Semachot - Sefaria

30/07/2023, 22:42 semachot | Sefaria
semachot
Source Sheet by Dovid Goldstein
https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/502582?editor=1 1/42
Tractate Semachot 1:1 ‫א׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות א׳‬

A dying man1Heb. gosēs, the term applied ‫הגוסס הרי הוא כחי לכל דבר לעולם‬
when the rattle in the throat indicates that a
‫(זקוק) [זוקק] ליבום ופוטר מן היבום‬
person is at the point of death. is regarded as
a living entity in respect of all matters in ‫ומאכיל בתרומה ופוסל בתרומה ונוחל‬
the world: he holds [his brother’s wife] ‫ומנחיל פרש ממנו אבר כאבר מן החי‬
tied to the leviratical marriage,2Cf. Deut. ‫בשר כבשר מן החי וזורקין על ידו דם‬
25, 5ff. Should the brother die while he
:‫חטאתו ודם אשמו עד שימות‬
himself is dying, the former’s widow is
precluded from marrying until she is released
by the latter from his obligation to wed her
(cf. Ohol. I, 6, Sonc. ed., pp. 151f ). he frees
[his mother] from the obligation of a
leviratical marriage3If his father died and
left no other children, his mother is free to
remarry because the dying man is regarded as
living. Even a child who survives one day
frees his mother from the levirate. Cf. Nid.
43b (Sonc. ed., p. 303). and enables her to
eat terumah,4If his mother is the daughter of
a lay-Israelite married to a kohen, she may
continue to eat terumah so long as he
remains at the point of death. and he [may
also] disqualify her from eating
terumah;5If she is the daughter of a kohen
married to a lay-Israelite, she may not eat of
the terumah belonging to her father which,
on the death of her husband, she is permitted
to eat when she returns to his home (cf. Lev.
22, 12f ). The reason is that, since her son is
regarded as living, it would be contrary to
the stipulation in Lev. and have no child. he
inherits and transmits;6i.e. an estate. On
inheritance and transmission, cf. B.B. 108a
(Sonc. ed., p. 448). if one of his limbs is
severed, it is regarded as a limb cut off
from the living;7There is a legal difference if
it is a limb severed from a living or dead
body. If it was from a dead body, a piece of
flesh from it, even the size of an olive,
communicates defilement; but if from a
living body it does not. Therefore, if one of
the dying man’s limbs is severed, flesh from it
does not defile because he is considered a
living being. if [part of his] flesh [is
severed], it is regarded as flesh cut off from
the living;8Flesh not necessarily from a
severed limb. and the blood of his sin-
offering and guilt-offering is sprinkled for

him until the time he dies.9Where a man
who brought a sin- or guilt-offering died
before it was sacrificed, the animal for the
former had to be killed and the latter turned
into the fields to graze until it died naturally.
But with a dying man who brought an
offering, the ritual connected with his
sacrifice was carried out completely.
Tractate Semachot 1:2 ‫ב׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות א׳‬

We do not tie up his cheek-bones,10To ‫אין קושרין את לחייו *ואין פוקקין את‬
prevent the jaw from dropping; cf. Shab.
‫נקביו ואין נותנין כלי של מתכות ודבר‬
151a (Sonc. ed., p. 771). or stop up his
apertures,11To prevent air from entering. or ‫שהוא מיקר על טיבורו עד שעה‬
place a metal vessel or anything which ‫ו׳) עד אשר‬:‫שימות שנאמר (קהלת י״ב‬
chills on his navel;12Shab. loc. cit. reads ‘on :‫לא ירתק חבל הכסף‬
his stomach’, that it should not swell. as it is
stated, Before the silver cord is snapped
asunder and the golden bowl is shattered,
and the pitcher is broken at the
fountain.13Eccl. 12, 6. None of these acts
may be done because they hasten death.
Tractate Semachot 1:3 ‫ג׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות א׳‬

We may not move him, or place him on ‫אין מזיזין אותו ואין מטילין אותו על‬
sand or salt14For ‘salt’ GRA reads ‘a vessel
‫גבי החול ולא על המלח עד שעה‬
that chills’; cf. Tosiftha Shab. XVIII, 18.
until he dies.15So that the body should keep :‫שימות‬
cool and not swell.
Tractate Semachot 1:4 ‫ד׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות א׳‬

We may not close the eyes16Shab. loc. cit. ‫אין (מעמידין) [מעמצין] את עיני‬
(Sonc. ed., p. 772). Closing the eyes of a
‫הגוסס הנוגע בו ומזיזו הרי זה שופך‬
corpse is a very ancient practice. According to
Ibn Ezra the custom is alluded to in Gen. ‫דמים שהיה רבי מאיר אומר משל לנר‬
46, 4, and Joseph shall put his hand upon ‫שהוא מטפטף כיון שנגע בו אדם‬
thine eyes (cf. his commentary ad loc.). The ‫מכבהו כך כל המעמץ את עיני הגוסס‬
custom was current among the ancient
:‫מעלין עליו כאילו הוא נוטל נשמתו‬
Greeks and Romans and is practised by the
Egyptians [cf. Seyffert, Dictionary of
Classical Antiquities, p. 101b, and Lane,
Manners and Customs of the Modern
Egyptians, ch. XXVIII]. A man, at the
moment of death, was believed to behold the
Divine Presence (cf. Job 19, 27) and
therefore it was unfitting that after that
vision his eyes should look at anything
mundane. Cf. A. Bender in Jewish Quarterly
Review, VII (1895), pp. 102f. of a dying
man. Whoever touches and moves him is a
murderer. For R. Meir used to say: He can
be compared to a lamp which is
dripping;17Shab. loc cit. reads ‘a lamp that
is going out’. should a man touch it he
extinguishes it. Similarly whoever closes
the eyes of a dying man is considered as if
he had taken his life.
Tractate Semachot 1:5 ‫ה׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות א׳‬

We do not rend the garments or bare the ‫אין קורעין ואין חולצין ולא מספידין‬
shoulder,18Cf. Rashi to M.Ḳ. 22b (Sonc.
‫ואין מכניסין ארון עמו בבית עד שעה‬
ed., p. 140). R. Meir of Rothenberg explains
the word ḥoleẓin in the usual sense of :‫שימות‬
‘removing the shoes’. or deliver a memorial
address, or bring the coffin into the house
until he dies.19These things should be
avoided so as not to frighten the dying
person.
Tractate Semachot 1:6 ‫ו׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות א׳‬

We do not summon the people20Cf. 1 ‫אין משמעין עליו ואין משננין עליו את‬
Sam. 15, 4, XXIII, 8 for this usage of the
‫מעשיו רבי יהודה אומר אם חכם הוא‬
Heb. verb. Brüll adds the word ‘ayaroth (cf.
Sanh. 47a, Sonc. ed., p. 311), ‘We do not :‫משננין [עליו] את מעשיו‬
summon the people of the townships’. or
recount his good deeds. R. Judah said: If
he is a scholar we recount his good
deeds.21Because he is accustomed to have
his praises sung and it would not distress him
in the circumstances.
Tractate Semachot 1:7 ‫ז׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות א׳‬

22This Rule is not connected with the ‫אין שואלין בעיר זה את זה בד"א‬
preceding, but speaks of a case where there is
‫בכפר קטן אבל בעיר גדול מותר‬
a dead person in the town. In the town
people do not greet each other.23Because ‫מחותך מסורס נפלים ובן שמונה חי בן‬
all must share in the mourning, and greeting ‫תשעה מת אין מתעסקין עמו בכל‬
is not permitted to a mourner. This applies :‫דבר‬
only in a village,24Where all learn quickly
of the death. but in a large city it is
permissible.
We do not carry out the mourning rites
for one who came out [at birth] by pieces
or with feet foremost, or for one born
prematurely25Heb. nefel, a child who dies
within thirty days of birth. at eight
months26And cannot therefore survive.
alive or at nine months dead.
Tractate Semachot 1:8 ‫ח׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות א׳‬

For a non-Jew or a slave we do not occupy ‫נכרי ועבד אין מתעסקין עמו לכל דבר‬
ourselves with his funeral rites, but we
‫אבל קורין עליו הוי ארי ארי הוי גבור‬
exclaim of him, ‘Alas lion!27So H; V
repeats ‘lion’. alas mighty man!’. R. Judah ‫רבי יהודה אומר הוי טבי הוי נאמן‬
said: [We, for instance, exclaim], ‘Alas, ‫אוכל מעמלו אמרו לו מה הנחת‬
Ṭabi!28The faithful slave of Rabban ‫לכשרים אמר להן אם היה כשר מפני‬
Gamaliel (cf. Ber. 16b, Sonc. ed. p. 96).
‫ אין מקבלין תנחומין‬:‫מה אין קורין עליו‬
alas, faithful man who ate29In Ber. ‘who
worked for his living’. of his labour!’. They :‫על העבדים ועל השפחות‬
said to him,30To R. Jose who, in Ber. (Sonc.
ed., p. 97), suggested the praise to be made
over a faithful slave. ‘[If so], what have you
left [to be said] of worthy men [who are
not slaves]?’ He replied, ‘If he was worthy,
why should we not say it of him,
since31So H; V lacks ‘since’. we do not
receive condolence for [the loss of ] male
or female slaves?’
Tractate Semachot 1:9 ‫ט׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות א׳‬

It is related that when R. Eliezer’s female ‫ומעשה כשמתה שפחתו של ר׳ אליעזר‬
slave died, his disciples came to comfort
‫נכנסו תלמידיו לנחמו נכנס מפניהם‬
him. He entered the courtyard [to avoid
them], but they followed him; he went ‫לחצר נכנסו אחריו נכנס לביתו נכנסו‬
into the house, but they followed him. He ‫אחריו אמר להם כמדומה הייתי שאתם‬
said to them, ‘I imagined that you would ‫נכוין בפושרין והלא אין אתם נכוין‬
be scalded with tepid water, but now you
‫אפילו ברותחין הלא אמרו שאין‬
are not even scalded with hot water.32The
meaning is, I made it clear to you that I did ‫מקבלין תנחומין על העבדים שהעבדים‬
not want to receive your condolence; cf. Ber. :‫חשובים כבהמה‬
loc. cit. Have [the Sages] not said: 33In
Ber., ‘Have I not taught you’, etc.We do not
receive condolence for slaves because they
are reckoned as animals?’34The text in Ber.
reads: What do we say over them? As we say
to a man on the death of his ox or ass, ‘May
the Omnipresent repair thy loss’, so we say to
a man on the death of his slaves, ‘May the
Omnipresent repair thy loss’.
Tractate Semachot 1:10 ‫י׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות א׳‬

And when Ṭabi the slave of Rabban ‫וכשמת טבי עבדו של רבן גמליאל‬
Gamaliel died, he received condolence for
‫קבל עליו תנחומים אמרו לו לא‬
him. They asked him, ‘Master, have you
not taught us that we do not receive ‫למדתנו רבינו שאין מקבלין תנחומין‬
condolence for slaves?’ He replied, ‘My ‫על העבדים אמר להן אין טבי עבדי‬
slave Ṭabi was unlike all other slaves; he :‫כשאר כל העבדים כשר היה‬
was a worthy man’.
Tractate Semachot 1:11 ‫י״א‬:‫מסכת שמחות א׳‬

He also permitted Ṭabi to put on the ‫אף הוא הניח לו להניח תפלין אמרו לו‬
tefillin. They said to him, ‘Master, have
‫לא למדתנו רבינו שהעבדים פטורין מן‬
you not taught us that slaves are exempt
from [the precept of ] tefillin?’ He replied, ‫התפלין אמר להן אין טבי עבדי כשאר‬
‘My slave Ṭabi was unlike all other slaves; :‫כל העבדים כשר הוא‬
he was a worthy man’.
Tractate Semachot 1:12 ‫י״ב‬:‫מסכת שמחות א׳‬

