Tachrichim

A tachrich (Hebrew: תַכְרִ֥יךְ, romanized: tak̲rik̲), plural tachrichim, is a traditional simple white shroud in Judaism usually made from 100% pure linen.

Tachrich

A chevra kadisha or similar burial society ritually washes (ṭahārā) and dresses (halbāshā) the body, wrapping it in the tachrich. It may be a white tallit with the tzitziyot removed.

In Biblical Hebrew, tachrich appears to mean a wrapped garment. In Esther 8:15, Mordecai left the king's presence in royal apparel with a golden crown "and a wrap of byssus and reddish purple" ("delicate Egyptian linen": וְתַכְרִ֥יךְ בּ֖וז וְאַרְגָּמָ֑ן). Similar garments were common in ancient times, including the Roman toga and stola.

Islamic funerals prepare the body in a similar way, ritually washing it and dressing it in a shroud.

History

Tachrichim are white and entirely hand stitched, without tying knots. Regardless of gender, they include a tunic, pants, hood, and belt. The belt is tied to form the shape of the Hebrew letter shin, which stands for Shaddai, one of the accepted representations of God's ineffable Name. If the pants are not closed at the bottom to cover the feet, "booties" are additionally provided. The face is generally covered with a sudarium, much as in traditional artistic representations of Lazarus or Jesus in his tomb. In earlier times, the sisterhoods or women's auxiliaries would make shrouds for their community; this practice may still occur in traditional communities.

Today, virtually all Jewish mortuaries carry tachrichim. The prices vary, depending on whether it is cotton or linen, or whether it is hand sewn.

See also

• Shroud

References