Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah Siman 341

Siman 341

Presented here for study, not as a practical ruling. The Shulchan Aruch rules by Sephardi custom, the Rema's glosses by Ashkenazi custom, and the Kitzur follows Ashkenazi custom. For a practical question, ask your rabbi.

א מִי שֶׁמֵּת לוֹ מֵת שֶׁהוּא חַיָּב לְהִתְאַבֵּל עָלָיו, קֹדֶם קְבוּרָה אוֹכֵל בְּבַיִת אַחֵר. אֵין לוֹ בַּיִת אַחֵר, אוֹכֵל בְּבֵית חֲבֵרוֹ. אֵין בַּיִת לַחֲבֵרוֹ, עוֹשֶׂה לוֹ מְחִצָּה וְאוֹכֵל; וַאֲפִלּוּ מְחִצָּה שֶׁל סָדִין סָגֵי, אִם תָּקַע שׁוּלֵי הַסָדִין בְּעִנְיָן שֶׁאֵינוֹ נִטָּל בָּרוּחַ. וְאִם אֵין לוֹ דָּבָר לַעֲשׂוֹת מְחִצָּה, מַחֲזִיר פָּנָיו וְאוֹכֵל. וּבֵין כָּךְ וּבֵין כָּךְ, וַאֲפִלּוּ הוּא בְּעִיר אַחֶרֶת, אֵינוֹ מֵסֵב וְאוֹכֵל, וְאֵינוֹ אוֹכֵל בָּשָׂר וְאֵינוֹ שׁוֹתֶה יַיִן, וְאֵינוֹ מְבָרֵךְ בִּרְכַּת הַמּוֹצִיא וְלֹא בִּרְכַּת הַמָּזוֹן, וְאֵין מְבָרְכִים עָלָיו וְלֹא מְזַמְּנִין עָלָיו, אֲפִלּוּ אִם אוֹכֵל עִם אֲחֵרִים שֶׁמְּבָרְכִים, לֹא יַעֲנֶה אַחֲרֵיהֶם אָמֵן. וּפָטוּר מִכָּל מִצְוֹת הָאֲמוּרוֹת בַּתּוֹרָה, וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם אֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ לַעֲסֹק בְּצָרְכֵי הַמֵּת, כְּגוֹן שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ אֲחֵרִים שֶׁעוֹסְקִים בִּשְׁבִילוֹ. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ אִם יִרְצֶה לְהַחְמִיר עַל עַצְמוֹ לְבָרֵךְ אוֹ לַעֲנוֹת אָמֵן אַחַר הַמְּבָרְכִין, אֵינוֹ רַשַּׁאי וְעַיֵּן בא"ח סי' ע"א. וּבְשַׁבָּת וְיוֹם טוֹב, אוֹכֵל בָּשָׂר וְשׁוֹתֶה יַיִן, אִם יִרְצֶה (רַבֵּנוּ יוֹנָה פ' מִי שֶׁמֵּתוֹ). וּמְבָרֵךְ, וְחַיָּב בְּכָל הַמִּצְוֹת, חוּץ מִתַּשְׁמִישׁ הַמִּטָּה שֶׁאָסוּר בּוֹ. וּמֻתָּר לֵילֵךְ לְבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת בְּשַׁבָּת, וְאַף בְּחֹל אֵין בּוֹ אִסּוּר, רַק מֵאַחַר שֶׁאָסוּר לְהִתְפַּלֵּל, מַה יַּעֲשֶׂה שָׁם (כָּל בּוֹ) וְאִם צָרִיךְ לְהַחְשִׁיךְ עַל הַתְּחוּם כְּדֵי לַעֲסֹק בְּצָרְכֵי הַמֵּת, חָל עָלָיו אֲנִינוּת לֵיאָסֵר בְּכֻלָּן מִשָּׁעָה שֶׁמַּתְחִיל לָלֶכֶת כְּדֵי לְהַחְשִׁיךְ עַל הַתְּחוּם. וְאִם רוֹצֶה לְקָבְרוֹ בְּיוֹם טוֹב רִאשׁוֹן עַל יְדֵי עֲמָמִין, אָסוּר בְּכֻלָּן. וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן בְּיוֹם טוֹב שֵׁנִי, שֶׁהוּא בְּעַצְמוֹ יָכוֹל לְקָבְרוֹ, שֶׁחָלוּ עָלָיו כָּל דִּינֵי אֲנִינוּת. יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דְּתַלְמִיד עַל רַבּוֹ מֻבְהָק אָסוּר לֶאֱכֹל בָּשָׂר וְיַיִן כָּל זְמַן שֶׁמֻּטָּל לִפְנֵיהֶם (הַגָּהוֹת אֲשֵׁרִי פ' א"מ).