We do not call male and female slaves ‫אין קורין לעבדים ולשפחות אבא פלוני‬
‘Father So-and-so, Mother So-and-so’.
‫ואימא פלונית של בית רבן גמליאל היו‬
Those of the house of Rabban Gamaliel,
however, were called ‘Father Ṭabi’ and :‫קורין לאבא טבי ולאימא טביתא‬
‘Mother Ṭabitha’.35Quoted from Ber. loc.
cit. [The female slave Ṭabitha is mentioned
in j.Nid. I, 4, 49b.]
Tractate Semachot 1:13 ‫י״ג‬:‫מסכת שמחות א׳‬

We confine the term ‘our father’ to the ‫אין קורין לאבות אבינו אלא לשלשה‬
three Patriarchs,36Abraham, Isaac and
‫האבות ולא לאימהות אמנו אלא‬
Jacob. and the term ‘our mother’ to the
four Matriarchs.37Sara, Rebekah, Rachel :‫לארבע האימהות‬
and Leah. This Rule is also culled, in a
slightly different form from Ber. loc. cit.
Tractate Semachot 2:1 ‫א׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ב׳‬

We do not occupy ourselves in any respect ‫המאבד עצמו לדעת אין מתעסקין עמו‬
with the funeral rites of one who
‫בכל דבר רבי ישמעאל אומר קורין‬
committed suicide wilfully. R. Ishmael
said: We exclaim over him, ‘Alas for a ‫עליו הוי נטלה הוי נטלה א"ל ר"ע הנח‬
lost1Heb. niṭṭelah, ‘[a life] carried away’. H ‫לו בסתמו אל תכבדהו ואל תקללהו‬
reads nishlah with a similar meaning (cf. ‫אין קורעין עליו ואין חולצין עליו ולא‬
God takth away [yeshel] his soul, Job 27, 8).
‫מספידין עליו אבל עומדין עליו בשורה‬
GRA emends to nithlah, ‘hanged’. [life!]
Alas for a [lost] life!’ R. ‘Aḳiba said to him, ‫ואומרין עליו ברכת אבלים מפני שהוא‬
‘Leave him unmourned; speak neither well ‫כבוד חיים כללו של דבר כל שהוא‬
nor ill of him’.2lit. ‘do not bless him and do ‫כבוד של חיים מתעסקין בו כל שאין‬
not curse him’.
We do not rend garments for
‫כבוד של חיים אין הרבים מתעסקין‬
him,3According to the Ṭur Y.D., §345, near :‫עמו לכל דבר‬
relatives do not rend their garments. bare the
shoulder, or deliver a memorial address
over him. We do, however, stand in a
row4At the cemetery after the funeral those
present divide themselves into two rows and
the mourners pass between them to receive
condolences. for him and recite the
benediction of mourners5The condolence
ended with the words, ‘Blessed be He Who
comforteth the mourners’ (Keth. 8b, Sonc.
ed., p. 40). Hence the term ‘benediction of
mourners’; cf. J. Rabbinowitz, Mishnah
Megillah, p. 119. for him, from respect of
the living [relatives]. The general rule is:
With anything that makes for respect of
the living we occupy ourselves, but with
anything that does not make for the
respect of the living, the public do not in
any way occupy themselves.
Tractate Semachot 2:2 ‫ב׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ב׳‬

Who [comes within the category of ] ‘one ‫איזהו המאבד עצמו לדעת לא שעלה‬
who committed suicide wilfully’? He does
‫בראש האילן ונפל ומת בראש הגג‬
not who climbed to the top of a tree and
fell down and died, or he who went up to ‫ונפל ומת אלא זה שאמר הריני עולה‬
the top of the roof and fell down and ‫לראש הגג או לראש האילן ואפיל‬
died.6It may have been an accidental fall. ‫עצמי ואמות ורואין אותו שעלה לראש‬
But he who calls out, ‘Look, I am going to
‫האילן ונפל ומת הרי זה בחזקת‬
the top of the roof or to the top of the
tree, and I will throw myself down that I ‫המאבד את עצמו בדעת וכל המאבד‬
may die’ [comes within the category]. ‫את עצמו לדעת אין מתעסקין עמו בכל‬
When people saw him go up to the top of :‫דבר‬
a tree or roof [for the purpose] and he fell
down and died, he is presumed to have
committed suicide wilfully; and with the
person who commits suicide wilfully we
do not occupy ourselves in any respect.
Tractate Semachot 2:3 ‫ג׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ב׳‬

If a person was found strangled or hanging ‫מצאהו חנוק ותלוי באילן הרוג ומושלך‬
from a tree or lying dead on a sword, he is
‫על גבי הסייף הרי זה בחזקת המאבד‬
presumed not to have committed suicide
wilfully, and none [of the rites] are ‫את עצמו שלא בדעת ואין מונעין‬
withheld from him. :‫הימנו כל דבר‬
Tractate Semachot 2:4 ‫ד׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ב׳‬

It is related of the son of Gorgias7A ‫מעשה בבנו של גורנוס בלוד שברח‬
variant is Gornos. [He is not mentioned
‫מבית הספר והראה לו אביו באזנו‬
elsewhere in Rabbinic literature.] of Lydda
that he ran away from school and his ‫ונתירא מאביו והלך ואבד עצמו בבגד‬
father pointed to his ear.8i.e. he threatened ‫ובאו ושאלו את רבי טרפון ואמר אין‬
to punish him. In fear of his father he went :‫מונעין הימנו כל דבר‬
and destroyed himself in a pit.9So GRA
and H. V wrongly ‘with a garment’. They
went and inquired of R. Ṭarfon who
ruled: We do not withhold anything from
him.10He is buried with full rites.
Tractate Semachot 2:5 ‫ה׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ב׳‬

It is related of a child in Benë Beraḳ11A ‫מעשה בתינוק אחד מבני ברק ששבר‬
town near Jaffa. that he broke a bottle on
‫צלוחית בשבת והראה לו אביו באזנו‬
the Sabbath and his father pointed to his
ear. In fear of his father he went and ‫ונתירא מאביו והלך ואבד עצמו בבור‬
destroyed himself in a pit. They inquired ‫ושאלו את רבי עקיבא ואמר אין מונעין‬
of R. ‘Aḳiba who ruled: We do not :‫הימנו כל דבר‬
withhold anything from him.
Tractate Semachot 2:6 ‫ו׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ב׳‬

Hence the Sages ruled: A man should not ‫מכאן אמרו חכמים אל יראה אדם‬
point at the ear of a child, but either
‫לתינוק באזנו אלא מלקיהו מיד או‬
punish him immediately or keep silent
and say nothing to him. ‫ישתוק ולא יאמר לו כלום ר׳ שמעון בן‬
R. Simeon b. Eleazar said:12Sanh. 107b ‫אלעזר אומר יצר תינוק ואשה תהא‬
(Sonc. ed., p. 736), Soṭah 47a (Sonc. ed., p. :‫שמאל דוחה וימין מקרבת‬
246). With human nature,13Heb. Yeẓer,
which means human instinct; cf. Lazarus,
Ethics of Judaism, II, pp. 106f. a child and
a woman, the left hand should repulse
them but the right hand bring them
back.14One should not be too severe with
them, not suppressing their desires but
disciplining them.
Tractate Semachot 2:7 ‫ז׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ב׳‬

With those executed by a Court we do not ‫הרוגי בית דין אין מתעסקין עמהן בכל‬
occupy ourselves in any respect. Their
‫דבר אחיהם וקרוביהם באין ושואלין‬
brothers and relatives come and greet the
witnesses and judges15Cf. Sanh. 46a ‫את שלום העדים ואת שלום הדיינין‬
(Sonc. ed., p. 305). [as if to say], ‘We have ‫שאין בלבנו עליכם שדין אמת דנתם‬
no [ill feelings] against you in our hearts ‫ולא היו מתאבלין אלא אוננים שאין‬
because you gave a true judgment’. They
:‫אנינות אלא בלב‬
observe no [public] mourning16i.e. the
seven days, thirty days and the twelve
months. for them but grieve, since grief is
felt only in the heart.
Tractate Semachot 2:8 ‫ח׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ב׳‬

R. Nathan said: There is no difference ‫רבי נתן אומר אין בין שתיקה לבכיה‬
between silence and mourning.17i.e. the
:‫כלום‬
silence of the mourners is itself a form of
mourning. Hence the persons mentioned in
the previous Rule must not even grieve. It is
suggested that R. Nathan’s statement was
originally a marginal note which found its
way into the text.
Tractate Semachot 2:9 ‫ט׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ב׳‬

The ‘meal of comfort’18The first meal ‫אין מברין עליהם שנא׳ (ויקרא יט) לא‬
partaken by the mourners on their return
‫תאכלו על הדם ב"ד שהרג לא היה‬
from the funeral is termed ‘the meal of
comfort [habra’ah]’; cf. 2 Sam. 3, 35, to ‫טועם כל אותו היום ומניחין אותן לדבר‬
cause David to eat bread (lehabroth). It was ‫עם אחיהם ועם קרוביהם ובשביל שלא‬
prepared by friends and consisted of lentils ‫להשהות ומשקין אותן יין ולבונה כדי‬
and eggs (cf. Sanh. 63a, Sonc. ed., p. 430, n.
‫שלא יצטערו ומלמדין אותן להתוודות‬
6) the round shape of which being a
reminder of the revolving wheel of fortune. is ‫שכל המתודה יש לו חלק לעולם הבא‬
not eaten in their case, as it is stated, Ye ‫שכן מצינו בעכן שאמר לו יהושע‬
shall not eat [anything] with the ‫(יהושע ז) בני שים נא כבוד לה׳‬
blood.19Lev. 19, 26. This is homiletically
interpreted to mean: where blood is shed (i.e.
‫(אלהיך) [אלהי ישראל] ותן לו תודה‬
an execution has taken place) no ceremonial ‫והגד נא לי מה עשית אל תכחד ממני‬
meal of mourners should be eaten. Cf. Sanh. ‫ויען עכן את יהושע ויאמר אמנה אנכי‬
loc. cit. ‫חטאתי לה' אלהי ישראל וכזאת וכזאת‬
[The judges of ] a Court who ordered the
execution of a man used not to eat
‫עשיתי ומה ת"ל וכזאת וכזאת מלמד‬
anything on that day.20Sanh. loc. cit. ‫שמעל בחרם שני פעמים אנכי חטאתי‬
[The condemned] are allowed to converse ‫אנכי ולא ביתי אנכי ולא בני מלמד‬
with their brothers and relatives; and not
‫שהתודה באמונה ומניין שכיפר לו‬
to delay matters21i.e. to avoid giving the
appearance that the execution of justice is ‫וידויו שנאמר ויאמר יהושע מה עכרתנו‬
unduly protracted. they are given to drink ‫יעכרך ה׳ ביום הזה ביום הזה אתה‬
wine containing frankincense22To numb ‫עכור ואי אתה עכור לעולם הבא‬
the senses; cf. Sanh. 43a (Sonc. ed., p. 279).
‫ואומר (דה"א ב) ובני זרח זמרי ואיתן‬
so that they should not feel grieved. They
are urged23lit. ‘they teach them’. to confess, ‫[והימן] וכלכל ודרע כלם חמשה וכי‬
because he who confesses has a portion in ‫אין אנו יודעים שכולם ה׳ אלא מלמד‬
the World to Come. We find it so with ‫שאף עכן עמהם לעולם הבא (כיוצא‬
Achan to whom Joshua said, My son, give,
‫בו הגונב את המכס ואת החרם הרי‬
I pray thee, glory to the Lord, the God of
Israel, and make confession unto Him; and ‫זה שופך דמים ולא שופך דמים בלבד‬
tell me now what thou hast done; hide ‫אלא כאילו עובד עבודת כוכבים ומגלה‬
nothing from me. And Achan answered :)‫עריות ומחלל שבתות‬
Joshua, and said: Of a truth I have sinned
against the Lord, the God of Israel, and thus
and thus have I done.24Josh. 7, 19f. What
is the meaning of and thus and thus? It
teaches that he violated the ban
twice.25By taking from the devoted things
on two occasions. Sanh. 43b (Sonc. ed., p.
284) explains that he took of the ban three
times, twice in the days of Moses and once at
Jericho. [44b] I have sinned, i.e. I and not
my household, I and not my children.
This teaches that he truthfully26Of a truth
(’omnam) is explained as be’emunah

