Shulchan Arukh Even HaEzer · Siman 89

Shulchan Arukh Even HaEzer 89 — English translation

Translation: Sefaria Community Translation. Section numbers match the Hebrew text above.

1. 1If a woman died in the lifetime of her husband, he is required to bury her and to deal with all the needs of her burial, including the gravestone. Similarly, he must arrange a eulogy and hire professional weepers according to the custom of the state. If their custom is to mourn with flutes, he shall not make do with less than two flutes and professional weepers, even if he is among the poor of Israel. If he was rich, it [burial arrangements] shall be according to his honor. If her honor was greater than his, she must be buried according to her honor, for she rises [in honor] with him, but does not descend.
2. 2If he [the husband] did not want to bury her, and another arose and buried her, the court shall take payment from her husband and give it to the other.
3. 3If her husband was in a different country, court shall take payment from his property and sell [as needed to raise money, even] without public announcement, and bury her according to his wealth and honor, or according to her honor [whichever is greater].
4. 4A widow is not buried from the estate of her [late] husband, but the heirs of her ketubah (marriage contract) must attend to her burial. If she died before swearing the widow's oath [denying any prior collection of the ketubah monies], there is one [authority] who says that the husband's heirs must attend to her burial, but they [most other authories] did not agree with his opinion.

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