A painful and embarrassing incident occurred during a levaya on Tuesday 13 Tammuz in the Segulah Cemetery in Petach Tikvah. A levaya for a 72-year-old woman began without incident, as hespedim were heard and the niftar was then taken for kvura. The body was placed in the ground and it was then, prior to closing the cinderblocks and covering the kever with dirt, a member of the chevra kadisha B”H realized they had the wrong body.

The family was informed, the body taken out and changed and a second levaya was held after the husband of the nifteres personally identified the nifteres for a second time.

The second levaya was considerably faster as the people participating had been in the hot sun for quite some time.

What happened?

A member of the chevra did a final check and he determined they had the wrong body. A rav was called and the chevra kadishas was instructed to explain what occurred to the family, remove the body and then do another identification and bury the correct person. It was pointed out the nifteres was a religious woman “from a normative religious family” as Yehuda Porat, head of the chevra kadisha put it.

The family was shocked and pained and the chevra kadisha did as instructed.

A check of the bracelet placed on the body with the name revealed the incorrect name had been written. In addition, the head of the chevra kadisha explained the husband unfortunately signed off on the identification of the wrong body.

Yehuda Porat, the director of the Petach Tikvah Chevra Kadisha spoke to Mordecai Lavi of Kol Chai Radio on Wednesday morning 14 Tammuz.

Porat:

There were seven levayas on Tuesday, literally one after another, making it easier for such an occurrence, but nonetheless, there is no excuse. He added to this best of his knowledge it was the first time a mix-up occurred. Porat explained the following steps are taken to avoid this very type of unfortunate incident.

1. Each body has an IDF bracelet similar to the one placed on an infant following birth

2. A sticker with the name of the niftar is placed on the tachrichim

3. A family member must come in and make a visual identification and sign off on it

4. Before final closure in the kever, the chevra does a final check and B”H it was then a member of the chevra determined an error had occurred

Kol Chai:

Could this have occurred in the past without anyone knowing?

Porat:

We bury 1,800 bodies annually and to the best of my knowledge, this was the first occurrence as we do take precautions and as I stated; many steps are taken to avoid this. If it occurred without anyone realizing, we would not know but I do not believe this was the case.

Kol Chai:

According to halacha, if such an error is realized after kvura, or after shiva, what is done?

Porat:

This is a question for a rav/posek. In this case we consulted with a rav immediately. We were instructed to tell the family everything and conduct another levaya and we did exactly as instructed by the rav.

Kol Chai:

Any advice for families in general to avoid future instances?

Porat:

People should do their best to remain vigilant, especially during the visual identification process. However, unfortunately, there are also times the status of a niftar is such it cannot be identified visually.

We are going to probe this as required to learn how the error occurred and more importantly, to learn how to avoid this in the future. I point out that in this case, one of the questions is how the husband identified the incorrect body and signed off on it, leading to the mix-up.

I would like to add the chevra works day and night in all weather conditions and truly try their utmost and we will continue towards avoiding such unfortunate incidents and doing its utmost to ensure kovod hameis.

Final note:

It is mentioned that the nifteres and family are religious because Lavi inquired of Porat towards determining if the nifteres buried first in error was religious. He opined perhaps HKBH arranged this error so Kaddish would be recited over the non-religious nifteres before kvura.

Porat responded “it is entirely possible”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)