(‘truthfully’). confessed. And whence do we
know that his confession made atonement
for him? As it is stated, And Joshua said:
Why hast thou troubled us? The Lord shall
trouble thee this day27ibid. 25.—this day
art thou to be troubled but thou shalt not
be troubled in the World to Come; and it
states, And the sons of Zerah: Zimri, and
Ethan, and Heman, and Calcol and Dara:
five of them in all.281 Chron. 2, 6. Do we
not know that there were five of them in
all?29Since five names are specified. It
teaches that Achan will be with them in
the world to come.30Cf. Sanh. 44b (Sonc.
ed., p. 291). Zimri, according to a tradition,
is identical with Achan. As Achan is
mentioned together with the other four, who
are considered to be worthy men, it is an
indication that his confession was accepted
and with them he shared in the World to
Come.
Similarly one who steals the tax31i.e.
eludes the customs; cf. B.Ḳ. 113a (Sonc. ed.,
p. 663), Tosiftha B.Ḳ. X, 8. or anything
devoted [to the Sanctuary] is as if he shed
blood; and not only is he as if he shed
blood, but he is also as if he worships
idols, was guilty of immorality and
desecrates the Sabbath.32[On this passage,
cf. Büchler, Studies in Sin and Atonement,
p. 198n.]
Tractate Semachot 2:10 ‫י׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ב׳‬

We do not occupy ourselves with those ‫כל הפורש מדרכי צבור אין מתעסקין‬
who separated themselves from the
‫עמו בכל דבר אחיהם וקרוביהן לובשין‬
community33According to Maimonides
(Hil. ’Ebel, I, 5, cf. Ṭur Y.D., §345) the ‫לבנים ומתעטפין לבנים ואוכלין ושותין‬
reference is to those who discarded all the ‫ושמחים שנאבד שונאו של מקום שנא׳‬
religious precepts and ceremonies of Judaism. ‫כ״ב) הלא משנאיך‬-‫כ״א‬:‫(תהילים קל״ט‬
in any respect. Their brothers and relatives
‫ה׳ אשנא ובתקוממיך אתקוטט (מפני‬
clothe themselves in white, wrap
themselves in white and eat and drink and ‫מה ש) תכלית שנאה שנאתים לאויבים‬
rejoice because an enemy of the All- :‫היו לי‬
present perished; as it is stated, Do not I
hate them, O Lord, that hate Thee? And do
not I strive with those that rise up against
Thee? I hate them with utmost hatred; I
count them mine enemies.34Ps. 139, 21f.
Tractate Semachot 2:11 ‫י״א‬:‫מסכת שמחות ב׳‬

We do not withhold mourning rites from ‫הרוגי מלכות אין מונעין מהן כל דבר‬
those executed by the Government.35i.e.
‫מאימתי מתחילין למנות להם משעה‬
the occupying power, viz. the Romans.
When do we begin to count [the days of ‫שנתייאשו מלשאול אבל לא מלגנוב‬
mourning] for them?36Usually this begins ‫שכל הגונב הרי זה שופך דמים ולא‬
from the moment the grave is filled in, but ‫שופך דמים בלבד אלא כאילו עובד‬
here the body of the victim was not handed
:‫עבודת כוכבים וכו׳‬
over to the family for burial. From the time
that [the relatives] despaired in their
appeal [for the body to be delivered to
them for burial], but not [given up the
hope] of stealing it. For he who steals is as
if he shed blood, and not only is he as if
he had shed blood, but also as if he
worshipped idols, etc.37This sentence is
repeated from the last clause of Rule 9 and
has no relevance to the present context.
Tractate Semachot 2:12 ‫י״ב‬:‫מסכת שמחות ב׳‬

Mourning rites are not withheld in any ‫מי שנפל לים מי ששטפו נהר מי‬
respect from one who fell into the sea, or
‫שאכלתו חיה רעה אין מונעין מהן כל‬
was washed away by a stream, or killed by
a wild beast. When do we begin to count ‫דבר מאימתי מתחילין למנות להם‬
[the days of mourning] for such as these? ‫משעה שנתייאשו לבקש מצאוהו‬
From the time that hope of finding them ‫אברים אברים אין מונין לו עד שימצא‬
has been given up. If they found a body
‫ראשו ורובו רבי יהודה אומר השדרה‬
limb by limb, we do not count [the days
of mourning] until the head and greater :‫והגלגולת הן רובו‬
part [of the torso] is found. R. Judah said:
The spine and skull constitute the greater
part [of the torso].
Tractate Semachot 2:13 ‫י״ג‬:‫מסכת שמחות ב׳‬

If one’s husband, wife, father or mother ‫מי שהיה בעלה צלוב עמה בעיר‬
had been impaled38By the Roman
‫אשתו צלובה עמו בעיר אביו ואמו‬
authorities. Impaling was not a form of
execution carried out by the Jews. in his city, ‫צלובין עמו בעיר לא ישרה באותה‬
one should not continue to reside ‫העיר אא"כ היתה עיר גדולה‬
there39On seeing him, people will recall the ‫כאנטוכיא לא ישרה בצד זה אלא‬
impaling of his relative, and that would be a
‫ישרה בצד זה עד מתי הוא אסור עד‬
slight on the memory of the victim. unless it
is a city as big as Antioch.40The ancient ‫שיכלה הבשר כולו ואין הצורה ניכרת‬
capital of Syria. Since it is a large city, the :‫בעצמות‬
fact might not be generally known. [Even
then] one should not reside in the same
side of the city but in another part. Until
when is one so forbidden? Until the flesh
is completely decomposed and the
identity41lit. ‘the form’. unrecognizable
from the bones.
Tractate Semachot 2:14 ‫י״ד‬:‫מסכת שמחות ב׳‬

[Beth Shammai said:]42GRA omits. For ‫(ב"ש אומרים) המגרש את אשתו לא‬
what follows, cf. Keth. 27b, 28a (Sonc. ed.,
‫ישרה עמה לא במבוי ולא בחצר אם‬
p. 152). If a man divorced his wife, he
should not live in the same alley or ‫היה מבוי של שניהם הופך פתחו לצד‬
courtyard as she.43Lest he be tempted to ‫אחד ואם היתה חצר של שניהם מפנה‬
cohabit with her. If the alley belonged to ‫זה מפני זה ומפנה אשה מפני איש‬
both of them, he transfers the door [of his
‫בד"א בזמן שנשאו והכהנת אע"ג שלא‬
house] to another side; and if the
courtyard belonged to both of them, one ‫נשאו בד"א מן הנשואין אבל מן‬
vacates it on account of the other, and the ‫האירוסין לא וכן החולץ ליבמתו לא‬
woman vacates it on account of the man. :‫יפנה מפני שאין לבו גס בה‬
This rule only applies if she has
remarried44So GRA; V ‘they have married’.
After remarriage with another she can never
return to her first husband (cf. Deut. 24,
3f ). and in the case of the [divorced] wife
of a kohen even if she has not
remarried.45A kohen may not marry a
divorced woman, not even his divorced wife
(Lev. 21, 7). It further applies only if she is
divorced after marriage and not after
betrothal.46Cf. Kallah 1, n. 1. Likewise
one who has freed his sister-in-law from
the levirate marriage47Cf. Deut. 25, 5ff.
does not vacate on account of her, because
he does not feel attracted to her.
Tractate Semachot 3:1 ‫א׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ג׳‬

A child who lived only one day counts to ‫בן יומו שמת הרי הוא לאביו ולאמו‬
his father and mother as a fully-grown
‫כחתן שלם לא סוף דבר בן יומו חי‬
man.1With respect to mourning; cf. Nid.
44a (Sonc. ed., p. 303). The phrase ḥathan ‫אלא אפי׳ יוצא ראשו ורובו בחיים אלא‬
shalem, lit. ‘a complete bridegroom’, is based :‫שדברו חכמים בהווה‬
on ḥathan damim, a bridegroom of blood
(Ex. 4, 25). For the idea that circumcision
makes one ‘complete’, cf. Ned. 31b (Sonc.
ed., p. 93). [The words] ‘who lived only
one day’ are not to be taken as an
[irreducible] limit;2lit. ‘the end of the
matter’. even if only his head and the
greater part of his body came out viable
[he is so counted, but in their formulation
of the law] the Sages speak of what
actually happens.
Tractate Semachot 3:2 ‫ב׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ג׳‬

3Cf. M.Ḳ. 24a (Sonc. ed., p. 151). [An ‫ויוצא בחיק נקבר באשה אחת ובשני‬
infant] who is carried in the arms4lit. ‘goes
‫אנשים אבא שאול אומר באיש א׳‬
out in the bosom’. is buried by one woman
and two men.5For reasons of propriety. ‫ובשתי נשים אמרו לו אשה אחת‬
GRA inserts ‘but not by one man and two ‫מתייחדת עם שני אנשים ואין איש‬
women’. Abba Saul said: [The burial may ‫אחד מתייחד עם שתי נשים אין עומדין‬
be done] by one man and two women.
‫עליו בשורה ואין אומרין עליו ברכת‬
[The Sages] said to him: One woman may
be alone with two men, but one man may ‫אבלים עד שיהא בן שלשים יום ובן‬
not be alone with two women.6A ‫שלשים יום יוצא באנשים ובנשים‬
quotation from Ḳid. IV, 12 (Sonc. ed., p. ‫ובדלוסקמא ובאגפים עד בן שנים עשר‬
413).
[The people at the burial] do not stand in
‫חדש בן שנים עשר חדש יוצא באנשים‬
line on account of him and they need not ‫ובנשים ובדלוסקמא ובכתף עד בן‬
recite the mourner’s benediction on ‫שלש שנים רבי יהודה אומר אם רצה‬
account of him unless he was thirty days ‫אביו לכבדו מוציאין לו ארון לבית‬
old. If he was thirty days old, he is
accompanied [to the grave] by men and
:‫הקברות עד בן שלש שנים‬
women and is carried in a case upon the
arms7Cf. M.Ḳ. 24b (Sonc. ed., pp. 151f ).
Apparently not a full-sized coffin is meant.
up to the age of twelve months. If he was
twelve months old, he is accompanied by
men and women and is carried in a case
on the shoulder up to the age of three
years. R. Judah said: Should his father
desire to honour him, they take him out in
a coffin to the cemetery even before8So
GRA; V ‘until’. he is three years old.
Tractate Semachot 3:3 ‫ג׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ג׳‬

If three years old he is taken out on a bier. ‫בן שלש שנים יוצא במטה רבי עקיבא‬
R. ‘Aḳiba said: If he is three years old but
‫אומר הוא בן שלש שנים ואיבריו כבן‬
his limbs are [developed] like those of an
infant two years old,9V wrongly in brackets ‫שתים (אינו יוצא במטה) הוא בן שתים‬
‘he is not carried on a bier’. or if he is two ‫ואיבריו בבן שלש יוצא במטה שמעון‬
years old but his limbs are like those of an ‫בן אחי עזריה אומר כל היוצא במטה‬
infant three years old, he is carried on a
‫מקלסין לפניו רבי מאיר אומר משום‬
bier. Simeon the brother of Azariah said:
For anyone who is taken out on a bier the ‫רבי אלעזר בן עזריה כל שהרבים‬
people show their distress.10[Heb. ‫מכירין אותו מתעסקין עמו וכל שאין‬
meḳallesin which in Rabbinic Heb. means ‫הרבים מכירין אותו אין הרבים‬
‘stamp with the foot’ as a sign of mourning
(cf. Ezek. 6, 11).] The Talmud, which gives
: ‫מתעסקין עמו‬
the name of the Rabbi as Simeon b. Eleazar,
uses a different verb; cf. M.Ḳ. 24b (Sonc.
ed., p. 151, n. 9). R. Meir said in the name
of R. Eleazar b. Azariah: If he is known to
the public at large they participate in
connection with him [at the funeral], but
if not, they do not participate in
connection with him.
Tractate Semachot 3:4 ‫ד׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ג׳‬

