The State Board of Health has declined a request filed by orthodox rabbis for an extension of the maximum time limit for burying unembalmed or uncremated bodies, to 72 hours. The board did, however, amend the sanitary code to provide 48 hours maximum time limit, in place of 36 hours, which was the rule up to now.
The rabbis had argued previously that the 36-hour regulation conflicted seriously with Jewish ritual laws governing burial when an important holiday such as Passover or Succoth occurs. However, the board, viewing the matter in the light of the general public welfare, refused to grant the request, sanctioning, however, a 48-hour limit, although it is scarcely perceptible how this will aid the orthodox viewpoint during a holiday period.
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