The Mishna establishes that only family members tear kriya, remove their shirt off their shoulder and partake in the meal immediately following the burial called the seudat havraa. Some explain this Mishna is referring to one who died on chol hamoed. The Gemara raises a number of questions from cases where others tear kriya and as well as keep other mourning practices, such as when a chacham dies or an upright person or one who is present when the person dies. Several stories are brought of the death of rabbis and the reactions of others to their death. When Rav Safra died, the sages did not tear kriya, however Abaye rebuked them. When Rav Huna died and Rav Chisda died, they wanted to put a sefer Torah on the bier, but it was deemed inappropriate. Rav Huna’s bier was too wide to fit through the door – what options did they have and which did they choose? Rav Huna’s body was brought to Israel and only some rabbis went out after his coffin – why? When Rav Chaga went to bury him next to Rabbi Chiya, a strange incident happened. Several other stories are brought of incidents or strange events in nature that occurred when certain rabbis died or eulogies that were recited for them.
Moed Katan 25
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This month’s learning is sponsored by Marci Glazer in loving memory of her teacher and chevruta, Rachel Brodie, Rachel Aviva bat Devora Chana, on her 4th yahrzeit. “She brought her love of Torah to thousands of people in her all-too-short life. A lover of Midrash, she still invited me on this Daf Yomi journey.”
Moed Katan 25
גְּמָ׳ וַאֲפִילּוּ חָכָם? וְהָתַנְיָא: חָכָם שֶׁמֵּת — הַכֹּל קְרוֹבָיו.
GEMARA: The mishna teaches that only the relatives of the deceased rend their clothes. The Gemara asks: And is this the case even if the deceased was a Torah Sage? But isn’t it taught otherwise in a baraita: When a Torah scholar dies, everyone is his relative.
הַכֹּל קְרוֹבָיו סָלְקָא דַּעְתָּךְ?! אֶלָּא: הַכֹּל כִּקְרוֹבָיו: הַכֹּל קוֹרְעִין עָלָיו, וְהַכֹּל חוֹלְצִין עָלָיו, וְהַכֹּל מַבְרִין עָלָיו בָּרְחָבָה! לָא צְרִיכָא, דְּלָאו חָכָם הוּא.
The Gemara clarifies: Does it enter your mind to say that everyone is his relative? Rather, this baraita should be understood as follows: Everyone is considered to be like his relative in the sense that everyone rends his garment in anguish over him, and everyone bares his shoulder over him in mourning, and everyone eats the mourner’s meal over him in the public square as mourners do. The death of a Torah scholar is a personal loss for every Jew. So why is the mishna limited to only relatives? The Gemara answers: No, it is necessary for the mishna to teach this halakha in a case where the deceased is not a Torah scholar.
וְאִי אָדָם כָּשֵׁר הוּא — חַיּוֹבֵי מִיחַיַּיב לְמִיקְרַע. דְּתַנְיָא: מִפְּנֵי מָה בָּנָיו וּבְנוֹתָיו שֶׁל אָדָם מֵתִים כְּשֶׁהֵן קְטַנִּים — כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּבְכֶּה וְיִתְאַבֵּל עַל אָדָם כָּשֵׁר.
The Gemara asks: And if the deceased was an upright person who feared Heaven and performed good deeds, then aren’t all those present at his death obligated to rend their garments over his death? As it is taught in a baraita: For what reason do a person’s sons and daughters die when they are young? They die so that he will cry and mourn over the death of an upright person.
יִבְכֶּה וְיִתְאַבֵּל?! עֶרְבוֹנָא קָא שָׁקֵיל מִינֵּיהּ?! אֶלָּא: מִפְּנֵי שֶׁלֹּא בָּכָה וְהִתְאַבֵּל עַל אָדָם כָּשֵׁר. שֶׁכׇּל הַבּוֹכֶה וּמִתְאַבֵּל עַל אָדָם כָּשֵׁר — מוֹחֲלִין לוֹ עַל כׇּל עֲוֹנוֹתָיו בִּשְׁבִיל כָּבוֹד שֶׁעָשָׂה לוֹ! דְּלָאו אָדָם כָּשֵׁר הוּא.
The Gemara questions the formulation: They die so that he will cry and mourn? Is security, i.e., his children, taken from him in advance to ensure that in the future he will mourn over the death of an upright person? Rather the baraita means as follows: His children died because he did not cry or mourn over an upright person who died. As with regard to anyone who cries and mourns over an upright person who died, they forgive him for all his transgressions because of the honor he accorded to the deceased. If this is the case, one also rends his clothes over an upright person. The Gemara answers: Rather, the mishna is referring only to one who was not an upright person.
אִי דְּקָאֵי הָתָם בִּשְׁעַת יְצִיאַת נְשָׁמָה חַיּוֹבֵי מִיחַיַּיב! דְּתַנְיָא, רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר אוֹמֵר: הָעוֹמֵד עַל הַמֵּת בִּשְׁעַת יְצִיאַת נְשָׁמָה — חַיָּיב לִקְרוֹעַ. לְמָה זֶה דּוֹמֶה — לְסֵפֶר תּוֹרָה שֶׁנִּשְׂרַף, שֶׁחַיָּיב לִקְרוֹעַ!
The Gemara challenges: But if one was standing there at the time of the soul’s departure, i.e., at the time of death, he is also obligated to rend his clothes. As it is taught in a baraita: Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: One who stands over the deceased at the time of the soul’s departure is obligated to rend his clothes. To what may this be likened? To a Torah scroll that is burned, for which anyone present is obligated to rend his clothes.
דְּלָא קָאֵי הָתָם בִּשְׁעַת יְצִיאַת נְשָׁמָה.
The Gemara answers: The mishna must be referring to a person who was not standing there at the time of the soul’s departure but who heard that someone who is not a close relative died, and the deceased was neither a Torah scholar nor an upright person.
כִּי נָח נַפְשֵׁיהּ דְּרַב סָפְרָא, לָא קְרַעוּ רַבָּנַן עֲלֵיהּ, אָמְרִי: לָא גָּמְרִינַן מִינֵּיהּ. אֲמַר לְהוּ אַבָּיֵי: מִי תַּנְיָא ״הָרַב שֶׁמֵּת״? ״חָכָם שֶׁמֵּת״ תַּנְיָא. וְעוֹד: כֹּל יוֹמָא שְׁמַעְתָּתֵיהּ בְּפוּמִּין בְּבֵי מִדְרְשָׁא.
§ The Gemara relates that when Rav Safra passed away the other Sages did not rend their garments over him. They said: We did not learn from him, as he did not disseminate his Torah knowledge to the public. Abaye berated them and said to them: Is it taught in the baraita: If one’s teacher died? It is taught: If a Torah scholar died, and Rav Safra was certainly a Torah scholar. And furthermore, every day his teachings are in our mouths in the study hall, so that even if we did not learn directly from him, we should still be considered his students.
סְבוּר: מָה דַּהֲוָה הֲוָה. אֲמַר לְהוּ אַבָּיֵי, תְּנֵינָא: חָכָם, כׇּל זְמַן שֶׁעוֹסְקִין בְּהֶסְפֵּד — חַיָּיבִין לִקְרוֹעַ. סְבוּר לְמִיקְרַע לְאַלְתַּר, אָמַר לְהוּ אַבָּיֵי, תַּנְיָא: חָכָם כְּבוֹדוֹ בְּהֶסְפֵּידוֹ.
The other Sages thought that what was done was done, and it was now too late for them to rend their garments. Abaye said to them: We learned: With regard to a Torah scholar, as long as they are engaged in eulogizing him, then people are obligated to rend their garments, even after the time of his death. They then thought to rend their garments immediately. Abaye said to them: It is taught in a baraita: A Torah scholar’s honor is at the time of his eulogy, and so you should wait until the time of the eulogy before rending your garments.
כִּי נָח נַפְשֵׁיהּ דְּרַב הוּנָא, סְבוּר לְאוֹתוֹבֵי סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה אַפּוּרְיֵיהּ. אֲמַר לְהוּ רַב חִסְדָּא: מִילְּתָא דִּבְחַיֵּיהּ לָא סְבִירָא לֵיהּ, הַשְׁתָּא לֵיקוּם לֵיהּ לֶיעְבַּד לֵיהּ? דְּאָמַר רַב תַּחְלִיפָא: אֲנָא חֲזֵיתֵיהּ לְרַב הוּנָא דְּבָעֵי לְמֵיתַב אַפּוּרְיֵיהּ, וַהֲוָה מַנַּח סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה עֲלֵיהּ, וְכַף כַּדָּא אַאַרְעָא וְאוֹתֵיב סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה עִילָּוֵיהּ. אַלְמָא קָסָבַר: אָסוּר לֵישֵׁב עַל גַּבֵּי מִטָּה שֶׁסֵּפֶר תּוֹרָה מוּנָּח עָלֶיהָ.