R. Judah said in the name of R. Eleazar b. ‫רבי יהודה משום רבי אלעזר בן עזריה‬
Azariah: For the purpose of a memorial
‫אומר אף שכיניו לענין הספד מספידין‬
address it is sufficient that his neighbours
[know him]. In the case of the poor a ‫לעניים בני שלש ולעשירים בני ארבע‬
memorial address is delivered for a child of ‫רבי עקיבא אומר לעניים בני שש‬
three,11The child being a greater joy to poor ‫ולעשירים בני שבע בני עשירים בבני‬
parents who have few pleasures in life, and so
‫חכמים בני חכמים כבני מלכים‬
his death is a greater loss. and in the case of
the rich for a child of four. R. ‘Aḳiba said: :)‫(מתעסקין עמהם‬
In the case of the poor, for a child of six
and in the case of the rich for a child of
seven. The children of the rich are like the
children of scholars and the children of
scholars like the children of kings.12The
children are praised in the memorial address
to honour the parents.
Tractate Semachot 3:5 ‫ה׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ג׳‬

In the case of a child of developed ‫תינוק שיודע לישא וליתן יוצא במעשה‬
intelligence13lit. ‘he knows how to transact
‫עצמו אם אין לו מעשים יוצא במעשה‬
[his affairs]’. we dwell [in the memorial
address for him] on his own [good] deeds, ‫אבותיו ואם אין לאבותיו מעשים יוצא‬
but if he has no such deeds we dwell on ‫במעשה קרוביו הכלה יוצאת בין‬
the deeds of his parents; and if his parents ‫בכבוד אביה בין בכבוד חמיה מפני‬
have no such deeds we dwell on the deeds
‫(שמעלין בכבוד ולא מורידין) לא‬
of his relatives. In the case of a bride we
dwell on the honour of her father or ‫מוסיפין בתחילה אבל מוסיפין על‬
father-in-law, because she rises [in esteem] :‫העיקר‬
with him14viz. her father-in-law. The
reading of GRA and H is adopted. but does
not fall with him. We may not ascribe
merits to one who has none,15lit. ‘we do
not add from the start’. Cf. Ber. 62a (Sonc.
ed., p. 390), ‘As the dead are called to
account [for their deeds], so are funeral
orators [who exaggerate the merits of the
dead]’. but we may magnify those which
he possessed.16lit. ‘we may add to the stock’.
Tractate Semachot 3:6 ‫ו׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ג׳‬

17Cf. Shab. 153a (Sonc. ed., p. 781). In ‫בירושלים היו אומרים עשה לפני‬
Jerusalem there was a saying, ‘Perform
‫מיטתך וביהודה היו אומרים עשה‬
actions [which can be lamented] in front
of your bier’,18Apparently the place of the ‫לאחר מיטתך (של) שבירושלים לא היו‬
people in a funeral procession differed ‫אומרים לפני מיטתו של מת אלא‬
according to local custom. In Jerusalem they ‫דבריו של מת וביהודה היו אומרים‬
walked in front of the bier, in Judea behind
‫דברים שיש בו ודברים שאין בו‬
it. Cf. Tosiftha Pes. II, 16. and in Judea
there was a saying, ‘Perform actions ‫המהלכין אחר המטה לא היו עונין‬
[which can be lamented] behind your ‫אחריהם ואומרים אלא דברים שיש בו‬
bier’. For in Jerusalem they recounted in ‫ מבן שלש ועד בן‬.)‫(ודברים שאין בו‬
front of a dead man’s bier only the merits
which he possessed; but in Judea they
‫שלשים יוצא כחתן מבן שלשים עד בן‬
recounted merits which he possessed and ‫ארבעים יוצא כאח מבן ארבעים ועד‬
did not possess. They, however, who :‫בן חמשים יוצא כאב‬
walked behind the bier only repeated after
them the merits which he possessed.19The
emended text of GRA and H is followed.
[One who dies] between the ages of three
and thirty [is mourned] like a
bridegroom;20Since he may be unmarried.
between thirty and forty like a
brother;21He may be married but childless.
between forty and fifty like a father.22As
one mourned by his children.
Tractate Semachot 3:7 ‫ז׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ג׳‬

R. Simeon b. Eleazar said: Between thirty ‫רשב"א אומר מבן שלשים ועד בן‬
and forty, if he has children or the
‫ארבעים אם יש לו בנים או לרוב בני‬
majority of his own age have children, [he
is mourned] like a father; if not, like a ‫גילו בנים יוצא כאב ואם לאו יוצא‬
brother. Between forty and fifty, if he has ‫כאח מבן מ׳ ועד בן נ׳ אם יש לו בני‬
children or the majority of his own age ‫בנים או לרוב בני גילו בנים יוצא כאב‬
have grandchildren, [he is mourned] like a
:‫ואם לאו יוצא כאח‬
grandfather, if not like a father.23So GRA.
V and H read: ‘have children [he is
mourned] like a father; if not like a brother’.
Tractate Semachot 3:8 ‫ח׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ג׳‬

24Cf. M.Ḳ. 28a (Sonc. ed., p. 182). In ‫מת פחות מחמשים מת בהכרת‬
j.Bik. II, 1, 64C there are variants in the
‫לחמשים ושתים שנה זו היא מיתת של‬
enumeration. If one dies under fifty, that is
death by kareth;25Cf. J. Rabbinowitz, ‫שמואל הרמתי מת לששים שנה זו‬
Mishnah Megillah, p. 54. at fifty-two, that ‫היא מיתה האמורה בתורה שנאמר‬
is the death of Samuel of Ramah; at sixty, ‫כ״ו) תבא בכלח אלי קבר מת‬:‫(איוב ה׳‬
that is the death referred to in the Torah,
‫לשבעים שנה זו היא מיתה של שיבה‬
as it is stated, Thou shalt come to thy grave
in ripe age;26Job 5, 26; in ripe age is ‫בכלח‬ ‫י׳) ימי שנותינו בהם‬:‫שנא׳ (תהילים צ׳‬
in Heb., the numerical value of the letters ‫שבעים שנה מת לשמונים שנה זו היא‬
being sixty. Cf. M.Ḳ. loc. cit. at seventy, ‫מיתה של גבורה שנא׳ (שם) ואם‬
that is the death of the hoary head, as it is
stated, The days of our years are threescore
‫בגבורות שמונים שנה וכן ברזילי‬
years and ten;27Ps. 90, 10. at eighty, that is )‫ל״ו‬:‫הגלעדי אמר לדוד (שמואל ב י״ט‬
the death of a vigorous old man,28lit. ‘of ‫בן שמנים שנה אנכי היום האדע בין‬
strength’. as it is stated, Or even by strength :)‫טב לרע (יתר מכאן חיים של צער‬
fourscore years.29ibid. More than this is a
life of trouble, for so30This is GRA’s
reading; V and H have ‘and likewise
Barzilai’ and insert ‘more than this is a life
of trouble’ after the quotation. Barzilai the
Gileadite said to David, I am this day
fourscore years old; can I discern between
good and bad?312 Sam. 19, 36.
Tractate Semachot 3:9 ‫ט׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ג׳‬

If one dies after [an illness of ] one day, ‫ המת‬.‫המת ליום א׳ מיתה של זעף‬
that is a death by [divine] wrath;32In
‫ המת לשלשה‬.‫לשנים מיתה של בהלה‬
M.Ḳ. 28a (Sonc. ed., p. 181) the reading is
‘a death by being hustled away’. after two ‫ לארבעה לחמשה‬.‫מיתה של מגפה‬
days, it is a precipitous death; after three ‫ המת לששה מיתה‬.‫מיתה חטופה‬
days, it is a death by pestilence; after four ‫ המת לשבע מיתה‬.‫האמורה בתורה‬
days, it is a hurried death; after six days, it
:‫ יתר מכאן של יסורין‬.‫של חיבה‬
is the death decreed in the Torah;33A
normal death. M.Ḳ. loc. cit. has ‘five’ instead
of ‘six’, quotes Deut. 31, 14, Behold thy days
approach that thou must die and explains:
behold accounts for one (cf. Sonc. ed., loc.
cit., n. 6), thy days accounts for two more,
approach gives a further two, which makes
five. after seven days, it is a death of
[divine] love; after a longer period, it is a
death of suffering.
Tractate Semachot 3:10 ‫י׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ג׳‬

R. Ḥanina b. Antigonos said: An old man ‫רבי חנינא בן אנטיגנוס אומר זקן‬
who eats forbidden fat34Cf. Lev. 3, 17. or
‫שאכל את החלב או שחלל את השבת‬
one who desecrates the Sabbath dies by
kareth. And what is there to show us that ‫מת בהכרת וכי מה מודיענו שמיתתם‬
they died by kareth? But he who dies after ‫בהכרת אלא שמת לשלשה מת‬
[an illness of ] three days dies by kareth; ‫בהכרת לארבעה מיתה חטופה המת‬
after four by a hurried death; after six, it is
.‫לששה מיתה האמורה בתורה וכו׳‬
the death decreed in the Torah; after seven
it is a death of [divine] love; after a longer ‫א"ר יהודה חסידים הראשונים היו‬
period it is a death by suffering. ‫מתייסרין בחולי מעיים כעשרים יום‬
R. Judah said:35Cf. Midrash Rabbah, ‫קודם מיתתן כדי למרק את הכל כדי‬
Genesis, LXVI, 2 (Sonc. ed., p. 549) and
Shab. 118b (Sonc. ed., p. 583). The pious
‫שיבואו זכאין לעתיד לבא שנא׳ (משלי‬
men of former times used to suffer with ‫כ״א) מצרף לכסף וכור לזהב ואיש‬:‫כ״ז‬
stomach trouble for about twenty days :‫לפי מהללו‬
before death in order to be cleansed of
everything, so that they should come
pure36So GRA; V and H ‘innocent’. into
the World to Come;37[For the thought, cf.
ARN I, 1, p. 1, n. 5.] as it is said, The
refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for
gold, and a man is tried by his
praise.38Prov. 27, 21. [H quotes ibid. XVII,
3 as the proof-text.] [45a].
Tractate Semachot 4:1 ‫א׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

1Cf. M.Ḳ. 20b (Sonc. ed., p. 130). For all ‫על כל האמור בתורה כהן מטמא על‬
[the nearest of kin] for whom a kohen
‫אביו ועל אמו על בנו ועל בתו על‬
defiles himself as commanded in the
Torah2Lev. 21, 2f. [a mourner must ‫אחיו ועל אשתו ועל אחותו רבי עקיבא‬
observe mourning], viz. for his father, ‫אומר שניים להם מתאבל ואונן ולא‬
mother, son, daughter, brother, sister and :‫מטמא‬
wife.3So GRA and H. V reads ‘wife and
sister’. R. ‘Aḳiba said: For relatives in the
second degree4i.e. his grandfather,
grandchildren and nephews (Rashi to M.Ḳ.
loc. cit.). In Sonc. ed., p. 130, n. 7 the
enumeration is grandfather, grandmother,
grandchildren and the brothers and sisters of
parents. he observes the periods of
mourning and grieves,5While waiting for
the funeral to take place; cf. Rule 19 below.
[but should he be a kohen] he does not
defile himself.
Tractate Semachot 4:2 ‫ב׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

