Shmira refers to guarding of the deceased’s body after death and until burial. A Shomer, or “watchman” stays with the body at all times and recites prayers and psalms. The purpose of Shmira is three fold:
1) Show respect to the deceased’s body by not leaving it unattended like a useless vessel
2) Guard the body from rodents and insects
3) Many Jewish families believe that the spirit of the deceased hovers in close proximity to the body; so this is seen as a very important time to compassionately intercede in the transition of the soul.
Simcha Paull Raphael, in Jewish Views of the Afterlife:
"Shmira is a process of soul-guiding; the contemplative nonverbal communication between the world of the living and the realm of the discarnate soul. Sitting in front of the deceased, reciting Psalms, one should hold an attitude of a loving connection with the person who has died. The task requires trusting intuition and one's inner voices, listening inwardly for a response, and being attentive to synchronistic, meaningful experience. Soul-guiding is not a science; it is an art."
Sources:Raphael, Paull Simcha, Jewish views of the afterlife, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers; Second Edition 2009.
Spiro, Ken, “Part 10: Jewish family & responsibility”, accessed 2014.
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, "Guide to Jewish funeral practices," 2013.
Gilad, E. (2015). A guide to Jewish death and mourning rituals.
Jewish Funeral Guide. (2018). Preparation for Jewish burial: treatment of the remains.