Woman Who Dug Up Soldier’s Grave Claimed That She “Hoped He Would Wake Up”

RISHON LETZION (VINnews) — A 41-year-old female resident of Bnei Brak who was arrested yesterday for allegedly digging up the grave of a soldier who was killed by a terrorist last week in Samaria has a torrid history herself, having survived a terror attack in the past. The woman’s lawyer claimed in the Rishon Letzion court that this had harmed her emotional state and led her to her unusual actions.

Police demanded that the woman’s remand be extended since she had dug up the grave of staff sergeant Amit Ben-Yigal. The woman claimed in her defense that she did this because she hoped he would “wake up” and had done the same thing when her husband passed away.

The woman added that when she saw the family’s anguish at the loss of their only son she felt she ought to try and dig up the soldier’s grave since “within 72 hours there is a possibility that a dead person will wake up and therefore one should check if he is alive.”

Judge Zohar Dibon-Segal released the woman but ordered her not to visit cemeteries, but the police appealed the decision and therefore the woman was not immediately released.

It should be noted that the Gemara mentions a custom to go to the grave during the first three days after his death to check whether he is alive but this is not the custom in our time.