Moed Katan 40

Chapter 40

א אמר ליה אימא קיימת אמר ליה אימא קיימת א"ל אבא קיים אמר ליה לשמעיה חלוץ לי מנעלי והולך אחרי כלי לבית המרחץ

1 He replied, 'Mother'1 is alive'. [Again] he asked 'Is mother2

ב שמע מינה תלת שמע מינה אבל אסור בנעילת הסנדל ושמע מינה שמועה רחוקה אינה נוהגת אלא יום אחד ושמע מינה מקצת היום ככולו

2 alive'? He replied: 'Father is alive'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Again to evade the direct and sad answer Rab replied that his own father (i.e., Aybu, R. Hiyya's half-brother) was alive, but nothing about it. uchht Hiyya's mother, Aha's wife. This is according to R. Hananel. Rashi and Tosaf. s.v. offer different interpretations. V. Pes. ');">3 R'Hiyya thereupon said to his attendant: 'Take off my shoes and bring along my things after me to the [public] baths'.

ג רבי חייא לחוד רבי אחייה לחוד

3 Now from this instance we learn three lessons: We learn that a mourner is forbidden to don shoes;4 that distant tidings [entail formal mourning] but for one day; and that part of the day is [deemed] as all entire day's [mourning]!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even in the case of a parent one short while and one simple demonstration of respectful, sorrowful mourning, such as doffing the shoes, are enough; as soon after R. Hiyya went to the baths, which is forbidden to a mourner for a recent bereavement. Cf supra p. 101.');">5 [In fact], R'Hiyya is one person and R'Ahiyya [whose son died in the Diaspora] is another person.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That is, do not confuse Ahiyya of the Baraitha with Hiyya, Rab's uncle as being the same person who had acted differently on two occasions, at receiving belated distant news of the loss of a son and again of the loss of parents. They are two different persons.');">6

ד אמר רבי יוסי בר אבין שמע שמועה קרובה ברגל ולמוצאי הרגל נעשית רחוקה עולה לו ואינו נוהג אלא יום אחד תני רבי אדא דמן קסרי קמיה דר' יוחנן שמע שמועה קרובה בשבת ולמוצאי שבת נעשית רחוקה אינו נוהג אלא יום אחד

4 Said R'Jose B'Abin: [If] one received near tidings on a festival and by the [time of its] termination it became distant tidings, [the festival-time] enters into the counting and [accordingly] he observes but one day [of formal mourning]. R'Adda7 of Caesarea recited in the presence of R'Johanan: If one hears near tidings on a Sabbath day and by the termination of the Sabbath it has become distant tidings, he observes but one day [of formal mourning].

ה קורע או אינו קורע רבי מני אמר אינו קורע רבי חנינא אמר קורע אמר ליה רבי מני לר' חנינא בשלמא לדידי דאמינא אינו קורע היינו דלא איכא אבילות שבעה אלא לדידך דאמרת קורע קריעה בלא שבעה מי איכא

5 Does one [in such a case] rend his garment, or does he not rend his garment? - R'Mani said: He does not [need to] rend his garment; R'Hanina said, He does rend [his garment]. Said R'Mani to R'Hanina: My view that he does not rend [his garment] is consistent with the fact that there is no [observance of] 'seven'. But according to your view that he [should] rend his garment, tell me, is there a rending of [one's garment] without [the observance of] the seven [days of mourning]?

ו ולא והתניא איסי אבוה דרבי זירא ואמרי לה אחוה דרבי זירא קמיה דר' זירא מי שאין לו חלוק לקרוע ונזדמן לו בתוך שבעה קורע לאחר שבעה אינו קורע

6 But is there not? Surely, Isi, father of R'Zera - or as sonic say, R'Zera's brother, recited in the presence of R'Johanan: If o had no tunic8 to rend [at the time] and he obtained one during the seven [days], he should rend it then; [if it became available] after the seven days, he does not rend it! [Thereupon] R'Zera chimed in after him: 'When does this ruling apply?

ז עני ר' זירא בתריה במה דברים אמורים בחמשה מתי מצוה אבל על אביו ועל אמו קורע והולך

7 In the case of the [other] five nearest-of-kin [for whom mourning is] obligatory,9 but in the case of father or mother one always rends one's garment!' - What you cited [in fact] refers to the deference to be shown to one's father or mother.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [I.e., though there is no observance of seven days he rends his garments not as an obligation but as a special mark of respect for his parents; v. Nimmuke Yosef.]');">10 Our Rabbis taught: For all [nearest-of-kin] mentioned in the Priest's Section11

ח כי תניא ההיא לכבוד אביו ואמו

8 for whom a priest is to defile himself, a mourner is to observe [formal] mourning, namely, these: [For] his wife, father or mother, brother or [single] sister, son or daughter. To these they added: His brother or single sister from the same mother,12 as well as his married sister, be it from the same mother or the same father.13

