# Visiting a Cemetery

Source: Halachipedia: Visiting a Cemetery

Link: [https://halachipedia.com/index.php?title=Visiting_a_Cemetery](https://halachipedia.com/index.php?title=Visiting_a_Cemetery)

Categories: `Mourning`

Exported: 2025-12-30

## Proper Behavior
1. According to some poskim one shouldn't carry a sefer torah in a cemetery.¹

### Washing One's Hands
1. After visiting a cemetery a person should do *netilat yadayim* (wash his hands). There is a discussion if this applies to someone who visited a non-Jewish cemetery.²

## Reciting a Beracha
see [Brachot on Sights - Bracha for Seeing a Cemetery](https://halachipedia.com/index.php?title=Brachot%20on%20Sights#bracha-for-seeing-a-cemetery)

## Who Can/Should Visit?
### Pregnant Women
see [Pregnancy and Labor - Cemetery](https://halachipedia.com/index.php?title=Pregnancy%20and%20Labor#cemetery)

## References

¹: Bach YD 282:3 and Taz 282:3 are strict to forbid carrying a sefer torah within 4 amot of a grave. Nodeh Beyehuda OC 109 discusses the matter and isn't certain that it is forbidden.

²: Teshuvot Vehanhagot 2:581 writes that there's no need to wash one's hands after visiting a non-Jewish cemetery. However, Chashukei Chemed m"k 8b holds otherwise that a person should wash his hands even after visiting a non-Jewish cemetery. See also Yad Halevi v. 1.