6241 —העברת עצמות לארץ ישראל, ליווי משפחתי, ושיקולי נסיעה

With the help of Heaven, 12 Iyar, 5718, Brooklyn.

Greetings and blessings!

In response to your letter from 7 Iyar, and as you requested, this reply comes without waiting for your turn.

You write regarding the suggestion that you travel to Vienna in order to arrange the transfer of the remains of your mother-in-law’s grandfather, may she live and be well, to the Holy Land, may it be rebuilt and established. It is understood that there is an added merit when a family member accompanies the casket from there to the Holy Land, but at the same time, one must take into account the expenses involved. It is known that in Vienna there are several G-d-fearing Jews who can be relied upon for such matters. Also, on the airplane that will bring the casket from there to the Holy Land, certainly several trustworthy Jews will be traveling, and furthermore, it will surely be without any transfer from one plane to another, meaning that once the casket is loaded onto the plane, it will remain there until its arrival in Lod, where a family member can meet it.

In your letter, you mention the possibility of transporting the casket from Vienna to the Holy Land by ship. Presumably, you mean if it is an Israeli ship, the journey would only take place on weekdays, or if it is a non-Israeli ship.

With blessings for good news, in the name of the Rebbe, may he live and be well, Secretary

Summary

When arranging the transfer of a relative’s remains to Eretz Yisrael, it is praiseworthy for a family member to accompany the casket, but practical and financial considerations, as well as the reliability of local Jews and travel logistics, should be carefully weighed.