What does the family do at the exact moment of death?
My father wishes to die at home. Answer: When death is near, the dying person may recite the viddui, a confessional prayer; if he/she is unable, another person may recite it on his or her behalf. In the last few minutes of life, the dying person should not left alone. Family and perhaps friends should be with him/her to ease the passage into the next world. When death occurs, open the windows in the room, to allow the soul to begin it’s journey. Close the eyes and mouth, straighten the limbs, and some follow a custom of placing the body on the floor, feet pointed towards the door. Place a sheet over the body, light a candle, and place it near the head (except on Shabbat); some place candles all around the body. The Synagogue office or rabbi should be called, and they will contact the hevra kadisha to wash and dress the body in the traditional burial shrouds (takhrikhim), as well as any other synagogue committees who need to be notified; and the funeral home should be called. The mirror
