Moed Katan 39

שכבר נתעסקו בו ברגל כללו של דבר כל שהוא משום אבל רגל מפסיקו וכל שהוא משום עסקי רבים אין רגל מפסיקו

as they have already done that Service towards him during the festival. As a general principle on this matter [it may be stated]: 'Whatever appertains to the mourner [himself],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the observance of formal mourning by the mourner.');">¹</span> that the festival interrupts,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Is deferred till after the festival.');">²</span>

קברו שלשה ימים בסוף הרגל מונה שבעה אחר הרגל ארבעה ימים הראשונים רבים מתעסקין בו שלשה ימים האחרונים אין רבים מתעסקין בו שכבר נתעסקו ברגל ורגל עולה לו

but whatever appertains to the [obligations of] the public,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'the business of the public', i.e., to pay visits of condolence and offer words of comfort. kdrv ;uxc kdrv lu,c');">³</span> that the festival does not interrupt'. If he buried his dead thre days towards the conclusion of the festival,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' probably a misreading of 'within', 'during the festival', as in MS.M.');">⁴</span>

מאי לאו אסיפא לא ארישא

he counts seven days [of mourning] after the festival. During the first four days [alter the festival] the public engage [in condoling] with him, but in the last three days t public do not [need to] condole with him as they have already done [this service] towards him during the [three days within the] festival; and the festival enters into the counting. Now, does not [this last sentence] refer to the latter part [of the statement]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'If one buried his dead during the festival, three days before towards conclusion . .' As the seven days have been dealt with already, the last sentence must refer to the thirty days, namely, that the festival days enter into the counting; i.e., not as Rabbah replied, negatively.');">⁵</span>

איתיביה רגל עולה לו למנין שלשים כיצד קברו בתחילת הרגל מונה שבעה אחר הרגל ומלאכתו נעשית על ידי אחרים ועבדיו ושפחותיו עושין בצנעא בתוך ביתו ואין רבים מתעסקין בו שכבר נתעסקו בו ברגל ורגל עולה לו תיובתא

- No, [said Rabbah] it refers to the former part [of the statement].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'If one buried his dead two days before the festival', when two days of the seven were also two days of the thirty, as Abaye himself admitted when he put the question to Rabbah.');">⁶</span> Thereupon he put an objection to him [from the continuation of the Baraitha]: The festival enters into the counting of thirty days: how, for instance? If one buried his dead at the beginning of the festival he counts seven days [of mourning] after the festival and his work is done by others; his men-servants and maid-servants do work quietly indoors, and the public do not [need to] engage [in condoling] with him, as they have already done that service towards him during the festival; and the festival enters in the counting!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of the thirty days, obviously.');">⁷</span>

כי אתא רבין אמר רבי יוחנן אפילו קברו ברגל וכן אורי ליה ר' אלעזר לרבי פדת בריה אפילו קברו ברגל

- That Is a confutation [of Rabbah]. When Rabin came [from Palestine] he reported R'Johanan to have said, Even if one buried his dead during the festival;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That part of the festival enters in the counting of thirty days.');">⁸</span> and similarly R'Eleazar gave as his decision to his son R'Pedath, Even if one buried his dead during the festival.

ת"ר קיים כפיית המטה שלשה ימים קודם הרגל אינו צריך לכפותה אחר הרגל דברי רבי אליעזר וחכמים אומרים אפי' יום אחד ואפי' שעה אחת

Our Rabbis taught: 'If one carried out the rule of overturning the couch<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. supra p. 92.');">⁹</span> for three days before the festival, he need not overturn it [any more] after the festival; these are the words of R'Eliezer; but the Sages say: [He need not] even if he had [done so] only for one day or even for one hour. Said R'Simeon B'Eleazar, Those were the very words of Beth Shammai and the very words of Beth Hillel: for Beth Shammai say: 'For three days [before the festival]', and the Hillelites Say: Even [if] for one day'.

א"ר אלעזר בר' שמעון הן הן דברי ב"ש הן הן דברי בית הלל שבית שמאי אומרים שלשה ימים וב"ה אומרים אפי' יום אחד

R'Huna said: R'Hiyya B'Abba, as citing R'Johanan. stated<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As the Palestinian practice.');">¹⁰</span> - sonic say that R'Johanan told R'Hiyya B'Abba and R'Huna: [He need not], even if he had [overturned the couch] for one day; even for one hour.

