Moed Katan 23a

מועד קטן כ״ג ע״א

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Topic

Mourner's conduct: the house of mourning, the weekly return to normal life, marriage and pressed clothes during the שלשים, and how שבת counts in mourning

Overview

This amud finishes a ברייתא about a mourner. Seven people read from the Torah and then leave, and רבי יהושע בן קרחה adds that they should sit and mourn quietly rather than stroll in the market. People do not discuss שמועה or אגדה in a house of mourning, though רבי חנניה בן גמליאל was known to do so. A ברייתא then lays out how a mourner returns to public life step by step over four weeks. רבי יהודה shifts every stage one week later, making five weeks. Next come rules for the שלשים. No one marries during the thirty days. A widower must wait three רגלים, or two according to רבי יהודה, unless he has no children or has young children who need care. The story of יוסף הכהן shows the young-children exception, and רב פפא explains that he waited thirty days before living with his new wife. Three תנאים disagree about which pressed clothes are forbidden, and אביי and רבא each dressed according to a different view. Finally, the גמרא quotes the משנה's rule that שבת counts toward the mourning days but does not interrupt them. It begins describing how יהודה and the גליל differed in practice, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (20)

1. StatementSeven read from the Torah, then they leave
2. StatementLeaving does not mean strolling in the market
3. StatementNo Torah teaching in a house of mourning
4. Statementרבי חנניה בן גמליאל did teach there
5. StatementFour weeks of returning to normal life
6. Rejectionרבי יהודה: the first-week rule is obvious
7. Statementרבי יהודה's five-week schedule
8. StatementNo marrying during the thirty days, and a widower waits three Festivals
9. Statementרבי יהודה: two Festivals are enough
10. StatementExceptions: no children, or young children
11. ProofThe story of יוסף הכהן
12. QuestionHow long is a long time?
13. Responseרב פפא: after thirty days
14. StatementNo freshly pressed clothes during the thirty days
15. Statementרבי: only new garments
16. Statementרבי אלעזר son of רבי שמעון: only new white garments
17. Statementאביי wears an old white garment
18. Statementרבא wears a new red Roman cloak
19. StatementQuoting the משנה: שבת counts but does not interrupt
20. StatementJudea and the Galilee practiced differently