Keriah

Keriah (Hebrew: קְרִיעָה, lit. 'tearing'; often translated as 'rending of garments') is ritual tearing of one’s clothes as a sign of mourning or grief. This practice originated in the ancient Near East. and continues in various cultures to the present day. The act of keriah is mentioned numerous times in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), typically performed as an expression of grief upon the death of a close relative, but also occasionally in response to other disastrous or profoundly disturbing news.

In Jewish law (Halakha), keriah is a mandated ritual within the laws of mourning (Dinei Aveilut). An individual is obligated to perform keriah upon learning of the death of one of the seven close relatives for whom the Shiva (the formal seven-day mourning period) must be observed: father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, or spouse. Additionally, Halakha requires keriah in other specific circumstances.