R. Eliezer: A mourner may not wear Tefillin on the first day, but on the second day he wears them. If new people come to comfort him, he removes them - this applies throughout the 7 days.

R. Yehoshua: On the first and second days he does not wear Tefillin; on the third day he does. If new people came to comfort him, he does not remove them.

Question: Why does the Tana need to teach that a person is exempt from Tefillin if his deceased relative is in front of him - (even on the second day after the burial he is also exempt)?

Answer: To teach the other laws, that if his deceased relative is in front of him, he is exempt from reciting the Shema etc.

R. Zeirah/ Mar Ukvan quoting Shmuel/ R. Zeirah/ R. Yirmiyah quoting Rav: The Halachah follows R. Eliezer in wearing Tefillin (i.e. on the second day) and the Halachah follows R. Yehoshua in removing them (that he does not do so if new people come).

Question (R. Zeirah): If he wore them on the second day like R. Eliezer, should he behave like R. Yehoshua (does on the third day) and not remove them if new people came?

Answer (R. Yosi bei R. Bun): Yes. If he wore them on the second day, he should not remove them if people come - otherwise, why did we say earlier that the Halachah follows R. Yehoshua in removing them? (Certainly that was discussing the second day, since all agree that he wouldn't remove them if people come on the third day.)

If a person has no food to eat, he may not work on the first two days and on the third day, he may work in private. However, a curse should befall his neighbors if he needed to do this.

Bar Kafra: He may not even work on the third day. Bar Kafra follows his reasoning that the intense mourning occurs in the first 3 days.

R. Abba son of R. Papi/ R. Yehoshua of Sichnin quoting R. Levi: During the first 3 days the soul floats over the body expecting to return to it. After 3 days, when it sees the face has changed, it realizes that it will not be returning and it leaves. After 3 days, the stomach splits open, "saying" - Take that which you stole and gave me! (i.e the mouth swallowed stolen food and gave it to the stomach.)

R. Chagai quoting R. Yoshiyah learned it from the following Pasuk (Malachi 2, 3), "I will scatter excrement on your faces" even "the excrement of (meals eaten on) your festivals"...

At that time, (Iyov 14, 22), "He feels only the pain of his flesh and his soul will grieve over him."

A mourner's sharecroppers and contracted workers may work; his farmers, sailors and camel drivers may not work.

R. Yehoshua ben Levi: If he has a cow hired out to others for its milk, it can be milked. (Note: This entry follows the explanation of the Pnei Moshe and Rav Chaim Kanievski.)

R. Yosa to R"YBL: This is only true if he rented it out before he became a mourner; however, it is prohibited for the mourner to start a new rental.

If there were two brothers, two partners, two butchers or two shopkeepers and one of them became a mourner, they must close the shop. His sharecroppers and workers may work privately elsewhere.

As long as the deceased relative is in front of the mourner, he should eat with a friend. If he does not have a friend, he should eat in another place. If he has no place to go, he should make a partition and eat. If he cannot, he should turn his face away towards the wall and eat. He should not recline nor eat and drink until he feels full, nor should he eat meat and drink wine.

He should not join with others to recite Birkas Hamazon. If he blessed, others should not respond with Amen. If others blessed, he should not respond to them with Amen.

When does this apply? On a weekday, but on Shabbos, he reclines and eats and drinks until full and he may eat meat and drink wine. He joins others to recite Birkas Hamazon and if he blessed, others may respond with Amen. If others blessed, he may respond with Amen.

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel: Since they permitted him to do all of these things, they also obligated him in all other commandments in the Torah. If they permitted him to do things that give him temporary life, certainly they permitted him to perform commandments that give him eternal life.

R. Yehudah bar Pazi quoting R. Yehoshua ben Levi: The Halachah follows Rabban Shimon B"G.

If the body was given over to the public, the mourner may eat meat and drink wine. If the body was given over to the carriers, it is as if it was given over to the public. On the first Shabbos, he does not go to the synagogue. On the second Shabbos, he goes but does not sit in his seat. On the third Shabbos, he sits in his seat and does not speak. On the fourth Shabbos, he is the same as everyone else.

R. Yehudah: Could we be referring to the first Shabbos? It is obvious that he cannot go to the synagogue - everyone is visiting and comforting him at that time! Rather, the second Shabbos is treated like the first; the third Shabbos is treated like the second and the fourth Shabbos is treated like the third.

R. Shimon: On the first Shabbos, the mourner goes to the synagogue but does not sit in his seat; on the second Shabbos, he sits in his seat but does not speak; on the third Shabbos, he is the same as everyone else.

R. Yehoshua ben Levi: The Halachah follows the opinion that adds days - i.e. R. Yehudah.