One must ensure that the deceased is not alone when he passes away, and it is a virtuous act to be with him at this hour. Some try to have ten men (a minyan) in the room at the time of death.

It is customary to light a yahrzeit candle next to the deceased after his departure. This practice is based on the verse: “The soul of man is the lamp of the Lord” (Proverbs 20:27), meaning that one’s soul is comparable to a candle, the lamp of God.

After death has definitively been established, the face of the deceased should be covered.

One who is present at the death of a Jew must tear his garment (see below). If the death occurred on a Shabbat, when ripping of clothing is not permitted, some maintain that he must tear his clothes after Shabbat, while others contend that he need not tear them at all.

Nonetheless, the contemporary custom in many places is not to tear one’s clothing at the time of death. The reason for this leniency is to prevent people from avoiding being present alongside the deceased at the time of his death.

Relatives of the first degree, meaning spouses, parents, siblings, and children, tear their garments during the funeral (see below). In this regard, half-brothers and half-sisters are also classified as first-degree relatives.

A divorced man or woman is not considered a mourner for an ex-spouse. They do not tear their garments or sit shiva. Likewise, more distant relatives do not tear their garments and do not sit shiva.

From the moment of death until burial, the body of a dead person may not be left alone. Two reasons are given for this:

(1) It is an honor for the deceased, as leaving the body alone gives the impression that no one is interested in him.

(2) There are spiritually harmful beings that seek to reach the person’s body between death and burial, in order to harm him. The presence of a living person prevents these beings from approaching the deceased. It is customary for the person guarding the deceased to sit and recite psalms. This obligation to guard the dead body also applies on Shabbat.

The guard is exempt from the fulfillment of mitzvot (such as the recitation of Shema), similar to an onen (an acute mourner; see below). In a case where there is another person available to replace him as the guard, he should leave the room, recite Shema, and then resume his place by the deceased.

One may not eat or recite blessings in the presence of the deceased, nor may one be in his immediate vicinity while wearing tefillin or with his ritual fringes visible. A person who has died is obviously no longer capable of doing mitzvot, so fulfilling mitzvot in his presence is considered like taunting him. To do so would be a violation of the verse, “Whoever mocks the poor blasphemes his Maker” (Proverbs 17:5).