§ The Gemara relates another incident: When Rav Huna died they thought to place a Torah scroll on his bier, as was commonly done after the death of a Torah scholar, as if to say that the deceased fulfilled everything written in the scroll. Rav Ḥisda said to them: This is a practice that he did not hold with during his lifetime; now should we stand up and do it for him when he is dead? As Rav Taḥlifa said: I myself saw Rav Huna, who wished to sit on his bed, and there was a Torah scroll placed on it. And he turned a jug over and placed the Torah scroll on it so that he could then sit on the bed. Apparently he holds that it is prohibited to sit on a bed upon which a Torah scroll lies. Therefore, it would be inappropriate to lay a Torah scroll next to his body after he died.
לָא הֲוָה נָפֵיק פּוּרְיָא מִבָּבָא, סְבוּר לְשַׁלְשׁוֹלֵי דֶּרֶךְ גַּגִּין. אֲמַר לְהוּ רַב חִסְדָּא, הָא גְּמִירְנָא מִינֵּיהּ: חָכָם, כְּבוֹדוֹ דֶּרֶךְ פֶּתַח.
When they tried to remove his corpse from his house for the burial, the bier would not fit through the narrow door. They then thought to lower the bier from the roof. Rav Ḥisda said to them: This I learned from him, Rav Huna himself: A scholar’s honor is for him to be taken out through the main opening, and not in any other manner.
סְבוּר לְאַשְׁנוֹיֵי מִפּוּרְיָא לְפוּרְיָא. אֲמַר לְהוּ רַב חִסְדָּא, הָכִי גְּמִירְנָא מִינֵּיהּ: חָכָם כְּבוֹדוֹ בְּמִטָּה רִאשׁוֹנָה. דְּאָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב: מִנַּיִן לְחָכָם שֶׁכְּבוֹדוֹ בְּמִטָּה רִאשׁוֹנָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיַּרְכִּיבוּ אֶת אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים אֶל עֲגָלָה חֲדָשָׁה״. פְּרוּס בָּבָא וְאַפְּקוּהּ.
They then thought to move him from his bier to a narrower bier so that it would fit through the door. But Rav Ḥisda said to them: I learned from him, Rav Huna himself, as follows: A scholar’s honor is for him to be taken out on the first bier. As Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: From where is it derived that a scholar’s honor is for him to be taken out on the first bier? As it is stated: “And they set the Ark of God upon a new cart” (II Samuel 6:3). When taking the Ark to Jerusalem, King David had it placed back on the cart upon which it had been returned by the Philistines, and a Torah scholar is considered to be similar to the Ark of the Covenant. When they saw that there was nothing else that they could do, they broke the doorway and took him out through it.
פְּתַח עֲלֵיהּ רַבִּי אַבָּא: רָאוּי הָיָה רַבֵּינוּ שֶׁתִּשְׁרֶה עָלָיו שְׁכִינָה, אֶלָּא שֶׁבָּבֶל גָּרְמָה לוֹ.
Rabbi Abba opened his eulogy for him: Our Rabbi was worthy that the Divine Presence should rest upon him, except for the fact that Babylonia caused it not to rest. In other words, it was only because he lived in Babylonia and not in Eretz Yisrael that the Divine Presence did not rest upon him.
מֵתִיב רַב נַחְמָן בַּר חִסְדָּא, וְאָמְרִי לַהּ רַב חָנָן בַּר חִסְדָּא: ״הָיֹה הָיָה דְבַר ה׳ אֶל יְחֶזְקֵאל בֶּן בּוּזִי הַכֹּהֵן בְּאֶרֶץ כַּשְׂדִּים״!
Rav Naḥman bar Ḥisda raised an objection against this, and some say that it was Rav Ḥanan bar Ḥisda: Is it not stated: “The word of the Lord came [hayo haya] to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans” (Ezekiel 1:3), thereby implying that a prophet can prophesy outside of Eretz Yisrael?
טְפַח לֵיהּ אֲבוּהּ בְּסַנְדָּלֵיהּ, אֲמַר לֵיהּ: לָאו אָמֵינָא לָךְ לָא תִּיטְרוֹד עָלְמָא? מַאי ״הָיָה״ — שֶׁהָיָה כְּבָר.
His father tapped him with his sandal on his foot, thereby hinting to him that he should be quiet. He said to him: Have I not told you not to trouble everyone with questions in the middle of a eulogy? The Gemara answers the question: What is the meaning of the doubling of the word “came [hayo haya]”? It implies that it had already come before, i.e., that Ezekiel had already begun to prophesy in Eretz Yisrael, and his prophecy in Babylonia was merely a continuation of that prophecy.
כִּי אַסְּקוּהּ לְהָתָם, אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ לְרַבִּי אַמֵּי וּלְרַבִּי אַסִּי: רַב הוּנָא אָתֵי. אֲמַרוּ: כִּי הֲוֵינַן הָתָם לָא הֲוָה לַן לְדַלּוֹיֵי רֵישִׁין מִינֵּיהּ. הַשְׁתָּא אָתֵינַן הָכָא — אֲתָא בָּתְרִין?
§ The Gemara relates that when they took Rav Huna there, to Eretz Yisrael, for burial they said to Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asi: Rav Huna has come, and they misunderstood and thought that he was still alive. They said: When we were there, in Babylonia, we did not have strength to lift our heads before him. Now that we have come here, has he come after us?
אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: אֲרוֹנוֹ בָּא. רַבִּי אַמֵּי וְרַבִּי אַסִּי נְפוּק, רַבִּי אִילָא וְרַבִּי חֲנִינָא לָא נְפוּק. אִיכָּא דְּאָמְרִי: רַבִּי אִילָא נְפַק, רַבִּי חֲנִינָא לָא נְפַק.
They said to them: His coffin has come. Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asi went out to meet his funeral procession. Rabbi Ila and Rabbi Ḥanina did not go out. Some say that Rabbi Ila went out, but Rabbi Ḥanina did not go out.
דִּנְפַק, מַאי טַעְמֵיהּ? דְּתַנְיָא: אָרוֹן הָעוֹבֵר מִמָּקוֹם לְמָקוֹם — עוֹמְדִים עָלָיו בְּשׁוּרָה וְאוֹמְרִים עָלָיו בִּרְכַּת אֲבֵלִים וְתַנְחוּמֵי אֲבֵלִים. דְּלָא נְפַק, מַאי טַעְמָא? דְּתַנְיָא: אָרוֹן הָעוֹבֵר מִמָּקוֹם לְמָקוֹם — אֵין עוֹמְדִין עָלָיו בְּשׁוּרָה וְאֵין אוֹמְרִים עָלָיו בִּרְכַּת אֲבֵלִים וְתַנְחוּמֵי אֲבֵלִים.
The Gemara asks: Those who went out, what is the reason that they went? As it is taught in a baraita: When a coffin is passing from place to place, the people stand in a line to show respect for the deceased, and they recite the mourners’ blessing and the consolation of the mourners over it. Those who did not go out, what is the reason that they did not? As it is taught in another baraita: When a coffin is passing from place to place, they do not stand in a line to show respect for the deceased, and they do not recite the mourners’ blessing or the consolation of the mourners for him.
קַשְׁיָין אַהֲדָדֵי! לָא קַשְׁיָא: כָּאן — שֶׁשִּׁלְדּוֹ קַיֶּימֶת, כָּאן — בְּשֶׁאֵין שִׁלְדּוֹ קַיֶּימֶת. וְרַב הוּנָא שִׁלְדּוֹ קַיֶּימֶת הֲוָה? דְּלָא נְפַק, לָא סַיְּימוּהָ קַמֵּיהּ.
The Gemara asks: If so, these two tannaitic statements contradict each other. The Gemara answers: It is not difficult: Here, the baraita is referring to a case where the skeleton of the deceased is still intact, and the mourning practices must be observed. And there the baraita is referring to a case where the skeleton of the deceased is no longer intact, and it is not necessary to observe the customs of mourning. And Rav Huna’s skeleton was still intact. The reason that the one Sage did not go out was that they did not confirm for him that the skeleton was still intact.
אָמְרִי: הֵיכָא נַינְּחֵיהּ? רַב הוּנָא רִיבֵּץ תּוֹרָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְרַבִּי חִיָּיא רִיבֵּץ תּוֹרָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל הֲוָה.
The Sages of Eretz Yisrael said: Where shall we bury him? They concluded: Rav Huna disseminated Torah to the people of Israel, and similarly Rabbi Ḥiyya disseminated Torah to the people of Israel; therefore, it is appropriate to bury Rav Huna next to Rabbi Ḥiyya.
מַאן מְעַיֵּיל לֵיהּ? אֲמַר לְהוּ רַב חַגָּא: אֲנָא מְעַיֵּילְנָא לֵיהּ, דְּאוֹקֵמְתֵּיהּ לְתַלְמוּדַאי כִּי הֲוֵינָא בַּר תַּמְנֵי סְרֵי שְׁנִין וְלָא חֲזֵי לִי קֶרִי, וּמְשַׁמַּע לִי(ה) קַמֵּיהּ, וִידַעִי בְּעוֹבָדֵיהּ, דְּיוֹמָא חַד אִתְהֲפִיכָא לֵיהּ רְצוּעָה דִתְפִילִּין וִיתֵיב עֲלַהּ אַרְבְּעִין תַּעֲנִיָּתָא.
