by Shelly Parkhurst

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One of the quieter traditions observed by the Chevrah Kadisha involves placing afar—sacred earth from the Land of Israel—inside the casket. We also gently sprinkle a small amount over the eyes, mouth, heart, and groin of the meit (man) or meitah (woman). Though this act is easily overlooked during the Taharah (washing) ritual, it is a gesture steeped in centuries of spiritual significance.

Why Earth from Israel?

The Talmud explains that being buried in Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel) provides atonement, citing the verse, "[God's] land will atone for [God's] people" (Devarim 32:43). Since the majority of Jewish people are buried in the diaspora, the custom arose to bring a physical piece of the Land to the deceased. By including afar Eretz Yisrael in the casket, we provide a tangible connection to our ancestral home.

This soil is typically gathered from Har HaZeitim (the Mount of Olives) Cemetery, which has served as a Jewish burial site for over three millennia. According to tradition and the prophecies of Zechariah, Techiyat HaMeitim (the resurrection of the dead), will commence on this hillside. While earth from anywhere in Israel honors the custom, soil from this specific location carries profound historical and spiritual weight.

How the Earth Reaches Us

When an aron (casket) and tachrichim (burial shrouds) are ordered through the funeral home, a small packet of soil from Jerusalem is traditionally provided. Our Chevrah Kadisha team then ensures this ancient rite is performed with deep respect for every person we prepare for burial.

Why the Eyes, Mouth, Heart, and Groin?

Using earth at these four points is a ritual of return rather than a sign of impurity. It reflects the words of Bereishit (Genesis) 3:19 "ki afar atah v’el afar tashuv (for dust you are, and to dust you shall return)." The Chevrah Kadisha tradition focuses on the body's centers of expression and desire: the eyes and mouth that saw and spoke, the heart that held our intentions and the groin representing our physical nature. Covering these areas is a final way of returning all that we were to the earth.

This practice is a minhag, a cherished custom that has evolved over generations. While specific steps may differ between communities, the heart of the gesture remains universal: a small pouch of earth, transported across the world, is placed with love over the parts of a soul that once looked, spoke and felt.

Pottery Shards

The pottery shards or earthenware (commonly called sherblach, from the Yiddish) placed on the eyes and over the mouth carry several layers of meaning. One reason for this custom is the return to the Earth. The body is being returned to its source, and an earthen vessel resting on the deceased makes that literal and visible.

Beyond that, the placement on the eyes specifically speaks to desire and insatiability. There’s a long teaching thread that the eye is never satisfied with seeing (echoing Kohelet or Ecclesiastes), and that much of human wanting and coveting enters through the eyes. Covering the eyes that looked upon and desired the world signals that this is finished—the person no longer sees, wants, or grasps after worldly things. Where the mouth is also covered, it extends the same idea to speech and appetite: the channels through which a person could sin in life are gently sealed.

There’s also a strong theme of humility and equality. Jewish burial deliberately levels everyone—plain tachrichim (burial shrouds), a simple coffin, no ornamentation—and a humble broken shard on rich and poor alike reinforces that no one is distinguished in death.

These minhagim are based on old traditions and customs and are not based on halachah (Jewish law). We will certainly honor the wishes of the deceased and their family with respect to these customs.