שֶׁיַּמְתִּין. קוֹשְׁרִין אֶת הַלֶּחִי, לֹא שֶׁיַּעֲלֶה – אֶלָּא שֶׁלֹּא יוֹסִיף. וְכֵן קוֹרָה שֶׁנִּשְׁבְּרָה – סוֹמְכִין אוֹתָהּ בְּסַפְסָל אוֹ בַּאֲרוּכוֹת הַמִּטָּה, לֹא שֶׁתַּעֲלֶה אֶלָּא שֶׁלֹּא תּוֹסִיף.

to delay its decomposition. Similarly, one may tie the jaw of a corpse that is in the process of opening. One may not move it directly so that it will rise back to its original position, but so that it will not continue to open. And similarly, if one has a roof beam that has broken on Shabbat, one may support it with a bench or with long poles from a bed. One may not move it so that the beam will rise back to its original place, but so that it will not continue to fall.

גמ׳ וְהָאָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל: מַעֲשֶׂה בְּתַלְמִידוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי מֵאִיר שֶׁנִּכְנַס אַחֲרָיו לְבֵית הַמֶּרְחָץ, בִּיקֵּשׁ לְהָדִיחַ קַרְקַע, אָמַר לוֹ: אֵין מְדִיחִין. לָסוּךְ קַרְקַע – אָמַר לוֹ: אֵין סָכִין. קַרְקַע בְּקַרְקַע – מַחְלְפָא, מֵת בְּקַרְקַע לָא מִיחֲלַף.

The Gemara questions the mishna’s lenient ruling with regard to smearing oil on a corpse: But didn’t Rav Yehuda say that Shmuel said: There was an incident with a student of Rabbi Meir who followed him into the bathhouse on Shabbat. The student wanted to rinse the ground. Rabbi Meir said to him: One may not rinse on Shabbat. The student wanted to smear the ground with oil. Rabbi Meir said to him: One may not smear on Shabbat. This indicates that it is prohibited to rinse or smear anything that may not be moved on Shabbat. The Gemara responds: The ground in one place can be confused with the ground in another place, and the Sages therefore prohibited these activities even on a tiled floor, such as that of a bathhouse, due to a concern that one may come to do so on a dirt floor and smooth it out. However, a corpse cannot be confused with the ground, and it is therefore permitted to rinse a corpse and smear it with oil.

“כָּל״ לְאַתּוֹיֵי מַאי? לְאַתּוֹיֵי הָא דְּתָנוּ רַבָּנַן: מְבִיאִין כְּלֵי מֵיקַר וּכְלֵי מַתָּכוֹת וּמַנִּיחִין עַל כְּרֵיסוֹ, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא תִּפּוֹחַ. וּפוֹקְקִין אֶת נְקָבָיו כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא תִּיכָּנֵס בָּהֶן הָרוּחַ.

We learned in the mishna that one may attend to all the needs of the dead on Shabbat. The Gemara asks: What does the word all include in the mishna’s ruling that one may have thought is not included? The Gemara answers: It is meant to include that which the Sages taught: One may bring cold vessels and metal vessels and place them on the corpse’s stomach so that it does not swell. And one may seal up its orifices so that air will not enter them and cause swelling.

וְאַף שְׁלֹמֹה אָמַר בְּחָכְמָתוֹ “עַד שֶׁלֹּא יֵרָתֵק חֶבֶל הַכֶּסֶף״ – זֶה חוּט הַשִּׁדְרָה, “וְתָרוּץ גּוּלַּת הַזָּהָב״ – זֶה אַמָּה, “וְתִשָּׁבֶר כַּד עַל הַמַּבּוּעַ״ – זֶה הַכֶּרֶס, “וְנָרוֹץ הַגַּלְגַּל אֶל הַבּוֹר״ – זֶה פֶּרֶשׁ.

And King Solomon also said in his wisdom with regard to old age and death: “Before the silver cord is snapped asunder, and the golden bowl is shattered, and the pitcher is broken at the fountain, and the wheel falls, shattered, into the pit” (Ecclesiastes 12:6), which the Gemara explains as follows: “Before the silver cord is snapped asunder”; this is a reference to the spinal cord. “And the golden bowl [ gullat ] is shattered”; this is a reference to the member, which is like a spring of water [ gulla ]. “And the pitcher is broken at the fountain”; this is a reference to the stomach, which looks like a pitcher that swells and ruptures. “And the wheel [ galgal ] falls, shattered, into the pit”; this is a reference to excrement [ gelalim ].

וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר “וְזֵרִיתִי פֶּרֶשׁ עַל פְּנֵיכֶם פֶּרֶשׁ חַגֵּיכֶם״. אָמַר רַב הוּנָא וְאָמְרִי לָהּ אָמַר רַב חַגָּא: אֵלּוּ בְּנֵי אָדָם שֶׁמַּנִּיחִין דִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה, וְעוֹשִׂין כָּל יְמֵיהֶם כְּחַגִּים. אָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר רַב פַּפִּי אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ: לְאַחַר שְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים כְּרֵיסוֹ נִבְקַעַת וְנוֹפֶלֶת לוֹ עַל פָּנָיו, וְאוֹמֶרֶת לוֹ “טוֹל מַה שֶּׁנָּתַתָּ בִּי״.

