Moed Katan

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],1 that the festival interrupts,2 but whatever appertains to the [obligations of] the public,3 that the festival does not interrupt’. If he buried his dead three days towards the conclusion of the festival,4 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 the 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]?5 — No, [said Rabbah] it refers to the former part [of the statement].6 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!7 — 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;8 and similarly R. Eleazar gave as his decision to his son R. Pedath, Even if one buried his dead during the festival. Our Rabbis taught: ‘If one carried out the rule of overturning the couch9 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’. R. Huna said: R. Hiyya b. Abba, as citing R. Johanan. stated10 — 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. Raba stated11 that the halachah is according to our Tanna [of the Mishnah] who said three days.12 Rabina once came to Sura-cum-Euphrates.13 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. Eleazar14 when a discussion was begun between them: Whence is it authentically derived that the observance of mourning is for seven days? From the text, And I shall turn your feasts15 into mourning . . . [and I will make it as the mourning for an only son];16 just as the ‘Feast’ lasts seven days.15 so [the period of] mourning is also for seven days. But why not [draw an analogy with] the feast of ‘Azereth,17 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:18 Whence is it derived that on [the receipt of] belated tidings19 [formal] mourning obtains for one day only? From the text, And I shall turn your feasts into mourning;20 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. Which are ‘near’ tidings and which ‘distant’ tidings? ‘Near’ tidings are [recent tidings] within, thirty [days] and ‘distant’ tidings are [belated tidings] after 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 as [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. Hanina21 received tidings from Be[th]-Hozai about [the death of] his father; he consulted22 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 consulted22 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;23 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 individual24 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,25 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,26 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 son27 — came up there [to Palestine], he [R. Hiyya] said to his nephew [Rab]: ‘Is father alive’?28 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. Abaye himself admitted when he put the question to Rabbah. 10. were considered the most ancient centres of the Golah. 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. 4a (Rashi).