Ripping clothes was a public

Group nude women, age from 20 to 60, all body size. A gesture by which both Jews and other Easterners often expressed grief, especially upon learning of the death of a loved one. Often, it involved not so much the complete ripping and destruction of the garment as tearing open the front of the garment to expose the breasts. When parents died, the garments were torn with bare hands on the left side, at the level of the breast (closer to the heart, symbolizing greater grief); for other loved ones, the ripping was done on the right side (a sharp instrument could be used). However, the rule was that the ripping should not be done along the seams.

Ripping clothes was a public and powerful expression of grief in ancient times. This practice continues today in the Jewish practice of keriah. Today, the ritual is less spontaneous and more regulated: the garment is cut by the rabbi during the funeral service, while mourners recite words referring to God's sovereignty. One tradition states that the mourner must tear their clothes at the heart—a sign of a broken heart. This usually involves cutting the clothes above the left or right breast. Show face and visible legs.

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