Moed Katan 38

Chapter 38

א והתניא הקובר את מתו שלשה ימים קודם לרגל בטלה הימנו גזרת שבעה שמונה ימים קודם לרגל בטלה הימנו גזרת שלשים ומגלח ערב הרגל אם לא גילח ערב הרגל אסור לגלח אחר הרגל
1 and that is [exactly] what is taught [in a Baraitha]: If one buries his dead three days before a festival his restrictions of the seven fall away;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As then his obligation to the dead is already sufficiently fulfilled.');"><sup>1</sup></span> if eight days before a festival his restrictions of the thirty fall away;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As then his obligation to the dead is already sufficiently fulfilled.');"><sup>1</sup></span> and he crops [his hair] on the day before the festival.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In honour of the festival, although he is still within the thirty days.');"><sup>2</sup></span>
ב אבא שאול אומר מותר לגלח אחר הרגל שכשם שמצות שלשה מבטלת גזרת שבעה כך מצות שבעה מבטלת גזרת שלשים
2 If he had not cropped himself on the day before the festival, he is forbidden to crop himself after the festival.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the remaining period of mourning up to thirty is resumed: it having been only suspended but not canceled. vumn');"><sup>3</sup></span> Abba Saul says, He is permitted to crop himself after the festival; for just as the '[observed] obligation<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' means a positive order and denotes rather the positive aspect, the active fulfillment of the obligation to the departed, in contrast to the vrhzd , the restrictive aspect of mourning.');"><sup>4</sup></span> of three' [days] quashes the restriction of the seven'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Not to be resumed again.');"><sup>5</sup></span>
ג שבעה והאנן שמונה תנן קסבר אבא שאול מקצת היום ככולו ויום שביעי עולה לו לכאן ולכאן אמר רב חסדא אמר רבינא בר שילא הלכה כאבא שאול
3 so does the '[observed] obligation of seven' quash the 'restrictions of thirty'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., again. if he had not cropped himself before the festival he is permitted to do so immediately after the festival.');"><sup>6</sup></span> [You Say, 'The observed obligation of] seven'? But we learned [in our Mishnah] 'eight' [days before the festival]! - Abba Saul maintains the view that part of a day is [reckoned] as an entire day and [here] the seventh day [of mourning] enters into the count both this way and that.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., that after part has served for the seventh day, the remainder can count as part of the eighth day with its easier regimen.');"><sup>7</sup></span>
ד ומודים חכמים לאבא שאול כשחל שמיני שלו להיות בשבת ערב הרגל שמותר לגלח בערב שבת
4 R'Hisda, as citing Rabina son of Shela, said the halachah follows the opinion of Abba Saul;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [With reference to his latter ruling, cf. D.S. note7 and Han].');"><sup>8</sup></span> and the Sages concur with Abba Saul that when his eighth day comes on a Sabbath which is the day before a festival he is permitted to crop himself [even] in the Friday.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Though it is still the seventh.');"><sup>9</sup></span> Whose opinion is followed in the statement in which R'Amram, citing Rab, said: '[As to] the mourner, as soon as the comforters have risen to depart from his house, he is permitted to bathe'?
ה כמאן אזלא הא דאמר רב עמרם אמר רב אבל כיון שעמדו מנחמין מאצלו מותר ברחיצה כמאן כאבא שאול
5 Whose view [is it]? - It is Abba Saul's [view]. Said Abaye, The halachah follows Abba Saul's view in regard to the seventh day [of mourning] and the Sages concur with Abba Saul in regard to the thirtieth day [of mourning] that we say, part of the day is regarded as the whole day. Raba said, The halachah follows Abba Saul's view in regard to the thirtieth day, but in regard to the seventh day the halachah does not follow the view of Abba Saul.
ו אמר אביי הלכה כאבא שאול ביום שבעה ומודים חכמים לאבא שאול ביום שלשים דאמרינן מקצת היום ככולו
6 And the Nehardeans<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Represented by R. Han., Sanh. 17b. Also by R. Nahman b. Isaac (according to another source) . V. A. Hyman, Toledoth II, p. 919.');"><sup>10</sup></span> say the halachah follows Abba Sauls view in both instances, because Samuel stated that in matters appertaining to mourning the halachah is to follow the view of the more lenient authority. Whence [in Scripture] do we derive the term of thirty days [of mourning]? - It is obtained by an analogy<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This question interrupts the discussion. The method of equalling two texts is gezerah shawah, v. Glos.');"><sup>11</sup></span>
ז רבא אמר הלכה כאבא שאול ביום שלשים ואין הלכה כאבא שאול ביום שבעה ונהרדעי אמרי הלכה כאבא שאול בזו ובזו דאמר שמואל הלכה כדברי המיקל באבל
7 between two texts which have in common the term pera' used [in connection] with mourning<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Lev. X, 6; Aaron and his sons were thus commanded at the death of Nadab and Abihu, not to allow their hair to go loose, i.e., not to grow freely or long.');"><sup>12</sup></span> and again used [in connection] with the Nazirite,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. VI, 5. Cf. supra 15a. h= v =');"><sup>13</sup></span> [namely]: Here [in the law about mourning] it is written, Let not the hair of your heads grow long [tifra'u];<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Lev. X, 6; Aaron and his sons were thus commanded at the death of Nadab and Abihu, not to allow their hair to go loose, i.e., not to grow freely or long.');"><sup>12</sup></span>
ח שלשים יום מנלן יליף פרע פרע מנזיר כתיב הכא (ויקרא י, ו) ראשיכם אל תפרעו וכתיב התם (במדבר ו, ה) גדל פרע שער ראשו מה להלן שלשים אף כאן שלשים
8 an there [in the law of the Nazirite] it is written: He sha let the locks of the hair of his head [pera'] grow long.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. VI, 5. Cf. supra 15a. h= v =');"><sup>13</sup></span> Just as the period there [for the Nazirite] is thirty days, so also here [for the mourner] it is thirty days. And whence do we derive it there? - Said R'Mattena: An unspecified Nazirite-vow is [binding] for thirty days.
