(Mishnah): If one's Mes (a close relative over whom he must mourn) is in front of him (unburied), he is exempt from Keri'as Shema and Tefilin;

Those who carry the coffin, Chilufeihem (those who will alternate with the carriers) and Chilufei Chilufeihem - those in front or in back of the coffin, if they are needed to carry it, they are exempt (from Shema). If not, they are obligated.

Both of them are exempt from Tefilah.

After they buried the Mes and returned, if they can complete Shema before reaching the Shurah (rows of people consoling the mourners), they should begin Shema. If not, they should not begin.

Those standing on the inside of the Shurah are exempt. Those on the outside are obligated.

Women, [Kena'ani] slaves and children are exempt from Shema and Tefilin. They are obligated in Tefilah, Mezuzah and Birkas ha'Mazon.

A Ba'al Keri (one who had a seminal emission) must think in his mind the Berachos before and after Keri'as Shema, but he does not say them. (Ezra decreed that a Ba'al Keri must immerse for Divrei Kedushah, i.e. Divrei Torah or prayer.) He blesses (Birkas ha'Mazon) after eating, but only thinks in his mind the blessing before eating.

R. Yehudah says, he blesses before and after.

If during Shemoneh Esreh one remembered that he is a Ba'al Keri, he does not cease praying. Rather, he says abridged Berachos.

If one descended to immerse - if he can leave the water, get dressed and say Shema before sunrise, he does so. If not, he should cover himself in the water and say Shema;

He should not cover himself in smelly water or water in which flax was soaked, until adding water.

How much must one distance himself from it, and from excrement? Four Amos.

If a Zav saw Keri (had a seminal emission), a Nidah discharged semen, and a woman became Nidah after relations, he (or she) must immerse (for Divrei Kedushah);

R. Yehudah exempts.

(Gemara - Beraisa): They are exempt from Keri'as Shema] and from Tefilin. An Aval on the first day does not put on Tefilin. On the second day, he puts on Tefilin.

If new [consolers] came, he removes them all seven days. R. Eliezer says so;

R. Yehoshua says, on the first day and the second day, he does not put on Tefilin. On the third day, he puts on Tefilin. If new people came, he does not remove them.

Question: If [even] on the second day he does not put on Tefilin, need one say that if one's Mes is in front of him [he is exempt]?!

Answer: Due to this (our Mishnah needed to teach that if one's Mes is in front of him, he is exempt from Keri'as Shema) it taught [also] this (he is exempt from Tefilin).

(R. Ze'ira citing R. Yirmeyah citing Rav): The Halachah follows R. Eliezer regarding putting on Tefilin (he puts on the second), and like R. Yehoshua regarding removing (he does not remove due to new people).

Question (R. Ze'ira): If one put on the second like R. Eliezer, do we make R. Eliezer [on day two] like R. Yehoshua [on day three], and not remove [even if new people came]?

Answer (R. Yosi bei R. Bun): Yes - if one put on the second like R. Eliezer, we make R. Eliezer like R. Yehoshua, and he does not remove.

If not, [Rav] should have said that the Halachah follows R. Eliezer on the second day (i.e. even for removing, and we would know that the Halachah follows R. Yehoshua totally from day three and onwards!)

(R. Bun): It says "l'Ma'an Tizkor Es Yom Tzeischa me'Eretz Mitzrayim Kol Yemei Chayecha" - days in which you engage with the living, and not on days in which you engage with the dead. (We explained this like CHAREDIM. Meforshim argue about whether this Drashah exempts from Keri'as Shma, or from Tefilin, or from both.)

(Beraisa): If he wanted to be stringent on himself [and recite], we do not heed him.

Question: What is the reason? Is it due to the honor of the Mes, or because there is no one who will carry his burden (engage in the burial)?

What is the difference between them? If there is one who will carry his burden - if it is due to the honor of the Mes, it is forbidden. If it is because there is no one who will carry his burden, there is one who will carry his burden!

Answer #1 (Beraisa): He is exempt from taking the Lulav. (Even though it is Yom Tov, and he does not engage in the burial, he is exempt. This shows that it is due to the honor of the Mes!)

Rejection #1: It discusses during Chol [ha'Mo'ed; he engages in the burial].

Answer #2 (Beraisa): He is exempt from sounding the Shofar. Can you say that it is on a Yom Chol?! Is not [the Mitzvah only] on Yom Tov?!

Rejection (and Rejection #2 to Answer #1 - R. Chanina): [Even on Yom Tov, he is exempt] because he needs to bring a coffin or shrouds [from elsewhere, and he can engage in this on Yom Tov];

This is like a Mishnah teaches there - one may be Machshich on the Techum (go as far from the city as is permitted on Shabbos or Yom Tov, towards the end of the day) in order to oversee needs of a Kalah or Mes to bring a coffin, shrouds, flutes and women to arouse wailing. [Therefore,] he is like one who carries his burden.

