Funeral Readings | Sefaria

Funeral Readings

SS

ByScott Schoeller

Reading from Psalms

[Hebrew chants + English]

תהילים קכ״א:א׳

שִׁ֗יר לַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת אֶשָּׂ֣א עֵ֭ינַי אֶל־הֶהָרִ֑ים מֵ֝אַ֗יִן יָבֹ֥א עֶזְרִֽי׃

A song for ascents.
I turn my eyes to the mountains;
from where will my help come?

תהילים קכ״א:ב׳

עֶ֭זְרִי מֵעִ֣ם יְהֹוָ֑ה עֹ֝שֵׂ֗ה שָׁמַ֥יִם וָאָֽרֶץ׃

[Read together]

My help comes from the LORD,
maker of heaven and earth.

תהילים קכ״א:ג׳

אַל־יִתֵּ֣ן לַמּ֣וֹט רַגְלֶ֑ךָ אַל־יָ֝נ֗וּם שֹׁמְרֶֽךָ׃

He will not let your foot give way;
your guardian will not slumber;

תהילים קכ״א:ד׳

הִנֵּ֣ה לֹֽא־יָ֭נוּם וְלֹ֣א יִישָׁ֑ן שׁ֝וֹמֵ֗ר יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

See, the guardian of Israel
neither slumbers nor sleeps!

תהילים קכ״א:ה׳

יְהֹוָ֥ה שֹׁמְרֶ֑ךָ יְהֹוָ֥ה צִ֝לְּךָ֗ עַל־יַ֥ד יְמִינֶֽךָ׃

The LORD is your guardian,
the LORD is your protection
at your right hand.

תהילים קכ״א:ו׳

יוֹמָ֗ם הַשֶּׁ֥מֶשׁ לֹֽא־יַכֶּ֗כָּה וְיָרֵ֥חַ בַּלָּֽיְלָה׃

By day the sun will not strike you,
nor the moon by night.

תהילים קכ״א:ז׳

יְֽהֹוָ֗ה יִשְׁמׇרְךָ֥ מִכׇּל־רָ֑ע יִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר אֶת־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃

The LORD will guard you from all harm;
He will guard your life.

תהילים קכ״א:ח׳

יְֽהֹוָ֗ה יִשְׁמׇר־צֵאתְךָ֥ וּבוֹאֶ֑ךָ מֵ֝עַתָּ֗ה וְעַד־עוֹלָֽם׃ {פ}

The LORD will guard your going and coming
now and forever.

Readings from Ecclesiastes

[Scott's favorite book of the Tanakh; Hebrew + English responsively]

קהלת א׳:א׳

(א) דִּבְרֵי֙ קֹהֶ֣לֶת בֶּן־דָּוִ֔ד מֶ֖לֶךְ בִּירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃

Ecclesiastes 1:1

The words of Koheleth, son of David, king in Jerusalem.

קהלת ג׳:א׳

לַכֹּ֖ל זְמָ֑ן וְעֵ֥ת לְכׇל־חֵ֖פֶץ תַּ֥חַת הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ {ס}

Ecclesiastes 3:1

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

קהלת ג׳:ב׳

עֵ֥ת לָלֶ֖דֶת וְעֵ֣ת לָמ֑וּת עֵ֣ת לָטַ֔עַת וְעֵ֖ת לַעֲק֥וֹר נָטֽוּעַ׃

Ecclesiastes 3:2

[Community reads 3:2-3:8, 9:10 in English after Rabbi reads the Hebrew for each individual line]

A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

קהלת ג׳:ג׳

עֵ֤ת לַהֲרוֹג֙ וְעֵ֣ת לִרְפּ֔וֹא עֵ֥ת לִפְר֖וֹץ וְעֵ֥ת לִבְנֽוֹת׃

Ecclesiastes 3:3

A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to break down, and a time to build up;

