Moed Katan 15a (טו.) — the Talmud in English

The Gemara now raises a question:

Those under a ban, and

likewise

lepers—

what is their status with regard to hair cutting?

And the Geraibetz answers that the term cutting is distinct from the term trimming. Although we know from our Mishna that one placed under a ban is forbidden to cut the hair of his head, we still would not have forbidden him to trim the hair of his entire body. However, this answer is insufficient with regard to laundering, since below the Gemara asks whether one placed under a ban is permitted to launder clothing.

Come and hear

from what we learned in a beraita:

a.

Those under a ban and lepers—

are prohibited from cutting their hair and laundering their clothes.

b.

When one under a ban dies—

the court pelts

his coffin with stones.

Rabbi Yehuda says: This does not mean that they erect a mound of stones over him like Achan’s mound.

Rather, the court sends people, who place a large stone on his coffin.

This teaches you that anyone who is placed under a ban and dies while under his ban—

the court pelts his coffin with stones.

The Gemara continues explaining the laws of mourning:

A mourner is obligated to cover his head.

We learned this

from the fact that the Merciful One said to Ezekiel [Ezekiel 24], when the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded him not to observe mourning when his wife died: “

And you shall not cover your mustache,”

which means that he should not cover his head down to the place of his mustache.

By inference,

since Scripture exempted the prophet Ezekiel from this practice of mourning, you learn

that everyone

when mourning

is obligated

to cover his head.

The Gemara asks:

One under a ban—

what is his status with regard to covering his head?

Rav Yosef said: Come and hear

from what is stated in a beraita in tractate Ta’anit, concerning those who, after fasting thirteen fasts because of the cessation of rain, still had not been granted rain:

And they,

the scholars,

cover themselves and sit like those under a ban and like mourners—

until Heaven takes pity upon them.

This indicates that sitting as those under a ban requires covering the head.

Abaye said to him: Perhaps

there, where covering the head is an expression of the conduct of one who is a

person under a ban from Heaven

—that is, they present themselves as though they had been banned by Heaven—

it is different,

because

more stringent

is a ban from Heaven than a ban imposed by a person.

A leper—

what is his status with regard to covering his head?

Come and hear

from a beraita that expounds the verse [Leviticus 13] concerning a leper, “

And he shall cover his mustache”

—the expression “he shall cover” indicates covering, and Scripture says that he shall cover his head, so that his head is covered down to his mustache—

by inference, he is obligated

the leper

to cover his head.

The Gemara concludes:

Conclude from it.

A mourner—

is prohibited from putting on tefillin. .

From the fact that the Merciful One said to Ezekiel [Ezekiel 24], who was not to observe mourning over his wife’s death, rather: “

Your glory

shall be

placed upon you.”

And a person’s “glory” on his head is his tefillin—

by inference, everyone

who are mourners

are prohibited

from putting on tefillin.

One under a ban—

what is his status with regard to tefillin?

The Gemara concludes:

Teyku.

A leper—

what is his status with regard to tefillin?

Come and hear

from the words of the beraita that expounds the verse in the section concerning a leper [Leviticus 13] as follows: “

And the leper”—

to include the High Priest,

with regard to the conduct prescribed for a leper. “

His garments shall be torn”—

that they must be torn. “

And his head shall be unkempt”—

there is no

unkemptness

except letting the hair grow; these are the words of Rabbi Eliezer.

Rabbi Akiva says:

The meaning of “the unkemptness of the head” is not that the leper must let his hair grow. Rather, Scripture teaches that his head must be uncovered, since

the word “shall be” [“shall be unkempt”]

[“shall be unkempt”]

is stated

in connection with the head, and

the word “shall be” [“shall be torn”] is stated in connection with a

garment.

And we learn through a gzera shava:

Just as the “shall be” stated with regard to

the tearing of the

garment

is

a matter outside his body

—for a garment is not part of a person’s body—

so too, the “shall be”

stated

with regard to

the unkemptness of the

head

is

a matter

outside his body, and the verse is not speaking of letting his hair grow, which is something that grows from his body.

and the verse is not speaking of allowing his hair to grow, since that is something belonging to his body.

The Gemara infers from Rabbi Akiva’s words:

Is it not

the intention of the verse to reveal

that he may not wear tefillin,

meaning that the leper’s head should be “unkempt,” uncovered, by his not placing tefillin upon it?

Rav Pappa said: No,

that is the intention of the verse. Rather, it refers

to a felt cap and a cloth.

The leper’s head is to be unkempt and uncovered in that he may not wear an important head covering; however, he always puts on tefillin.

A mourner—

is prohibited from greeting others.

From

the fact that the Merciful One said to Ezekiel [Ezekiel 24], when his wife would die: “

Groan silently!”

That is, with regard to greeting others he should conduct himself as a mourner and refrain from extending greetings.

