פירוש על ברכות 3:1

מי שמתו מוטל לפניו – One of the relatives that is obligated to observe mourning rituals on them when [one’s dead relative] is lying before him for burial.

Introduction At the end of the last chapter we learned that some people might be exempt from reciting the Shema because they couldn’t have proper intention. There the mishnah referred to bridegroom’s celebrating his wedding night. The first two mishnayot of the third chapter deal with exemptions due to participation in a funeral.

פטור מקריאת שמע – because he is too preoccupied with the Mitzvah [of burial].

One whose dead [relative] lies before him is exempt from the recital of the Shema and from the tefillah and from tefillin. A person who has not yet buried his dead is called an “onen.” He is exempt from reciting the Shema, the tefillah (the Amidah) and putting on tefillin. In the Talmud they add that he is exempt from all of the mitzvoth in the Torah. It is as if he, along with his unburied dead relative, are considered to be out of the realm of normal human beings who are obligated to the commandments. Until he buries the dead, he can’t really participate in other normal societal interactions, including mitzvot.

וחילופיהן – since it is the practice that people switch off because everyone wants to have the merit of [participating in ] the Mitzvah of [accompanying the dead].

The bearers of the bier and their replacements, and their replacements’ replacement, both those in front of the bier and those behind the bier those needed to carry the bier, are exempt; but those not needed to carry the bier are obligated. The onen is exempt from the Shema and other mitzvoth because there is just no way he can concentrate on fulfilling them until he has buried his dead. The pallbearers are exempt because they are too busy and concentrating on other matters and would not be able to have the proper intention. The mishnah does not distinguish between those walking in front of the bier (the stretcher with the dead body on it) and those walking behind it. The only distinction it makes is between those who are needed to carry the bier and those not needed. The pallbearers are exempt from Shema only if they are needed. If they are not needed they can recite the Shema while walking with the bier.

את שלפני המטה – those whom are invited to carry [the bier] when the bier arrives near them [on the way to the cemetery].

Both, however, are exempt from [saying] the tefillah. In contrast, even those not needed to carry the bier are exempt from reciting the tefillah (the Amidah). Some explain that this is because the Amidah is not from the Torah while the Shema is. A different explanation, one that I think is more cogent, is that the tefillah requires greater concentration than does the Shema (see above, mishnah 2:4). A third explanation is that one cannot walk while reciting the Amidah but one can stop long enough to recite the first line of the Shema and then recite the rest while walking with the bier.

את שלאחר המטה – that is to say, whether [we are referring to] those who are in front of the bier or those who are behind the bier, if the bier is in need of them to help carry it, they are exempt [from reciting the Morning Shema].

ואת שאין המטה צריך בהם – such as those who walk to accompany the deceased to merely honor him/her, are required [to recite the Shema].

אלו ואלו פטורים מן התפילה – Since it (the recitation of the Amidah)is not mandated by the Torah like the Recitation of the Shema, and there are those who say because it (the recitation of the Amidah) requires greater spiritual intention.