Moed Katan 22 - February 3, 2 Adar 1

Study Guide Moed Katan 22

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Today's daf is sponsored by Carol Robinson and Art Gould in gratitude to Hashem and Carol's medical team, and to the caring group of their Hadran Zoom friends. “After three months of scans, medical procedures and two surgeries, Carol has been declared - B"H - cancer free!”. 

Today’s daf is sponsored by Tzippy and Mark Wolkenfeld to celebrate the birth and Brit Milah of their grandson born to Hannah and Jacob Finkel. 

Today’s daf is sponsored by the Hadran Zoom Family in loving memory of Stacey Goodstein Ashtamker and Leah Goldford’s fathers. “With deep sadness, we dedicate today’s learning to our dear friends, Stacey Goodstein Amshakar and Leah Goldford. We learn in memory of Stacey's father, Jack Goodstein. And we learn in memory of Leah's father, Moshe ben Bunia Bracha Bella. Our recent learning, so centered around the laws of mourning, highlighted for us the sensitivity with which the amoraim established mourning practices, to help us as we navigate the difficulties of loss. And, yet, even with all the well-stated customs and laws, the sadness of losing a loved one is overwhelming. Stacey and Leah, we stand in silence with you, virtually holding your hands, and offering our comfort. With much love and prayer for better times, your Hadran Zoom Family.”

The Gemara continues its discussion of situations where some family members may potentially sit shiva for a different number of days or the same amount of days but a different set of days. On what does it depend? According to Rava, in a case where the mourners do not go as far as the burial, the shiva starts when they turn away from the funeral procession to go back into the city to their homes. Rabbi Shimon holds that if the mourner lived nearby but joined the other mourners on the last day of shiva, they would count shiva with the other mourners. However, this is only if there are still people visiting the mourners. It was passed down that Rabbi Abba said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan that we hold like Rabbi Shimon on this issue and like Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel on a treifa issue. But did he really say that? Several distinctions are made between customs for mourning for one’s parents or for others, such as rushing/not rushing the burial, working, removing one’s garment from one’s shoulders, cutting hair after the shloshim period ends, going to a simcha after the shloshim, how much and where to tear, which garments need to be torn, from where to tear, can the tear be fixed and how, and does one tear by hand or with a scissor. A nasi is treated the same as one’s parent. What are the differences in the laws regarding a nasi, talmid chacham, and the head of the court (av beit din) who die?