The Mishnah had taught: R. Meir says that one may collect the bones of his parents, since it is a joy for him.

Originally, they would bury them in dugouts. When the flesh had decomposed, they would collect the bones and bury them in a cedar-wood casket. On that day they would mourn and the following day they were joyful that they had properly buried their fathers.

Beraisa: If one transfers a casket from place to place, it is not considered collecting bones.

R. Acha: This only true for a stone casket. But for a wooden casket, it is considered collecting bones.

R. Yosi: Even a wooden casket is not considered collecting bones. So what is collecting bones? Transferring the remains from place to place covered with an undergarment.

Support (Beraisa): Collecting bones means collecting bone by bone, after the flesh has decomposed.

Chagai quoting R. Zeirah: Collecting bones means literally collecting the bones by hand (after the flesh has decomposed).

Beraisa: There is no law of "hearing'' for collecting bones. ("Hearing that a person's bones were collected and buried does not require the relatives to mourn.)

R. Chagai: This true when he heard about it the following day (or later), but if he heard it the same day, there is a law of "hearing''.

Question: Is there a minimum amount of bones needed for it to be considered collecting bones?

Beraisa (Nikumchi to R. Zeirah): There is no minimum amount. It is like the case of R. Mana who instructed R. Hillel of Kifra to tear his garments and mourn, like R. Acha, but not to make himself impure (as he was a Kohen), like R. Yosi.

Beraisa: For the collection of bones, we do not recite lamentations and cry out. We do not recite the Mourners' Blessing nor do we recite "comforts for the mourners''. The Mourners' Blessing is that which is said in the Synagogue. "Comforts for the mourners'' is said when the mourners are lined up.

Beraisa: However, they do say "words'' over them. What are these "words''? Rabbanan say that they recite praises for Hash-m. (Some explain that they recite praises for the deceased.)

The Mishnah had taught: One may not arouse himself (to mourn)...

What is the meaning of "arouse''? To mention his deceased during a eulogy for another person.

The Mishnah had taught: Nor eulogize. What is the meaning of eulogize? To devote a eulogy specifically to his deceased.

This refers to eulogizing a person who died in the past, but it is permitted to eulogize a person who just died.

Question: What is considered a person who just died and what is a person who died in the past? During in the first 30 days, it is considered that he just died. After 30 days, it is considered that he died in the past.

Beraisa: A woman should not arouse herself to cry over "Levyasa'' - her late husband during the festival.

R. Nachman quoting R. Mana: The word "Levyasa'' can be seen in the Pasuk that states (Iyov 3, 7), "...those who are ready to arouse others Levyoson - in their mourning''.

Beraisa: A man should not marry a woman who has children, even if the children had died.

R. Yasa: It is because of a true story, in which a woman removed her son's body from the grave in order to spread a libelous story that her second husband had killed him.

(Mishnah): One may not dig catacombs and graves on Chol Hamoed.

But one may fix catacombs (even if there is no body to bury now) and one may build a Nivreches (a launderer's pool for use in situations when washing is permitted on Chol Hamoed. Some explain that the Mishnah is referring to a pool used for washing corpses before burial; others explain it to be a temporary grave - see below), and one may build a casket with a corpse in a courtyard.

R. Yehuda prohibits it unless there are ready cut planks available.

(Gemara - question): What does "fixing graves'' mean?

Answer #1 (R. Yosi bar Nehurai): Plastering it with lime.

Answer #2 (Rav Chisda): Shorterning it if it is too long.

Answer #3 (R. Yehoshua ben Levi): Lengthening it on one side and shortening it on the other side.

Beraisa (R. Chiya): One may lengthen it and widen it, both from one side and from both sides.

The Mishnah had taught: One may build a Nivreches (see (b) above).

This refers to a temporary grave. If it is intended for long term, it is referred to as a Bekiyah.

The Mishnah had taught: ...and one may build a casket with a corpse in a courtyard.

This only applies if the dead person is not known, but if a person died who was well known, one may build a casket, even in the marketplace.

When R. Chanaya died, his colleagues, the Rabbanan, made for him a casket in the marketplace.

All agree that one may not cut down cedar trees; similarly, one may not cut stones.

If they were already cut, this is the dispute between R. Yehuda and Rabbanan.