אמר רב הונא אמר ר' חייא בר אבא אמר ר' יוחנן ואמרי לה אמר (ליה) ר' יוחנן לר' חייא בר אבא ולרב הונא אפי' יום אחד אפי' שעה אחת רבא אמר הלכה כתנא דידן דאמר שלשה

Raba stated<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As the Babylonian practice.');">¹¹</span> that the halachah is according to our Tanna [of the Mishnah] who said three days.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As the minimum observance of formal mourning before the festival secures remission of the remainder.');">¹²</span> Rabina once came to Sura-cum-Euphrates.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Western part of Sura which lay along the junction of the Sura canal. V. Obermeyer p. 293.');">¹³</span>

רבינא איקלע לסורא דפרת א"ל רב חביבא לרבינא הלכתא מאי אמר ליה אפי' יום אחד ואפילו שעה אחת

Said R'Habiba to Rabina: What is the law [on this point]? - He replied: 'Even [if he had the couch overturned] one day and even for one hour'. R'Hiyya B'Abba, R'Ammi and R'Isaac were [once] seated in the marquee of R'Isaac B'Eleazar<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Palestinian authorities.');">¹⁴</span> when a discussion was begun between them: Whence is it authentically derived that the observance of mourning is for seven days?

יתיב רבי חייא בר אבא ורבי אמי ור' יצחק נפחא אקילעא דרבי יצחק בן אלעזר נפק מילתא מבינייהו מנין לאבילות שבעה דכתיב (עמוס ח, י) והפכתי חגיכם לאבל מה חג שבעה אף אבילות שבעה

From the text, And I shall turn your feasts<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., Passover and Tabernacles, Lev. XXIII, 7-8 and 34-35.');">¹⁵</span> into mourning. [and I will make it as the mourning for an only son];<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Amos VIII, 10.');">¹⁶</span>

ואימא עצרת דחד יומא ההוא מיבעי ליה לכדריש לקיש דאמר ר"ל משום ר' יהודה נשיאה מנין לשמועה רחוקה שאינה נוהגת אלא יום אחד דכתיב והפכתי חגיכם לאבל ואשכחן עצרת דאיקרי חד יומא חג

just as the 'Feast' lasts seven days.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., Passover and Tabernacles, Lev. XXIII, 7-8 and 34-35.');">¹⁵</span> so [the period of] mourning is also for seven days. But why not [draw an analogy with] the feast of 'Azereth,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Feast of Weeks; Deut. XVI, 10, 16 and cf. Num. XXVIII, 26.');">¹⁷</span>

ת"ר שמועה קרובה נוהגת שבעה ושלשים שמועה רחוקה אינה נוהגת אלא יום אחד איזו היא קרובה ואיזו היא רחוקה קרובה בתוך שלשים רחוקה לאחר שלשים דברי ר"ע וחכמים אומרים אחת שמועה קרובה ואחת שמועה רחוקה נוהגת שבעה ושלשים

which lasts but one day? - [No], that [analogy] is needed [for another lesson] as explained by Resh Lakish; for Resh Lakish said in the name of R'Judah Nesi'ah:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Judah II. grandson of R. Judah ha-Nasi (Judah I) .');">¹⁸</span> Whence is it derived that on [the receipt of] belated tidings<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'distant tidings' (of a death) , defined below.');">¹⁹</span> [formal] mourning obtains for one day only?

אמר רבה בר בר חנה א"ר יוחנן כל מקום שאתה מוצא יחיד מקיל ורבים מחמירין הלכה כרבים חוץ מזו שאע"פ שרבי עקיבא מקיל וחכמים מחמירין הלכה כרבי עקיבא דאמר שמואל הלכה כדברי המקיל באבל

From the text, And I shall turn your feasts into mourning;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Amos VIII, 10. (10) The Feast of Weeks, Deut. XVI, 1, 16, cf. Num. XXVIII, 26.');">²⁰</span> and we find 'Azereth as an instance where one day's celebration is designated [a 'Feast']. Our Rabbis taught: On receiving near tidings [formal] mourning obtains for seven [days] as well as [up to] thirty [days]; on distant tidings, it obtains for one day only.

