Shomer (plural shomrim) is Hebrew for “guard” or “keeper,” and it is used in a variety of ways and contexts.
Guarding the Deceased
After a Jewish person passes away, it is customary for someone to stay with the body at all times until burial. If needed, several people take shifts. One who provides this honor, and who often recites Psalms as part of the sacred task, is known as a shomer.
A primary purpose of the shomer is to guard the body from rodents. Even though this is no longer a concern, it is still done to honor the deceased and for other reasons, such as to guard from mystical negative forces.
Four Custodians
Jewish law discusses four custodians—an unpaid guard, a paid guard, a renter, and a borrower—each of whom have a different level of responsibility when safeguarding items entrusted to them.
Honoring the Temple
The Holy Temple in Jerusalem was under constant guard, with a team of 3 priests and 21 Levites standing guard at various stations each night. Of course, G‑d’s house does not need to be guarded from thieves or vandals. The purpose of these guards was simply to accord honor to the place.
Guarding People
In Jewish law, under certain circumstances, men and women may not be alone. This is known as yichud, and the law is a safeguard to ensure that nothing untoward takes place between them. At times, a third person (known as a shomer) may be asked to be present so that yichud is not an issue.
Read: What Is Yichud?
Appointing a Shomer
When a time-sensitive mitzvah (such as praying evening services) must be done, there is a period during which we may not eat, study or otherwise attend to our affairs, lest we get carried away and forget the mitzvah at hand. One workaround is appointing a shomer to remind you to do the mitzvah, thus allowing you to engage in the desired activity.
G‑d Guards Us
The mezuzah scroll, which graces the right side of Jewish doors, has the letters ש-ד-י on its outer side. These letters are an acronym for שומר דלתות ישראל, “guardian of Israel’s doors,” since the mezuzah invites G‑d Himself to guard our homes.
Unrelated Shomer Terms
Shomer Shabbat (“Guardian” or “Keeper” of Shabbat): Shabbat is so central to Jewish life that the term shomer Shabbat (“Shabbat keeper”) is synonymous with “religious Jew” in common parlance.
Read: 25 Shabbat Facts
Shomer Negiah (“Keeper of [the laws regarding] touch”): This term does not actually exist in classic Torah literature. However, it has come to refer to one who adheres to the Torah’s laws regarding coming into close contact with members of the opposite sex, including physical touch.
Read: Why Is Judaism So Restrictive on Contact Between Sexes?
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