ט והתם מנלן אמר רב מתנה סתם נזירות שלשים יום מאי טעמא אמר קרא (במדבר ו, ה) קדוש יהיה יהיה בגימטריא תלתין הוו
9 What is the reason? The text there reads: He shall be [Yihyeh] holy;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. VI, 5: 10, 5 (twice) .');"><sup>14</sup></span> the [consonant] letter value of Yihyeh being [ten + five + ten + five] thirty.
י אמר רב הונא בריה דרב יהושע הכל מודין כשחל שלישי שלו להיות ערב הרגל שאסור ברחיצה עד הערב
10 Said R'Huna the son of R'Joshua,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The discussion on the former theme is resumed here.');"><sup>15</sup></span> [Authorities] all accept the view that when the third day [of mourning] occurs on the day before the festival the mourner is forbidden to wash [his whole body]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., to bathe in warm water which affords pleasure.');"><sup>16</sup></span> till the evening.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even Abba Saul will in this case not regard a part of the day as the whole.');"><sup>17</sup></span>
יא אמר רב נחמיה בריה דרב יהושע אשכחתינהו לרב פפי ולרב פפא דיתבי וקאמרי הלכה כרב הונא בריה דרב יהושע איכא דאמרי אמר רב נחמיה בריה דרב יוסף אשכחתינהו לרב פפי ולרב פפא ולרב הונא בריה דרב יהושע דיתבי וקאמרי הכל מודים שאם חל שלישי שלו להיות ערב הרגל שאסור ברחיצה עד הערב
11 Said R'Nehemiah the son of R'Joshua: I once found R'Pape and R'Papa sitting together and stating that the halachah is in accordance with the statement of R'Huna the son of Joshua. Some report it thus: R'Nehemiah the son of R'Joseph said, I once found R'Pape, R'Papa and R'Huna the son of R'Joshua sitting together and stating that all are agreed that when the third day occurs on the day before a festival, th mourner is forbidden to bathe till the evening. Abaye enquired of Rabbah: What if one buried his dead during the festival?
יב בעא מיניה אביי (מרבא) קברו ברגל רגל עולה לו למנין שלשים או אין רגל עולה לו למנין שלשים למנין שבעה לא קמיבעיא לי דלא נהגא מצות שבעה ברגל כי קא מיבעיא לי למנין שלשים דקא נהגא מצות שלשים ברגל מאי
12 Does the festival enter into his counting of the thirty days, or does the festival not enter into his counting of the thirty days?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Formal mourning alter burial falls into three periods: (i) three days of weeping and (ii) up to the seventh day (part-inclusive) for lamenting with abstention from work and attention to the person; then (iii) down to the thirtieth day (part-inclusive) in slightly mitigated formal mourning.');"><sup>18</sup></span> I am not asking about [counting the festival as part of] the seven days, because the 'due observance of seven [days of mourning] does not obtain during the festival;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Therefore it is certain that the mourner begins his observance of the seven after the festival; and as these had not begun, there was as yet no part to be taker, into account.');"><sup>19</sup></span> but what I do ask is about the period of thirty days, because the 'due observance of thirty days does [partly] obtain during the festival;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For on it too, like during the thirty days, washing clothes and cropping hair are forbidden.');"><sup>20</sup></span>
יג א"ל אינו עולה איתיביה הקובר את מתו שני ימים קודם הרגל מונה חמשה ימים אחר הרגל ומלאכתו נעשית ע"י אחרים ועבדיו ושפחותיו עושים בצינעא בתוך ביתו ואין רבים מתעסקין עמו
13 what [is your view]? - He [Rabbah] replied, The [days of the] festival do not enter into the counting. [Thereupon] he put to him an objection from [the following]: If one buried his dead two days before the festival, he counts five [supplementary] days after the festival,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To make up the requisite seven days of mourning.');"><sup>21</sup></span> and his work is done [for him] by others; his men-servants and maid-servants do [their domestic] work quietly indoors, privily; and the public do not [need to] condole formally<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'busy themselves'.');"><sup>22</sup></span> with him
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