Rending on the Death of a Grandfather
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Question
My grandfather just passed away. Am I required to perform Kriah (ritual rending of garments) during the burial?
Answer
The custom is not to rend garments for distant relatives, and therefore you are not required to rend garments for your grandfather.
Source
It is stated in the Talmud, Moed Katan 20a: "Amimar, when his grandson died, tore his garment. When his son came, he tore it in front of him, remembered that he tore it while sitting, stood up and tore it standing."
Similarly, it is ruled in the Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah, Siman 340, Se'if 4: "Just as one rends garments for a close relative for whom one mourns, so too one rends in front of a close relative for a deceased who is close to him. For example, if the son of his son or the brother of his son or the mother of his son dies, he is obligated to rend in front of his son. Similarly, one rends for his father-in-law and mother-in-law. And a woman rends for her father-in-law and mother-in-law. The Rema writes that now this is not the custom, as will be explained later in Siman 374 regarding mourning."
The Rema in Siman 374, Se'if 6 writes: "There is an opinion that nowadays it is customary to be lenient in this mourning that is observed with others, as it is only for the honor of the mourners, and now everyone is accustomed to forgive. And so it is customary nowadays not to mourn at all with the mourners (Tur in the name of the Rosh, and it is in Perek AM and Ramban in TH and GMI in Perek 1), and anyone who is stringent in this is only causing wonder."
Similarly, Sephardim do not rend garments for distant relatives.