Respectful Disposal of Sacred Texts
Question
A friend who is cleaning out her deceased parents home has found a number of Hebrew religious texts. Neither she or her parents are Jewish. The books are in very bad condition and she would like to know how to dispose of them in a respectful manner. We would also like to know the background reason for the disposal method.
Thank you for your help with this matter.
Answers
Because the books may contain the Name of God, it would be correct to put them into a plastic or paper bag and then place them in the regular garbage container. Putting the books into something else before throwing them away is considered to be a sign of respect for the sanctity of the books.
Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team