Commentary for Moed Katan 3:8
אֵין מַנִּיחִין אֶת הַמִּטָּה בָּרְחוֹב, שֶׁלֹּא לְהַרְגִּיל אֶת הַהֶסְפֵּד, וְלֹא שֶׁל נָשִׁים לְעוֹלָם, מִפְּנֵי הַכָּבוֹד. נָשִׁים בַּמּוֹעֵד מְעַנּוֹת, אֲבָל לֹא מְטַפְּחוֹת. רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר, הַסְּמוּכוֹת לַמִּטָּה, מְטַפְּחוֹת:
The litter is not placed outside [on Chol Hamoed] so as not to arouse eulogizing (which is forbidden then). And the litter of women is never placed outside, for (considerations of) dignity. [("never":) even on Chol Hamoed, viz. (Numbers 20:1): "And Miriam died there and she was buried there" — immediately after death, burial.] Women may lament on Chol Hamoed, but they may not clap (in mourning). R. Yishmael says: Those near the litter may do so.
Bartenura on Mishnah Moed Katan
אין מניחין את המטה – [bier] of the dead person.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Moed Katan
Introduction
This mishnah continues to deal with mourning practices during the festival.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Moed Katan
ברחוב – [in the street] during the Festival (i.e., the Intermediate Days of the Festival/Hol HaMoed).
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English Explanation of Mishnah Moed Katan
They do not place the bier on the thruway [during the festival] so as not to encourage eulogizing. Normally, the bier, a stretcher with the body on it, would be placed on the thruway, the central road that passes through the town, so that people would have the opportunity to offer up public eulogies. Since eulogies are forbidden on the festival, the bier is not placed on the thruway.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Moed Katan
לעולם – even during the weekdays, as it is written (Numbers 20:1): “Miriam died there and was buried there.” The burial is juxtaposed to the death.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Moed Katan
And the bier of women is never [set down on the thruway] for the sake of propriety. The body of the dead person was covered only with a shroud while it was on the bier. It could become exposed. Due to the rabbis’ concerns of modesty, they did not wish the woman’s bier to be placed on the thruway even on non-festival occasions.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Moed Katan
מטפחות – clap palm to palm
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English Explanation of Mishnah Moed Katan
Women may raise a wail during the festival, but not clap [their hands in grief]. Rabbi Ishmael says: those that are close to the bier clap [their hands in grief]. Women played a significant role at funerals. A common role attributed to them is that of professional wailers (people who cry out loud, not those who hunt big animals in the sea). The mishnah allows them to wail during the festival, but they may not clap their hands. This seems to have been a common funerary practice. Others explain that this doesn’t refer to clapping one’s hands or slapping one’s hands on thigh but beating one’s breast. Rabbi Ishmael is more lenient and allows the women closest to the bier to also clap their hands.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Moed Katan
ור"ש אומר כו' – But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Shimon.
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