Moed Katan 15b — the Talmud in English

It is stated in the Book of Genesis: “In the image of God He made man.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, said:

The likeness of My image I placed in them,

in human beings.

But

However,

because of their sins—

I have overturned it!

For when a person dies, the likeness of his image changes and is transformed into another likeness. And as the verse says, “for he who is hanged is a curse of God,” the likeness of a person’s image, which is like the likeness of the image [in borrowed language] of the Holy One, blessed be He, changes for the worse after his death.

And therefore,

they overturned their beds on account of it.

On account of the overturning of the likeness of the image of the Holy One, blessed be He.

A person ostracized and a person with leprosy—

what is their status regarding overturning the bed?

And we conclude:

the matter stands unresolved. .

A mourner is forbidden to perform work.

And the prohibition is learned from

as it is written [ עמוס ח ] “

[Amos 8]:

And I shall turn your festivals into mourning”—

the verse compares mourning to a festival, to teach you:

Just as a festival is forbidden with regard to work, so too a mourner is forbidden with regard to work.

And the Gemara is uncertain:

A person ostracized—

what is his status regarding performing work?

Rav Yosef said: ta shma

from the beraita, which enumerates the practices of a fast day, on which bathing and work are forbidden, and on which one is obligated to observe additional practices, such as wrapping the head. And at the end the beraita says:

When they said

that the Sages

forbade

the fast day

with regard to performing work—

they said this only concerning the day, but at night it is permitted.

And the beraita concludes:

And likewise you find this in the case of a person ostracized and a mourner.

And Rav Yosef infers:

Is it not so that

what the beraita concludes by saying, “And likewise you find this in the case of a person ostracized and a mourner,” refers

to all of them,

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

And we reject this:

No.

The intention of the beraita is not to say that a person ostracized is also forbidden to perform work; rather, the intention is

with regard to the rest,

concerning wrapping the head, which is also practiced by a person ostracized.

And the Gemara brings proof to the contrary, that a person ostracized is permitted to perform work:

ta shma

from the beraita, in which we learned:

A person ostracized studies

words of Torah,

and others study for him

words of Torah. And likewise, a person ostracized

is hired

for work by others,

and

and likewise others

are hired for him

to perform his work.

Infer from this

that a person ostracized is permitted to perform work.

And the Gemara is uncertain:

A person with leprosy—

what is his status regarding performing work?

And we conclude:

The matter stands unresolved.

A mourner is forbidden to bathe.

And it is learned 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]: “

and do not anoint yourself with oil.”

And

And behold,

bathing

is

included in “

anointing.”

A person ostracized—

what is his status regarding bathing?

Rav Yosef said: ta shma

from the beraita in tractate Taanit, which teaches the laws of a fast day and says, among other things:

When they said that it is forbidden

for a communal fast day

with regard to bathing—

they said this only

concerning bathing

of the entire body, but

bathing

of his face, hands, and feet—

is permitted.

And the beraita concludes:

And likewise you find this in the case of a person ostracized and a mourner.

Is it not so that

the conclusion of the beraita is

with regard to all of them,

concerning all the laws of the fast, including the prohibition of bathing, which also applies to a person ostracized, as on the fast day?

And the Gemara rejects this:

No.

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

to the rest,

to the other laws of the fast, which also apply to a person ostracized, but not to bathing.

A person with leprosy—

what is his status regarding bathing?

And we conclude:

The matter stands unresolved.

A mourner—

is forbidden to wear shoes.

Since the Merciful One said to Ezekiel

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

and place your shoes upon your feet”—

from this it follows

you learn,

that everyone

when they are mourners

is forbidden

for them to wear shoes.

A person ostracized—

what is his status regarding wearing shoes?

Rav Yosef said: ta shma

from the beraita concerning a fast:

When they said that it is forbidden

on the fast day

to wear shoes—

they said this only

concerning wearing them

in the city.

But on the road—

it is permitted.

How so?

