Sitting shiva is a basis of Jewish tradition and religious observance. We stop our regular lives and concentrate on remembering our family member. We cut our clothes to symbolize the depth of our grief.
We sit on low chairs as an indicator of how low and despondent we feel. We take off our leather shoes; being comfy is the very last thing on our minds. This rite helps us to process and take the emptiness in our lives. Depending on one’s level of observance, a person may sit shiva…