And similarly, it says in the verse: “And I will spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your Festival offerings” (Malachi 2:3). Rav Huna said, and some say that it was Rav Ḥagga who said: This verse is referring to those people who neglect the words of the Torah and turn all of their days into Festivals. Rabbi Levi said that Rav Pappi said that Rabbi Yehoshua said: Three days after death, the stomach of the dead bursts and falls onto his face and says to him: Take what you have put inside me.

מתני׳ אֵין מְעַצְּמִין אֶת הַמֵּת בַּשַּׁבָּת, וְלֹא בַּחוֹל עִם יְצִיאַת נֶפֶשׁ. וְהַמַּעֲצִים עִם יְצִיאַת הַנֶּפֶשׁ – הֲרֵי זֶה שׁוֹפֵךְ דָּמִים.

One may not shut the eyes of the dead on Shabbat because the body is set-aside. And one may not shut the eyes even on a weekday while the soul departs. One must wait until the person has died. And one who shuts the eyes while the soul departs is a murderer because he has hastened the person’s death.

גמ׳ תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: הַמְעַצְּמוֹ עִם יְצִיאַת הַנֶּפֶשׁ – הֲרֵי זֶה שׁוֹפֵךְ דָּמִים. מָשָׁל לְנֵר שֶׁכָּבָה וְהוֹלֶכֶת, אָדָם מַנִּיחַ אֶצְבָּעוֹ עָלֶיהָ – מִיָּד כָּבְתָה. תַּנְיָא, רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר: הָרוֹצֶה שֶׁיִּתְעַצְּמוּ עֵינָיו שֶׁל מֵת – נוֹפֵחַ לוֹ יַיִן בְּחוֹטְמוֹ, וְנוֹתֵן שֶׁמֶן בֵּין רִיסֵי עֵינָיו, וְאוֹחֵז בִּשְׁנֵי גּוּדָּלֵי רַגְלָיו – וְהֵן מִתְעַצְּמִין מֵאֲלֵיהֶן.

The Sages taught: One who shuts a person’s eyes while the soul departs is a murderer. This is analogous to a lamp that is gradually becoming extinguished but could continue to burn a little longer. If a person places his finger on it, it is immediately extinguished. It was taught in a baraita that Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: One who wants the eyes of a corpse to close should blow wine up its nose, and place oil between its eyelids, and grab hold of its two big toes, and its eyes will shut by themselves.

תַּנְיָא, רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר: תִּינוֹק בֶּן יוֹמוֹ חַי – מְחַלְּלִין עָלָיו אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת, דָּוִד מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵת – אֵין מְחַלְּלִין עָלָיו אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת. תִּינוֹק בֶּן יוֹמוֹ חַי מְחַלְּלִין עָלָיו אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת, אָמְרָה תּוֹרָה: חַלֵּל עָלָיו שַׁבָּת אֶחָד, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּשְׁמוֹר שַׁבָּתוֹת הַרְבֵּה. דָּוִד מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵת – אֵין מְחַלְּלִין עָלָיו – כֵּיוָן שֶׁמֵּת אָדָם, בָּטֵל מִן הַמִּצְוֹת. וְהַיְינוּ דְּאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: “בַּמֵּתִים חָפְשִׁי״ כֵּיוָן שֶׁמֵּת אָדָם – נַעֲשָׂה חָפְשִׁי מִן הַמִּצְוֹת.

Incidental to the Gemara’s discussion of corpses, it cites that which was taught in a baraita : Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: For a living day-old baby, one desecrates Shabbat to save his life. Yet for the deceased David, king of Israel, one does not desecrate Shabbat. For a day-old baby we desecrate Shabbat because the Torah says: Desecrate one Shabbat for him so that he can observe many Shabbatot . But for the deceased David, king of Israel, one does not desecrate Shabbat, as once a person dies he is idle from mitzvot. And this is what Rabbi Yoḥanan said with regard to the verse: “Set apart among the dead [ bametim ḥofshi ], like the slain that lie in the grave, whom You remember no more” (Psalms 88:6). Once a person dies, he becomes free [ ḥofshi ] from the mitzvot.

וְתַנְיָא, רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר אוֹמֵר: תִּינוֹק בֶּן יוֹמוֹ חַי – אֵין צָרִיךְ לְשׁוֹמְרוֹ מִן הַחוּלְדָּה וּמִן הָעַכְבָּרִים, אֲבָל עוֹג מֶלֶךְ הַבָּשָׁן מֵת – צָרִיךְ לְשׁוֹמְרוֹ מִן הַחוּלְדָּה וּמִן הָעַכְבָּרִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר “וּמוֹרַאֲכֶם וְחִתְּכֶם יִהְיֶה״, כָּל זְמַן שֶׁאָדָם חַי – אֵימָתוֹ מוּטֶּלֶת עַל הַבְּרִיּוֹת, כֵּיוָן שֶׁמֵּת – בָּטְלָה אֵימָתוֹ.

