Moed Katan 15b (טו:) — the Talmud in English

It is stated in the Book of Genesis: “God created man in His image.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, said:

“I placed the likeness of My image in them,”

in human beings.

But

now,

because of their sins—

“I have transformed it!”

For when a person dies, the likeness of his image changes and is transformed into another likeness. This is as the verse states: “For a curse of God is hanging”—the likeness of a person’s image, which is figuratively similar to the likeness of the image of the Holy One, blessed be He, changes for the worse after his death.

Therefore,

they overturn their beds for her,

because the likeness of the image of the Holy One, blessed be He, has been transformed.

A person ostracized and a leper—

what is their status with regard to overturning the bed?

And we conclude:

teiku .

A mourner is prohibited from engaging in work.

And this prohibition is derived from

as it is written [

Amos 8]:

“I will transform your festivals into mourning”—

the verse juxtaposes mourning to a festival, teaching you:

Just as work is prohibited on a festival, so work is prohibited for a mourner.

The Gemara raises the following uncertainty:

A person ostracized—

what is his status with regard to engaging in work?

Rav Yosef said: Come and hear

from the beraita that enumerates the practices of a fast day: washing and work are prohibited, and one is obligated to observe other practices on that day as well, such as wrapping the head. At the end, the beraita states:

When

the Sages said that

the fast day is prohibited

for

engaging in work,

they said this only with regard to the day; but at night it is permitted.

And the beraita concludes:

And likewise you find this with regard to a person ostracized and a mourner.

Rav Yosef infers:

Is it not so that the beraita’s concluding statement, “And likewise you find this with regard to a person ostracized and a mourner,” refers

to

to all of them,

to all the practices stated at the beginning of the beraita concerning the fast day, including the prohibition against work for a person ostracized?

And we reject this:

No.

The beraita does not mean to say that a person ostracized is likewise prohibited from engaging in work. Rather, it refers

to the rest,

to the wrapping of the head, which is practiced by a person ostracized as well .

The Gemara brings a proof to the contrary, that a person ostracized is permitted to engage in work:

Come and hear

from the beraita, in which we learned:

A person ostracized studies

Torah,

and others study for him

Torah. Likewise, a person ostracized

may be hired

to perform work for others,

and

others

may be hired for him

to perform his work.

Conclude from this

that a person ostracized is permitted to engage in work.

The Gemara raises the following uncertainty:

A leper—

what is his status with regard to engaging in work?

And we conclude:

teiku.

A mourner is prohibited from washing .

And this is derived from what is written

concerning the wise woman from Tekoa, who was sent to King David by Joab in the guise of a mourning woman [Samuel II 14]: “

Do not anoint yourself with oil.”

And

therefore,

washing

is

included in

anointing.

A person ostracized—

what is his status with regard to washing?

Rav Yosef said: Come and hear

from the beraita in tractate Ta’anit, which teaches the laws of a fast day and states, among other things:

When they said that it is prohibited

for a communal fast day

with regard to washing,

they said this only

with regard to washing

one’s entire body, but

washing

one’s face, hands, and feet

is permitted.

And the beraita concludes:

And likewise you find this with regard to a person ostracized and a mourner.

Is it not so that the conclusion of the beraita applies

the conclusion of the beraita is

to all of them,

to all the laws of the fast, including the prohibition against washing, which likewise applies to a person ostracized, as it does on a fast day?

The Gemara rejects this:

No.

The conclusion of the beraita does not refer to the law of washing, but only

to the rest,

to the other laws of a fast that also apply to a person ostracized. It does not refer to washing.

A leper—

what is his status with regard to washing?

And we conclude:

teiku.

A mourner—

is prohibited from wearing shoes.

Since the Merciful One said to Ezekiel

not to observe mourning upon the death of his wife, but rather [Ezekiel 24]: “

You shall put your shoes on your feet”—

by inference

you learn this:

everyone

when they are mourners

is prohibited

from wearing shoes.

A person ostracized—

what is his status with regard to wearing shoes?

Rav Yosef said: Come and hear

from the beraita concerning a fast:

When they said that it is prohibited

on a fast day

to wear shoes,

they said this only

with regard to wearing them

in the city.

But on the road—

it is permitted.