They asked: Who will take him in to Rabbi Ḥiyya’s burial cave, as few are fit to enter it? Rav Ḥagga said to them: I will take him into the cave, for I presented my studies before him when I was just eighteen, never having experienced a seminal emission. And so too I attended to him and knew his great deeds. For example, one day one of the straps of his phylacteries turned around, the unpainted side being turned outward, and he observed forty fasts for this, as he had acted negligently, allowing the black side to face inward.
עַיְּילֵיהּ, הֲוָה גָּנֵי יְהוּדָה מִיַּמִּינֵיהּ דַּאֲבוּהּ וְחִזְקִיָּה מִשְּׂמָאלֵיהּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ יְהוּדָה לְחִזְקִיָּה: קוּם מִדּוּכְתִּיךְ, דְּלָאו אוֹרַח אַרְעָא דְּקָאֵים רַב הוּנָא. בַּהֲדֵי דְּקָאֵים — קָם בַּהֲדֵיהּ עַמּוּדָא דְנוּרָא. חַזְיֵיהּ רַב חַגָּא, אִיבְּעִית, זַקְפֵיהּ לַאֲרוֹנֵיהּ וּנְפַק אֲתָא. וְהַאי דְּלָא אִיעֲנַשׁ (ענש), מִשּׁוּם דְּזַקְפֵיהּ לַאֲרוֹנֵיהּ דְּרַב הוּנָא.
Rav Ḥagga took him in. The body of Rabbi Ḥiyya’s son Yehuda lay buried to the right of his father, and the body of his other son Ḥizkiyya lay to his left. The spirit of Yehuda said to the spirit of Ḥizkiyya: Rise from your place, as it is not proper conduct to remain lying when the body of Rav Huna is standing here. When Ḥizkiyya’s corpse stood up, a pillar of fire rose with him. When Rabbi Ḥagga saw this, he was frightened by what he saw, and so he stood up Rav Huna’s coffin and went away. The Gemara comments: And he was not punished or harmed by this pillar of fire because he set up Rav Huna’s coffin as protection for himself.
כִּי נָח נַפְשֵׁיהּ דְּרַב חִסְדָּא, סְבוּר לְאוֹתוֹבֵי סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה אַפּוּרְיֵיהּ. אֲמַר לְהוּ רַבִּי יִצְחָק: מִילְּתָא דִּלְרַבֵּיהּ לָא סְבִירָא לֵיהּ, אֲנַן נֵיקוּם נַעֲבֵיד לֵיהּ?
§ The Gemara relates another story about the burial of one of the Sages: When Rav Ḥisda died they thought to place a Torah scroll on his bier. Rabbi Yitzḥak said to them: This is a practice that this Rabbi did not hold with during his lifetime; should we stand up and do it for him now that he is dead?
סְבוּר דְּלָא לְמִישְׁלַל קִרְעַיְיהוּ. אֲמַר לְהוּ רַבִּי יִצְחָק בַּר אַמֵּי: חָכָם, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהֶחְזִירוּ פְּנֵיהֶם מֵאֲחוֹרֵי הַמִּטָּה — שׁוֹלְלִין.
They then thought not to tack, i.e., sew up, the tears that they had made in their clothes. Rabbi Yitzḥak bar Ami said to them: When the deceased is a Torah Sage, they may tack the tears once they turn their faces from the bier.
כִּי נָח נַפְשֵׁיהּ דְּרַבָּה בַּר הוּנָא וְרַב הַמְנוּנָא, אַסְּקוּנְהוּ לְהָתָם.
The Gemara relates that when Rabba bar Huna and Rav Hamnuna died, they took them both up there, to Eretz Yisrael.
כִּי מְטוֹ אַגִּישְׁרָא, קָמוּ גַּמְלֵי. אֲמַר לְהוּ הַהוּא טַיָּיעָא: מַאי הַאי? אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: רַבָּנַן דְּקָא עָבְדִי יְקָרָא אַהֲדָדֵי. מָר אָמַר: מָר נֵיעוּל בְּרֵישָׁא, וּמָר אָמַר: מָר נֵיעוּל בְּרֵישָׁא. אֲמַר: דִּינָא הוּא דְּרַבָּה בַּר הוּנָא לֵיעוּל בְּרֵישָׁא. חֲלֵיף גַּמְלֵיהּ דְּרַבָּה בַּר הוּנָא, נְתוּר כַּכֵּיהּ וְשִׁנֵּיהּ דְּהָהוּא טַיָּיעָא.
When they reached a bridge that could be crossed only in single file, the camels carrying the two Sages stood in their places and would not cross the bridge. A certain Arab [Tayya’a] who witnessed what was happening said to them: What is this phenomenon that the camels have stopped moving? They said to him: The deceased Sages are showing honor to each other. It is as if one Sage is saying: The Master should go and cross the bridge first, while at the same time the other Sage is saying: The Master should go and cross first. The Arab said: By law Rabba bar Huna should go first, since he is the son of a great man, and the camel carrying Rabba bar Huna then passed first. Shortly thereafter, the molars and other teeth of that Arab fell out due to the disrespect he showed Rav Hamnuna.
פְּתַח עֲלֵיהּ הַהוּא יָנוֹקָא: גֶּזַע יְשִׁישִׁים עָלָה מִבָּבֶל, וְעִמּוֹ סֵפֶר מִלְחָמוֹת, קָאַת וְקִפּוֹד הוּכְפְּלוּ, לִרְאוֹת בְּשׁוֹד וָשֶׁבֶר הַבָּא מִשִּׁנְעָר. קָצַף עַל עוֹלָמוֹ וְחָמַס מִמֶּנּוּ נְפָשׁוֹת, וְשָׂמַח בָּהֶם כְּכַלָּה חֲדָשָׁה. רוֹכֵב עֲרָבוֹת שָׂשׂ וְשָׂמַח, בְּבֹא אֵלָיו נֶפֶשׁ נָקִי וְצַדִּיק.
When they reached Tiberias a certain child opened his eulogy saying as follows: The shoot of an ancient line, i.e., Rabba bar Rav Huna, who was the descendant of great people, has ascended from Babylonia, and with him is the book of wars, i.e., Rav Hamnuna, who was great in Torah, which is referred to as the book of the Wars of the Lord (Numbers 21:14). The curses of the pelican and the bittern, which are symbols of the destruction of the Temple (Isaiah 34:11), have been doubled, to see the ruin and brokenness that has come from Shinar, i.e., Babylonia. The Lord became angry with His world and seized souls from it, and He rejoices over them when they come to Him like a new bride. God who rides upon the clouds is joyous and happy when an innocent and righteous soul comes to Him.
כִּי נָח נַפְשֵׁיהּ דְּרָבִינָא, פְּתַח עֲלֵיהּ הַהוּא סַפְדָנָא: תְּמָרִים הָנִיעוּ רֹאשׁ עַל צַדִּיק כַּתָּמָר, נָשִׂים לֵילוֹת כְּיָמִים עַל מֵשִׂים לֵילוֹת כְּיָמִים.
§ The Gemara continues recounting other famous eulogies. When Ravina passed away, a certain eulogizer opened his eulogy for him with the following words: Date-palms, hang your heads in sadness over the righteous man who may be likened to a date-palm. Let us make, our nights like days in weeping, over a man who made his nights like days studying the Torah.
אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַב אָשֵׁי לְבַר קִיפּוֹק: הָהוּא יוֹמָא מַאי אָמְרַתְּ? אֲמַר לֵיהּ, אָמֵינָא: אִם בַּאֲרָזִים נָפְלָה שַׁלְהֶבֶת, מָה יַעֲשׂוּ אֵיזוֹבֵי קִיר. לִוְיָתָן בְּחַכָּה הוֹעֲלָה, מָה יַעֲשׂוּ דְּגֵי רְקָק. בְּנַחַל שׁוֹטֵף נָפְלָה חַכָּה, מָה יַעֲשׂוּ מֵי גֵבִים.
The Gemara relates that prior to Ravina’s death, Rav Ashi said to bar Kippok, who was a famous eulogizer: On that day when Ravina will die, what will you say? He said to him: I shall begin my eulogy and say as follows: If the cedars went up in flame, what shall the hyssop of the wall do? If the leviathan was lifted by a hook, what shall the tiny fish of the marsh do? If dryness overtook a flowing river, what can the water of the puddles do?
אֲמַר לֵיהּ בַּר אָבִין: חַס וְשָׁלוֹם דְּחַכָּה וְשַׁלְהֶבֶת בְּצַדִּיקֵי אָמֵינָא. וּמַאי אָמְרַתְּ? אָמֵינָא: בְּכוּ לָאֲבֵלִים וְלֹא לָאֲבֵידָה, שֶׁהִיא לִמְנוּחָה וְאָנוּ לַאֲנָחָה.
Bar Avin, who was also a eulogizer, said to him: God forbid that the words hook and flame should be said with regard to the righteous, as these are not expressions of honor. Rav Ashi asked him: And what will you say? He said to him: I shall say: Cry for the mourners and not for that which was lost, as that which was lost, i.e., the soul of Ravina, has gone to its eternal rest, while we, the mourners, are left with our sighs.