If he went out on the road—

he wears

his shoe.

If he entered the city—

he removes it.

And likewise you find this in the case of a person ostracized and a mourner.

Is it not so that

the conclusion of the beraita is

with regard to all of them,

and we have learned that a person ostracized is forbidden to wear shoes?

And the Gemara rejects this:

No.

The beraita does not speak at its end about the law of a person ostracized, but rather

about the rest,

concerning the other laws stated regarding the fast day.

A person with leprosy—

what is his status regarding wearing shoes?

And we conclude:

The matter stands unresolved.

A mourner is forbidden in marital relations.

From

as it is written [ שמואל ב יב ]

at the completion of the seven days, after the death of the child whom Bathsheba bore to David: “

And David consoled Bathsheba his wife.

And he came to her!”

It follows that initially,

during the seven days of mourning,

it was forbidden

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

A person ostracized—

what is his status regarding marital relations?

Rav Yosef said: ta shma

from a beraita:

All those years that Israel were in the wilderness, they were ostracized

by the Omnipresent.

And

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 wonder: Is one who is ostracized by Heaven

lenient

than one ostracized by people!?

But you said

above that one ostracized by Heaven is

more stringent!

And we answer:

It is uncertain to him

which of them is more stringent than the other. And therefore,

go here—

he rejects it; and go here—

he rejects it.

For the Gemara refutes each side according to its uncertainty.

A person with leprosy—

what is his status regarding marital relations?

ta shma,

from that

as it was taught:

it is written concerning a person with leprosy [Leviticus 14]: “

And he shall dwell outside his tent”—

that he shall be

like a person ostracized and a mourner, and forbidden in marital relations.

And

“his tent”

means only his wife, as it is stated [ דברים ה ]

after the giving of the Torah, when they were then forbidden in marital relations: “

Go, say to them: Return to your tents.”

And we conclude:

Infer from this!

And we raise this objection:

let us also resolve

from this beraita our earlier uncertainty

regarding a person ostracized,

that he too is forbidden in marital relations.

Rav Huna, son of Rav Pinhas, said in the name of Rav Yosef: Does it state

concerning a person with leprosy that he shall be like a person ostracized

who is forbidden

in marital relations!?

Rather, this is the intention of the beraita:

that the person with leprosy shall be

the person with leprosy

like a person ostracized and a mourner—

with regard to other matters

. And he is also forbidden

the person with leprosy

in marital relations.

A mourner—

does not send his offerings.

For it was taught: Rabbi Shimon says:

the verse said

“offerings of well-being,”

that he should bring them

when he is “whole”,

when his mind is settled,

and not when he is an acute mourner,

who lacks a settled mind .

A person ostracized—

what is his status regarding sending his offerings?

Rav Yosef said: ta shma

from the beraita:

All those years that Israel were in the wilderness, they were ostracized

by the Omnipresent

.

and

And nevertheless

they sent their offerings.

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

as it is lenient.

And we wonder: Is it

lenient!?

But you said

above that it is

more stringent!

And we answer: the Gemara

is uncertain, and rejects it

on every side.

A person with leprosy—

what is his status regarding sending his offerings?

ta shma

from that

as it was taught:

the verse says 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,

upon whom they sprinkled twice from the water of the ashes of the red heifer during the seven days from his separation from the dead [on the third day and on the seventh day]. “

Seven days shall be counted for him”—

these are the seven days of his counting

of a priest with leprosy who was healed.

From the fact that the verse used the language of counting, and did not use the language of sprinkling stated concerning one impure from contact with the dead, the verse comes to teach also regarding the impurity of a person with leprosy: a priest who became afflicted with leprosy and must observe a counting of seven days, as is the law of a person with leprosy who was afflicted and recovered from his leprosy, cannot then send his offering, but only after the seven days: “

And on the day that he comes

of the priest

to the Sanctuary, to the inner courtyard, to serve in the Sanctuary,

only then

shall he offer his sin-offering”—