One under a ban—

what is his status with regard to greeting others?

Rav Yosef said: Come and hear

from what is stated concerning the conduct of the scholars during a fast for the cessation of rain:

And

they are prohibited

from greeting one another, like people rebuked by the Omnipresent.

This indicates that one under a ban—who is “rebuked”—is prohibited from greeting others.

Abaye said to him: Perhaps

the conduct of a

person under a ban from Heaven

is different, since it is more stringent

than the conduct of “one under a ban imposed by a person.”

A leper—

what is his status with regard to greeting others?

Come and hear

from the beraita that expounds the verse, “

And he shall cover his mustache”

—“mustache” indicates closed lips—

that his lips

of the leper

must be pressed together, so that he is like one under a ban and like a mourner, and is prohibited from greeting others.

The Gemara concludes:

Conclude from it.

The Gemara discusses this:

And let us resolve from this

this beraita also the uncertainty raised earlier concerning greeting

one under a ban.

For the beraita says that the leper is like one under a ban and like a mourner, and concludes that he is prohibited from greeting others. This indicates that one under a ban is likewise prohibited from greeting others.

The Gemara rejects this:

Rav Aḥa bar Pinḥas said in the name of Rav Yosef: Does it state

in the beraita that the leper should be like one under a ban and like a mourner

who is prohibited

from greeting others?!

After all,

that he should be

the leper

like one under a ban and like a mourner

alone

is what it states.

The meaning is that the leper should be like a mourner and like one under a ban

in other matters.

But the beraita adds:

And he is also prohibited

the leper

from greeting others.

But there is no proof here concerning greeting one under a ban.

A mourner is prohibited from studying Torah .

From the fact that the Merciful One said to Ezekiel “

silently,”

which indicates that he should not engage in Torah study.

One under a ban—

what is his status with regard to Torah study?

Rav Yosef said: Come and hear

from the beraita:

One under a ban—

he studies, and others study with him.

He may be hired

for labor,

and others may be hired by him.

One who has been excommunicated [One under a ban who remained under his ban for thirty days and did not repent, is excommunicated]—

[a person placed under a ban who remained under his ban for thirty days and did not repent—he is excommunicated]—

he may neither study nor may others study with him; he may neither be hired nor may others be hired by him.

But he does study

the excommunicated person

by himself,

so as

not to interrupt his learning.

And a small shop is made for him for his livelihood.

And Rav said:

The excommunicated person may only

sell water

to sell water

in Paktā

in the marketplace

of Aravot —a place name, given as an example of a marketplace.

[the name of a place, given as an example of a marketplace].

Conclude from it.

A leper—

what is his status with regard to Torah study?

Come and hear

from the beraita:

It is written in the book of Deuteronomy [chapter 4]: “

And you shall make them known to your children and your children’s children, the day on which you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb.”

Just as there,

at the revelation at Mount Sinai, the Torah was received

with dread, awe, trembling, and quaking—

so too, Torah study must always be conducted in this manner.

From here they said: Those who have a discharge, lepers, and men who had relations with menstruating women ,

whose impurity did not result from frivolity,

are permitted to read Torah, Prophets, and Writings, and to study Midrash and Talmud, halakhot and aggadot.

But

those who have experienced a seminal emission,

whose impurity results from frivolity,

whose ritual impurity resulted from frivolity,

are prohibited

from Torah study until they immerse themselves.

Conclude from it

that lepers are permitted to study Torah.

A mourner—

is prohibited from laundering his clothes.

We learned this from

that which is written

in the book of Samuel II [chapter 14]: “

And Joab sent to Tekoa and took from there a wise woman.

And he said to her: Please mourn, and please put on mourning garments, and do not anoint yourself with oil.

And you shall be like a woman

who

has been mourning for the dead for many days.”

This indicates that a mourner wears garments by which it is apparent that he is mourning; that is, he does not launder his clothes, but wears them in their soiled state.

Those under a ban and lepers—

what is their status with regard to laundering?

Come and hear

from a beraita:

Those under a ban and lepers are prohibited from cutting their hair and laundering their clothes.

The Gemara concludes:

Conclude from it.

A mourner—

is obligated to tear

his garment.

We learned this

from the fact that the Merciful One said to the sons of Aaron [Leviticus 10], who were not to observe mourning, “Do not

tear your garments”—

by inference, everyone

who are mourners

are obligated

to tear their garments.

One under a ban—

what is his status with regard to tearing his garment?

And we conclude:

Teyku.

The metzora—

what is the halakha regarding tearing?

Ta shma:

from the wording of the verse concerning the metzora [Leviticus 13] “

His garments shall be torn,”

which means

that

his garments

must be torn .

And we conclude: derive from it.

A mourner—

is obligated to overturn the bed,

by turning over his bed.

As bar Kappara taught: