Babylonian Talmud

Rodkinson 1918 — source 8, scan section 91

mourners ; one to attend marriages ; one to attend circumcision or redeeming of a first-born male child, and one for removing the bones from one grave to another. The attendance to a bride's house precedes a mourner's house ; circumcision or the redeem- ing of a first-born male child precedes the removal of bones. The ancient pious, however, preferred to go to a house of mourning instead of the house of a bride, as it is written [Eccl. vii. 2] : " It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting ; inasmuch as that is the end of all men, and let the liv- ing lay it to his heart," as whoever follows the bier, knows that this will happen also to him. 1 We have learned in a Boraitha : R. Meir used to say : It is written [Eccl. vii. 2] : " It is better to go to the house of mourn- CHAPTER XII. A. 1 In the ancient times one was very careful not to bring a bad message; and even when asked, as the Talmud prohibits it, he would give evasive replies. 2 This is inferred from what R. Hyya told his servant — to bring his garments into the wash-house, that, after he had mourned a part of the day, on the remaining part he might do all he liked. B. ' Gemara from Moed Katan. EBEL RABBATHI, OR SEMA'HOTH. 53 ing than," etc., " and let the living lay it to his heart," which means, let the living lay to his heart matters connected with one's death — viz., when he laments over him, that he will also be lamented over ; when he buries him, that he will also be buried ; when carrying him, that he will also be carried ; and when eulogizing him, that he will also be eulogized. According to others one who is modest, and troubles himself with burying the dead, will be elevated by Heaven, as it is written [Prov. xxv. 7] : " For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up higher, than that thou shouldst be put lower in the presence of the prince, which thy own eyes have (often) seen."2 The rabbis taught : When the sons of R. Ishmael died, four elder sages came to console with him ; viz., R. Tarphon, R. Jose the Galilean, R. Elazar b. Azariah, and R. Aqiba. Said R. Tarphon to the other three : " You must know that he (R. Ish- mael) is very wise and he is well versed on Agada, and there- fore none of you must intrude when the other will be speaking." Said R. Aqiba : " And I will be the last one." R. Ishmael began : " His sins have increased, his mournings have succeeded one another, and he has inconvenienced his instructors once and twice." R. Tarphon then arose and said : " It is written [Lev. x. 6] : ' But your brethren, the whole house of Israel, may bewail the burning,' etc. If this was ordered over the death of Nadob and Abihu, who have observed only one commandment, as it is written [ibid. ix. 9] : ' And the sons of Aaron brought the blood unto him,' etc., so much the more so over the death of the sons of R. Ishmael." R. Jose then followed and said : " It is written [I Kings, xiv. 13] : ' And all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him.' If so much was done for Abiyah the son of Jeroboam, who has performed one kind deed only, as it is written [ibid., ibid.] : ' Because there had been found in him some good thing,' so much the more so over the death of the sons of R. Ishmael." [What was the good thing? R. Zera and R. Hanina bar Papa : one says that he suspended his office and made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem on the feasts; the other says: he has abolished the guards which were established by his father to pre- vent the pilgrimage to Jerusalem.] R. Elazar b. Azariah then began : " It is written [Jerem. xxxiv. 5] : 'In peace shalt thou die ; and as burnings were made for thy fathers,' etc., if so much a We must leave this without any explanation, as there are no commentaries for this besides Eidlis in his " Hidushe-Agadoth," and it is too complicated to be trans- lated here. 54 THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD. was done for Zedekiah the king of Judah, who performed only one meritorious thing in that he ordered to bring up Jeremiah from the pit filled with mire, so much the more so over the sons of R. Ishmael." Finally, R. Aqiba began : " It is written [Zech. xii. ii]: 'On that day will the lamentations be great in Jeru- salem like the lamentation at Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.' [And R. Joseph said : If not the translation of Jonathan of this passage, namely : On that day will the lamenta- tions be great in Jerusalem, like the lamentation for A'hab bar Omri, who was killed by Hadadrimmon bar Tabrimmon, and like the lamentations for Josiah bar Amon, who was killed by Pharaoh the Lame in the valley of Megiddon, I would not know its mean- ing.] If so much over A'hab the king of Israel, who has done only one good thing, as it is written [I Kings, xx. 35] : 'And the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians' (to prevent the defeat of Israel), so much the more for the sons of R. Ish- mael." Rabha said to Rabba bar Mari : Zedekiah was promised that he would die in peace, and still it is written [Jerem. xxxix. 7] : "And the eyes of Zedekiah did he blind?" (How was the promise to die in peace fulfilled ?) He answered him : " So said R. Johanan : (It was fulfilled) that Nebuchadnezar died in his time." Rabha further said to Rabba bar Mari : Josiah was promised [II Kings, xxii. 20] : " Therefore, behold, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered unto thy grave in peace." And still it is written [II Chron. xxxv. 23] : " And the archers shot the king Josiah ? " And he answered him : " So said R. Johanan : (The promise was fulfilled in that) the Temple was not destroyed during his life-time." 3 R. Johanan said : " The consolers are not permitted to speak consolation before the mourner engages in conversation, as it is written [Job, ii. 13] : " But no one spoke a word unto him," etc.; [ibid. iii. 1] : " After this time Job opened his mouth," etc. ; and only [ibid. iv. 1] : "Then answered Eliphaz," etc. (These quota- tions are according to Na'hmanidus.) R. Abbuhu said : Whence do we know that the mourner takes his seat at the head of the consolers ? It is written [ibid. xxix. 25] : " I chose their way for them, and sat as chief," etc., " as the mourners being comforted " (read Qn^)- Mar Zutra said : " From the following passage [Amos, vi. 7] : ' And the noisy banquet of those who were B. s Gemara from Moed Katan. EBEL RABBATHI, OR SEMA'HOTH. 55 stretched out shall pass away?'4 R. Hama bar Hanina said: Whence do we know that a bridegroom takes his seat at the head of the guests ? It is written [Isa. lxi. 10] :"Asa bride- groom decketh himself with elegant attire." (The Hebrew read- ing : " Ke'hathan yechaehn peear," " Hathan " meaning a bride-