R. Simeon b. Eleazar said: He mourns for ‫רשב"א אומר אבי אביו ובן בנו‬
his father’s father and son’s son.6R. Simeon
‫וחכמים אומרים כל מי שמתאבל עליו‬
either interprets that R. ‘Aḳiba excludes the
daughter’s son and the sister’s son, or differs ‫מתאבלין עמו וכל שאין מתאבל עליו‬
from him in that he holds that one mourns ‫אין מתאבלין עמו ספק שהוא אחיו‬
only for these two relatives in the second ‫ספק שאינו אחיו ספק שהוא בנו ספק‬
degree. But the Sages said: For whomsoever
:‫שאינו בנו מתאבל ואונן ואינו מטמא‬
he mourns he should mourn with, and for
whomsoever he does not mourn, he does
not mourn with.7As one mourns in
sympathy with one’s father on the death of his
father, so should a father mourn with his son
on the death of the latter’s son. If there is a
doubt whether [the deceased] is a brother
or not8Where the identity of the child at
birth or in infancy became confused. j.Yeb.
XI, 7, 12a cites an actual case. or whether
he is his son or not, he mourns and grieves
for him, but [if he is a kohen] he does not
defile himself for him.
Tractate Semachot 4:3 ‫ג׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

For his betrothed wife one does not ‫אשתו ארוסה לא מתאבל ולא מטמא‬
mourn, grieve,9‘Or grieve’ is added by GRA
‫גרושה אע"פ שיש לו הימנה בנים לא‬
and H. or [if a kohen] defile himself.10The
duty of mourning, etc., for a wife devolves :‫מתאבל ולא אונן ולא מטמא‬
upon the husband only when she can be
termed his kin (Lev. 21, 2). The betrothed
woman does not come in this category and
the divorced wife has lost that status (cf.
Sanh. 28b, Sonc. ed., p. 171). See also Yeb.
22a (Sonc. ed., p. 132), 29b (Sonc. ed., p.
183). For his divorced wife, although he
had children by her, he does not mourn,
grieve, or [if a kohen] defile himself.
Tractate Semachot 4:4 ‫ד׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

Which is [the period of ] ‘grieving’? From ‫([איזה אנינה מיום מיתה ועד יום‬
the day of the death until the day of the
‫קבורה כדברי רבי מאיר וחכמים‬
burial, according to R. Meir; but the Sages
said: ‘Grieving’ is only for one day.11Cf. ‫אומרים אין לך אסור באנינה אלא יום‬
Zeb. 100b (Sonc. ed., pp. 483f ). ‫אחד בלבד]) אלמנה לכהן גדול גרושה‬
If a High Priest is married to a widow or ‫וחלוצה לכהן הדיוט מתאבל ואונן ולא‬
an ordinary kohen to a divorced woman or
:‫מטמא‬
one freed12Although such marriages are
forbidden (Lev. 21, 7, 14, the levirate
woman being treated in Rabbinic law as a
divorced woman), yet if contracted they are
valid; but being irregular, they come under
the prohibition of ibid. 2 (priests in general)
and ibid. XXI, 11 (the High Priest). Cf. Yeb.
90b (Sonc. ed., p. 616), ‘but he may not
defile himself for his unlawful wife’. from
levirate marriage, he mourns and grieves
for her but does not defile himself.
Tractate Semachot 4:5 ‫ה׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

For his betrothed sister, R. Meir said that ‫אחותו ארוסה ר"מ אומר מטמא רבי‬
[a kohen] defiles himself. R. Judah and R.
:‫יהודה ור"ש אומרים לא יטמא‬
Simeon said that he does not.13Lev. 21, 3,
and for his sister a virgin, betrothal being a
form of marriage; cf. Yeb. 60a (Sonc. ed., pp.
400f ).
Tractate Semachot 4:6 ‫ו׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

For [his sister who was] ‘wounded’,14lit. ‫מוכת עץ ר"י אומר יטמא ור"מ ור"ש‬
‘struck by wood’, viz. one who lost her hymen
‫אומרים לא יטמא באנוסה ומפותה‬
as the result of a blow; Yeb. loc. cit. R. Judah
said that [a kohen] defiles himself. R. Meir ‫הכל מודים שלא יטמא בבוגרת הכל‬
and R. Simeon said that he does not. For a :‫מודים שיטמא‬
woman who was raped or seduced, all
agree that [a kohen] does not defile
himself. For an adolescent,15i.e. over the
age of twelve years and six months. all agree
that he defiles himself.
Tractate Semachot 4:7 ‫ז׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

The general principle laid down by R. ‫כללו של דבר שהיה רבי שמעון אומר‬
Simeon is: He defiles himself for any one
‫כל שהיא כשירה לכהן גדול מטמא‬
who is eligible [to marry] a High Priest,
but may not defile himself for one who is ‫לה כל שאינה כשרה לכהן גדול לא‬
not eligible [to marry] a High Priest. :‫יטמא‬
Tractate Semachot 4:8 ‫ח׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

Of all those regarding whom they said that ‫על כל אלה שאמרו כהן מטמא אינו‬
a kohen defiles himself, the defilement is
‫רשות אלא חובה רבי שמעון אומר‬
not voluntary but obligatory. R. Simeon
said: It is voluntary. R. Joshua said: It is :‫רשות רבי יהושע אומר חובה‬
obligatory.16The phrase for her he defiles
[E.V. may he defile] himself (Lev. 21, 3) is to
be understood as an obligation; cf. Zeb.
100a (Sonc. ed., p. 480).
Tractate Semachot 4:9 ‫ט׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

It is related of Joseph, a kohen, that his ‫מעשה ביוסף הכהן שמתה אשתו‬
wife died on the eve of Passover and he
‫בערבי פסחים ולא רצה ליטמא לה‬
would not defile himself for her. His
colleagues pushed him17He forced him to ‫ודחפוהו חביריו וטמאוהו על כרחו‬
make contact with the corpse; Zeb. loc. cit. :‫אמרו לו אינה רשות אלא חובה‬
and defiled him forcibly. Defilement is not
voluntary but compulsory.
Tractate Semachot 4:10 ‫י׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

Until how long is it one’s duty to defile ‫עד אימתי מטמא לה ר"מ אומר כל‬
himself for her? R. Meir said: The whole
‫אותו היום רבי יהודה אומר עד שלש‬
of that day;18i.e. of the death. The funeral
generally took place on the same day. R. ‫רבי יהודה אומר משום רבי טרפון עד‬
Judah said: Up to three hours. R. Judah :‫שיסתם הגולל‬
said in the name of R. Ṭarfon: Until the
top stone closes the grave.19Cf. Nazir,
Sonc. ed., p. 202, n. 5.
Tractate Semachot 4:11 ‫י״א‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

It is related that when R. Simeon b. ‫מעשה שמת שמעון בן יהוצדק בלוד‬
Yehoẓadaḳ died in Lydda, his brother
]‫ובא יוחנן אחיו מן הגליל [לטמא לו‬
Joḥanan came from Galilee to defile
himself for him after the top stone had ‫מאחר שנסתם הגולל לטמא‬
closed the grave. They went and inquired ‫(לאחוריהם) ובאו ושאלו לחכמים‬
of the Sages who said: He may not defile ‫ואמרו אל יטמא פתחו לו על הקבר‬
himself, but open the grave for him that
:‫ויראה‬
he may view [the body].
Tractate Semachot 4:12 ‫י״ב‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

It is related20Cf. B.B. 154a (Sonc. ed., p. ‫מעשה בתינוק אחד שכתב נכסיו‬
669). of a boy21A minor under thirteen
‫לאחרים והניח את משפחתו והיו בני‬
years and one day, who could not legally
dispose of his property. that he willed away ‫משפחתו מעוררין ואומרים יבדק ובאו‬
his property to strangers and left his family ‫ושאלו לחכמים ואמרו אל יבדק מאחר‬
out. They protested saying, ‘Let [his body] ‫שנסתם הגולל אין מזיזין את המת‬
be examined’.22i.e. let the body be exhumed
‫ממקומו ודבר אחר כיון שמת שערו‬
and his age ascertained from the presence or
absence of signs of puberty. They went and :‫נשתנה‬
inquired of the Sages who said, ‘The body
may not be examined; after the top stone
has closed the grave, a corpse may not be
moved from his place’. Another
explanation is: Since he is dead, his hair
has undergone change.23Therefore the
examination cannot produce decisive
evidence of age.
Tractate Semachot 4:13 ‫י״ג‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

An ordinary kohen who defiled himself for ‫כהן הדיוט שהוא מטמא לקרוביו אל‬
his near kin may not defile himself for
‫יטמא לאחרים אפילו בו ביום בד"א‬
strangers even on the same day.24Cf.
Nazir 42b (Sonc. ed., pp. 154f ). This rule ‫בזמן שיש בו כדי נושאי המטה‬
applies only when there are sufficient to ‫וקבריה אבל אין שם כדי נושאי המטה‬
carry the bier and bury him, but if there ‫וקבריה ה"ז יטמא נטמא ובאו כדי‬
are not sufficient to carry the bier and
‫נושאי המטה וקבריה פורש למקום‬
bury him, then he must defile
himself.25Then it is a case of meth miẓwah :‫טהרה‬
(v. Glos.). Should he have defiled himself
and sufficient people come to carry the
bier and bury, he must withdraw to a place
of cleanness.
Tractate Semachot 4:14 ‫י״ד‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

Should there be two roads [for his return ‫היו שם שני דרכים אחת קרובה‬
from the cemetery] one short but [ritually]
‫וטמאה ואחת רחוקה וטהורה אם היה‬
unclean and one long but [ritually] clean,
if the other persons take the longer road ‫העם הולך לו ברחוקה ילך עמהם ואי‬
he should go with them; and if they do :‫לאו ילך בטמאה מפני כבוד השם‬
not, he should take the unclean road out
of respect for the people.26This is the
reading of H.V has ‘respect for the Name’.
Tractate Semachot 4:15 ‫ט״ו‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

While he stands and buries his dead he ‫היה עומד וקובר את מתו עד שהוא‬
may, during the time he is standing in the
‫עומד בתוך הקבר מקבל מאחרים‬
grave, receive [a body] for burial from
others;27As he is engaged in burying his :‫וקובר פירש הרי זה לא יטמא‬
dead, the new burial merely prolongs his
uncleanness; cf. Nazir 42b (Sonc. ed., p.
155). but once he has withdrawn from the
grave he may not defile himself.
Tractate Semachot 4:16 ‫ט״ז‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

If he defiles himself [for a stranger] on the ‫נטמא בו ביום רבי טרפון מחייב ורבי‬
same day [as for another], R. Ṭarfon
‫עקיבא פוטר נטמא לאחר אותו היום‬
deems him culpable, but R. ‘Aḳiba frees
him from culpability. If he defiles himself ‫הכל מודים שהוא חייב מפני שהוא‬
the next day, all are agreed that he is :‫סותר יום אחד‬
culpable, because he has rendered one day
[of his mourning] void.28i.e. he has to
begin afresh the seven days of mourning.
Tractate Semachot 4:17 ‫י״ז‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

A kohen must defile himself for his near ‫מטמא כהן על הקרובים אפילו הן‬
kin even when they have a
‫פסולין בנו ובתו נתינים וממזרים אחיו‬
disqualification;29If they are his children by
marriage to a divorced woman, etc. (cf. Lev. ‫ואחותו נתינין או ממזרין חוץ ממי שיש‬
21, 7). for his son and daughter who are ‫לו מן השפחה ומן הנכרית (וחוץ ממי‬
Nethinim30The name given to the :)‫שיש לו ממקום אחר‬
descendants of the Gibeonites whom Joshua
made hewers of wood and drawers of water
(Josh. 9). or illegitimate;31The issue of an
incestuous marriage. for his brother and
sister who are Nethinim or illegitimate; but
not for any issue he may have from a slave
or a non-Jewess (nor from the issue he
may have from another source).32The
clause in brackets is omitted by GRA. It may,
however, refer to the issue of one who left the
community.
Tractate Semachot 4:18 ‫י״ח‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