ט ת"ר כל האמור בפרשת כהנים שכהן מיטמא להן אבל מתאבל עליהן ואלו הן אשתו אביו ואמו אחיו ואחותו בנו ובתו הוסיפו עליהן אחיו ואחותו הבתולה מאמו ואחותו נשואה בין מאביו בין מאמו

9 And just as he observes [formal] mourning for these, he likewise observes [formal] mourning for their relatives in the second degree:14 this is R'Akiba's ruling. R'Simeon B'Eleazar says: [Extended, formal] mourning is not observed except for one's son's child and a father's father,15

י וכשם שמתאבל עליהם כך מתאבל על שניים שלהם דברי ר"ע רבי שמעון בן אלעזר אומר אינו מתאבל אלא על בן בנו ועל אבי אביו וחכ"א כל שמתאבל עליו מתאבל עמו

10 and the Sages say [by way of definition]: Whomever he mourns for he should also mourn with.16 Is not the Sages' view [practically] the same as that of the former Tanna?17 - Not [quite]; there is a [practical] difference between them, whether [we require him to be, that is to say when he is] with him in the [same] house,18

יא חכמים היינו תנא קמא איכא בינייהו עמו בבית כי הא דאמר ליה רב לחייא בריה וכן א"ל רב הונא לרבה בריה באפה נהוג אבילותא בלא אפה לא תינהוג אבילותא

11 as Rab19 said to his son Hiyya, and as R'Huna likewise said to his son Rabbah:20 'In her presence observe mourning; away from her presence do not observe mourning'.

יב מר עוקבא שכיב ליה בר חמוה סבר למיתב עליה שבעה ושלשים על רב הונא לגביה אשכחיה אמר ליה צודנייתא בעית למיכל לא אמרו לכבוד אשתו אלא חמיו וחמותו

12 [When] Mar Ukba's father-in-law's son died, he thought of sitting for him21 seven [days of mourning] and [continuing to] thirty. R'Huna going to his house found him [in formal mourning].'

יג דתניא מי שמת חמיו או חמותו אינו רשאי לכוף את אשתו להיות כוחלת ולהיות פוקסת אלא כופה מטתו ונוהג עמה אבילות וכן היא שמת חמיה או חמותה אינה רשאה להיות כוחלת ולהיות פוקסת אלא כופה מטתה ונוהגת עמו אבילות

13 Do you desire', said he, 'to eat of mourners' fare? '22 They [the Sages] did not say that [one should observe formal mourning] out of deference to his wife only in the case of [the death of] his father-in-law or his mother-in-law,23 as it is taught: 'If his father-in-law or mother-in-law died the husband may not compel his [mourning] wife to put on kohl or do her hair<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., to insist that she should keep up her personal appearance, instead of looking neglected and dejected when numerous callers come to condole with her; kohl was used for the eye-brows.');">24

יד ותניא אידך אף על פי שאמרו אינו רשאי לכוף את אשתו להיות כוחלת ולהיות פוקסת באמת אמרו מוזגת לו את הכוס ומצעת לו מטה ומרחצת לו פניו ידיו ורגליו קשיין אהדדי

14 [as usual], but he should overturn his [own] couch and observe [formal] mourning with her; and likewise she, when her fatherin-law or mother-in-law dies, may not put on kohl or do her hair [as usual]; but she should overturn her couch and observe [formal] mourning with him'. And another Baraitha taught: 'Although it was stated [that] he may not compel his wife to put on kohl or do her hair [as usual] it is - said they - indisputably correct25 that she [may] mix his wine for him, make his bed and wash his face, hands and feet'.26

טו אלא לאו שמע מינה כאן בחמיו וחמותו כאן בשאר קרובים שמע מינה תניא נמי הכי לא אמרו לכבוד אשתו אלא חמיו וחמותו בלבד

15 [Now the regulations in] the two citations contradict each other.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the former it is insisted that the husband must observe formal mourning out of deference to the wife, while in the latter, it implies that the husband need not.');">27 Hence infer from this that the one Baraitha refers to [the death of] a father-in-law or mother-in-law,28 while the other to [the death of] other near of kin.29

טז אמימר שכיב ליה בר בריה קרע עילויה אתא בריה קרע באפיה אידכר דמיושב קרע קם קרע מעומד

16 - This proves it.30 It is also taught thus [explicitly] 'They did not lay down [that one should observe formal mourning] out of deference to his wife, save [at the death of] his father-in-law or his mother-in-law alone'. Amemar lost his son's son, and he rent [his garment].

יז אמר ליה רב אשי לאמימר קריעה דמעומד מנלן דכתיב (איוב א, כ) ויקם איוב ויקרע את מעילו

17 Thereupon his son came and he [again] rent [his garment] in his [son's] presence. He then recollected that he had done it while sitting; he rose and relit [his garment again] standing. Said R'Ashi to Amemar: Whence do we derive that the rending [of a garment] is [to be done] standing? From the text: Then Job rose31 and rent his mantle.32

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