חֲלַשׁ דַּעְתֵּיהּ עֲלַיְיהוּ, וְאִתְהֲפוּךְ כַּרְעַיְיהוּ. הַהוּא יוֹמָא לָא אֲתוֹ לְאַסְפּוֹדֵיהּ. וְהַיְינוּ דְּאָמַר רַב אָשֵׁי: לָא בַּר קִיפּוֹק חָלֵיץ, וְלָא בַּר אָבִין חָלֵיץ.
Rav Ashi was offended by them, as their words of praise for Ravina might have been understood as a show of disrespect to Rav Ashi, since they likened Ravina to a cedar and the other Sages, Rav Ashi included, to hyssops of the wall. Due to Rav Ashi’s anger, their feet turned inward and became crooked. On that day when Ravina actually died, neither of them came to eulogize him. This is what Rav Ashi said using a metaphor to describe this incident: Neither bar Kippok can perform ḥalitza, nor can bar Avin perform ḥalitza, because their feet are crooked and so their shoes cannot be removed from their feet in the proper manner.
רָבָא, כִּי הֲוָה אֲתָא לְדִגְלַת, אֲמַר לֵיהּ לְבַר אָבִין: קוּם אֵימָא מִילְּתָא. קָאֵי וְאָמַר: בָּאוּ רוֹב שְׁלִישִׁית בְּמַיִם, זְכוֹר וְרַחֵם. תָּעִינוּ מֵאַחֲרֶיךָ כְּאִשָּׁה מִבַּעְלָהּ, אַל תַּזְנִיחֵנוּ כְּאוֹת מֵי מָרָה.
When Rava once came to the Tigris River, and he was concerned that he might be swept away by the water, he said to bar Avin: Rise and say a prayer on our behalf. He rose and said: Most of the third, a poetic reference to the Jewish people (Isaiah 19:24), has come in the water, implying that Rava was equal in importance to the majority of the Jewish people. Remember then and have mercy on us. Although we have strayed from you like an unfaithful woman strays from her husband, do not forsake and punish us like the sign of the bitter water, with which a woman suspected of adultery is tested. That is to say, do not punish us with water.
(חָנִין, יוֹחָנָן, זֵירָא, אַבָּא, יַעֲקֹב, יוֹסֵי, שְׁמוּאֵל, חִיָּיא, מְנַחֵם סִימָן).
Apropos eulogies for righteous men, the Gemara presents the names: Ḥanin, Yoḥanan, Zeira, Abba, Ya’akov, Yosei, Shmuel, Ḥiyya, and Menaḥem; this is a mnemonic device for the stories that follow.
רַבִּי חָנִין, חַתְנֵיהּ דְּבֵי נְשִׂיאָה הֲוָה. לָא (קָא) הֲווֹ לֵיהּ בְּנֵי, בְּעָא רַחֲמֵי וַהֲווֹ לֵיהּ. הָהוּא יוֹמָא דַּהֲוָה לֵיהּ, נָח נַפְשֵׁיהּ, פְּתַח עֲלֵיהּ הַהוּא סַפְדָנָא: שִׂמְחָה לְתוּגָה נֶהְפָּכָה, שָׂשׂוֹן וְיָגוֹן נִדְבָּקוּ, בְּעֵת שִׂמְחָתוֹ נֶאֱנַח, בְּעֵת חֲנִינָתוֹ אָבַד חֲנִינוֹ. אַסִּיקוּ לֵיהּ חָנִן עַל שְׁמֵיהּ.
It was related that Rabbi Ḥanin was a son-in-law in the house of the Nasi. At first he did not have any children, but he prayed that God have mercy on him, and then had a child. On the same day that a son was born to him, he himself passed away. A certain eulogizer opened his eulogy for him with the following words: Happiness has been turned into sorrow; joy and suffering have become joined together. At the moment of his happiness he sighed his dying breath. At the moment he was graced with a son, his own grace was lost. And they named the child Ḥanan after his father.
כִּי נָח נַפְשֵׁיהּ דְּרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן, פְּתַח עֲלֵיהּ רַבִּי יִצְחָק בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר: קָשֶׁה הַיּוֹם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּיוֹם בֹּא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בַּצׇּהֳרַיִם, דִּכְתִיב: ״וְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא וְהֵבֵאתִי הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בַּצׇּהֳרַיִם״. וְאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: זֶה יוֹמוֹ שֶׁל יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ.
When Rabbi Yoḥanan passed away, Rabbi Yitzḥak ben Elazar opened his eulogy for him as follows: Today is as difficult for the Jewish people as the day that the sun set at noon, as it is written: “And it shall come to pass on that day, says the Lord God, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day. And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning for an only son, and its end like a bitter day” (Amos 8:9–10). And Rabbi Yoḥanan said: This was the day on which King Josiah was killed (see II Chronicles 35:20–24). This demonstrates that the most righteous person of the generation is described as the sun.
כִּי נָח נַפְשֵׁיהּ דְּרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן, יָתֵיב רַבִּי אַמֵּי שִׁבְעָה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים. אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר אַבָּא: רַבִּי אַמֵּי דַּעֲבַד — לְגַרְמֵיהּ הוּא דַּעֲבַד, דְּהָכִי אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר אַבָּא אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: אֲפִילּוּ רַבּוֹ שֶׁלִּימְּדוֹ חׇכְמָה — אֵינוֹ יוֹשֵׁב עָלָיו אֶלָּא יוֹם אֶחָד.
It was further related that when Rabbi Yoḥanan passed away, Rabbi Ami sat in mourning for him for seven days and for thirty days as though he had lost a close relative. Rabbi Abba, son of Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, said: What Rabbi Ami did, he did on his own, but this practice does not reflect the halakha. For Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said as follows: Even for the death of his teacher who taught him wisdom, one sits in mourning over him for only one day and no more.
כִּי נָח נַפְשֵׁיהּ דְּרַבִּי זֵירָא, פְּתַח עֲלֵיהּ הַהוּא סַפְדָנָא: אֶרֶץ שִׁנְעָר הָרָה וְיָלְדָה, אֶרֶץ צְבִי גִּידְּלָה שַׁעֲשׁוּעֶיהָ. אוֹי נָא לָהּ אָמְרָה רַקַּת, כִּי אִבְּדָה כְּלִי חֶמְדָּתָהּ.
The Gemara tells of another incident about a eulogy: When Rabbi Zeira died, a certain eulogizer opened his eulogy for him saying: The land of Shinar conceived and gave birth to him, as he was originally Babylonian, but the land of beauty, i.e., Eretz Yisrael, raised the darling of Babylonia, as he later moved to Eretz Yisrael and grew up there. Woe to her, said Rakkath, a poetic name for Tiberias, for her dearest vessel has been lost.
כִּי נָח נַפְשֵׁיהּ דְּרַבִּי אֲבָהוּ, אַחִיתוּ עַמּוּדֵי דְקֵסָרִי מַיָּא. דְּרַבִּי יוֹסֵי, שְׁפַעוּ מַרְזְבֵי דְצִיפּוֹרִי דְּמָא. דְּרַבִּי יַעֲקֹב, אִתְחֲמִיאוּ כּוֹכְבֵי בִּימָמָא. דְּרַבִּי אַסִּי, אִיעֲקַרוּ כׇּל אִילָנַיָּא. דְּרַבִּי חִיָּיא, נְחִיתוּ כֵּיפֵי דְנוּרָא מֵרְקִיעָא. דְּרַבִּי מְנַחֵם בְּרַבִּי יוֹסֵי, אִישְׁתַּעוֹ צַלְמָנַיָּיא וַהֲווֹ (לְמַחְלְצַיָּיא).
The Gemara continues to discuss the death of the righteous: When Rabbi Abbahu passed away, the pillars of Caesarea, his city, ran with water as if they were shedding tears over him. When Rabbi Yosei passed away, the gutters of Tzippori, his city, flowed with blood. When Rabbi Ya’akov passed away, the stars were visible during the day. When Rabbi Asi passed away, all the trees were uprooted in a storm. When Rabbi Ḥiyya passed away, fiery stones fell from the sky. When Rabbi Menaḥem, son of Rabbi Yosei, passed away, the faces of the statues became smooth as if they had been smoothed with a plasterer’s trowel [meḥlatzaya].
דְּרַבִּי תַּנְחוּם בַּר חִיָּיא, אִיתְקַצַּצוּ כֹּל אַנְדְּרָטַיָּא. דְּרַבִּי אֶלְיָשִׁיב, אִיחֲתַרוּ שִׁבְעִין מַחְתַּרְתָּא בִּנְהַרְדְּעָא. דְּרַב הַמְנוּנָא, נְחִיתוּ כֵּיפֵי דְבַרְדָּא מֵרְקִיעָא. דְּרַבָּה וְרַב יוֹסֵף, נְשׁוּק כֵּיפֵי דִפְרָת אַהֲדָדֵי. דְּאַבָּיֵי וְרָבָא, נְשׁוּק כֵּיפֵי דְּדִגְלַת אַהֲדָדֵי. כִּי נָח נַפְשֵׁיהּ דְּרַבִּי מְשַׁרְשְׁיָא, טְעוּן דִּיקְלֵי שִׁיצֵי.
