At Chabad.org, we try to answer all questions related to Judaism. Recently, we were baffled to find a mysterious trend of people Googling whether or not Jews bury their dead standing up and why.

Where is this idea coming from? We have no clue. And the answers offered so far have, unfortunately, only been addressed by people (or bots) who lack basic Jewish knowledge and are just peddling irrelevant information they find on the internet.

The facts on the ground (or perhaps “under the ground”) are that Jews universally bury their dead lying on their backs,1 and any other position is considered disrespectful.2

But may we bury our dead in the upright position?

The key to this query is found in a Talmudic discussion about constructing catacombs.3 How many burial spots must be included and how are they to be arranged? As the sages grapple with the logistics, they suggest that perhaps vertical tombs could be included.

In response, the Talmud cites the teaching of Rabbi Yochanan, who declared that to be interred upright is “the burial of donkeys” who are carelessly discarded in narrow pits after they die.

Rather, the Jewish tradition has always been to bury our loved ones just as if they were lying in bed asleep, patiently awaiting the day when “those who lie in dust will arise and sing.”4

So, sorry, anonymous people on the internet, Jews do not bury their dead standing up.