

Mishneh Torah, Sabbath 6:5 addresses what happens when a non-Jew prepares a coffin, digs a grave, or brings flutes for a Jewish deceased on Shabbat, ruling on whether the Jewish deceased may subsequently be buried in that coffin or grave — a question of benefit from Shabbat violation by a non-Jew, not a discussion of the carrying laws within Eruvin.

Source 1 · Rishonim
Verified

Mishneh Torah, Admission into the Sanctuary 3:20

משנה תורה, ביאת מקדש פרק ג א, וראה שם עוד

Mishneh Torah, Admission into the Sanctuary 3:20

Where one incurs karet for intentional transgression and a korban for an unintentional one, if impurity is present on Shabbat it is removed; in other locations one forces a vessel upon it until after Shabbat, and when removing it, one removes it only in plain wooden vessels that do not receive impurity, so as not to increase the impurity.

כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁחַיָּבִים עַל זְדוֹנוֹ כָּרֵת וְעַל שִׁגְגָתוֹ קָרְבָּן. אִם נִמְצֵאת שָׁם טֻמְאָה בְּשַׁבָּת מוֹצִיאִין אוֹתָהּ. וּשְׁאָר הַמְּקוֹמוֹת כּוֹפִין עָלָיו כְּלִי עַד אַחַר שַׁבָּת. וּכְשֶׁהֵן מוֹצִיאִין אֵין מוֹצִיאִין אוֹתָהּ אֶלָּא בִּפְשׁוּטֵי כְּלֵי עֵץ שֶׁאֵין מְקַבֵּל טֻמְאָה שֶׁלֹּא לְרַבּוֹת אֶת הַטֻּמְאָה:

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Source 2 · Rishonim
Verified

Mishneh Torah, Sabbath 6:5

משנה תורה, שבת פרק ו ה

Mishneh Torah, Sabbath 6:5

When non-Jews make a coffin for a deceased Jew and dig his grave on Shabbat, or bring flutes to eulogize with, if it is done discreetly the Jew may wait until after Shabbat to be buried in it; but if the grave is in a prominent location with the coffin visible and passersby openly say that the non-Jews are preparing this for that particular Jew on Shabbat, then that Jew may never be buried in it since it constitutes a public violation, though another Jew may be buried in it if one waits for the non-Jews to finish their work.

מֵת שֶׁעָשׂוּ לוֹ נָכְרִים אָרוֹן וְחָפְרוּ לוֹ קֶבֶר בְּשַׁבָּת אוֹ הֵבִיאוּ לוֹ חֲלִילִין לִסְפֹּד בָּהֶן. אִם בְּצִנְעָה יַמְתִּין בִּכְדֵי שֶׁיֵּעָשׂוּ לְמוֹצָאֵי שַׁבָּת וְיִקָּבֵר בּוֹ. וְאִם הָיָה הַקֶּבֶר בִּסְרַטְיָא גְּדוֹלָה וְהָאָרוֹן עַל גַּבָּיו וְכָל הָעוֹבְרִין וְהַשָּׁבִין אוֹמְרִים שֶׁזֶּה שֶׁהַנָּכְרִים עוֹשִׂין עַכְשָׁו בְּשַׁבָּת לִפְלוֹנִי הוּא. הֲרֵי זֶה לֹא יִקָּבֵר בּוֹ אוֹתוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל עוֹלָמִית. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא בְּפַרְהֶסְיָא. וּמֻתָּר לִקְבֹּר בּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל אַחֵר וְהוּא שֶׁיַּמְתִּין בִּכְדֵי שֶׁיֵּעָשֶׂה. וְכֵן כָּל כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה:

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