רב חנינא אתיא ליה שמועה דאבוה מבי חוזאי אתא לקמיה דרב חסדא אמר ליה שמועה רחוקה אינה נוהגת אלא יום אחד רב נתן בר אמי אתא ליה שמועה דאימיה מבי חוזאי אתא לקמיה דרבא אמר ליה הרי אמרו שמועה רחוקה אינה נוהגת אלא יום אחד בלבד

Which are 'near' tidings and which 'distant' tidings? 'Near' tidings are [recent tidings] within, thirty [days] and 'distant' tidings are [belated tidings] a thirty [days]: these are the words of R'Akiba; the Sages, however, say, One and the same [practice obtains in both], on [the receipt of] 'near' tidings or of 'distant' tidings, [formal mourning] obtains for seven as well a [up to] thirty [days]. Said Rabbah B'Bar Hanah, as citing R'Johanan: Wherever you find a single authority expressing a lenient view and a number expressing a strict view, the halachah is in accordance with the strict view, save in this case: that although R'Akiba is lenient and the Sages are strict, the halachah is in accordance with R'Akiba, as Samuel stated, that in matters obtaining to mourning the halachah follows the lenient authority. R'Hanina<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Var. lec. R. Hinena of Be (th) -Hozai (Chuzistan) .');">²¹</span>

איתיביה במה דברים אמורים בחמשה מתי מצוה אבל על אביו ועל אמו שבעה ושלשים

received tidings from Be[th]-Hozai about [the death of] his father; he consulted<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'came before'.');">²²</span> R'Hisda, [who] told him, 'On [receipt of] distant tidings [formal mourning] obtains for one day only'. R'Nathan B'Ammi received tidings from Be[th]-Hozai about his mother; he consulted<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'came before'.');">²²</span>

אמר ליה יחידאה היא ולא סבירא לן כוותיה דתניא מעשה ומת אביו של רבי צדוק בגינזק והודיעוהו לאחר שלש שנים ובא ושאל את אלישע בן אבויה וזקנים שעמו ואמרו נהוג שבעה ושלשים וכשמת בנו של רבי אחייה בגולה ישב עליו שבעה ושלשים

Raba, who told him: The authorities have already stated [that] on [receipt of] distant tidings [formal mourning] obtains for one day only. Thereupon he put to him an objection [from the following]: When does this ruling apply? In the case of the [other] five nearest-of-kin [for whom mourning is] obligatory;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., for brother, sister, wife, son and daughter. Lev. XXI, 2-4. This is again taken up lower down.');">²³</span>

איני והא רב בר אחוה דרבי חייא דהוא בר אחתיה דר' חייא כי סליק להתם אמר ליה אבא קיים

but for one's father or mother [mourning is for] seven [days] and [up to] thirty [days] - [Raba] replied: That is the ruling of an individual<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The authority is named lower down.');">²⁴</span> with which we do not concur, as [will be made clear from what] is taught [in the following]: 'There was the case of the father of R'Zadok who had died at Ginzak,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gazaka, a city in North Media (Atropatene) ; according to Rawlinson it is Shiz near Lake Urmia. V. Obermeyer p. 10.');">²⁵</span> and he was not informed till after three years. He [thereupon] came and asked of Elisha B'Abuyah and the elders that were with him and they told him to observe seven [days] and [up to] thirty, and when R'Ahiyya's son died in the Diaspora,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Golah, the ancient place of the 'Captivity' when the first Temple fell, Babylon, Nehardea and later, Pumbeditha, were considered the most ancient centres of the Golah.');">²⁶</span> he [too] sat on his account seven and [observed mourning up to] thirty'. But this is not so? For when Rab, R'Hiyya's brother's son - who was also R'Hiyya's sister s son<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Aha of Kafri married a widow and his eldest son Aybu married her daughter. From these unions Aha had a son R. Hiyya, and Aybu had a son Rab ('R. Abba the Long', later the famous principal of Sura) . Rab's mother was R. Hiyya's half-sister (from one mother, i.e., R. Ala's second wife) ; and Rab's father Aybu was R. Hiyya's eldest half-brother (from the same father, namely, R. Aha of Kafri) . R. Hiyya was therefore doubly related to his nephew Rab, being his paternal uncle as well as his maternal uncle, cf. Pes. ');">²⁷</span> - came up there [to Palestine], he [R'Hiyya] said to his nephew [Rab]: 'Is father alive'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., is my father Aha alive?');">²⁸</span>