Moed Katan 49

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> ואפי' חכם והתניא חכם שמת הכל קרוביו

<big><b>GEMARA: </b></big>[NONE REND etc.] even though [the dead be] a recognized scholar.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' an ordained Rabbi.');">¹</span> But then, it is taught [otherwise]: If a scholar dies, all are his near of kin?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The citation is here interrupted by a question and continues after the explanation.');">²</span> 'All are his near of kin', say you? - Rather All are like his near of kin.

הכל קרוביו סלקא דעתך אלא הכל כקרוביו הכל קורעין עליו והכל חולצין עליו והכל מברין עליו ברחבה לא צריכא דלאו חכם הוא

- All rend their clothes on his account and all bare [their shoulders] on his account and all provide a repast for those that mourn on his account in the broad space?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 153. n. 8.');">³</span> - It<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the ruling in our Mishnah, here.');">⁴</span> is a necessary ruling where the deceased was not a scholar.

ואי אדם כשר הוא חיובי מיחייב למיקרע דתניא מפני מה בניו ובנותיו של אדם מתים כשהן קטנים כדי שיבכה ויתאבל על אדם כשר

But then if the deceased was a worthy person, one is [still] in duty bound to rend his clothes, as it is taught: 'Wherefore do a person's sons and daughters die in infancy? That one should weep and mourn for a worthy person.' - [You say].'

יבכה ויתאבל ערבונא קא שקיל מיניה אלא מפני שלא בכה והתאבל על אדם כשר שכל הבוכה ומתאבל על אדם כשר מוחלין לו על כל עונותיו בשביל כבוד שעשה לו דלאו אדם כשר הוא

That one should weep and mourn [for a worthy person]'!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Again the citation is interrupted.');">⁵</span> What, levy a distress on one [in advance]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., give one cause to weep in anticipation that some worthy person shall die and not be fittingly mourned by the punished person. Cf. Rashi, Shab. 105b.');">⁶</span> - Say rather, 'Because one has not wept and mourned for a worthy person'.

אי דקאי התם בשעת יציאת נשמה חיובי מיחייב דתניא רבי שמעון בן אלעזר אומר העומד על המת בשעת יציאת נשמה חייב לקרוע למה זה דומה לספר תורה שנשרף שחייב לקרוע

- 'For<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Here the citation is resumed.');">⁷</span> whoever weeps and mourns for a worthy person, all his sins are forgiven him, on account of the honour he rendered to him [the deceased]'? - It is necessary<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the ruling in our MISHNAH: So MS.M. and Shab. 105b. I.e., there is no contradiction between this citation and the ruling in our MISHNAH:');">⁸</span> where the deceased is not a [particularly] worthy person.

דלא קאי התם בשעת יציאת נשמה

But yet if one stands here, at the time of a person breathing his last, one is [also] in duty bound [to rend his clothes]. as it is taught: R'Simeon B'Eleazar says, One who stands near the dying, at the time when he breathes his last, he is in duty bound to rend [his clothes]: To what is this like? T a scroll of the Law that is burnt,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. infra ');">⁹</span>

כי נח נפשיה דרב ספרא לא קרעו רבנן עליה אמרי לא גמרינן מיניה אמר להו אביי מי תניא הרב שמת חכם שמת תניא ועוד כל יומא שמעתתיה בפומין בבי מדרשא

when one is in duty bound to rend [his clothes]. - It is a necessary<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 154. n. 9.');">¹⁰</span> ruling where one was not standing there at the time when the dying breathed his last.

