1)

(a)The Beraisa rules that if someone is buried at the beginning of Yom Tov, the Avel must begin sitting Shiv'ah after Yom Tov, and that ...

1. ... work outside the house - may be performed by others on his behalf.

2. ... work inside the house - may be performed by his servants in a discreet manner.

3. ... Nichum Avelim - will no longer apply after Yom Tov.

(b)This Beraisa poses a Kashya on Rabah, who learned earlier that Yom Tov does not negate the Din of Sheloshim - inasmuch as that it specifically rules that it does.

(c)And the ruling applies - even to a case where the deceased was buried on Yom Tov itself.

2)

(a)Rebbi Eliezer rules that someone who kept the Din of Kefi'as ha'Mitah for three days before Yom Tov, does not need to continue with it after Yom Tov. According to the Chachamim - even one day before Yom Tov, and even one hour, will suffice.

(b)Rebbi Elazar b'Rebbi Shimon equates this Machlokes with a Machlokes between Beis Shamai and Beis Hillel. Rebbi Eliezer (who was a Shamuti) - holds like Beis Shamai, and the Chachamim - like Beis Hillel.

(c)Rebbi Chiya bar Aba Amar Rebbi Yochanan ruled - that the Halachah is three days, like our Tana.

(d)Rava rules like the Tana of our Mishnah, who requires three days before Yom Tov. Ravina told Rav Chaviva of Sura di'Pras - that the Halachah is even one day, and even one hour is sufficient.

3)

(a)Rebbi Chiya bar Aba, Rebbi Ami and Rebbi Yitzchak Nafcha, who were sitting by the canopy of Rebbi Yitzchak ben Elazar extrapolated from the Pasuk in Amos "v'Hafachti Chageichem l'Avel" - that just like Chag ha'Sukos (see Tosfos DH 'Mah') lasts seven days, so too, does Avelus.

(b)We do not learn Avelus from the one day of Shavu'os - because that is reserved for the Limud of Resh Lakish, who quoting Rebbi Yehudah Nesi'ah, said that Avelus in the case of Shemu'ah Rechokah (when one hears the bad news only later) lasts for only one day (like Shavu'os).

(c)Rebbi Akiva draws a distinction between a Shemu'ah Kerovah and a Shemu'ah Rechokah. If the two main periods of mourning in the case of a Shemu'ah Kerovah comprise seven and thirty days respectively - the equivalent by a Shemu'ah Rechokah - is only one day (and not even a full one, as we shall soon see).

(d)The Rabanan of Rebbi Akiva do not differentiate between Shemu'ah Kerovah and Shemu'ah Rechokah - both comprise the seven and thirty day periods.

4)

(a)Rabah bar bar Chanah Amar Rebbi Yochanan rules, that regarding a Machlokes where a Yachid is lenient and Rabim are stringent - we are stringent like the majority opinion.

(b)In the equivalent situation regarding Avelus however, he agrees with Shmuel - who always follows the lenient opinion in matters concerning Avelus. Consequently - he rules like Rebbi Akiva, who maintains that Shemu'ah Kerovah lasts for only one day.

(c)Various other Amora'im follow Rebbi Yochanan's lenient ruling, even as regards one's father and mother. The Beraisa, which confines the one day of a Shemu'ah Rechokah to the other five relatives in the Parashah, but not to one's parents - is a Da'as Yachid (an individual opinion), and is not Halachah.

5)

(a)The Yachid, quoted in the Beraisa cited by Rava, who confines the one day mourning of a Shemu'ah Rechokah to the five relatives exclusively is - Elisha ben Avuyah (alias Acher).

(b)He issued this stringent ruling to Rebbi Tzadok - whose mother had died in Ginzak three years earlier.

6)

(a)Rebbi Achaya observed - the periods of seven and thirty days for his son who died in the Golah.

(b)We have a problem with that from an episode regarding Rav and Rebbi Chiya. Rav, Ayvu's son, was the son of both Rebbi Chiya's brother and his sister - because Ayvu (Rebbi Chiya's paternal brother) married the daughter of Rebbi Chiya's mother, whom she bore from a previous marriage (in which case Rav's parents were not directly related).

(c)When Rebbi Chiya asked Rav whether his (Rav's) father was still alive - Rav (who had just returned from Bavel) replied 'Is my mother alive?' (meaning that that is what Rebbi Chiya ought to ask), because he did not wish to be the conveyor of bad news and to inform him that his brother was no longer alive.

(d)When he repeated this tactic after Rebbi Chiya asked him whether his mother was still alive - Rebbi Chiya (inferring from the fact that he did not answer 'yes' to either question), understood that both his brother and sister were dead. So he instructed his servant to take off his shoes (to enact the one day mourning period that a Shemu'ah Rechokah demands, and then to carry his fresh clothes to the bathhouse (o indicate that the Avelus was over).

