"...Who Revives the Dead"

 Q: Why do we say at the beginning of the Amidah, “Blessed are You… who revives the dead?”  Do we believe in this?

A: The blessing to which you refer has its place in Jewish thought and belief. The simple answer is that the blessing references the messianic age when the dead will return to life.

Others have stated to believe that the soul of the departed just not time with the body. God revives the spirit of those who have passed as this soul is immortal.

A beautiful Hasidic saying is that God’s mercy and truth illumines the soul.  God gives humanity the capacity to see truth and practice mercy every day.  In this way, God constantly revives the souls of those who might otherwise be dead to truth and compassion.

Amputation

Q: Is it true that amputated limbs are buried.  What happens if a person does not know where they are going to be interred?

A: Aggadda (legend) tells that the righteous shall gather in Olam HaBa (the Universe to Come).  Our bodies, the aggadda continues, will be resurrected as they are buried.  As you may guess, missing pieces will not be resurrected. 

A different approach (or one that is implicit in the idea of burying amputated limbs) is that the dead must be treated with respect.  Accordingly, this second view takes into consideration the many difficulties encountered in burying limbs before a person has died.    When it becomes too difficult to navigate the obstacles in burying the limb in a per-determined grave the limb can be buried elsewhere.

The Law is as follows: Limbs do not have to be interred with the body.  Tradition avers.