When Rabbi Tanḥum bar Ḥiyya passed away, every statue [andartaya] of the king was mutilated. When Rabbi Elyashiv passed away, seventy tunnels of thieves were dug in Neharde’a, because as long as he was alive there were no thieves in the town due to his merit. When Rav Hamnuna passed away, hail stones fell from the sky. When Rabba and Rav Yosef passed away, the tops of the bridges of the Euphrates collapsed and touched each other. When Abaye and Rava passed away, the tops of the bridges of the Tigris collapsed and touched each other. When Rabbi Mesharshiyya passed away, the palm trees became laden with thorns [shitzei].
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן:
§ The Gemara returns to the subject of tearing garments in mourning: The Sages taught the following baraita:
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Moed Katan 25
גְּמָ׳ וַאֲפִילּוּ חָכָם? וְהָתַנְיָא: חָכָם שֶׁמֵּת — הַכֹּל קְרוֹבָיו.
GEMARA: The mishna teaches that only the relatives of the deceased rend their clothes. The Gemara asks: And is this the case even if the deceased was a Torah Sage? But isn’t it taught otherwise in a baraita: When a Torah scholar dies, everyone is his relative.
הַכֹּל קְרוֹבָיו סָלְקָא דַּעְתָּךְ?! אֶלָּא: הַכֹּל כִּקְרוֹבָיו: הַכֹּל קוֹרְעִין עָלָיו, וְהַכֹּל חוֹלְצִין עָלָיו, וְהַכֹּל מַבְרִין עָלָיו בָּרְחָבָה! לָא צְרִיכָא, דְּלָאו חָכָם הוּא.
The Gemara clarifies: Does it enter your mind to say that everyone is his relative? Rather, this baraita should be understood as follows: Everyone is considered to be like his relative in the sense that everyone rends his garment in anguish over him, and everyone bares his shoulder over him in mourning, and everyone eats the mourner’s meal over him in the public square as mourners do. The death of a Torah scholar is a personal loss for every Jew. So why is the mishna limited to only relatives? The Gemara answers: No, it is necessary for the mishna to teach this halakha in a case where the deceased is not a Torah scholar.
וְאִי אָדָם כָּשֵׁר הוּא — חַיּוֹבֵי מִיחַיַּיב לְמִיקְרַע. דְּתַנְיָא: מִפְּנֵי מָה בָּנָיו וּבְנוֹתָיו שֶׁל אָדָם מֵתִים כְּשֶׁהֵן קְטַנִּים — כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּבְכֶּה וְיִתְאַבֵּל עַל אָדָם כָּשֵׁר.
The Gemara asks: And if the deceased was an upright person who feared Heaven and performed good deeds, then aren’t all those present at his death obligated to rend their garments over his death? As it is taught in a baraita: For what reason do a person’s sons and daughters die when they are young? They die so that he will cry and mourn over the death of an upright person.
יִבְכֶּה וְיִתְאַבֵּל?! עֶרְבוֹנָא קָא שָׁקֵיל מִינֵּיהּ?! אֶלָּא: מִפְּנֵי שֶׁלֹּא בָּכָה וְהִתְאַבֵּל עַל אָדָם כָּשֵׁר. שֶׁכׇּל הַבּוֹכֶה וּמִתְאַבֵּל עַל אָדָם כָּשֵׁר — מוֹחֲלִין לוֹ עַל כׇּל עֲוֹנוֹתָיו בִּשְׁבִיל כָּבוֹד שֶׁעָשָׂה לוֹ! דְּלָאו אָדָם כָּשֵׁר הוּא.
The Gemara questions the formulation: They die so that he will cry and mourn? Is security, i.e., his children, taken from him in advance to ensure that in the future he will mourn over the death of an upright person? Rather the baraita means as follows: His children died because he did not cry or mourn over an upright person who died. As with regard to anyone who cries and mourns over an upright person who died, they forgive him for all his transgressions because of the honor he accorded to the deceased. If this is the case, one also rends his clothes over an upright person. The Gemara answers: Rather, the mishna is referring only to one who was not an upright person.
אִי דְּקָאֵי הָתָם בִּשְׁעַת יְצִיאַת נְשָׁמָה חַיּוֹבֵי מִיחַיַּיב! דְּתַנְיָא, רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר אוֹמֵר: הָעוֹמֵד עַל הַמֵּת בִּשְׁעַת יְצִיאַת נְשָׁמָה — חַיָּיב לִקְרוֹעַ. לְמָה זֶה דּוֹמֶה — לְסֵפֶר תּוֹרָה שֶׁנִּשְׂרַף, שֶׁחַיָּיב לִקְרוֹעַ!
The Gemara challenges: But if one was standing there at the time of the soul’s departure, i.e., at the time of death, he is also obligated to rend his clothes. As it is taught in a baraita: Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: One who stands over the deceased at the time of the soul’s departure is obligated to rend his clothes. To what may this be likened? To a Torah scroll that is burned, for which anyone present is obligated to rend his clothes.
דְּלָא קָאֵי הָתָם בִּשְׁעַת יְצִיאַת נְשָׁמָה.
The Gemara answers: The mishna must be referring to a person who was not standing there at the time of the soul’s departure but who heard that someone who is not a close relative died, and the deceased was neither a Torah scholar nor an upright person.
כִּי נָח נַפְשֵׁיהּ דְּרַב סָפְרָא, לָא קְרַעוּ רַבָּנַן עֲלֵיהּ, אָמְרִי: לָא גָּמְרִינַן מִינֵּיהּ. אֲמַר לְהוּ אַבָּיֵי: מִי תַּנְיָא ״הָרַב שֶׁמֵּת״? ״חָכָם שֶׁמֵּת״ תַּנְיָא. וְעוֹד: כֹּל יוֹמָא שְׁמַעְתָּתֵיהּ בְּפוּמִּין בְּבֵי מִדְרְשָׁא.
§ The Gemara relates that when Rav Safra passed away the other Sages did not rend their garments over him. They said: We did not learn from him, as he did not disseminate his Torah knowledge to the public. Abaye berated them and said to them: Is it taught in the baraita: If one’s teacher died? It is taught: If a Torah scholar died, and Rav Safra was certainly a Torah scholar. And furthermore, every day his teachings are in our mouths in the study hall, so that even if we did not learn directly from him, we should still be considered his students.
סְבוּר: מָה דַּהֲוָה הֲוָה. אֲמַר לְהוּ אַבָּיֵי, תְּנֵינָא: חָכָם, כׇּל זְמַן שֶׁעוֹסְקִין בְּהֶסְפֵּד — חַיָּיבִין לִקְרוֹעַ. סְבוּר לְמִיקְרַע לְאַלְתַּר, אָמַר לְהוּ אַבָּיֵי, תַּנְיָא: חָכָם כְּבוֹדוֹ בְּהֶסְפֵּידוֹ.
The other Sages thought that what was done was done, and it was now too late for them to rend their garments. Abaye said to them: We learned: With regard to a Torah scholar, as long as they are engaged in eulogizing him, then people are obligated to rend their garments, even after the time of his death. They then thought to rend their garments immediately. Abaye said to them: It is taught in a baraita: A Torah scholar’s honor is at the time of his eulogy, and so you should wait until the time of the eulogy before rending your garments.
כִּי נָח נַפְשֵׁיהּ דְּרַב הוּנָא, סְבוּר לְאוֹתוֹבֵי סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה אַפּוּרְיֵיהּ. אֲמַר לְהוּ רַב חִסְדָּא: מִילְּתָא דִּבְחַיֵּיהּ לָא סְבִירָא לֵיהּ, הַשְׁתָּא לֵיקוּם לֵיהּ לֶיעְבַּד לֵיהּ? דְּאָמַר רַב תַּחְלִיפָא: אֲנָא חֲזֵיתֵיהּ לְרַב הוּנָא דְּבָעֵי לְמֵיתַב אַפּוּרְיֵיהּ, וַהֲוָה מַנַּח סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה עֲלֵיהּ, וְכַף כַּדָּא אַאַרְעָא וְאוֹתֵיב סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה עִילָּוֵיהּ. אַלְמָא קָסָבַר: אָסוּר לֵישֵׁב עַל גַּבֵּי מִטָּה שֶׁסֵּפֶר תּוֹרָה מוּנָּח עָלֶיהָ.
§ The Gemara relates another incident: When Rav Huna died they thought to place a Torah scroll on his bier, as was commonly done after the death of a Torah scholar, as if to say that the deceased fulfilled everything written in the scroll. Rav Ḥisda said to them: This is a practice that he did not hold with during his lifetime; now should we stand up and do it for him when he is dead? As Rav Taḥlifa said: I myself saw Rav Huna, who wished to sit on his bed, and there was a Torah scroll placed on it. And he turned a jug over and placed the Torah scroll on it so that he could then sit on the bed. Apparently he holds that it is prohibited to sit on a bed upon which a Torah scroll lies. Therefore, it would be inappropriate to lay a Torah scroll next to his body after he died.
לָא הֲוָה נָפֵיק פּוּרְיָא מִבָּבָא, סְבוּר לְשַׁלְשׁוֹלֵי דֶּרֶךְ גַּגִּין. אֲמַר לְהוּ רַב חִסְדָּא, הָא גְּמִירְנָא מִינֵּיהּ: חָכָם, כְּבוֹדוֹ דֶּרֶךְ פֶּתַח.
