Ketubot

With regard to what was that taught?  With regard to Grace after meals;  [and] with regard to what did R. Johanan say [this ruling]?  With regard to the line [of comforters].  But [then] what of the dictum  of which )R. Isaac said [that] R. Johanan said: 'One says the benediction  of the bridegrooms in the presence of ten [male persons] and the bridegrooms are of the number, and [one says] the benediction of the mourners  in the presence of ten [male persons] and the mourners are not of the number' — is there a benediction [said] in the line [of comforters]?  — But [the answer is]: With regard to what did R. Johanan say [this ruling]?  with regard to the [benediction recited in the] open space.  But [then] what of the dictum which R. Isaac said [that] R. Johanan said: 'One says the benediction of the bridegrooms in the presence of ten [male persons] all the seven [days]  and the bridegrooms are of the number, and [one says] the benediction of the mourners in the presence of ten [male persons] all the seven [days]  and the mourners are not of the number — is the benediction [recited in] the open space said all the seven days?  — It is possible in the presence of new friends  — as in the case of  R. Hiyya. the son of Abba, [who was] the Bible teacher of the son  of Resh Lakish, or, as some say,  the Mishnah teacher of the son of Resh Lakish. [It happened as follows:] A child [of R. Hiyya, the son of Abba] died,  The first day  he [Resh Lakish] did not go to him. The next day  he [Resh Lakish] took with him  Judah the son of Nahmani,  his meturgeman.  [and] said to him: Rise [and] say something  with regard to  [the death of] the child. He spoke  and said: [It is written.] And the Lord saw and spurned, because of the provoking of His sons and His daughters.  [This means, in] a generation [in which the fathers spurn the Holy One, blessed be He, He is angry with their sons and their daughters and they die when they are young.  And some say [that] he [the child of R. Hiyya, the son of Abba, that died] was a young man  and that he [Judah the son of Nahmani] said thus to him:  Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall He have compassion on their fatherless and widows; for every one is profane and an evil-doer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still.  (What is the meaning  of 'but His hand is stretched out still'? Said R. Hanan, the son of Rab:  All know for what purpose  a bride is brought into the bridal chamber, but whoever disgraces his mouth and utters  a word of folly-even if a [divine] decree  of seventy years of happiness  were sealed [and granted] unto him,  it is turned for him into evil.) — He came to comfort, [and] he grieved him? This he said to him: Thou art important enough to be held responsible  for [the shortcomings of] the generation.  He  [then] said to him:  Rise [and] say something with regard to the praise of the Holy One, blessed be He He spoke and said: The God,  who is great in the abundance of His greatness, mighty and strong in the multitude of awe-inspiring deeds, who reviveth the dead with his word,  who does great things that are unsearchable  and wondrous works without number.  Blessed art thou, O Lord, who revivest the dead.  He  then 'said to him:  Rise [and] say something with regard to the mourners. He spoke and said: Our brethren, who are worn out, who are crushed by this bereavement,  set your heart to consider  this: This it is [that] stands for ever,  it is a path from the six days of creation.  Many have drunk, many will drink,  as the drinking of the first ones, so will be that of the last ones. Our brethren, the Lord of consolation comfort you. Blessed be He who comforteth the mourners. (Said Abaye: 'Many have drunk' he should have said, 'many will drink' one should not have said, 'the drinking of the first ones', he should have said, 'the drinking of the last ones' one should not have said, for R. Simeon, the son of Lakish,  said, and so one has taught in the name of R. Jose: Man should never open his mouth to Satan.  Said R. Joseph: What text [shows this]? We should have been as Sodom, we should have been like unto Gomorrah.  What did He  reply unto him?  Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom, etc.  ) He  [then] said to him:  Rise [and] say something with regard to the comforters of the mourners.  He spoke and said: Our brethren, bestowers of lovingkindnesses, sons of bestowers of lovingkindnesses, who hold fast to the covenant of Abraham our father  [for it is said, For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children, etc.],  our brethren, may the Lord of recompense pay you your reward. Blessed art Thou who payest the recompense. He  [then] said unto him:  Rise [and] say something with regard to the whole of Israel. He spoke and said: Master of the worlds, redeem and save, deliver [and] help Thy people Israel from pestilence,  and from the sword, and from plundering,  and from the blast, and from the mildew, and from all kinds of calamities that [may] break forth and come into  the world. Before we call, mayest Thou answer,  Blessed art Thou who stayest the plague.  'Ulla said, and some say [that] it was taught in a Baraitha: Ten cups [of wine] the scholars have instituted [to be drunk] in the house of the mourner: Three before the meal in order to open the small bowels, three during the meal in order to dissolve the food in the bowels, and four after the meal: one corresponding to 'who feedeth',  one corresponding to the blessing of 'the land',  one corresponding to 'who rebuildeth Jerusalem,  and one corresponding to 'who is good and doeth good'.  They [then] added unto them [another] four [cups]: one in honour of the officers of the town, and one in honour of the leaders of the town, and one in honour of the Temple. and one in honour of Rabban Gamaliel. [When] they began to drink [too much] and to become intoxicated, they restored the matter to its original state.  What [about] Rabban Gamaliel? — As it has been taught: At first the carrying out of the dead  was harder for his relatives  than his death,  so that they left him  and ran away, until Rabban Gamaliel  came and adopted a simple style and they carried him out  in garments of linen, and [then] all the people followed his example and carried out [the dead]  in garments of linen. Said R. Papa: And now it is the general practice [to carry out the dead] even in rough cloth worth [only] a zuz. R. Eleazar said: