Shulchan Arukh, Yoreh De'ah 348

<b>דין שרפה על המת והאומר אל תקברוני. ובו ג' סעיפים:</b><br>שורפין על המלכים (או על הנשיאים) (טור בשם תוספתא) מטתן וכלי תשמישן אבל על ההדיוטות אסור:

They burn at [the funerals] of Kings,’ (Jer. XXXIV, 5). These words were spoken to King Ẓedekiah. Nor does one transgress thereby the law which prohibits to ruin anything wantonly (Deut. XX, 19). On the contrary, honour is thereby extended to the Kings or Princes lest anyone makes use of their articles if left. Hence, only their beds or other articles of use are burnt, but nothing else — ShaK. or [ at the funerals ] of princes , on the authority of Tosef. — G. Princes are also mentioned in A.Z. ibid. Cf. however, Sem(H). VIII, 6. their bed[s] and articles which they used,’ (Jer. XXXIV, 5). These words were spoken to King Ẓedekiah. Nor does one transgress thereby the law which prohibits to ruin anything wantonly (Deut. XX, 19). On the contrary, honour is thereby extended to the Kings or Princes lest anyone makes use of their articles if left. Hence, only their beds or other articles of use are burnt, but nothing else — ShaK. but for commoners it is forbidden [to do so]. From this we learn that one should not destroy wantonly any garment whatsoever for the dead unless it is required for the shrouds — A.H.

האומר אל תקברוהו מנכסיו אין שומעין לו אלא מוציאין מיורשיו כל צרכי קבורתו בעל כרחו וכן כל מה שרגילין לעשות לבני משפחתו ואפילו האבן שנותנין על הקבר והוא שירשו ממון מאביהם:

One who gave instructions [that when he dies] he should not be buried at the expense of his estate, is not to be obeyed, but they collect from his heirs If he left enough only for his wife’s marriage settlement ( Kethubah ), he must be buried at the public’s expense — G.Mah. Ḥ.M. ibid. par. 30 where our present ruling is also found. [for] all his burial needs against their will, Cur. edd. have ‘his will.’ and likewise [for] all that is customarily done for [other] members of his family, and even [for] the stone that is placed upon his grave, derived from Asheri, San. § VI and in Resp. A tombstone may be erected over a grave at any time after the seven days of mourning — Mishmereth Shalom. also Ket. 5a, Tosaf. s.v. עד שיסתום . provided that they inherited money from their father. However, this is applicable only if he left instructions. Otherwise, the heirs, if well-to-do, must pay the expenses even if they did not inherit the estate — G.Mah. and B.Hillel supra § 344, 9, n. 24.

אפילו מי שאין לו ממון שצוה ואמר אל תקברוהו אין שומעין לו:

Even one who has no money, has, ‘even a dying person who has no heirs.’ Cf. BaḤ a.l. who gave instructions [that when he dies] he should not be buried [in order not to become a public charge], 47b, where it is stated that the decomposition of the body in the ground is a means of atonement for the dead). This question remains undecided. N states that since this involves a doubt concerning a ritual question, we adopt the more stringent view. Hence, the ruling here. Cf. also Yad, Zekiyah U-Matanah XI, 24. is not to be obeyed. adds, ‘for it is a disgrace for all living and not only for his family.’ supra n. 11.