When they tried to remove his corpse from his house for the burial, the bier would not fit through the narrow door. They then thought to lower the bier from the roof. Rav Ḥisda said to them: This I learned from him, Rav Huna himself: A scholar’s honor is for him to be taken out through the main opening, and not in any other manner.
סְבוּר לְאַשְׁנוֹיֵי מִפּוּרְיָא לְפוּרְיָא. אֲמַר לְהוּ רַב חִסְדָּא, הָכִי גְּמִירְנָא מִינֵּיהּ: חָכָם כְּבוֹדוֹ בְּמִטָּה רִאשׁוֹנָה. דְּאָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב: מִנַּיִן לְחָכָם שֶׁכְּבוֹדוֹ בְּמִטָּה רִאשׁוֹנָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיַּרְכִּיבוּ אֶת אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים אֶל עֲגָלָה חֲדָשָׁה״. פְּרוּס בָּבָא וְאַפְּקוּהּ.
They then thought to move him from his bier to a narrower bier so that it would fit through the door. But Rav Ḥisda said to them: I learned from him, Rav Huna himself, as follows: A scholar’s honor is for him to be taken out on the first bier. As Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: From where is it derived that a scholar’s honor is for him to be taken out on the first bier? As it is stated: “And they set the Ark of God upon a new cart” (II Samuel 6:3). When taking the Ark to Jerusalem, King David had it placed back on the cart upon which it had been returned by the Philistines, and a Torah scholar is considered to be similar to the Ark of the Covenant. When they saw that there was nothing else that they could do, they broke the doorway and took him out through it.
פְּתַח עֲלֵיהּ רַבִּי אַבָּא: רָאוּי הָיָה רַבֵּינוּ שֶׁתִּשְׁרֶה עָלָיו שְׁכִינָה, אֶלָּא שֶׁבָּבֶל גָּרְמָה לוֹ.
Rabbi Abba opened his eulogy for him: Our Rabbi was worthy that the Divine Presence should rest upon him, except for the fact that Babylonia caused it not to rest. In other words, it was only because he lived in Babylonia and not in Eretz Yisrael that the Divine Presence did not rest upon him.
מֵתִיב רַב נַחְמָן בַּר חִסְדָּא, וְאָמְרִי לַהּ רַב חָנָן בַּר חִסְדָּא: ״הָיֹה הָיָה דְבַר ה׳ אֶל יְחֶזְקֵאל בֶּן בּוּזִי הַכֹּהֵן בְּאֶרֶץ כַּשְׂדִּים״!
Rav Naḥman bar Ḥisda raised an objection against this, and some say that it was Rav Ḥanan bar Ḥisda: Is it not stated: “The word of the Lord came [hayo haya] to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans” (Ezekiel 1:3), thereby implying that a prophet can prophesy outside of Eretz Yisrael?
טְפַח לֵיהּ אֲבוּהּ בְּסַנְדָּלֵיהּ, אֲמַר לֵיהּ: לָאו אָמֵינָא לָךְ לָא תִּיטְרוֹד עָלְמָא? מַאי ״הָיָה״ — שֶׁהָיָה כְּבָר.
His father tapped him with his sandal on his foot, thereby hinting to him that he should be quiet. He said to him: Have I not told you not to trouble everyone with questions in the middle of a eulogy? The Gemara answers the question: What is the meaning of the doubling of the word “came [hayo haya]”? It implies that it had already come before, i.e., that Ezekiel had already begun to prophesy in Eretz Yisrael, and his prophecy in Babylonia was merely a continuation of that prophecy.
כִּי אַסְּקוּהּ לְהָתָם, אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ לְרַבִּי אַמֵּי וּלְרַבִּי אַסִּי: רַב הוּנָא אָתֵי. אֲמַרוּ: כִּי הֲוֵינַן הָתָם לָא הֲוָה לַן לְדַלּוֹיֵי רֵישִׁין מִינֵּיהּ. הַשְׁתָּא אָתֵינַן הָכָא — אֲתָא בָּתְרִין?
§ The Gemara relates that when they took Rav Huna there, to Eretz Yisrael, for burial they said to Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asi: Rav Huna has come, and they misunderstood and thought that he was still alive. They said: When we were there, in Babylonia, we did not have strength to lift our heads before him. Now that we have come here, has he come after us?
אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: אֲרוֹנוֹ בָּא. רַבִּי אַמֵּי וְרַבִּי אַסִּי נְפוּק, רַבִּי אִילָא וְרַבִּי חֲנִינָא לָא נְפוּק. אִיכָּא דְּאָמְרִי: רַבִּי אִילָא נְפַק, רַבִּי חֲנִינָא לָא נְפַק.
They said to them: His coffin has come. Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asi went out to meet his funeral procession. Rabbi Ila and Rabbi Ḥanina did not go out. Some say that Rabbi Ila went out, but Rabbi Ḥanina did not go out.
דִּנְפַק, מַאי טַעְמֵיהּ? דְּתַנְיָא: אָרוֹן הָעוֹבֵר מִמָּקוֹם לְמָקוֹם — עוֹמְדִים עָלָיו בְּשׁוּרָה וְאוֹמְרִים עָלָיו בִּרְכַּת אֲבֵלִים וְתַנְחוּמֵי אֲבֵלִים. דְּלָא נְפַק, מַאי טַעְמָא? דְּתַנְיָא: אָרוֹן הָעוֹבֵר מִמָּקוֹם לְמָקוֹם — אֵין עוֹמְדִין עָלָיו בְּשׁוּרָה וְאֵין אוֹמְרִים עָלָיו בִּרְכַּת אֲבֵלִים וְתַנְחוּמֵי אֲבֵלִים.
The Gemara asks: Those who went out, what is the reason that they went? As it is taught in a baraita: When a coffin is passing from place to place, the people stand in a line to show respect for the deceased, and they recite the mourners’ blessing and the consolation of the mourners over it. Those who did not go out, what is the reason that they did not? As it is taught in another baraita: When a coffin is passing from place to place, they do not stand in a line to show respect for the deceased, and they do not recite the mourners’ blessing or the consolation of the mourners for him.
קַשְׁיָין אַהֲדָדֵי! לָא קַשְׁיָא: כָּאן — שֶׁשִּׁלְדּוֹ קַיֶּימֶת, כָּאן — בְּשֶׁאֵין שִׁלְדּוֹ קַיֶּימֶת. וְרַב הוּנָא שִׁלְדּוֹ קַיֶּימֶת הֲוָה? דְּלָא נְפַק, לָא סַיְּימוּהָ קַמֵּיהּ.
The Gemara asks: If so, these two tannaitic statements contradict each other. The Gemara answers: It is not difficult: Here, the baraita is referring to a case where the skeleton of the deceased is still intact, and the mourning practices must be observed. And there the baraita is referring to a case where the skeleton of the deceased is no longer intact, and it is not necessary to observe the customs of mourning. And Rav Huna’s skeleton was still intact. The reason that the one Sage did not go out was that they did not confirm for him that the skeleton was still intact.
אָמְרִי: הֵיכָא נַינְּחֵיהּ? רַב הוּנָא רִיבֵּץ תּוֹרָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְרַבִּי חִיָּיא רִיבֵּץ תּוֹרָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל הֲוָה.
The Sages of Eretz Yisrael said: Where shall we bury him? They concluded: Rav Huna disseminated Torah to the people of Israel, and similarly Rabbi Ḥiyya disseminated Torah to the people of Israel; therefore, it is appropriate to bury Rav Huna next to Rabbi Ḥiyya.
מַאן מְעַיֵּיל לֵיהּ? אֲמַר לְהוּ רַב חַגָּא: אֲנָא מְעַיֵּילְנָא לֵיהּ, דְּאוֹקֵמְתֵּיהּ לְתַלְמוּדַאי כִּי הֲוֵינָא בַּר תַּמְנֵי סְרֵי שְׁנִין וְלָא חֲזֵי לִי קֶרִי, וּמְשַׁמַּע לִי(ה) קַמֵּיהּ, וִידַעִי בְּעוֹבָדֵיהּ, דְּיוֹמָא חַד אִתְהֲפִיכָא לֵיהּ רְצוּעָה דִתְפִילִּין וִיתֵיב עֲלַהּ אַרְבְּעִין תַּעֲנִיָּתָא.
They asked: Who will take him in to Rabbi Ḥiyya’s burial cave, as few are fit to enter it? Rav Ḥagga said to them: I will take him into the cave, for I presented my studies before him when I was just eighteen, never having experienced a seminal emission. And so too I attended to him and knew his great deeds. For example, one day one of the straps of his phylacteries turned around, the unpainted side being turned outward, and he observed forty fasts for this, as he had acted negligently, allowing the black side to face inward.
