R. Eliezer dice: Dal momento della distruzione del Tempio, [cioè, Ora che le offerte del festival di Shavuoth non possono essere inventate per tutti e sette i giorni, non è considerata una festa, ma] Shavuoth è come Shabbath, [che non interrompere [lutto. Ma ai tempi del Tempio, quando uno che non celebrava il primo giorno di Shavuoth, poteva celebrare tutti e sette, come con Pesach, Shavuoth era come Pesach anche di fronte al lutto.] R. Gamliel dice: Rosh Hashanah e Yom Kippur sono come i festival. I saggi dicono: né come questo né come l'altro; ma Shavuoth è come i festival e Rosh Hashanah e Yom Kippur sono come Shabbath. [Per quanto riguarda l'halachah: Shavuoth, al giorno d'oggi, è come le feste (Pesach e Succoth), così come Rosh Hashanah e Yom Kippur. Se un parente è morto anche un momento prima di uno di questi, il decreto di Shivah cade. E se è morto sette giorni prima di uno di questi yomim tovim, il decreto di Shloshim cade, come affermato. E i sette giorni del festival sono inclusi negli shloshim. Perché anche se abbiamo imparato: "I festival si interrompono e non sono inclusi", non sono inclusi nello shivah, ma sono inclusi negli shloshim—facendo quattordici giorni. E Shemini Atzereth è un festival in sé e conta come se fosse sette giorni—fare ventuno giorni; così conta altri nove giorni e questo è sufficiente (per completare lo shloshim). Il decreto di Shivah: un lutto, per tutti e sette i giorni, non può fare il bagno, nemmeno una parte del suo corpo, in acqua calda, e tutto il suo corpo, in acqua fredda. È vietato lavarsi i vestiti, ungere se stesso, indossare scarpe, convivere, lavorare e salutare le persone. Deve avvolgere la testa (in lutto), deve girare tutti i letti della casa per terra e dormire in essi e non su un letto verticale. Non può tagliare le unghie con uno strumento, né i capelli dei baffi, anche se interferisce con il suo mangiare. È vietato leggere nella Torah, sia scritta che orale. Non può basare l'affitto del suo indumento. Il decreto di Shloshim: da Shivah a Shloshim non può indossare un nuovo indumento o un indumento stirato bianco, non può tagliarsi i capelli, non può prendere parte a un banale (non mitzvah) repast, non può uscire per commerciare con i suoi amici, potrebbe non prendere moglie se ha già moglie e figli e non può cucire l'affitto (del lutto).]
Bartenura on Mishnah Moed Katan
משחרב בית המקדש – For Shavuot/Atzeret has no payment of indemnity all seven days of the sacrifice, the laws of the Festival are abrogated, and it is a Shabbat which does not interrupt it, but at the time of the Temple, he who did not make the Festival offering on the First Day of Shavuot would offer it throughout the seven days, like the Festival of Matzot; Azeret was like the Festival of Matzot even as regards mourning. And the final result of this matter regarding the Halakhic decision is that Atzeret in this time is like the Festivals, and Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are like the festivals. He who suffered a loss prior to one of these, even one hour, the decree of [sitting] Shivah is abrogated. And if [the person] died prior to one of these Holy Days, the decree of thirty days is abrogated from him, as we have stated; and the seven days of the Festival count towards the number thirty, which is fourteen days. And Shemini Atzeret/The Eighth Day of Solemn Assembly is a festival unto itself, and is considered as if it is seven days, that makes twenty-one days. We count another nine days until the thirty and that is enough. And the decree of seven as we have stated is that he that was a mourner all seven days is prohibited in washing in hot water, even for part of his body, and in cold [water] all of his body, and he is prohibited from laundering his clothing, and in anointing and in wearing leather [shoes] and in doing work and in greeting others. And he is obligated in wrapping his head in mourning garb , and in turning over his bed, so that all of the beds that are in his house would be turned over on the ground and he should sleep on them, but not upon a bed standing upright. And it is prohibited to cut his nails with a utensil nor the hair of his mustache, even if it prevents him from eating. And it is prohibited to read from the Torah, whether from the Written Torah or from the Oral Torah. And he cannot re-stitch the tear that is upon him. And the decree of thirty is that from the seventh day until the completion of the thirtieth [day], it is prohibited to wear new clothing, or a white ironed garment, and it is prohibited to cut one’s hair, and to enjoy an optional banquet and to go shopping with one’s friends, and to marry another woman, if he has a wife and children, and he cannot sew together the tear that is upon him.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Moed Katan
Introduction
The festivals which most clearly put an end to shivah and shloshim are Pesah and Sukkot since they are both seven or if you include Shmini Atzeret (the last day of Sukkot), eight days long. In contrast, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur last only one day. Further complicating the matter, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are holidays, but not actually festivals. “Festival” in Hebrew (regel) refers only to the three pilgrimage holidays Pesah, Shavuot and Sukkot, when one was supposed to visit the Temple. Due to these complications, our mishnah contains a debate over where these one day holidays are treated like Shabbat or like Pesah and Sukkot.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Moed Katan
Rabbi Eliezer says: From the time the Temple was destroyed, Atzeret ( is like Shabbat. Atzeret is the word used in the Mishnah to refer to Shavuot. When the Temple still stood, Atzeret was similar to the other festivals. One who did not bring the appropriate sacrifice on Atzeret itself could bring it for the following six days. Hence, in a sense Atzeret was a seven day holiday, even though it was only fully observed for one day. When the Temple still stood, it would interrupt mourning. Once the Temple was destroyed and sacrifices could no longer be brought, Atzeret ceased being a seven day holiday and hence is treated like Shabbat when it comes to mourning.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Moed Katan
Rabban Gamaliel says: Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are like festivals. According to Rabban Gamaliel Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are like festivals. Assumedly, his reasoning is that anything that is not Shabbat counts as a festival. He would therefore disagree with Rabbi Eliezer. Today the halakhah follows Rabban Gamaliel. Only Shabbat does not interrupt mourning.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Moed Katan
The sages say: [the rule is] not according to the words of this one nor that one, rather Atzeret is like the festivals and Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are like Shabbat. The other sages disagree with both Rabban Gamaliel and Rabbi Eliezer. The category of festivals includes all pilgrimage holidays, and even Atzeret after the destruction of the Temple. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are not “festivals” and hence they function like Shabbat. The sages’ opinion seems to be a literal interpretation of the last clause of yesterday’s mishnah which stated that festivals interrupt. The sages interpret this to mean only festivals and not other holidays.