What are the circumstances?

If he set out on the road—

he puts on

his shoes.

If he enters the city—

he removes them.

And likewise you find this with regard to a person ostracized and a mourner.

Is it not so

that the conclusion of the beraita applies

to all of them,

and we have learned that a person ostracized is prohibited from wearing shoes?

The Gemara rejects this:

No.

The conclusion of the beraita does not speak about the law of a person ostracized; rather, it refers

to the rest,

to the other laws stated with regard to a fast day .

A leper—

what is his status with regard to wearing shoes?

And we conclude:

teiku.

A mourner is prohibited from marital relations.

This is derived from

as it is written [

Samuel II 12], after the seven days, following the death of the child born to Bathsheba by David: “

David consoled Bathsheba his wife,

and he came to her.”

By inference, initially,

during the seven days of mourning,

it was prohibited

for David to come to her, because of the mourning.

A person ostracized—

what is his status with regard to marital relations?

Rav Yosef said: Come and hear

from a beraita:

Throughout all those years that Israel was in the wilderness, they were ostracized

by God.

And

nevertheless,

they engaged in marital relations .

Abaye said to him: Perhaps one ostracized by Heaven is different, as it is lenient

from one ostracized by people.

And we are astonished: Is one who is ostracized by Heaven

more lenient

than one ostracized by people!?

But you said

above that one ostracized by Heaven is

more stringent!

And we answer:

He is uncertain

which of them is more stringent than the other. Therefore,

in this direction—

he rejects him, and in that direction—

he rejects him.

The Gemara refutes each side in accordance with its uncertainty .

A leper—

what is his status with regard to marital relations?

Come and hear,

from this

as it is taught

concerning a leper [Leviticus 14]: “

He shall dwell outside his tent”—

he shall be

like a person ostracized and like a mourner, and he is prohibited from marital relations.

And

“his tent”

means nothing other than his wife, as it is stated

after the giving of the Torah, when they were prohibited from marital relations: “

Go say to them: Return to your tents.”

And we conclude:

Conclude from this!

The Gemara analyzes this:

And let us also resolve

from this beraita the uncertainty raised above

concerning a person ostracized,

that he too is prohibited from marital relations.

Rav Huna, son of Rav Pinḥas, said in the name of Rav Yosef: Does it teach

that a leper shall be like a person ostracized

who is prohibited

from marital relations!?

Rather, this is the meaning of the beraita:

He shall be

the leper

like a person ostracized and like a mourner—

in other matters .

And he is also prohibited

the leper

from marital relations.

But a mourner—

does not send his offerings.

As it is taught, Rabbi Shimon says:

The verse states

“peace offerings,”

meaning that he should bring them

“when he is whole,”

when his mind is settled ,

but not when he is an onen,

whose mind is not settled .

A person ostracized— may he send his offerings?

Rav Yosef said: Come and hear

from the beraita:

Throughout all those years that Israel was in the wilderness, they were

ostracized

by God

and were.

And

nevertheless,

they sent their offerings .

Abaye said to him: Perhaps one ostracized by Heaven is different,

as it is lenient.

And we are astonished: Is he

more lenient!?

But you said

above that he is

more stringent!

And we answer: The Gemara

is uncertain and rejects him

on every side .

A leper—

may he send his offerings?

Come and hear

from this

as it is taught:

The verse states in the Book of Ezekiel [chapter 44], concerning an impure priest who must purify himself from his impurity before he can bring his offering: “

And after his purification”—

after his separation

of the priest

from

the impurity of

the dead,

when the ashes of the red heifer were sprinkled upon him twice during the seven days from his separation from the dead [on the third and seventh days]. “

Seven days shall be counted for him”—

these are the seven days of his counting,

the seven-day counting of a priest who had become a leper and recovered.

From the fact that the verse uses the language of counting, rather than the language of sprinkling used with regard to one impure through contact with the dead, the verse also teaches concerning leper impurity: a priest who became a leper and must observe a seven-day counting, as does a leper who recovered from his leprosy, cannot send his offering during that period. Rather, only after the seven days: “

And on the day he comes

of the priest

to the Sanctuary, to the inner court to minister in the Sanctuary,

only then

shall he offer his sin offering”—