עַיְּילֵיהּ, הֲוָה גָּנֵי יְהוּדָה מִיַּמִּינֵיהּ דַּאֲבוּהּ וְחִזְקִיָּה מִשְּׂמָאלֵיהּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ יְהוּדָה לְחִזְקִיָּה: קוּם מִדּוּכְתִּיךְ, דְּלָאו אוֹרַח אַרְעָא דְּקָאֵים רַב הוּנָא. בַּהֲדֵי דְּקָאֵים — קָם בַּהֲדֵיהּ עַמּוּדָא דְנוּרָא. חַזְיֵיהּ רַב חַגָּא, אִיבְּעִית, זַקְפֵיהּ לַאֲרוֹנֵיהּ וּנְפַק אֲתָא. וְהַאי דְּלָא אִיעֲנַשׁ (ענש), מִשּׁוּם דְּזַקְפֵיהּ לַאֲרוֹנֵיהּ דְּרַב הוּנָא.
Rav Ḥagga took him in. The body of Rabbi Ḥiyya’s son Yehuda lay buried to the right of his father, and the body of his other son Ḥizkiyya lay to his left. The spirit of Yehuda said to the spirit of Ḥizkiyya: Rise from your place, as it is not proper conduct to remain lying when the body of Rav Huna is standing here. When Ḥizkiyya’s corpse stood up, a pillar of fire rose with him. When Rabbi Ḥagga saw this, he was frightened by what he saw, and so he stood up Rav Huna’s coffin and went away. The Gemara comments: And he was not punished or harmed by this pillar of fire because he set up Rav Huna’s coffin as protection for himself.
כִּי נָח נַפְשֵׁיהּ דְּרַב חִסְדָּא, סְבוּר לְאוֹתוֹבֵי סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה אַפּוּרְיֵיהּ. אֲמַר לְהוּ רַבִּי יִצְחָק: מִילְּתָא דִּלְרַבֵּיהּ לָא סְבִירָא לֵיהּ, אֲנַן נֵיקוּם נַעֲבֵיד לֵיהּ?
§ The Gemara relates another story about the burial of one of the Sages: When Rav Ḥisda died they thought to place a Torah scroll on his bier. Rabbi Yitzḥak said to them: This is a practice that this Rabbi did not hold with during his lifetime; should we stand up and do it for him now that he is dead?
סְבוּר דְּלָא לְמִישְׁלַל קִרְעַיְיהוּ. אֲמַר לְהוּ רַבִּי יִצְחָק בַּר אַמֵּי: חָכָם, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהֶחְזִירוּ פְּנֵיהֶם מֵאֲחוֹרֵי הַמִּטָּה — שׁוֹלְלִין.
They then thought not to tack, i.e., sew up, the tears that they had made in their clothes. Rabbi Yitzḥak bar Ami said to them: When the deceased is a Torah Sage, they may tack the tears once they turn their faces from the bier.
כִּי נָח נַפְשֵׁיהּ דְּרַבָּה בַּר הוּנָא וְרַב הַמְנוּנָא, אַסְּקוּנְהוּ לְהָתָם.
The Gemara relates that when Rabba bar Huna and Rav Hamnuna died, they took them both up there, to Eretz Yisrael.
כִּי מְטוֹ אַגִּישְׁרָא, קָמוּ גַּמְלֵי. אֲמַר לְהוּ הַהוּא טַיָּיעָא: מַאי הַאי? אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: רַבָּנַן דְּקָא עָבְדִי יְקָרָא אַהֲדָדֵי. מָר אָמַר: מָר נֵיעוּל בְּרֵישָׁא, וּמָר אָמַר: מָר נֵיעוּל בְּרֵישָׁא. אֲמַר: דִּינָא הוּא דְּרַבָּה בַּר הוּנָא לֵיעוּל בְּרֵישָׁא. חֲלֵיף גַּמְלֵיהּ דְּרַבָּה בַּר הוּנָא, נְתוּר כַּכֵּיהּ וְשִׁנֵּיהּ דְּהָהוּא טַיָּיעָא.
When they reached a bridge that could be crossed only in single file, the camels carrying the two Sages stood in their places and would not cross the bridge. A certain Arab [Tayya’a] who witnessed what was happening said to them: What is this phenomenon that the camels have stopped moving? They said to him: The deceased Sages are showing honor to each other. It is as if one Sage is saying: The Master should go and cross the bridge first, while at the same time the other Sage is saying: The Master should go and cross first. The Arab said: By law Rabba bar Huna should go first, since he is the son of a great man, and the camel carrying Rabba bar Huna then passed first. Shortly thereafter, the molars and other teeth of that Arab fell out due to the disrespect he showed Rav Hamnuna.
פְּתַח עֲלֵיהּ הַהוּא יָנוֹקָא: גֶּזַע יְשִׁישִׁים עָלָה מִבָּבֶל, וְעִמּוֹ סֵפֶר מִלְחָמוֹת, קָאַת וְקִפּוֹד הוּכְפְּלוּ, לִרְאוֹת בְּשׁוֹד וָשֶׁבֶר הַבָּא מִשִּׁנְעָר. קָצַף עַל עוֹלָמוֹ וְחָמַס מִמֶּנּוּ נְפָשׁוֹת, וְשָׂמַח בָּהֶם כְּכַלָּה חֲדָשָׁה. רוֹכֵב עֲרָבוֹת שָׂשׂ וְשָׂמַח, בְּבֹא אֵלָיו נֶפֶשׁ נָקִי וְצַדִּיק.
When they reached Tiberias a certain child opened his eulogy saying as follows: The shoot of an ancient line, i.e., Rabba bar Rav Huna, who was the descendant of great people, has ascended from Babylonia, and with him is the book of wars, i.e., Rav Hamnuna, who was great in Torah, which is referred to as the book of the Wars of the Lord (Numbers 21:14). The curses of the pelican and the bittern, which are symbols of the destruction of the Temple (Isaiah 34:11), have been doubled, to see the ruin and brokenness that has come from Shinar, i.e., Babylonia. The Lord became angry with His world and seized souls from it, and He rejoices over them when they come to Him like a new bride. God who rides upon the clouds is joyous and happy when an innocent and righteous soul comes to Him.
כִּי נָח נַפְשֵׁיהּ דְּרָבִינָא, פְּתַח עֲלֵיהּ הַהוּא סַפְדָנָא: תְּמָרִים הָנִיעוּ רֹאשׁ עַל צַדִּיק כַּתָּמָר, נָשִׂים לֵילוֹת כְּיָמִים עַל מֵשִׂים לֵילוֹת כְּיָמִים.
§ The Gemara continues recounting other famous eulogies. When Ravina passed away, a certain eulogizer opened his eulogy for him with the following words: Date-palms, hang your heads in sadness over the righteous man who may be likened to a date-palm. Let us make, our nights like days in weeping, over a man who made his nights like days studying the Torah.
אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַב אָשֵׁי לְבַר קִיפּוֹק: הָהוּא יוֹמָא מַאי אָמְרַתְּ? אֲמַר לֵיהּ, אָמֵינָא: אִם בַּאֲרָזִים נָפְלָה שַׁלְהֶבֶת, מָה יַעֲשׂוּ אֵיזוֹבֵי קִיר. לִוְיָתָן בְּחַכָּה הוֹעֲלָה, מָה יַעֲשׂוּ דְּגֵי רְקָק. בְּנַחַל שׁוֹטֵף נָפְלָה חַכָּה, מָה יַעֲשׂוּ מֵי גֵבִים.
The Gemara relates that prior to Ravina’s death, Rav Ashi said to bar Kippok, who was a famous eulogizer: On that day when Ravina will die, what will you say? He said to him: I shall begin my eulogy and say as follows: If the cedars went up in flame, what shall the hyssop of the wall do? If the leviathan was lifted by a hook, what shall the tiny fish of the marsh do? If dryness overtook a flowing river, what can the water of the puddles do?
אֲמַר לֵיהּ בַּר אָבִין: חַס וְשָׁלוֹם דְּחַכָּה וְשַׁלְהֶבֶת בְּצַדִּיקֵי אָמֵינָא. וּמַאי אָמְרַתְּ? אָמֵינָא: בְּכוּ לָאֲבֵלִים וְלֹא לָאֲבֵידָה, שֶׁהִיא לִמְנוּחָה וְאָנוּ לַאֲנָחָה.
Bar Avin, who was also a eulogizer, said to him: God forbid that the words hook and flame should be said with regard to the righteous, as these are not expressions of honor. Rav Ashi asked him: And what will you say? He said to him: I shall say: Cry for the mourners and not for that which was lost, as that which was lost, i.e., the soul of Ravina, has gone to its eternal rest, while we, the mourners, are left with our sighs.
חֲלַשׁ דַּעְתֵּיהּ עֲלַיְיהוּ, וְאִתְהֲפוּךְ כַּרְעַיְיהוּ. הַהוּא יוֹמָא לָא אֲתוֹ לְאַסְפּוֹדֵיהּ. וְהַיְינוּ דְּאָמַר רַב אָשֵׁי: לָא בַּר קִיפּוֹק חָלֵיץ, וְלָא בַּר אָבִין חָלֵיץ.
Rav Ashi was offended by them, as their words of praise for Ravina might have been understood as a show of disrespect to Rav Ashi, since they likened Ravina to a cedar and the other Sages, Rav Ashi included, to hyssops of the wall. Due to Rav Ashi’s anger, their feet turned inward and became crooked. On that day when Ravina actually died, neither of them came to eulogize him. This is what Rav Ashi said using a metaphor to describe this incident: Neither bar Kippok can perform ḥalitza, nor can bar Avin perform ḥalitza, because their feet are crooked and so their shoes cannot be removed from their feet in the proper manner.
