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The Jews of Europe and the moment of death in medieval and modern times.

From: Judaism: A Quarterly Journal of Jewish Life andThought  |  Date: 6/22/1995  |  Author: Horowitz, Elliott

The Jews in medieval Europe had a custom of reciting a deathbed confession which involved saying the 'Shema, Israel' before a quorum of 10 men, including one or more rabbis. An earlier form of the custom involved a more private arrangement, with the sick or dying person arranging for a deathbed confession to a rabbi. The custom was not codified until the 13th century, and was comprehensively codified only in the in the 17th century. The development of the custom since the medieval ages is ...

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