סבור מה דהוה הוה אמר להו אביי תנינא חכם כל זמן שעוסקין בהספד חייבין לקרוע סבור למיקרע לאלתר אמר להו אביי תניא חכם כבודו בהספידו

When the soul of R'Safra<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A great scholar, saint and merchant who used to go to and fro between Babylon and Palestine. Cf. supra 12a; Mak. 24a.');">¹¹</span> went into repose, the Rabbis did not rend [their clothes] on account of him,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' At the news of his death.');">¹²</span> since, they said, We have not learnt from him [directly].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., we are not really of his disciples.');">¹³</span>

כי נח נפשיה דרב הונא סבור לאותובי ספר תורה אפורייה אמר להו רב חסדא מילתא דבחייה לא סבירא ליה השתא ליקום (ליה) ליעבד ליה דאמר רב תחליפא אנא חזיתיה לרב הונא דבעי למיתב אפוריי' והוה מנח ספר תורה עליה וכף כדא אארעא ואותיב ספר תורה עילויה אלמא קסבר אסור לישב על גבי מטה שספר תורה מונח עליה

Said Abaye, Is it taught: 'When a Master died'? The teaching is: 'When a scholar dies [all are his near-of-kin]'. Besides, we repeat daily the halachic interpretations reported [in his name] at the College! The [Rabbis of the College] then took the view that what was done was done.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And nothing more is to be done.');">¹⁴</span>

לא הוה נפיק פוריא מבבא סבור לשלשולי דרך גגין אמר להו רב חסדא הא גמירנא מיניה חכם כבודו דרך פתח

Said Abaye to them, We learned: 'If a scholar dies, as long as they are engaged in a lament for him they are in duty bound to rend [their clothes]'. They thought then of rending forthwith [their clothes].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Without waiting for the holding of a lament for him.');">¹⁵</span> Said Abaye to them, [No], it is taught: 'A scholar is honoured at the lament held [on his account].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And it is on that occasion that the rending is proper to take place.');">¹⁶</span>

סבור לאשנויי מפוריא לפוריא אמר להו רב חסדא הכי גמירנא מיניה חכם כבודו במטה ראשונה דאמר רב יהודה אמר רב מנין לחכם שכבודו במטה ראשונה שנאמר (שמואל ב ו, ג) וירכיבו את ארון האלהים אל עגלה חדשה פרוס בבא ואפקוה

When the soul of R'Huna<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rab's great disciple and his successor in 247 as Principal of Sura. He died in 297, C.E.');">¹⁷</span> came to repose, they thought of Placing a scroll of the law on his bier.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'They laid a scroll of the law on his (King Hezekiah's) bier and said: This one maintained what is written in this (scroll) " .'="" b.k.="" 17b.');"="">¹⁸</span> Said it.

פתח עליה רבי אבא ראוי היה רבינו שתשרה עליו שכינה אלא שבבל גרמה ליה

Hisda to them: Should one do for him now something that he did not countenance in his life-time? For R'Tahlifa<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. Me. 32b, where as here MS.M., SBH and other texts read R. Helbo who often cites R. Huna's dicta.');">¹⁹</span> said: I myself [once] saw R'Huna when he wanted to sit down on his couch, but there was a scroll of the law lying on it, so he put an inverted jar on the ground and put on it the scroll of the law.

מתיב רב נחמן בר חסדא ואמרי לה רב חנן בר חסדא (יחזקאל א, ג) היה היה דבר ה' אל יחזקאל בן בוזי הכהן בארץ כשדים

Obviously he thought that it was forbidden to sit on a couch when there was a scroll of the law lying thereon. Then the bier could not be got through the doorway<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'the gateway'.');">²⁰</span> and they thought of letting it down from the roof.

טפח ליה אבוה בסנדליה א"ל לאו אמינא לך לא תיטרוד עלמא מאי היה שהיה כבר

Said R'Hisda, I have learnt this from himself: 'The honour of a scholar requires that his bier should pass through the door'. They then thought of transferring him from this bed to another, but said R'Hisda to them, l have learnt thus from himself: 'The honour of a scholar requires that he should be taken out on the first bier'. For Rab Judah, as citing Rab, said, Whence is derived the lesson that the honour of a scholar requires that he should be borne on his first bier?