1 LAWS OF ANINUTH One who suffered a bereavement for whom he is dutibound to observe mourning rites, — [the law is that] before burial, he eats in another house [room]. [If] he has no other house, he eats in his friend's house; [if] his friend has no house [available], he makes him a partition and eats; even a partition of a sheet is sufficient, [provided] he fastened the bottom of the sheet in a manner that it would not be moved by an [ordinary] wind; and if he has not the wherewithal to make a partition, he turns away his face and eats. Whichever the case may be; even if he is in another city, he does not eat reclining, and he eats not meat nor drinks wine, nor does he recite the benediction before meals, nor does he say grace after meals, nor do others recite the benediction [before meals] on his behalf, nor does he join in grace after meals. Even if he eats with others he should not repeat Amen after them [when they recite the benediction before meals]. And he is exempt from [the performance] of all religious duties enjoined in the Torah, even if he is not required to attend to the preparations needed for the dead, e.g., [when] he has others who attend to [this] for him. And some say that even if he desires to adopt for himself a stricter view, [viz.,] to recite the benediction [before meals], or to repeat Amen after those who recite the benediction [before meals], he is not permitted [to do so]. And on the Sabbath or Festival, he eats meat and drinks wine, if he so desires, and recites the benediction [before meals] and is dutibound to perforrm all religious duties save the use of the conjugal couch wherein he is forbidden, and he is permitted to go to the Synagogue on the Sabbath, and even on weekdays there is no prohibition, but since he is forbidden to recite the prayers [ on weekdays ], what will he do there? If one must go to await nightfall at the Sabbath limit to [be ready] to attend to the preparations needed for the dead [at the exit of the Sabbath], the observance of Aninuth rests upon him, insofar as the prohibition extends to everything from the moment he begins to go to await nightfall at the Sabbath limit. If he wishes to bury him on the first Festival day by Gentiles, the prohibition extends to everything; so much the more on the second Festival day, when he himself may bury him, that all the laws of Aninuth rest upon him. Some say that a student who observes Aninuth rites for his distinguished teacher is forbidden to eat meat or [ drink ] wine as long as the dead lies in one's presence.
ב מִי שֶׁמֵּת לוֹ מֵת, יֹאכַל בְּמוֹצָאֵי שַׁבָּת בְּלֹא הַבְדָּלָה, וְלֹא יִתְפַּלֵּל, וְלֹא בַּבֹּקֶר קֹדֶם קְבוּרָה, וּלְאַחַר קְבוּרָה יִתְפַּלֵּל תְּפִלַּת שַׁחֲרִית, אִם לֹא עָבַר זְמַנָּהּ. אֲבָל תְּפִלַּת הָעֶרֶב לֹא יִתְפַּלֵּל, שֶׁכְּבָר עָבַר זְמַנָּהּ. וְלֹא דָּמִי לְשָׁכַח וְלֹא הִתְפַּלֵּל עַרְבִית שֶׁמִּתְפַּלֵּל שַׁחֲרִית שְׁתַּיִם, כֵּיוָן שֶׁבַּלַּיְלָה לֹא הָיָה חַיָּב לְהִתְפַּלֵּל. וּלְעִנְיַן הַהַבְדָּלָה, יַבְדִּיל אַחַר שֶׁיִּקָּבֵר הַמֵּת (מהר"מ וּמָרְדְּכַי והג"מ).
2 One who suffered a bereavement on the Sabbath, may eat on the night following the Sabbath without reciting the Habdalah, nor the evening or the morning Tefillah prior to burial; and after burial, one should recite the morning Tefillah if its prescribed time limit has not lapsed; but the [preceding] evening Tefillah one should not recite, since its prescribed time limit has already lapsed; and this is not similar to the case of one who forgot to recite the evening Tefillah, who may recite the morning Tefillah twice, since he was not dutibound to recite the Tefillah during the [previous] night. With respect to the Habdalah, one should recite [it] after the corpse is buried.
ג מָקוֹם שֶׁנּוֹהֲגִים שֶׁכַּתָּפִים מְיֻחָדִים לְהוֹצִיא הַמֵּת, וּלְאַחַר שֶׁנִּתְעַסְקוּ הַקְּרוֹבִים בְּצָרְכֵי הַקְּבוּרָה יִמְסְרוּהוּ לָהֶם וְהֵם יִקְבְּרוּהוּ, מִשֶּׁמְּסָרוּהוּ לָהֶם, מֻתָּרִים הַקְּרוֹבִים בְּבָשָׂר וְיַיִן, אֲפִלּוּ קֹדֶם שֶׁהוֹצִיאוּהוּ מֵהַבַּיִת, שֶׁשּׁוּב אֵינוֹ מֻטָּל עֲלֵיהֶם. הַגָּה: מָקוֹם שֶׁנּוֹשְׂאִין הַמֵּת מֵעִיר לְעִיר, אִם מָקוֹם קָרוֹב הוּא הָוֵי כְּאִלּוּ מֻטָּל לְפָנָיו. אֲבָל אִם הוּא מָקוֹם רָחוֹק, כְּגוֹן מַהֲלַךְ שֵׁנִי יָמִים, מֻתָּר עַד שֶׁיָּבוֹאוּ לְעִיר קְבוּרָתוֹ (רַבֵּנוּ יוֹנָה פ' מִי שֶׁמֵּתוֹ).