If there is a doubt whether [the deceased] ‫ספק אחיו ספק שאינו אחיו ספק שהוא‬
is his brother or not or whether he is his
‫בנו ספק שאינו בנו מתאבל ואונן ואינו‬
son or not, he mourns and grieves but [if a
kohen] he does not defile :‫מטמא‬
himself.33Repeated from the latter part of
Rule 2, and Rule 19 is repeated from Rule 4.
Tractate Semachot 4:19 ‫י״ט‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

How long is [the period of ] ‘grieving’? ‫איזהו אנינה מיום מיתה עד יום קבורה‬
From the day of the death until the day of
‫דברי ר׳ מאיר וחכמים אומרים אין לך‬
the burial, according to the view of R.
Meir; but the Sages said: ‘Grieving’ is for :‫(איסור) באנינה אלא יום אחד בלבד‬
one day only.
Tractate Semachot 4:20 ‫כ׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

A High Priest who defiles himself for the ‫כהן גדול שהוא מטמא למתים או‬
dead, lets the hair of his head go loose, or
‫שפרע או שפרם הרי זה לוקה‬
rends his garments,34Cf. Lev. 21, 10.
receives forty lashes.35Cf. Tosiftha Mak. :‫ארבעים‬
IV, 17.
Tractate Semachot 4:21 ‫כ״א‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

Any defilement contracted by a Nazirite ‫כל טומאה מן המת שהנזיר מגלח‬
from the dead and for which he must
‫עליה סופג את הארבעים ושאין הנזיר‬
shave his head,36Cf. Num. 6, 9. if
contracted by a High Priest he receives :‫מגלח עליה אין סופג את הארבעים‬
forty lashes for it; but [for those
defilements for which] the Nazirite has
not to shave his head, [if contracted by a
High Priest], he does not receive forty
lashes.37Cf. Nazir 49b (Sonc. ed., p. 184).
If, e.g., the Nazirite came in contact with a
corpse or the flesh of a corpse of the size of an
olive.
Tractate Semachot 4:22 ‫כ״ב‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

A High Priest38This Rule virtually repeats ‫(כהן גדול שהוא מטמא או שנכנס‬
Rule 20 and is deleted by GRA. who defiles
:)‫לבית הקברות הרי זה לוקה ארבעים‬
himself or enters a cemetery receives forty
lashes.
Tractate Semachot 4:23 ‫כ״ג‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

If [a kohen] entered39So GRA and H. V ‫(אע"פ) שנכנסו למדור הנכרים לארץ‬
reads ‘although they entered’. the residence
‫עממים ולבית הפרס או שיצא חוץ‬
of non-Jews40Who do not conform to the
laws of uncleanness and he is therefore liable :‫לארץ מלקין אותו מכת מרדות‬
to contract defilement. or the territory of
Gentiles41i.e. a district in Palestine which is
inhabited only by non-Jews. or a beth
happeras42The noun peras denotes ‘half ’ the
length of a furrow. A beth happera is defined
by Jastrow as ‘an area of a square peras,
especially a field, of a square peras, declared
unclean on account of crushed bones carried
over it from a ploughed grave’. or goes
outside the land [of Israel],43Where the
laws of uncleanness are not observed by the
inhabitants. he receives punishment for
disobedience.44Unlike the forty stripes
which is the punishment for certain offences,
this penalty is left to the discretion of the
Court and is consequently a Rabbinical form
of punishment.
Tractate Semachot 4:24 ‫כ״ד‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

If he enters a field wherein [the location ‫נכנס לשדה שאבד קבר לתוכה פטור‬
of ] a grave had disappeared, he is not
:‫עד שיהלך את כולה‬
culpable unless he traverses the whole of
it.45Then he must have come in contact
with it.
Tractate Semachot 4:25 ‫כ״ה‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

A kohen may defile himself by going ‫מטמא כהן ויוצא ח"ל לדיני ממונות‬
outside the land [of Israel] for the purpose
‫ולדיני נפשות לקדש את החדש ולעבר‬
of [dealing with a non-Jewish Court in] a
civil suit or a capital charge, to announce ‫את השנה ולהציל את שדהו מנכרי‬
the new moon or intercalate the year, or to :‫ואפילו יוצא ועורר עליה‬
rescue his field from a non-Jew, even if he
only goes to protest [against his taking
possession of it].46Cf. ‘A.Z. 13a (Sonc. ed.,
p. 66).
Tractate Semachot 4:26 ‫כ״ו‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

47ibid. [He may go outside the land of ‫ללמד תורה ולישא אשה רבי יהודה‬
Israel] to study Torah or to take a wife. R.
‫אומר אם אין לו מאין ללמד יטמא‬
Judah said: If he has nowhere else to study
he may so defile himself, otherwise he may ‫[ואם לאו אל יטמא ר"י אומר אע"פ‬
not. R. Jose said: Even though he has ]‫(שאין) [שיש] לו מאין ללמוד יטמא‬
elsewhere to study he may defile himself, ‫שלא מכל אדם זכאי ללמוד בתורה‬
because no one is so meritorious as to be
‫מעשה ביוסי הבבלי שנטמא ויצא חוץ‬
able to learn Torah from any man. It is
related of Jose the Babylonian that he :‫לארץ אצל רבי יוסי בציידין‬
defiled himself by going outside the land
[of Israel to study Torah] with R. Jose in
Zidon.48In Phœnicia.
Tractate Semachot 4:27 ‫כ״ז‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

49The text of this Rule is in disorder and the ‫מטמא כהן על עצם כשעורה מאביו‬
translation follows the text of GRA. A kohen
‫ורבי יהודה אומר בתחלה אין אדם‬
must defile himself for [the burial of ] a
bone from his father’s [corpse] of the size ‫מטמא על עצם כשעורה מאביו (אבל‬
of a barleycorn,50Cf. Nazir 43b Sonc. ed., ‫חוזר הוא על עצם כשעורה מאביו‬
p. 159, n. 2). but he may not defile ‫אמרו לו) לא יטמא כהן על אבר מן‬
himself for a limb severed from a living
:‫החי אפילו מאביו‬
person be it even that of his father. R.
Judah said: At first [a kohan] may not
defile himself for a limb severed from a
corpse, be it even that of his father.
Tractate Semachot 4:28 ‫כ״ח‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

It is related of Joseph [the son of ] ‫מעשה ביוסף פסקס שעלתה נימא‬
Pisḳas51Cf. j.Nazir VII, 1, 55d. The text
‫ברגליו ונכנס הרופא לחתכה אמרו לו‬
here is corrupt and the reading of GRA
which agrees with the Talmud is followed. ‫כשתניח לו כחוט השערה חתכה והניח‬
who had a swelling on his foot that a ‫בה כחוט השערה והודיעו קרא לנחוני‬
doctor came to remove it. He said to him, ‫בנו אמר לו בני ע"כ אתה חייב ליטפל‬
‘When you have left as much as a single
‫מכאן ואילך צא לך שאמרו חכמים אין‬
hair, tell me’. He cut the abscess, and
when he had left only as much as a single )‫אדם מטמא על אבר מן החי (ואפילו‬
hair,52i.e. the swelling was hanging from the ‫מאביו כשבא הדבר אצל חכמים אמרו‬
foot as by a hair. he informed him. He ‫על זה נאמר (תהלים קיט) נפשי בכפי‬
called his son Neḥunia and said to him,
‘My son, until now it was your duty to
‫תמיד ותורתך לא שכחתי (קהלת ז) יש‬
attend to me, but now go your way; for ‫צדיק אובד בצדקו (ויש רשע מאריך‬
the Sages said, “One must not defile :)‫ברעתו‬
himself for a limb that was severed from a
living person, even if it be his father’s”
’.53Joseph was a kohen. When the Sages
heard of it they said, ‘Of such a man as he
it has been stated, My soul is continually in
my hand; yet have I not forgotten Thy
law;54Ps. 119, 109. [and it further states,]
There is a righteous man that perisheth in
his righteousness55Although Joseph was in
danger of dying under the operation, he
remembered to warn his son of the law of
defilement which devolved upon a kohen.
and there is a wicked man that prolongeth
his life in his evil-doing.’56Eccl. 7, 15.
Tractate Semachot 4:29 ‫כ״ט‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

If he found a meth miẓwah, he must ‫מצא מת מצוה הרי זה מטפל בו‬
attend to him and bury him. Which is a
‫וקוברו איזהו מת מצוה כל שהוא צווח‬
meth miẓwah.? When [he who finds the
body] cries out and the inhabitants of the ‫ואין בני העיר שומעין את קולו אבל‬
city cannot hear his voice; but if they can ‫בני העיר שומעין את קולו אין זה מת‬
hear his voice, it is not a meth :‫מצוה‬
miẓwah.57Yeb. 89b (Sonc. ed., p. 610),
Nazir 43b (Sonc. ed., p. 158).
Tractate Semachot 4:30 ‫ל׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

[The body remains] a meth miẓwah until ‫לעולם הוא מת מצוה עד שיהא שם‬
sufficient people arrive to carry the bier
‫כדי נושאי המטה וקובריה אבל יש שם‬
and bury him; but once there are sufficient
to carry the bier and bury him it is no ‫כדי נושאי המטה וקובריה אין זה מת‬
longer a meth miẓwah. [45b] :‫מצוה‬
Tractate Semachot 4:31 ‫ל״א‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

If a High Priest58So GRA in agreement ‫על הכל מטמא כהן גדול נזיר ונשיא‬
with Nazir VII, 1 (Sonc. ed., p. 177). and a
‫רבי אליעזר אומר יטמא כהן ואל יטמא‬
Nazirite [found a meth miẓwah], R. Eliezer
said that the High Priest should defile ‫נזיר שזה מביא קרבן טומאה על‬
himself and not the Nazirite, because the ‫טומאתו וזה אין מביא קרבן על‬
latter must offer a sacrifice on his ‫טומאתו וחכ"א יטמא נזיר ויביא מאה‬
defilement59Num. 6, 9ff. whereas the
‫קרבנות ואל יטמא כהן הדיוט שזה‬
former does not. But the Sages said: The
Nazirite should defile himself even if he ‫קדושתו מרחם וזה אין קדושתו מרחם‬
has to bring a hundred sacrifices, and let ‫(מפני ש) זה קדושתו לשעה וזה‬
not the High Priest60So H; V reads ‘an :‫קדושתו קדושת עולם‬
ordinary kohen’. defile himself, because the
one is consecrated from the womb and the
other is not,61A man becomes a Nazirite by
choice. and the consecration of the one is
temporary62For the term of his vow. and
that of the other permanent.
Tractate Semachot 4:32 ‫ל״ב‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