קהלת ג׳:ד׳

עֵ֤ת לִבְכּוֹת֙ וְעֵ֣ת לִשְׂח֔וֹק עֵ֥ת סְפ֖וֹד וְעֵ֥ת רְקֽוֹד׃

Ecclesiastes 3:4

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance;

קהלת ג׳:ה׳

עֵ֚ת לְהַשְׁלִ֣יךְ אֲבָנִ֔ים וְעֵ֖ת כְּנ֣וֹס אֲבָנִ֑ים עֵ֣ת לַחֲב֔וֹק וְעֵ֖ת לִרְחֹ֥ק מֵחַבֵּֽק׃

Ecclesiastes 3:5

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

קהלת ג׳:ו׳

עֵ֤ת לְבַקֵּשׁ֙ וְעֵ֣ת לְאַבֵּ֔ד עֵ֥ת לִשְׁמ֖וֹר וְעֵ֥ת לְהַשְׁלִֽיךְ׃

Ecclesiastes 3:6

A time to seek, and a time to lose; A time to keep, and a time to cast away;

קהלת ג׳:ז׳

עֵ֤ת לִקְר֙וֹעַ֙ וְעֵ֣ת לִתְפּ֔וֹר עֵ֥ת לַחֲשׁ֖וֹת וְעֵ֥ת לְדַבֵּֽר׃

Ecclesiastes 3:7

A time to rend, and a time to sew; A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

קהלת ג׳:ח׳

עֵ֤ת לֶֽאֱהֹב֙ וְעֵ֣ת לִשְׂנֹ֔א עֵ֥ת מִלְחָמָ֖ה וְעֵ֥ת שָׁלֽוֹם׃ {ס}

Ecclesiastes 3:8

A time to love, and a time to hate; A time for war, and a time for peace.

קהלת ג׳:י׳

רָאִ֣יתִי אֶת־הָֽעִנְיָ֗ן אֲשֶׁ֨ר נָתַ֧ן אֱלֹהִ֛ים לִבְנֵ֥י הָאָדָ֖ם לַעֲנ֥וֹת בּֽוֹ׃

Ecclesiastes 3:10

I have observed the business that God gave man to be concerned with:

קהלת ג׳:י״א

אֶת־הַכֹּ֥ל עָשָׂ֖ה יָפֶ֣ה בְעִתּ֑וֹ גַּ֤ם אֶת־הָעֹלָם֙ נָתַ֣ן בְּלִבָּ֔ם מִבְּלִ֞י אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹא־יִמְצָ֣א הָאָדָ֗ם אֶת־הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֛ה אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֥ה הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים מֵרֹ֥אשׁ וְעַד־סֽוֹף׃

Ecclesiastes 3:11

He brings everything to pass precisely at its time; He also puts eternity in their mind, but without man ever guessing, from first to last, all the things that God brings to pass.

קהלת ג׳:י״ב

יָדַ֕עְתִּי כִּ֛י אֵ֥ין ט֖וֹב בָּ֑ם כִּ֣י אִם־לִשְׂמ֔וֹחַ וְלַעֲשׂ֥וֹת ט֖וֹב בְּחַיָּֽיו׃

Ecclesiastes 3:12

Thus I realized that the only worthwhile thing there is for them is to enjoy themselves and do what is good in their lifetime;

קהלת ט׳:י׳

כֹּ֠ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר תִּמְצָ֧א יָֽדְךָ֛ לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת בְּכֹחֲךָ֖ עֲשֵׂ֑ה כִּי֩ אֵ֨ין מַעֲשֶׂ֤ה וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן֙ וְדַ֣עַת וְחׇכְמָ֔ה בִּשְׁא֕וֹל אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתָּ֖ה הֹלֵ֥ךְ שָֽׁמָּה׃

Ecclesiastes 9:10

[Read as a community]

Whatever it is in your power to do, do with all your might. For there is no action, no reasoning, no learning, no wisdom in Sheol, where you are going.

Rabbi's Eulogy

NOTE: Feel free to include other material -- this is just the minimum