Cremating bodies of gentiles
Question
Hello, I live in Europe and I was offered a job with a decent salary. My role would be to put the bodies of the deceased into the oven, operate the oven, and then arrange the ashes in a container and return them to the family. This is for a crematorium that serves the Christian community of the city. Is it permissible for me to take this job?
Answer
Dear …!
Hello,
You should not take this job for two reasons:
A. It is definitely possible that an assimilated Jew may turn to this facility, and you will not be able to refuse to cremate a body because the person was Jewish.
B. There is a dispute among authorities regarding the cremation of non-Jewish bodies, and even if it is only a rabbinic prohibition, it is still not permissible to engage in a job that includes an activity that is prohibited by some rabbinic authorities.
By maintaining respect for human dignity and abstaining from this work, may you merit abundant livelihood and blessing from heaven.
Source
Sources: Gittin (61a); Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh De'ah 349:1) forbids it; Bi'ur HaGra (ibid) permits it; and see Piskei Teshuva (ibid) who cites that even according to the Shulchan Aruch, the prohibition is only rabbinic.
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