63For the varying degrees of sanctity ‫הכל מודים בכ"ג ומרובה בבגדים‬
indicated in this Rule, cf. Nazir 47a (Sonc.
‫יטמא מרובה בבגדים מרובה בבגדים‬
ed., p. 177). The translation follows the
emended text of GRA. All are agreed that ‫והממונה יטמא הממונה [ממונה ומי‬
[in the case of the High] Priest anointed ‫שעבר יטמא מי שעבר] מי שעבר‬
with the oil of anointing64All High Priests, ‫ומשוח מלחמה יטמא משוח מלחמה‬
beginning with Aaron, were consecrated with
‫משוח מלחמה וכהן הדיוט מטמא כהן‬
oil. During the reign of Josiah this ceremony
ceased because the king had concealed the ‫הדיוט כהן הדיוט ולוי מטמא לוי לוי‬
flask of special oil used for the ceremony ‫וישראל מטמא ישראל ואם היו שניהן‬
(Hor. 12a, Sonc. ed., p. 85). and [the High ‫שוין מטמא הזריז שבהם ואם היו‬
Priest robed] in many vestments,65During
the Second Temple the High Priest was not
:‫שניהם זריזין מטמא איזה מהן שירצה‬
anointed, and was only distinguished from
the ordinary priests by wearing a larger
number of vestments when officiating, eight
as against their four. Hence he was
designated ‘in many vestments’; cf. J.
Rabbinowitz, Mishnah Megillah, p. 64. the
latter must defile himself.66He being of
lower sanctity, the duty of attending to a
meth miẓwah devolves upon him. As
between a [High Priest robed] in many
vestments and a deputy [High Priest] who
had been anointed,67A kohen who acted as
deputy of the High Priest when disqualified
by uncleanness to officiate. When the High
Priest returned to duty, the deputy did not
revert to the rank of ordinary priest but
retained the status of a High Priest with all
the privileges of that office with two
exceptions (cf. Meg. I, 9, Sonc. ed., p. 51).
He was known as kohen she‘abar. See J.
Rabbinowitz, Mishnah Megillah, p. 65. the
latter must defile himself. As between a
deputy [High Priest] and a
memunneh,68Superintendent of the Temple
Service, identified with the Segan, the deputy
High Priest; cf. Sanh. 19a (Sonc. ed., p. 97,
n. 1). the latter must defile himself. As
between a memunneh and a kohen
anointed for war,69A priest appointed to
accompany the army into battle (Deut. 20,
2; cf. Soṭah VIII, 1, Sonc. ed., p. 207). the
latter must defile himself. As between a
kohen anointed for war and an ordinary
kohen, the latter must defile
himself.70Because the law against

defilement exempts him in other
contingencies (Lev. 21, 2f ). As between an
ordinary kohen and a Levite, the Levite
must defile himself.71Because the Levite is
under no restriction in this matter. As
between a Levite and a lay-Israelite, the
latter must defile himself.72Since the
Levite would be precluded from attending to
his duties in the Temple for a period. If,
however, the two [who find a meth
miẓwah] are of equal status, the quicker of
the two must defile himself; and if the two
of them are [equally] quick, then
whichever of them wishes to do so should
defile himself.
Tractate Semachot 4:33 ‫ל״ג‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

If they found [the body] between a ‫מצאוהו בין שדה ניר לשדה בור קוברו‬
ploughed field and a fallow field, they
‫לשדה בור בין שדה ניר לשדה זרע‬
bury him in the fallow field;73To interfere
as little as possible with agriculture (B.Ḳ. ‫קוברו לשדה ניר בין שדה זרע לשדה‬
81b, Sonc. ed., pp. 463f ). between a ‫אילן קוברו לשדה זרע בין שדה אילן‬
ploughed field and a field sown with seeds, ‫לשדה פרס קוברו בשדה אילן ואם היו‬
they bury him in the ploughed field;
‫שתיהן שוות קוברו בקרובה שבהן ואם‬
between a field sown with seeds and an
orchard, they bury him in the field sown ‫לא היו שתיהן שוות קוברו באיזה מהן‬
with seeds; between an orchard and a :‫שירצה‬
vineyard,74Kerem is the reading of GRA
and H in agreement with j.Nazir VII, 1,
56b. they bury him in the orchard. If both
are alike, they bury him in the nearer of
the two; and if they are equidistant,75So
H; V incorrectly ‘and if they are not alike’.
they bury him in whichever of them they
desire.
Tractate Semachot 4:34 ‫ל״ד‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

R. ‘Aḳiba said: This was the beginning of ‫אמר ר׳ עקיבא זו היתה תחלת זכותי‬
my ministration76H in conformity with
‫לפני חכמים השכמתי ומצאתי הרוג א׳‬
j.Nazir VII, 1, 56a reads tashmishi. before
the Sages. I once went out early and found ‫והייתי מטפל בו בג׳ תחומי שבת עד‬
the body of a man who had been killed. I ‫שהבאתיו למקום קבורה וקברתיו‬
took charge of him for a distance of three ‫וכשבאתי והרצתי דברי לפני חכמים‬
Sabbath-limits77A Sabbath-limit is two
‫אמרו לי על כל פסיעה ופסיעה שהיית‬
thousand cubits. until I brought him to a
place of burial and buried him. When I ‫פוסע מעלין עליך כאילו שפכת דמים‬
came and discussed the matter before the ‫דנתי קל וחומר בעצמי ומה אם עכשיו‬
Sages, they said to me, ‘For each step you ‫שנתכוונתי לזכות חטאתי לרבות‬
took it will be accounted to you as if you
had committed murder’.78He should have
‫מעונותי אלו נתכוונתי על אחת כמה‬
buried the corpse on the spot; B.Ḳ. 81a ‫וכמה וכשהיה אדם מדבר זה לפני רבי‬
(Sonc. ed., p. 459). I then argued from the ‫עקיבא היה אומר זה היתה תחלת‬
less to the greater as a result of my :‫זכותי‬
experience:79The next sentence is translated
from the text of j.Nazir loc. cit., and the last
word of the chapter is again changed to
tashmishi. The text of V is in disorder. if
when I intended to perform a meritorious
act I rendered myself culpable, how much
more so if I had not intended to perform a
meritorious act!’ Whenever a person
repeated this incident before R. ‘Aḳiba, he
exclaimed, ‘This was the beginning of my
ministration [before the Sages]’.
Tractate Semachot 5:1 ‫א׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ה׳‬

A mourner is forbidden to do work1Cf. ‫אבל כל שבעה ימים אסור לעשות‬
M.Ḳ. 15b (Sonc. ed., p. 92) where by an
‫מלאכה הוא ובניו ובנותיו ועבדיו‬
interpretation of Amos 8, 10 and by the
process of analogy this rule is arrived at. ‫ושפחותיו ובהמתו כשם שהם והוא‬
throughout the seven days2Cf. ibid. 21b ‫אסור לעשות כך אחרים אסורים‬
(Sonc. ed., p. 135) where the reading is ‘the :‫לעשות לו‬
first three days’. See, however, Tosafoth ad
loc., s.v. mikk’an, where it is explained that
this refers only to a very poor man. [of
mourning], he, his sons and daughters,3If
they reside with him and are dependent upon
him (Nachmanides). his male and female
slaves and his cattle; and as he4The reading
of GRA and H. is forbidden to do work, so
too others are forbidden to do work for
him.
Tractate Semachot 5:2 ‫ב׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ה׳‬

They may do work for him in connection )‫עושין לו מלאכה שהיא אובדת (לו‬
with perishable things; they may gather his
‫כונסין לו גרנו ובועטין לו גתו גודפין לו‬
harvest for him, operate his wine-press for
him and bung5Reading gafin with H. his ‫את חביותיו זיתיו הפוכין רבי יהודה‬
casks. If his olives had been turned,6For ‫אומר טוען קורה הראשונה לאחר אבל‬
maturing before pressing or milling. R. ‫גומר אמר לו רבי יוסי והלא אובדין הן‬
Judah says that he may put on the first7i.e.
:‫אלא יגמור‬
press them once. beam and after his
mourning he completes the work. R. Jose
said to him, ‘But they are perishable
things! He may complete [the whole
operation in his mourning]’.
Tractate Semachot 5:3 ‫ג׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ה׳‬

With regard to his flax [which is ready] for ‫פשתנו לעלות מן המשרה צמרו לעלות‬
lifting from the retting and his wool
‫מן היורה אם יש שם אחרים מסלקין‬
[ready] for lifting from the dye-bath, if
there are others [to do the work] they :‫עמו אם לאו מסלקין בצנעא‬
should lift it,8GRA reads ’otho for V’s
‘immo. but if not he may lift it in
private.9M.Ḳ. 11b (Sonc. ed., p. 63). ‘In
private’ means behind closed doors.
Tractate Semachot 5:4 ‫ד׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ה׳‬

If his cask [of wine] is [ready] for bunging, ‫בדו לגוף רבי יהודה אומר (למדין‬
R. Judah says that they cover it with
‫לאחר האבל ומריח) [עושין לו למודין‬
shingles10To prevent the wine from turning
sour. and after the mourning he completes ‫ולאחר אבילות יגמור] אמר לו רבי יוסי‬
[the work]. R. Jose said to him, ‘But it is :‫והלא אובדים הם אלא יגמורו‬
perishable ! He11So GRA for V’s ‘they’. may
complete [the whole operation in his
mourning]’.
Tractate Semachot 5:5 ‫ה׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ה׳‬

They may besprinkle his white field12i.e. .‫מרביצין שדה לבן שלא לזורעה‬
a bright, shadeless vegetable or grain field,
‫זורעין לו פס פשתן ברביעית כדברי‬
the opposite of an orchard (Jastrow). but
may not13H reads ‫ שלו‬for ‫שלא‬, ‘his white ‫ר"א וחכמים אומרים לא זרעה פשתן‬
field in order to sow it’. GRA emends: ‘but ‫יזרענה מין אחר לא זרעה בשבת זה‬
do not sow; and they may sow a field of flax :‫יזרענה בשבת אחרת‬
for him in his turn for watering rights,
according to R. Judah’, reading (so also H)
‫ רביעה‬for ‫רביעית‬. Farmers took turns in
drawing on the water-supply. sow it; they
may sow for him a strip [of field] for a
crop of flax when his turn for watering
rights comes, according to R. Eliezer; but
the Sages said: If he had not already sown
it with flax, he should sow it with another
kind [of crops], and if he does not sow it
that week, he can sow it the following
week.14GRA reads: ‘if he cannot sow it on
this watering turn, he can sow it on the
next’. The Sages differ from R. Eliezer on
both points, viz. they forbid the sprinkling of
a white field and sowing flax during the
mourning.
Tractate Semachot 5:6 ‫ו׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ה׳‬

If he is a baker in the town and there is no ‫היה נחתום בעיר ואין שם אלא הוא‬
other, he may do the work in private out
:‫עושה בצנעה מפני כבוד העם‬
of respect15GRA reads ‫צורך‬, ‘needs’ instead
of ‫כבוד‬, ‘respect of ’. for the public.
Tractate Semachot 5:7 ‫ז׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ה׳‬

R. Simeon b. Yoḥai16GRA reads ‘Gamaliel’ ‫רבי שמעון בן יוחי אומר והרי שהיה‬
in agreement with M.Ḳ., loc. cit. said: If he
‫ספר או בלן לרבים והגיע זמן הרגל‬
is a hair-dresser or a bath-attendant in the
service of the public, and a Festival is close :‫עושה בצנעא מפני כבוד העם‬
at hand, he may do the work in private
out of respect for the public.
Tractate Semachot 5:8 ‫ח׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ה׳‬

If he is engaged in cutting a person’s hair ‫היה יושב ומספר ובאו ואמרו לו מת‬
and people come and tell him, ‘Your father
‫אביך הרי זה יגמור אחד המספר ואחד‬
is dead’, he should complete the work; this
applies whether he is the hair-dresser or he ‫ הפועלים שקבלו מלאכה‬.‫המסתפר‬
is having his hair dressed. Workmen who ‫לעשות לאבל בתוך ביתו אסור בתוך‬
have undertaken to do work for a mourner ‫בתיהם מותר רבי שמעון בן יוחי אומר‬
are forbidden to do it in his house but
‫שכר יום בין כך ובין כך אסור [שכר‬
may do it in their own. R. Simeon b.
Yoḥai17GRA reads ‘Eleazar’. said: A ‫הקיבולת בביתו אסור בבתיהם מותר‬
workman hired by the day is ]‫במחובר לקרקע בין כך ובין כך אסור‬
forbidden18Because he has the right to :‫בעיר אחרת בין כך ובין כך מותר‬
repudiate his bargain at any time. to do
work in either [place]; a workman on a
contract basis19i.e. a piece-worker. is
forbidden [to do it in the mourner’s]
house, but may do it in his own home. If
it is work in connection with objects
attached to the ground, it is forbidden [to
do the work in either place];20Because it is
generally known that they are working for
the mourner. in another town it is
permitted in either case.21It is not
generally so known.
Tractate Semachot 5:9 ‫ט׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ה׳‬

