Q&A: The Words of the Dead and the Words of the Living God — Whom Do We Listen To?
Originally published:
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The Words of the Dead and the Words of the Living God — Whom Do We Listen To?
Question
Hello Rabbi.
Question: If a person requested that his body be cremated after his death, how should one act? And what is the reasoning?
Answer
https://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3846179,00.html
There is indeed room to discuss this from the standpoint of the prohibition against degrading the dead, for since he himself requested it, one might say that he waived his honor. But simply speaking, that is not correct, since he was alive then and did not understand what he perhaps understands now. Therefore, in my opinion, one should not comply with his request. I do not have to violate a prohibition because he said so. Let him violate the prohibition. And if he cannot — that is his problem.