As Jews, we believe it is our duty to accompany the deceased to the cemetery for burial, as the Hebrew word for funeral is “levaya,” which literally means “escorting.” Burying the dead is one of the biggest mitzvahs that we can complete, because we know that there is no way for that person to ever repay us for this act. But have you ever wondered why we sometimes make several brief stops while carrying the casket from the hearse to the grave?