7)

(a)From the fact that Rebbi Chiya instructed his servant to carry his clothes after him to the bathhouse immediately - we learn a. that Shemu'ah Rechokah lasts only one day, and b. that 'Miktzas ha'Yom k'Kulo' (part of the day is considered the entire day).

(b)We also learn from Rebbi Chiya - that an Avel is forbidden to wear shoes.

(c)We reconcile the apparent contradiction between this episode of Rebbi Chiya and the earlier episode of Rebbi Achaya, who observed seven days for Shemu'ah Rechokah of his son - by differentiating between Rebbi Chiya and Rebbi Achaya.

8)

(a)A person who hears of his parents' demise on the thirtieth day after they died, assuming the thirtieth day falls ...

1. ... on Yom Tov - he only observes one day, and so does someone who hears about it ...

2. ... on Shabbos.

(b)According to Rebbi Mani, he does not tear Keri'ah either. He objects to Rebbi Chanina, who holds that he does - on the grounds that anyone who does not observe Shiv'ah, does not tear Keri'ah either.

(c)Someone who had no garment on which to tear Keri'ah when he first heard the bad news, and only obtained one afterwards, is obligated to tear Keri'ah ...

1. ... only if he heard it within thirty days - in the case of the five relatives.

2. ... even if he heard it after thirty days - in the case of one's parents.

(d)Rebbi Mani, who maintains that, whenever there is no Shiv'ah, there is no Keri'ah either, explains - that this latter statement is not strictly in keeping with the Halachos of Keri'ah, but merely in deference to his parents.

9)

(a)The Beraisa includes all seven relatives mentioned in the Parashah of Kohanim in the obligation to mourn. They are - wife, father, mother, brother (unmarried, paternal) sister, son and daughter.

(b)Rebbi Akiva initially adds three specific relatives (mid'Rabanan) to the list, one male (one's maternal brother) and two female, and two female - (one's maternal sister who is still a virgin, and paternal sister even if she is already married).

(c)He also adds the Sheniyim of the relatives forbidden by the Torah - incorporating (besides one's father's father), his son's son, his daughter's son and his sister's son.

(d)Rebbi Shimon ben Elazar restricts this latter list to two - his son's son and his father's father.

10)

(a)The Chachamim in the previous Beraisa say 'Kol she'Mis'abel Alav, Mis'abel Imo' - appear to be saying the same as the Tana Kama (Rebbi Akiva).

(b)We solve this problem - by equating the Chachamim with the stated opinion of various Amora'im (see next question), who maintain that it is only necessary to mourn with the relative in question, as long as one is together with him in the house; whereas Rebbi Akiva does not differentiate between one location and another.

(c)Rav instructed Chiya his son, and later Rav Huna to Rabah his son, when their respective wives were in mourning - to observe mourning together with his wife as long as he was in the house together with her.

(d)When Mar Ukva wanted to observe the Shiv'ah and the Sheloshim for his wife's brother - Rav Huna commented that perhaps he was keen to eat the special meal that is served to an Avel (because the obligation to mourn together with one's wife is confined to mourning for a father and mother-in-law only, and does not extend to other relatives).

11)

(a)According to the Tana of the Beraisa, besides being obligated to overturn their beds when their respective fathers-in-law die ...

1. ... a husband is not allowed to force his wife - to wear make-up.

2. ... a wife is not allowed - to wear make-up.

(b)The Beraisa which permits a wife who is in mourning to pour out wine for her husband, to make his bed and to wash his face, hands and feet - must be speaking about one of the other five relatives one's father or mother-in-law, whereas our Beraisa is speaking specifically about one's father or mother-in-law (proving this distinction correct).

(c)Ameimar's grandson died. Ameimar tore Keri'ah three times - once when he heard the news, a second time when his son tore Keri'ah in front of him and a third time when he realized that he had mistakenly done so sitting down (and Keri'ah must be performed standing).

12)

(a)We learn from the Pasuk "va'Yakam Iyov va'Yikra es Me'ilo" - that Keri'ah must be done standing.

(b)The problem we have with that is - that, if every Mitzvah by which the Torah uses a Lashon of 'standing' must be performed standing, then Chalitzah too, should be performed standing, seeing as there too, the Torah writes in Ki Setzei "v'Amad v'Amar, Lo Chafatzti Lekachtah"; and in fact, we have learned in a Beraisa that it may be performed standing or sitting.

(c)We resolve this Kashya - by differentiating between the Lashon "va'Yakam ... va'Yikra" (which implies that it is obligatory to stand) and "v'Amad ... v'Amar" (rather than "v'Ya'amod v'Yomar" - which does not).