From when do we invert the beds (begin Aveilus)? It is from when the Mes leaves the opening of the Chatzer. R. Eliezer says so;

R. Yehoshua says, it is from when the Golel (coffin cover) is sealed.

When R. Gamliel ha'Zaken died, once [the bier] left the opening of the Chatzer, R. Eliezer told his Talmidim 'invert the beds!' When the Golel was sealed, R. Yehoshua said 'invert the beds!' They told him, we already inverted the beds according to the Chacham's (R. Eliezer's) command.

On Erev Shabbos he erects the beds (for there is no Aveilus on Shabbos), and on Motza'ei Shabbos he inverts them.

(Beraisa): A Dargesh (this will be explained later) is erected and not inverted. R. Shimon ben Elazar says, he removes its straps, and this suffices.

(R. Yosah citing R. Yehoshua ben Levi): The Halachah follows R. Shimon ben Elazar.

(R. Yakov bar Acha citing R. Yosi): A bed whose posts [at the head and foot, on which are placed beams on which sheets are spread to make a canopy] arise and descend (they are removable), he removes them, and this suffices.

Question: What is a bed, and what is a Dargesh?

Answer (R. Yirmeyah): Anything that [the ropes that support the mattress] are woven onto [the bed, i.e. the side boards] itself, this is a bed. Anything that the ropes are not woven onto itself (rather, they pass through holes in the side boards), this is a Dargesh.

Question (Mishnah): A bed or Arsah (another kind of bed, is Mekabel Tum'ah) from when it is rubbed with fish skin.

If he weaves [the ropes] onto [the bed] itself, why must he rub it?! (The side boards are covered!)

Answer (R. Elazar): It discusses Arsah of Kisarin; it has holes (protrusions, which need to be smoothed).

Question: What is the source for inverting the bed?

Answer #1 (R. Krispa citing R. Yochanan): "Va'Yeshvu Ito la'Aretz" - it does not say on the ground, rather, "Va'Yeshvu Ito la'Aretz - something next to the ground (an inverted bed). This teaches that they slept on inverted beds.

Answer #2 (Bar Kaparah): [Hash-m says] I had a good image [of Myself] in your house (man, who was made in Tzelem Elokim), and you forced Me to invert it (he died due to you), therefore also you should invert your bed.

Some derive Kefiyas ha'Mitah from an expression of inverting the middleman (the Mes came to the world via Bi'ah on a bed - MAHARA FULDA).

R. Yonah and R. Yosi both cited Reish Lakish. One of them said, why does [an Avel] sleep on an inverted bed? It is so if he will wake up during the night, he will remember that he is an Avel.

The other said, amidst that he sleeps on an inverted bed, he will wake up during the night, and will remember that he is an Avel.

An Avel, as long as his Mes is in front of him, he eats by his friend. If he has no friend [to eat by him], he eats in another house. If he has no other house, he makes a wall [between him and the Mes] and eats. If he cannot make a wall, he turns his face [away from the Mes] to the wall and eats.

He does not recline, and does not eat as much as needed (to satiation), and does not drink as much as needed, and he does not eat meat or drink wine.

We do not make a Zimun with him. If he blessed, we do not answer Amen after him. If others blessed, he does not answer Amen to them.

Limitation: This is during the week, but on Shabbos, he reclines and eats, and he eats meat and drinks wine, and he eats as much as needed, and drinks as much as needed, and we make a Zimun with him. If he blessed, we answer Amen after him. If others blessed, he answers Amen to them.

R. Shimon ben Gamliel says, since you permitted him all these, you should obligate him in all Torah Mitzvos! If for temporary life (eating and drinking like usual) you permit him, all the more so eternal life!

(R. Yudah ben Pazi citing R. Yehoshua ben Levi): The Halachah follows R. Shimon ben Gamliel.

If [the Mes] was given over to the Rabim [to engage with him, the Avel] may eat meat and drink wine. If he was given over to people who carry on the shoulder, it is as if he was given over to the Rabim.

When R. Yosa died, R. Chiya bar Va was Mavreh the Avelim (provided their first meal after the burial), and he fed them meat and gave them wine to drink.

When R. Chiya bar Aba died, R. Shmuel bar Rav Yitzchak was Mavreh the Avelim, and he fed them meat and gave them wine to drink. When R. Shmuel bar Rav Yitzchak died, R. Ze'ira was Mavreh the Avelim, and he fed them lentils.

Inference: Everything is according to the custom.

Before R. Ze'ira died, he 'do not accept [Seudas Havra'ah] for me (rather, fast on the day I die), and the next day [accept Havra'ah, like the usual custom of Avelim. We explained this like CHAREDIM.]

R. Yitzchak brei d'Rav was in Tovah. He became an Avel. R. Mana and R. Yudan came to him. They had good wine and drank much and laughed. The next day they wanted to come to him;

R. Yitzchak: Rabanan - does one do so to [console] his friend?! Yesterday [we were jovial;] we lacked only to get up and dance!