Kriah - Letting go

There is a practice in the Jewish Faith that I have a great respect for. I had once seen this tradition portrayed in the movie "The Jazz Singer" with Neil Diamond. It has always stayed with me.

In my view, in the movie Neil Diamond was in conflict with what was expected of him versus what was expected. When he did what his heart called him to do that included being involved with a non-jewish woman. His father was diappointed, tore his sleeve crying and said his son was dead to him.

Think of the power of that statement.

The following is an excerpt an article courtesy of www.myjewishlearning.com

The Basics of Kriah, or Tearing a Piece of Clothing
The ancient practice of tearing clothes is a tangible expression of grief and anger in the face of death.

Kriah is a Hebrew word meaning "tearing." It refers to the act of tearing one's clothes or cutting a black ribbon worn on one's clothes. This rending is a striking expression of grief and anger at the loss of a loved one.

For the complete article please goto:

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/lifecycle/Death/Burial_Mourning/KriahBasics.htm