Burial of Jewish Holy Books & Objects - Shaimos

Book in to drop off your box of shaimos for burial.

If there are no bookings available, please check back in a few days as we are at capacity.

SHAIMOS GUIDELINES - Discarding Holy Objects

As we clean for Passover, we tend to use the opportunity to de-clutter our homes as well. We find that over the course of the year we manage to collect a sizeable collection of Torah and mitzvah related material. Since the Torah requires us to treat holy writings and objects with dignity even when they won’t be used anymore, many of these items cannot be thrown out in the regular garbage. These items, known colloquially as shaimos, (or “names” referring to Hashem’s Holy Name that may not be erased), must be discarded in the respectful manner that is outlined in Halacha.

Just as it is important to clarify which items belong in shaimos, it is also important to know what is not considered shaimos, since it is considered disrespectful to bury non-shaimos with regular shaimos and wasteful of Holy cemetery ground.

The following shaimos that contain Hashem’s name or have had a mitzva performed with them and should be placed in a closed cardboard box before being brought to the Sydney Chevra Kadisha (SCK):

• · Tefillin, mezuzot, and megilot
• · Chumashim, siddurim, benchers, machzorim, Hagadot and any book or printed material that has Hashem’s name  Yud – Kei –Vav –Kei , Yud – Kei, Adnay , Elokim,  Shakai printed or written  in the full original spelling
• Mezuza covers, tefillin straps, boxes and bags
• · Tzitzis, tzitzis strings, and talleisim
• Talmud ,Mishnayot, , Shulchan Aruch and similar classic printed texts.

According to HoRav Moshe Feinstein ZT”L recycling holy items that do not have Hashem’s name on them is permitted as they are not treated disrespectfully during the process. Therefore the following may  be discarded  by placing them in the paper cardboard recycling bin . These items should not be brought to the SCK and will not be accepted for burial.

• Printed material which by their nature are not intended to be saved, and that do not have Hashem’s name written in full i.e. weekly Divrei Torah flyers, Torah articles printed in newspapers and magazines, Torah magazines without Hashem’s name etc
• Children’s Limudei kodesh homework and parsha sheets that ( should not, and) do not have Hashem’s name printed in full
• Invitations that contain   pesukim (verses ) .

The following should be placed in the green garden waste bin and not brought to the SCK.  They will not be accepted for burial.

• · Lulav ( There is a custom to save the lulav and burn it with the chametz Erev Pesach but it may also be burned prior)
• · Etrog ( It is customary for it to be allowed to dry and shrivel first )
• · Hoshanot.

The following are not shaimos and may be disposed of in the normal manner and not brought to the SCK

• · CDs, DVDs, tapes, computer disks, USB sticks and hard drives that contain Torah shiurim

If one does not have the ability to bring actual shaimos to the SCK there are authorities that permit placing them in two bags – that is filling a bag with shaimos , sealing it and putting that bag into a second bag and sealing it – and then disposing of the doubly sealed bags in the normal garbage. This is not the preferred option .It should not be used for actual Tefillin and Mezuzot.

For security reasons, please do not leave any shaimos outside the SCK. Call the office first to arrange a day and time for the drop off.