3 [In] a locality where it is the accepted practice that pall-bearers are apointed to take out the corpse [for burial], and after the near-of-kin attend to the burial needs, they give him over to them and they bury him, — [the law is] that as soon as they gave him over to them, the near-of-kin are permitted to [eat] meat and [drink] wine, even before they take him out of the house, since the [burial] no longer rests upon them. [ In ] a locality where the corpse is borne from one city to another [ for burial ], if it is a near place, it is as though he lies before him; but if it is a distant place, e.g., a journeying distance of two days, it is permissible [ for the near-of-kin to eat meat and drink wine ] until they arrive at the city where the burial [ will take place ].
ד מִי שֶׁמֵּת בִּתְפִיסָה, וְלֹא נִתַּן לִקְבוּרָה, לֹא חָל עַל הַקְּרוֹבִים אֲנִינוּת, וְגַם אֲבֵלוּת לֹא חָל עֲלֵיהֶם, כֵּיוָן שֶׁלֹּא נִתְיָאֲשׁוּ מִלְּקָבְרוֹ. וְכֵן אִם קְרוֹבֵי הַמֵּת בִּתְפִיסָה, אֵין אֲנִינוּת חָל עֲלֵיהֶם. וְכֵן מִי שֶׁנֶּהֱרַג בַּדֶּרֶךְ אוֹ גְּרָרַתּוּ חַיָּה אוֹ שְׁטָפוֹ נָהָר, וְלֹא נִתְיָאֲשׁוּ מִלְּקָבְרוֹ, אֵין עַל הַקְּרוֹבִים לֹא דִּין אֲנִינוּת וְלֹא דִּין אֲבֵלוּת, וּמוֹנִים לוֹ שִׁבְעָה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים מִיּוֹם שֶׁנִּתְיָאֲשׁוּ מִלְּקָבְרוֹ.
4 If one died in prison and was not given over for burial, the observance of Aninuth as well as mourning does not take effect upon the near-of-kin, since they have not given up hope of burying him. Likewise, if the near-of-kin of the dead person are in prison, the observance of Aninuth does not take effect upon them. So too, if one was murdered on the road or a beast dragged him away or if a stream carried him off and they have not given up hope of burying him, the law of Aninuth or of mourning does not take effect upon the near-of-kin. And one counts for him the seven and the thirty [days] from the day that they give up hope of burying him.
ה כָּל זְמַן שֶׁלֹּא נִקְבַּר הַמֵּת, אֵינוֹ חוֹלֵץ מִנְעָל וְסַנְדָּל, וְאֵינוֹ חַיָּב בַּעֲטִיפַת הָרֹאשׁ וּכְפִיַּת הַמִּטָּה, אֲבָל אָסוּר לֵישֵׁב אוֹ לִישַׁן עַל גַּבֵּי מִטָּה, אֲפִלּוּ כְּפוּיָה. הַגָּה: וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן שֶׁאָסוּר בְּתַשְׁמִישׁ הַמִּטָּה (טוּר בְּשֵׁם הָרַמְבַּ"ן וּבְשֵׁם הַתּוֹסָפוֹת וּבְמָרְדְּכַי פ"ק דִּכְתֻבּוֹת בְּשֵׁם י"א). וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דְּאָסוּר בִּרְחִיצָה וְסִיכָה וְשִׂמְחָה וּשְׁאֵלַת שָׁלוֹם וְתִסְפֹּרֶת וּבִמְלָאכָה (טוּר), אֲבָל מֻתָּר לָצֵאת מִפֶּתַח בֵּיתוֹ. (הַגָּהוֹת מַיְמוֹנִי פ"ד בְּשֵׁם סמ"ק).
5 As long as the corpse is not buried one does not remove his shoes or sandals and is not required to [perform] the muffling of the head, nor the overturning of the couch, but one is forbidden to sit or sleep on a couch even if it is overturned. Rema: So much the more that one is forbidden to use the conjugal couch; and some say that he is prohibited against bathing, annointing, rejoicing, greeting, haircutting and work, but he is permitted to leave his house.
ו הַמְשַׁמֵּר אֶת הַמֵּת, אֲפִלּוּ שֶׁאֵינוֹ מֵתוֹ, פָּטוּר מִקְּרִיאַת שְׁמַע, וּמִכָּל מִצְוֹת הָאֲמוּרוֹת בַּתּוֹרָה. הָיוּ שְׁנַיִם, זֶה מְשַׁמֵּר וְזֶה קוֹרֵא.
6 The one who guards the corpse, even if it is not his own dead, is exempt from the reading of the Shema and from all religious duties enjoined in the Torah. If there were two [watchmen], one guards and the other reads.
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