Why Are Stones Left at Grave Sites?
Primarily a Jewish tradition, many mourners continue the ritual of leaving small stones instead of flowers at a loved one's grave site. While the historic origin of this custom ranges from practical causes to superstitious beliefs, the symbolic significance of the act keeps the tradition thriving today.
Other People Are Reading
-
History
-
No existing factual data clarifies the origin of this tradition, according to Rabbi Tom Louchheim for the website templesanjose.org. Louchheim says an early text reference to stones occurs at 35:20 in the Pesikta Zutra which describes how Jacob's sons placed stones on Rachel's grave.
Practical Reasons
-
The Riverside Memorial Chapel website states that passers-by added stones to the rocks piled on graves out of respect. The mounds safeguarded against wild animals and robbers. According to Barbara Binder Kadden, the Director of the Seattle Jewish Educational Council, the ancient practice of weighing down notes written to the deceased with rocks also led to this custom.
-
Superstitions
-
According to templesanjose.org, people believed that souls haunt grave sites after death. Communities positioned large rocks to block tombs and prevent dead souls from seeking the living. Small stones acted in the same manner to weigh the soul down in the grave.
Significance
-
Grave site stones honor the dead. The tradition leaves evidence of the visitor for both the deceased and other mourners. According to The Spokesman Review, stones symbolize that the person's life is not forgotten, that the memory endures.
Considerations
-
Ritual is a human need. Rabbi Andrew Straus postulates that the physical act of holding and placing the stone is a tangible reminder of the person's continuing presence in life in spite of the physical absence signified by the stone's release.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Ben Ostrowsky