רָבָא, כִּי הֲוָה אֲתָא לְדִגְלַת, אֲמַר לֵיהּ לְבַר אָבִין: קוּם אֵימָא מִילְּתָא. קָאֵי וְאָמַר: בָּאוּ רוֹב שְׁלִישִׁית בְּמַיִם, זְכוֹר וְרַחֵם. תָּעִינוּ מֵאַחֲרֶיךָ כְּאִשָּׁה מִבַּעְלָהּ, אַל תַּזְנִיחֵנוּ כְּאוֹת מֵי מָרָה.
When Rava once came to the Tigris River, and he was concerned that he might be swept away by the water, he said to bar Avin: Rise and say a prayer on our behalf. He rose and said: Most of the third, a poetic reference to the Jewish people (Isaiah 19:24), has come in the water, implying that Rava was equal in importance to the majority of the Jewish people. Remember then and have mercy on us. Although we have strayed from you like an unfaithful woman strays from her husband, do not forsake and punish us like the sign of the bitter water, with which a woman suspected of adultery is tested. That is to say, do not punish us with water.
(חָנִין, יוֹחָנָן, זֵירָא, אַבָּא, יַעֲקֹב, יוֹסֵי, שְׁמוּאֵל, חִיָּיא, מְנַחֵם סִימָן).
Apropos eulogies for righteous men, the Gemara presents the names: Ḥanin, Yoḥanan, Zeira, Abba, Ya’akov, Yosei, Shmuel, Ḥiyya, and Menaḥem; this is a mnemonic device for the stories that follow.
רַבִּי חָנִין, חַתְנֵיהּ דְּבֵי נְשִׂיאָה הֲוָה. לָא (קָא) הֲווֹ לֵיהּ בְּנֵי, בְּעָא רַחֲמֵי וַהֲווֹ לֵיהּ. הָהוּא יוֹמָא דַּהֲוָה לֵיהּ, נָח נַפְשֵׁיהּ, פְּתַח עֲלֵיהּ הַהוּא סַפְדָנָא: שִׂמְחָה לְתוּגָה נֶהְפָּכָה, שָׂשׂוֹן וְיָגוֹן נִדְבָּקוּ, בְּעֵת שִׂמְחָתוֹ נֶאֱנַח, בְּעֵת חֲנִינָתוֹ אָבַד חֲנִינוֹ. אַסִּיקוּ לֵיהּ חָנִן עַל שְׁמֵיהּ.
It was related that Rabbi Ḥanin was a son-in-law in the house of the Nasi. At first he did not have any children, but he prayed that God have mercy on him, and then had a child. On the same day that a son was born to him, he himself passed away. A certain eulogizer opened his eulogy for him with the following words: Happiness has been turned into sorrow; joy and suffering have become joined together. At the moment of his happiness he sighed his dying breath. At the moment he was graced with a son, his own grace was lost. And they named the child Ḥanan after his father.
כִּי נָח נַפְשֵׁיהּ דְּרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן, פְּתַח עֲלֵיהּ רַבִּי יִצְחָק בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר: קָשֶׁה הַיּוֹם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּיוֹם בֹּא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בַּצׇּהֳרַיִם, דִּכְתִיב: ״וְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא וְהֵבֵאתִי הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בַּצׇּהֳרַיִם״. וְאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: זֶה יוֹמוֹ שֶׁל יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ.
When Rabbi Yoḥanan passed away, Rabbi Yitzḥak ben Elazar opened his eulogy for him as follows: Today is as difficult for the Jewish people as the day that the sun set at noon, as it is written: “And it shall come to pass on that day, says the Lord God, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day. And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning for an only son, and its end like a bitter day” (Amos 8:9–10). And Rabbi Yoḥanan said: This was the day on which King Josiah was killed (see II Chronicles 35:20–24). This demonstrates that the most righteous person of the generation is described as the sun.
כִּי נָח נַפְשֵׁיהּ דְּרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן, יָתֵיב רַבִּי אַמֵּי שִׁבְעָה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים. אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר אַבָּא: רַבִּי אַמֵּי דַּעֲבַד — לְגַרְמֵיהּ הוּא דַּעֲבַד, דְּהָכִי אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר אַבָּא אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: אֲפִילּוּ רַבּוֹ שֶׁלִּימְּדוֹ חׇכְמָה — אֵינוֹ יוֹשֵׁב עָלָיו אֶלָּא יוֹם אֶחָד.
It was further related that when Rabbi Yoḥanan passed away, Rabbi Ami sat in mourning for him for seven days and for thirty days as though he had lost a close relative. Rabbi Abba, son of Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, said: What Rabbi Ami did, he did on his own, but this practice does not reflect the halakha. For Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said as follows: Even for the death of his teacher who taught him wisdom, one sits in mourning over him for only one day and no more.
כִּי נָח נַפְשֵׁיהּ דְּרַבִּי זֵירָא, פְּתַח עֲלֵיהּ הַהוּא סַפְדָנָא: אֶרֶץ שִׁנְעָר הָרָה וְיָלְדָה, אֶרֶץ צְבִי גִּידְּלָה שַׁעֲשׁוּעֶיהָ. אוֹי נָא לָהּ אָמְרָה רַקַּת, כִּי אִבְּדָה כְּלִי חֶמְדָּתָהּ.
The Gemara tells of another incident about a eulogy: When Rabbi Zeira died, a certain eulogizer opened his eulogy for him saying: The land of Shinar conceived and gave birth to him, as he was originally Babylonian, but the land of beauty, i.e., Eretz Yisrael, raised the darling of Babylonia, as he later moved to Eretz Yisrael and grew up there. Woe to her, said Rakkath, a poetic name for Tiberias, for her dearest vessel has been lost.
כִּי נָח נַפְשֵׁיהּ דְּרַבִּי אֲבָהוּ, אַחִיתוּ עַמּוּדֵי דְקֵסָרִי מַיָּא. דְּרַבִּי יוֹסֵי, שְׁפַעוּ מַרְזְבֵי דְצִיפּוֹרִי דְּמָא. דְּרַבִּי יַעֲקֹב, אִתְחֲמִיאוּ כּוֹכְבֵי בִּימָמָא. דְּרַבִּי אַסִּי, אִיעֲקַרוּ כׇּל אִילָנַיָּא. דְּרַבִּי חִיָּיא, נְחִיתוּ כֵּיפֵי דְנוּרָא מֵרְקִיעָא. דְּרַבִּי מְנַחֵם בְּרַבִּי יוֹסֵי, אִישְׁתַּעוֹ צַלְמָנַיָּיא וַהֲווֹ (לְמַחְלְצַיָּיא).
The Gemara continues to discuss the death of the righteous: When Rabbi Abbahu passed away, the pillars of Caesarea, his city, ran with water as if they were shedding tears over him. When Rabbi Yosei passed away, the gutters of Tzippori, his city, flowed with blood. When Rabbi Ya’akov passed away, the stars were visible during the day. When Rabbi Asi passed away, all the trees were uprooted in a storm. When Rabbi Ḥiyya passed away, fiery stones fell from the sky. When Rabbi Menaḥem, son of Rabbi Yosei, passed away, the faces of the statues became smooth as if they had been smoothed with a plasterer’s trowel [meḥlatzaya].
דְּרַבִּי תַּנְחוּם בַּר חִיָּיא, אִיתְקַצַּצוּ כֹּל אַנְדְּרָטַיָּא. דְּרַבִּי אֶלְיָשִׁיב, אִיחֲתַרוּ שִׁבְעִין מַחְתַּרְתָּא בִּנְהַרְדְּעָא. דְּרַב הַמְנוּנָא, נְחִיתוּ כֵּיפֵי דְבַרְדָּא מֵרְקִיעָא. דְּרַבָּה וְרַב יוֹסֵף, נְשׁוּק כֵּיפֵי דִפְרָת אַהֲדָדֵי. דְּאַבָּיֵי וְרָבָא, נְשׁוּק כֵּיפֵי דְּדִגְלַת אַהֲדָדֵי. כִּי נָח נַפְשֵׁיהּ דְּרַבִּי מְשַׁרְשְׁיָא, טְעוּן דִּיקְלֵי שִׁיצֵי.
When Rabbi Tanḥum bar Ḥiyya passed away, every statue [andartaya] of the king was mutilated. When Rabbi Elyashiv passed away, seventy tunnels of thieves were dug in Neharde’a, because as long as he was alive there were no thieves in the town due to his merit. When Rav Hamnuna passed away, hail stones fell from the sky. When Rabba and Rav Yosef passed away, the tops of the bridges of the Euphrates collapsed and touched each other. When Abaye and Rava passed away, the tops of the bridges of the Tigris collapsed and touched each other. When Rabbi Mesharshiyya passed away, the palm trees became laden with thorns [shitzei].
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן:
§ The Gemara returns to the subject of tearing garments in mourning: The Sages taught the following baraita:
