Moed Katan

if he can reduce his business affairs, he should do so, and if not, let him carry on with them [as best he may]. Our Rabbis taught: When do mourners overturn the beds? From the moment [the corpse] is taken from the house: these are the words of R. Eliezer; R. Joshua Says, From the moment that the rolling slab1 closes the tomb. It happened [when] Rabban Gamaliel the Elder2 died, as soon as he was taken out of the door of his house, R. Eliezer said to them,3 Overturn your beds. And after the ‘rolling slab’ had been placed [to close the tomb] R. Joshua said to them:3 ‘Overturn your beds’. Said they to him, ‘We have already overturned them by order of the Elder’ [R. Eliezer]. Our Rabbis taught: When do they place the beds in erect position on the [approaching] eve of the Sabbath? From the time of the evening offering4 onwards’. Said Rabbah son of Huna,5 Nevertheless he [the mourner] does not sit down on it until it gets dark, and on the termination of the Sabbath, although he may have but one day [more] to sit [in mourning] he overturns it again.6 Our Rabbis taught: One who [has to] overturn his bed, over turns not his own bed alone, but all the beds he has in the house;7 even though he has ten beds in ten places, he overturns them all.8 And even if there be five brothers one of whom died, they all overturn [their beds].9 If, however, it be a bed specially set apart for vestments,10 that one need not be overturned. A dargesh11 [couch] need not be overturned, but should be tilted up;12 Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel says, [In the case of] a dargesh [it is enough if] he loosens the bolster-frame and lets it drop [down] of its own accord. What is a dargesh? — Said ‘Ulla, It is a Couch of Fortune.13 Said Rabbah to him: But then [how does that] meaning fit the ruling in reference to a king, for we learned:14 ‘[And when they provide for him the mourner's repast] all the people recline [at the repast ] on the ground while the king sits on the dargesh’.15 Is there any reason why he should now be seated on [a special couch] which he had hitherto not been able to sit on?16 To this question R. Ashi demurred, [saying]: What is this difficulty? It may be just as exceptional as eating and drinking [with the king], because heretofore they [the people] did not provide for him food and drink, whereas now [in his mourning] they do provide for him food and drink! But, if difficulty there be [in the offered explanation] it arises from what is taught: ‘There is no need to overturn a dargesh, but he [merely] tilts it up’. Now if dargesh be a ‘Couch of Fortune’ why is there no need to overturn it, surely it is taught: ‘One who [has to] overturn his bed overturns not his own bed alone but all the beds he has in his house! And what is this difficulty? Why, a dargesh is similar to a bed specially set apart for vestments,17 as it is taught [there]: ‘If it be a bed specially set apart for vestments, that need not be overturned’. But if difficulty there be [in the explanation] it is this [from what is taught there]: ‘Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel says, [In the case of] a dargesh [it is enough if] he unfastens the inner bolster-frame and lets it drop [down]’. Now if you suppose that dargesh means a ‘Couch of Fortune’ , what bolster-frame is there [at all]? When Rabin came [home from Palestine] he said, One of the Rabbis whose name is R. Tahlifa the Palestinian, who used to frequent the leather-mart, told me: What is a dargesh? It is [said he] a couch covered with a hide.18 It has also been stated: ‘R. Jeremiah said,19 In a dargesh the interlacing20 [of the girths] is on the inside; in a bed [couch] the interlacing [of the girths] is on the outside’. Said R. Jacob b. Aha as reporting R. Joshua b. Levi: The halachah follows the opinion of R. Simeon b. Gamaliel.21 Also this, R. Jacob b. Ala is to have said as reporting R. Assi that where a couch has projecting lean-backs,22 it is enough if he merely tilts it up.23 Our Rabbis taught: If he slept [during the seven days] on a chair, or on a large bench for water-jugs24 or [even] on the ground. he has not discharged his duty.25 Said R. Johanan: [He has not discharged his duty] because he has not conformed to [the practice of] overturning the bed. 26 Our Rabbis taught: We may sweep or strew27 [the floors] in a house of mourning and wash dishes, cups, jugs and wine-goblets28 in a house of mourning; but do not bring perfumes29 or spices into a house of mourning. But this is not [correct]? For Bar Kappara taught: One should not say a benediction for [enjoying the scent of] perfumery or spices in a house of mourning, which implies that while we do not say a benediction, they may yet be taken into the house? — That presents no difficulty: the former ruling is for the house of mourning,30 while the latter ruling is for the house of comforters.31 MISHNAH. [PROVISIONS]32 SHOULD NOT BE CONVEYED TO THE HOUSE OF MOURNING ON AN [ORNAMENTAL] TRAY,33 SALVER,34 OR FRUIT-BASKET,35 BUT IN [PLAIN] BASKETS. AND THE MOURNERS BENEDICTION [IN GRACE AFTER MEALS] IS NOT SAID DURING THE FESTIVAL [WEEK]. BUT COMFORTERS MAY STAND IN A ROW AND COMFORT [THEM].36 AND THE MOURNERS GIVE LEAVE OF DEPARTURE TO THE MANY [COMFORTERS]. THE BIER IS NOT SET DOWN IN THE BROADWAY [DURING THE FESTIVAL WEEK] SO AS NOT TO ENCOURAGE THE [FUNERARY] LAMENT; AND THE BIER OF WOMEN IS NEVER [SET DOWN IN THE BROAD WAY] FOR THE SAKE OF PROPRIETY. GEMARA. Our Rabbis taught: Formerly they were wont to convey [victuals] to the house of mourning, the rich in silver and gold baskets and the poor in osier baskets of peeled willow twigs, and the poor felt shamed: they therefore instituted that all should convey [victuals] in osier baskets of peeled willow twigs out of deference to the poor. Our Rabbis taught: Formerly, they were wont to serve drinks in a house of mourning, the rich in white glass vessels and the poor in coloured glass, and the poor felt shamed: they instituted therefore that all should serve drinks in coloured glass,37 out of deference to the poor.38 Formerly they were wont to uncover the face of the rich and cover the face of the poor, because their faces turned livid in years of drought and the poor felt shamed; they therefore instituted that everybody's face should be covered, out of deference for the poor.38 Formerly. they were wont to bring out the rich [for burial] on a dargesh39 aid the poor brother-in-law. Cf. B.M. 59b (Sonc. ed., p. 354, nn. 3 and 4.) Num. XXVIII, 5, 8. not those of strangers staying in the house’. Raabad, cited in Asheri. day of marriage in the front hall, the atrium, (as the bride's domain). ‘Genialis lectus, qui nuptiis sternitur in honorem genii’ quoted by Becker, Gallus, Excursus I (on Woman and Roman Marriage) p. 166. Cf. ibid. p. 154. king. Han., v. Becker's Charicles, Scene VIII, n. 8 (Eng. Trans. p. 136). itself) it is a bed; where the interlacing is not attached to the body (i.e., that the mattress-frame is a separate piece, the grabatus) it is a dargesh. Cf. further the notes on the discussion of the Mishnah. cushions as well as the poles, at the head and the foot of a bed, to support a curtain or net. Cf. Suk. 10b. other earthenware utensils and out of the way of being broker. hbhhrut for hhrbrut is the correct rendering and this meaning of the word fits all the parallel passages. they do not listen to him, because he said, "I am not going to upturn the bed"; but if he said, lo, I am going to upturn the bed . . . they do listen to him’. vsucf vyn . In Lewin, Otz. Hag. No. 208 it is explained by ,jcuan vyn and SBH explains it by vcuaj vyn. Cf. Persius, Sat. III, 103, ‘tandemque beatulus alto Compositus lecto...,’ and at last our blessed (dead) little friend being laid out on a tall bier’. Cf. also Jos., Ant. XVII, 8, 3 (197) and War, XXXIII, 9 (671) about Herod's gorgeous bier.