כי אסקוה להתם אמרו ליה לר' אמי ולר' אסי רב הונא אתי אמרו כי הוינן התם לא הוה לן לדלויי רישין מיניה השתא אתינן הכא אתא בתרין

From what is said: And they set the ark of God on a new cart<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The same that had been provided originally by the Philistines. I Sam. VI, 7ff. Cf. Elijahu Rabbah (ed. Friedmann) XXIX (XXXI) p. 157: 'All Israel were gathered and David with them, to bring up the ark. And the halachah had been forgotten by them; said (Ahitophel) and all, The ark came from the field of the Philistines in the cart, likewise in the cart let it come (back) to the house of David'.');">²¹</span> and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was on the hill.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Sam. VI, 3.');">²²</span> They then readied the gateway and brought it out.

אמרו (ליה) ארונו בא ר' אמי ור' אסי נפוק ר' אילא ור' חנינא לא נפוק איכא דאמרי רבי אילא נפק ר' חנינא לא נפק

R'Abba then opened [his funerary address]: 'Our Master [said he] was worthy that the Shechinah<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The 'Divine Presence'.');">²³</span> should abide with him, but [the fact of his being in] Babylon prevented it'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Caused it to (be otherwise for) him.');">²⁴</span> Thereupon R'Nahman, son of R'Hisda - some say it was R'Hanan, son of R'Hisda - referred to [the text]: The word of the Lord came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ezek. I, 3. On this point cf. Mekilta Bo, Proemium s.v. (Ed. Friedmann ');">²⁵</span>

דנפק מאי טעמיה דתניא ארון העובר ממקום למקום עומדים עליו בשורה ואומרים עליו ברכת אבלים ותנחומי אבלים דלא נפק מאי טעמא דתניא ארון העובר ממקום למקום אין עומדין עליו בשורה ואין אומרים עליו ברכת אבלים ותנחומי אבלים

His father tapped him with his sandal, saying to him: Have I not told you not to worry everybody [with this point]? What is meant by the [double expression] 'Hayoh [hayah]'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Taken as pluperfect.');">²⁶</span> That it had been [had come] before [he came to Babylon].

קשיין אהדדי לא קשיא כאן ששלדו קיימת כאן בשאין שלדו קיימת ורב הונא שלדו קיימת הוה דלא נפק לא סיימוה קמיה

When they brought him up thither [to Palestine, for burial] people told R'Ammi and R'Assi<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Two Babylonians who had become leading scholars in Palestine. Cf. Keth. 17b.');">²⁷</span> that R'Huna had come. They said: 'When we were there [in Babylon] we had not [a chance] of raising our heads because of him;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Being aware of his superiority and seniority. Cf. Meg. ');">²⁸</span>

אמרי היכא נינחיה רב הונא ריבץ תורה בישראל ור' חייא ריבץ תורה בישראל הוה

now that we have come here he is come after us'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' They thought we were still alive.');">²⁹</span> They then were told that it was his coffin that had arrived. R'Assi and R'Assi went out [to meet him]; R'Ela<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Also a Babylonian who became very famous in Palestine. Cf. supra 3a.');">³⁰</span>

מאן מעייל ליה אמר להו רב חגא אנא מעיילנא ליה דאוקמתיה לתלמודאי כי הוינא בר תמני סרי שנין ולא חזי לי קרי ומשמע ליה קמיה וידעי בעובדיה דיומא חד אתהפיכא ליה רצועה דתפילין ויתיב עלה ארבעין תעניתא

and R'Hanina did not go out. Some say, R'Ela went out, R'Hanina did not go out. What was the reason of the one who went out?

עייליה הוה גני יהודה מימיניה דאבוה וחזקיה משמאליה אמר ליה יהודה לחזקיה קום מדוכתיך דלאו אורח ארעא דקאים רב הונא בהדי דקאים קם בהדיה עמודא דנורא חזייה רב חגא איבעית זקפיה לארוניה ונפק אתא והאי דלא איענש ענש משום דזקפיה לארוניה דרב הונא

According to what is taught [in the following]: 'If a coffin is passing [on its way] from place to place they stand in a row<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To condole with the mourners.');">³¹</span> on account of the deceased, and say the mourners' benediction on account of him and also offer condolence to the mourners'. What was the reason of the one who did not go out? - According to what is taught [in the following]: 'If a coffin is passing [on its way] from place to place, they do not stand in a r on account of it, nor say on his account the mourners' benediction, nor [offer] condolence to the mourners'.

