Moed Katan 20a

מועד קטן כ׳ ע״א

Learn Moed Katan 20a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Moed Katan 20a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Counting a רגל toward mourning, how much mourning before a רגל is needed, and the one-day rule for late news of a death

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a challenge against רבא, who held that the רגל does not count toward the שלשים when the burial was during the רגל. A first ברייתא can be read so that it does not contradict him. A second ברייתא clearly speaks of a burial during the רגל and still counts the רגל, so רבא is refuted, and רבי יוחנן and רבי אלעזר rule the same way. Next, a ברייתא asks how much mourning before a רגל is needed so that the רגל cancels the rest of שבעה: three days or even one hour. רבי יוחנן says even one hour and רבא says three days. In practice, רבינא rules that even one hour is enough. The גמרא then learns the seven days of mourning from the פסוק 'I will turn your festivals into mourning,' and uses the one-day עצרת for late news of a death (שמועה רחוקה). The הלכה follows רבי עקיבא that late news gets only one day, because in mourning we follow the lenient view, and רבא applies this even to a parent. A story about רבי חייא then begins and continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (25)

1. StatementThe general rule: mourning practices pause for the Festival, public comforting does not
2. StatementBurial three days before the end of the Festival
3. ChallengeDoesn't 'the Festival counts' refer to the burial during the Festival?
4. ResolutionNo, it refers to the burial before the Festival
5. ChallengeA second ברייתא: buried at the start of the Festival, and the Festival still counts
6. Conclusionרבא is refuted
7. Statementרבי יוחנן and רבי אלעזר rule that the festival counts even for a burial during it
8. StatementHow long before the festival must the bed be overturned
9. StatementThe dispute goes back to בית שמאי and בית הלל
10. Statementרבי יוחנן rules even one day or one hour
11. Statementרבא rules like our תנא, who requires three days
12. Questionרב חביבא asks רבינא what the practical ruling is
13. Responseרבינא rules that even one day or one hour is enough
14. StatementThe source for seven days of mourning
15. ChallengeWhy not compare mourning to the one-day עצרת?
16. ResolutionThe one-day comparison is used for late news of a death
17. StatementRecent news versus late news: רבי עקיבא's view
18. StatementThe Sages say all news requires full mourning
19. StatementThe הלכה follows רבי עקיבא because in mourning we follow the lenient view
20. Statementרב חסדא rules one day for late news of a father's death
21. Statementרבא rules one day for late news of a mother's death
22. ChallengeA ברייתא says parents need full mourning even with late news
23. Resolutionרבא says the ברייתא is only one view, and we do not follow it
24. ProofStories showing that the strict view came from specific individuals
25. ChallengeIs that really so? The story of רב and רבי חייא begins