A mourner overtaken by his days of ‫אבל שתכפוהו אביליו הרי זה מיקל‬
mourning22i.e. he suffered one bereavement
‫בסכין ובמספרת אבל לא במספרים‬
immediately after another. may ease [his
hair] with a shearing-knife or a clipping- ‫ואם היו בגדיו צואין מדיחן בצונן אבל‬
tool,23GRA reads ‘or with a razor’ in :‫לא במי רגלים‬
accordance with M.Ḳ. 17b (Sonc. ed., p.
112). These instruments remove only a little
of the hair and are not usually employed for
hair-cutting. but not with a scissors; and if
his clothes are soiled he may wash them in
cold water but not in urine.24Used as a
bleaching agent.
Tractate Semachot 5:10 ‫י׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ה׳‬

A mourner and an excommunicated ‫אבל ומנודה שהיו מהלכין בדרך‬
person who are travelling on the road are
‫מותרין בנעילת הסנדל וכיון שהגיעו‬
permitted to wear their shoes, but as soon
as they reach a city they must remove ‫לעיר יחלוצו וכן בתשעה באב וכן‬
them. The same rule applies [to :‫בתענית צבור‬
everybody] on the Ninth of Ab25The day
of mourning for the destruction of the Temple
when every Jew has to regard himself as a
mourner. and on a public fast
day.26Proclaimed in a time of drought.
Tractate Semachot 5:12 ‫י״ב‬:‫מסכת שמחות ה׳‬

An excommunicated person may not read ‫מנודה לא קורא ולא קורין עמו לא‬
a passage of Scripture to others nor may
‫שונה ולא שונין עמו אבל קורא הוא‬
others read it to him; he may not teach
nor may others teach him; but he may ‫ושונה לעצמו בשביל שלא ישכח את‬
read Scripture and study for himself so as :‫למודו‬
not to forget his learning.30Cf. M.Ḳ. 15a
(Sonc. ed., p. 90).
Tractate Semachot 5:13 ‫י״ג‬:‫מסכת שמחות ה׳‬

He may be hired to work and others may ‫שוכרין אותו ומשתכרין לו לא בשביל‬
hire themselves to him for work; not for
‫הנאת עצמן אלא כדי שינעול הדלת‬
his profit, but in order not to close the
door before him.31‘Not’ is added by GRA :‫לפניו‬
and H; i.e. to encourage him to amend his
ways to enable him to live.
Tractate Semachot 5:14 ‫י״ד‬:‫מסכת שמחות ה׳‬

One who is placed under ‫מנודה לעירו *(לא) מנודה לעיר אחרת‬
excommunication by his city is not32GRA
‫*הגר"א מ"ז מנודה לתלמידים לא‬
and H insert ‘not’. considered to be under
it in another city; [46a] one under the ban ‫מנודה לחכמים מנודה לחכמים מנודה‬
to the disciples is not under the ban to the ‫לתלמידים מנודה לכל העם לא מנודה‬
Sages; one under the ban to the Sages is :‫לנשיא מנודה לנשיא מנודה לכל העם‬
under the ban to the disciples; one under
the ban to all the people is not under the
ban to the Nasi’;33The President of the
Grand Sanhedrin. one under the ban to
the Nasi’ is under the ban to all the people.
Tractate Semachot 5:15 ‫ט״ו‬:‫מסכת שמחות ה׳‬

If one of those who had placed a person ‫מת א׳ מהמנדים אם נתן רשות‬
under the ban dies, should he have given
‫לחברים מתירים לו ואם לאו אין‬
authority to his colleagues [to annul the
ban], they free him, otherwise they do :‫מתירים לו‬
not.34Cf. M.Ḳ. 16a (Sonc. ed., p. 99).
Tractate Semachot 5:16 ‫ט״ז‬:‫מסכת שמחות ה׳‬

35ibid. No ban holds for less than thirty ‫אין נדוי פחות משלשים יום ואין נזיפה‬
days, and no ‘reproof ’36As in the case of
:‫פחות משבעה ימים‬
Miriam (Num. 12, 14f ). ‘Reproof ’ is a
sharp reprimand; e.g. ‘How impudent is that
fellow!’, cf. M.Ḳ. 16b (Sonc. ed., p. 102).
for less than seven days.
Tractate Semachot 5:17 ‫י״ז‬:‫מסכת שמחות ה׳‬

Rabban Gamaliel said: Any one against ‫ר"ג אומר כל שפשטו בו ב"ד אע"פ‬
whom the Sages pronounce
‫שחזרו וקרבו אותו אין יוצא בשלום מן‬
excommunication,37lit. ‘stretch forth’; GRA
and H insert ‘hand’ after the verb. even if :‫העולם‬
they later received him back, does not
leave the world in peace.38Cf. ibid. 17b
(Sonc. ed., p. 110), ‘Whenever the Sages set
their eyes against one [the result was] either
death or poverty’.
Tractate Semachot 6:1 ‫א׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ו׳‬

1For a full discussion of what is prohibited to ‫אבל אסור לקרות בתורה ובנביאים‬
a mourner, cf. M.Ḳ. 15a, b and 21a, b
‫ובכתובים ואסור לשנות במשנה‬
(Sonc. ed., pp. 90ff, 133ff ). The law is based
on Ezek. 24, 17, 23 where the prophet is ‫ובתלמוד בהלכות ובאגדות ואסור‬
warned not to observe the usual rites of ‫ברחיצה ובסיכה ובנעילת הסנדל‬
mourning. A mourner is forbidden to read ‫ובתשמיש המטה וחייב בכיסוי הראש‬
the Pentateuch, Prophets and
‫ובכפיית המטה מעשה שמתה אשתו‬
Hagiographa;2Because the study of the
Torah is a joy. he is also forbidden to study ‫של ר"ג ורחץ לילה הראשונה שמתה‬
Mishnah, Talmud, halakoth and ’aggadoth. ‫אמרו לו תלמידיו לא למדתנו רבינו‬
He is under the prohibition to bathe, ‫[שאבל אסור לרחוץ א"ל איני כשאר‬
anoint [the body], put on sandals3These
and covering the head are signs of mourning;
]‫כל בני אדם איסטניס אני‬
cf. 2 Sam. 15, 30, Jer. 14, 3f, Esth. 6, 12.
and cohabit. He is obliged to cover his
head and overturn his couch.4Cf. M.Ḳ.
15a, b (Sonc. ed., p. 92): God says, ‘I have
set the likeness of Mine image on them and
through their sins have I upset it; let your
couches be overturned on account thereof ’.
According to A. Marmorstein the rite served
the purpose of warning the mourners against
sexual intercourse which is forbidden in the
days of mourning; cf. j.Ber. III, 1, 6a.
It is related of Rabban Gamaliel5Cf. Ber.
16b (Sonc. ed., p. 96). that when his wife
died he bathed on the first night. His
disciples said to him, ‘Master, have you
not taught us that a mourner is forbidden
to bathe?’ He replied, ‘I am not like other
men, I am delicate’.
Tractate Semachot 6:2 ‫ב׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ו׳‬

6From this point V does not divide the ‫שאלו בשלומו (ואמר) [יאמר] להם‬
chapters into Rules and the division of H is
)‫אבל ביום הראשון וביום השני (ואמר‬
adopted. If people greet him, he should say
to them, ‘I am a mourner’. On the first ‫[יאמר] להם אבל הוא בשלישי משיבו‬
day and on the second day he should say ‫בשפה רפה והוא אינו שואל‬
to them, ‘I am a mourner’, but on the
third day he may return their salutation in
a low voice, although he may not greet
them.7Cf. M.Ḳ. 21b (Sonc. ed., p. 135).
The reading of GRA is: ‘On the first, second
and third days, he says to them, “I am a
mourner”, but from the fourth day onwards
he returns their salutation’.
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30/07/2023, 22:42 semachot | Sefaria

Tractate Semachot 1:1 ‫א׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות א׳‬

offering and guilt-offering is sprinkled for

Tractate Semachot 1:2 ‫ב׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות א׳‬

Tractate Semachot 1:3 ‫ג׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות א׳‬

Tractate Semachot 1:4 ‫ד׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות א׳‬

Tractate Semachot 1:5 ‫ה׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות א׳‬

Tractate Semachot 1:6 ‫ו׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות א׳‬

Tractate Semachot 1:7 ‫ז׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות א׳‬

Tractate Semachot 1:8 ‫ח׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות א׳‬

Tractate Semachot 1:9 ‫ט׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות א׳‬

Tractate Semachot 1:10 ‫י׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות א׳‬

Tractate Semachot 1:11 ‫י״א‬:‫מסכת שמחות א׳‬

Tractate Semachot 1:12 ‫י״ב‬:‫מסכת שמחות א׳‬

Tractate Semachot 1:13 ‫י״ג‬:‫מסכת שמחות א׳‬

Tractate Semachot 2:1 ‫א׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ב׳‬

Tractate Semachot 2:2 ‫ב׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ב׳‬

Tractate Semachot 2:3 ‫ג׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ב׳‬

Tractate Semachot 2:4 ‫ד׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ב׳‬

Tractate Semachot 2:5 ‫ה׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ב׳‬

Tractate Semachot 2:6 ‫ו׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ב׳‬

Tractate Semachot 2:7 ‫ז׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ב׳‬

Tractate Semachot 2:8 ‫ח׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ב׳‬

Tractate Semachot 2:9 ‫ט׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ב׳‬

(’omnam) is explained as be’emunah

Tractate Semachot 2:10 ‫י׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ב׳‬

Tractate Semachot 2:11 ‫י״א‬:‫מסכת שמחות ב׳‬

Tractate Semachot 2:12 ‫י״ב‬:‫מסכת שמחות ב׳‬

Tractate Semachot 2:13 ‫י״ג‬:‫מסכת שמחות ב׳‬

Tractate Semachot 2:14 ‫י״ד‬:‫מסכת שמחות ב׳‬

Tractate Semachot 3:1 ‫א׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ג׳‬

Tractate Semachot 3:2 ‫ב׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ג׳‬

Tractate Semachot 3:3 ‫ג׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ג׳‬

Tractate Semachot 3:4 ‫ד׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ג׳‬

Tractate Semachot 3:5 ‫ה׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ג׳‬

Tractate Semachot 3:6 ‫ו׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ג׳‬

Tractate Semachot 3:7 ‫ז׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ג׳‬

Tractate Semachot 3:8 ‫ח׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ג׳‬

Tractate Semachot 3:9 ‫ט׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ג׳‬

Tractate Semachot 3:10 ‫י׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ג׳‬

Tractate Semachot 4:1 ‫א׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

Tractate Semachot 4:2 ‫ב׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

Tractate Semachot 4:3 ‫ג׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

Tractate Semachot 4:4 ‫ד׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

Tractate Semachot 4:5 ‫ה׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

Tractate Semachot 4:6 ‫ו׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

Tractate Semachot 4:7 ‫ז׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

Tractate Semachot 4:8 ‫ח׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

Tractate Semachot 4:9 ‫ט׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

Tractate Semachot 4:10 ‫י׳‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

Tractate Semachot 4:11 ‫י״א‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

Tractate Semachot 4:12 ‫י״ב‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

Tractate Semachot 4:13 ‫י״ג‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

Tractate Semachot 4:14 ‫י״ד‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

Tractate Semachot 4:15 ‫ט״ו‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

Tractate Semachot 4:16 ‫ט״ז‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

Tractate Semachot 4:17 ‫י״ז‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

Tractate Semachot 4:18 ‫י״ח‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬

Tractate Semachot 4:19 ‫י״ט‬:‫מסכת שמחות ד׳‬