כי נח נפשיה דרב חסדא סבור לאותובי ספר תורה אפורייה אמר להו ר' יצחק מילתא דלרביה לא סבירא ליה אנן ניקום נעביד ליה

These citations contradict one another! - This is not difficult [to explain]; the former [ruling obtains] where the body is intact; the latter where the body is not intact, and R'Huna's body was intact. Why did one not go out [to meet it]? Because he had not been fully informed of this.

סבור דלא למישלל קרעייהו אמר להו ר' יצחק בר אמי חכם כיון שהחזירו פניהם מאחורי המטה שוללין

Then they said, Where shall we lay him to rest? [Said some, Let us lay him at the side of R'Hiyya];<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So MS.M.');">³²</span> for R'Huna disseminated Torah in Israel<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. Keth. 106a.');">³³</span>

כי נח נפשי' דרבה בר הונא ורב המנונא אסקינהו להתם

and R'Hiyya had likewise disseminated Torah<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. B.M. 85b. He was accounted as a second Ezra or Hillel; Suk. 20a. ikp ,fxn iu,nheut');">³⁴</span> in Israel. Who will bring him into [the cave of] R'Hiyya? - Said R'Hagga 'I shall bring him in, because I sustained [revised] my studies [before him]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the expression cf. Hor. ');">³⁵</span> when I was but eighteen years of age, never having experienced the effects of an unchaste dream<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A night pollution, cf. Ber. ');">³⁶</span> and he made me his attendant<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. A.Z. ');">³⁷</span> and therefore I know of his [pious] deeds. For one day the strap of his phylacteries was [accidentally] reversed,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. Men. 3a-b.');">³⁸</span> whereupon he sat fasting forty days'. He then brought him in [to the cave].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. B.M. 85b. Like a second Ezra or Hillel. Suk. 20a. The family cave of R. Hiyya was probably at Tiberias.');">³⁹</span> Judah was laid there at the right of his father [R'Hiyya] and on his left was his [twin brother]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Yeb. 65b.');">⁴⁰</span> Hezekiah. Said Judah to Hezekiah: 'Rise from your place, for it is not good manners that R'Huna be left standing'. As he [Hezekiah] rose a column of fire rose with him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Tilted it hastily in front of the fiery column. (Rashi) ; or set the coffin in its place (on stones or trestles) .');">⁴¹</span> R'Hagga, seeing that, was overcome with fear, set up the coffins and came away. And the reason that he came to no harm<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. J. Kii. IX, 4, where it is stated that R. Hagga was then eighty years old and his years were doubled.');">⁴²</span> [from the pillar of fire] was because he set up the coffin of R'Huna.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This R. Huna II was one of the Exilarch's family. Moreover, Rab, Hiyya's nephew, had one of his daughters married into the Exilarch's family');">⁴³</span> When the soul of R'Hisda went to its rest they [the Collegiates] thought of placing a scroll of the law on his bier. Said R'Isaac to them: What he had disapproved of being done for his master, shall we now do to himself? They then thought that they should not stitch the rent in their garments, when R'Isaac B'Ammi said to them, It is taught:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So MS.M.');">⁴⁴</span> In the case of a Scholar, [who died] as soon as they have turned away their faces, at th rear of the bier, they [may] stitch together [the rent]'. When the soul of Rabbah<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Son of the above R. Huna II.');">⁴⁵</span> son of R'Huna went to its rest and [that of] R'Hamnuna, they took them [both] up thither.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To Palestine for burial.');">⁴⁶</span>