YISKOR IN FIRST YEAR

May a person bereaved during the year attend Yiskor during that year? (From Rabbi Harold Waintrup, Abington, Pennsylvania)

This is one of the popular ideas about funerals that have no basis in the law, but this was evidently a widespread custom. Elazar Deutsch, of Bonyhad, in “Duda’ay Hasodeh” 85, speaks of many people bereaved that year who walk out of the synagogue during Yiskor, together with those people whose parents are still living. He considers this a foolish custom and quotes “Succoth Sholom” (6 : 1), who cites many proofs to indicate that “this evil custom has no foundation.”

So Elazar Deutsch’s son-in-law, Joseph Schwartz, in “Vayitzbor Yosef” (#82, end), says that there is no taste or scent “to this custom, and many famous rabbis observed Yiskor in the first year of their bereavement.” (See also his book “Hadras Kodesh,” p. 36). The latest scholar to denounce this custom was Hillel Posek (“Hillel Omer,” #305, p. 190), who says that the popular custom is in reverse of the truth, namely, that it is especially meritorious to participate in Yiskor during the first year of bereavement.