And it was also taught in a baraita that Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar said: It is not necessary to protect a live day-old baby from a weasel or from mice, for they run away from the baby. But if Og, the king of Bashan, is dead, it is necessary to protect even him from a weasel or from mice, as it is stated: “And the fear of you and the dread of you [ ḥittekhem ] shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every bird of the heavens” (Genesis 9:2). The Gemara explains: As long as a person is alive [ ḥai ], he is feared by the animals. Once he dies, he is no longer feared.

אָמַר רַב פַּפָּא: נְקִיטִינַן, אַרְיֵה אַבֵּי תְּרֵי – לָא נָפֵיל. הָא קָא חָזֵינַן דְּנָפֵיל. הַהוּא כִּדְרָמִי בַּר אַבָּא, דְּאָמַר רָמִי בַּר אַבָּא: אֵין חַיָּה שׁוֹלֶטֶת בָּאָדָם עַד שֶׁנִּדְמֶה לוֹ כִּבְהֵמָה; שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר “אָדָם בִּיקָר בַּל יָלִין נִמְשַׁל כַּבְּהֵמוֹת נִדְמוּ״. אָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא: אָסוּר לִישֹׁן בַּבַּיִת יְחִידִי, וְכָל הַיָּשֵׁן בַּבַּיִת יְחִידִי אֲחָזַתּוּ לִילִית.

Rav Pappa said: We hold that a lion does not pounce upon two people. The Gemara challenges this: But how can that be? We see that it does pounce upon two people. The Gemara answers: That statement of Rav Pappa must be in accordance with that which Rami bar Abba said: An animal does not overpower a person until he appears to it as an animal, as it is stated: “But man does not abide in honor, he is like the beasts that perish” (Psalms 49:13). However, animals do not attack people who are human in their spiritual character. In a similar vein, Rabbi Ḥanina said: It is prohibited to sleep alone in a house, and anyone who sleeps alone in a house will be seized by the evil spirit Lilith.

וְתַנְיָא, רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר אוֹמֵר: עֲשֵׂה עַד שֶׁאַתָּה מוֹצֵא וּמָצוּי לְךָ וְעוֹדְךָ בְּיָדְךָ, וְאַף שְׁלֹמֹה אָמַר בְּחָכְמָתוֹ “וּזְכוֹר אֶת בּוֹרְאֶיךָ בִּימֵי בְּחוּרוֹתֶיךָ עַד [אֲשֶׁר] (שֶׁ) לֹא יָבֹאוּ יְמֵי הָרָעָה״ – אֵלּוּ יְמֵי הַזִּקְנָה “וְהִגִּיעוּ שָׁנִים אֲשֶׁר תֹּאמַר אֵין לִי בָּהֶם חֵפֶץ״ – אֵלּוּ יְמֵי הַמָּשִׁיחַ, שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶם לֹא זְכוּת וְלֹא חוֹבָה.

It was also taught in a baraita with regard to the appreciation of life: Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: Perform mitzvot while you still find opportunities, and you have the financial means, and you are still under your own control. And King Solomon also said, in his wisdom: “And remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years arrive when you will say: I have no desire for them” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar explains: “The evil days”; these are the days of old age. “And the years arrive when you will say: I have no desire for them”; these are the days of Messiah, in which there is neither merit nor liability.

וּפְלִיגָא דִּשְׁמוּאֵל, דְּאָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל: אֵין בֵּין הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה לִימוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ אֶלָּא שִׁיעְבּוּד מַלְכֻיּוֹת בִּלְבַד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר “כִּי לֹא יֶחְדַּל אֶבְיוֹן מִקֶּרֶב הָאָרֶץ״.

The Gemara comments that this explanation disagrees with the view of Shmuel, for Shmuel said: There is no difference between this world and the days of Messiah except for subjugation to foreign kingdoms alone, from which we will be released in the Messianic era, as it is stated: “For the poor will never cease from the land, therefore I command you, saying: You shall surely open your hand to your brother, to your poor and your needy in your land.” (Deuteronomy 15:11). This indicates that the ways of the world, including the existence of wealthy and poor socioeconomic strata, will continue forever.

תַּנְיָא, רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר הַקַּפָּר אוֹמֵר: לְעוֹלָם יְבַקֵּשׁ אָדָם רַחֲמִים עַל מִדָּה זוֹ, שֶׁאִם הוּא לֹא בָּא – בָּא בְּנוֹ, וְאִם בְּנוֹ לֹא בָּא – בֶּן בְּנוֹ בָּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר “כִּי בִּגְלַל הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה״, תָּנָא דְּבֵי רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל: גַּלְגַּל הוּא שֶׁחוֹזֵר בָּעוֹלָם. אָמַר רַב יוֹסֵף: נְקִיטִינַן, הַאי צוֹרְבָא מֵרַבָּנַן לָא מִיעֲנִי – וְהָא קָא חָזֵינַן דְּמִיעֲנִי. אִם אִיתָא דְּמִיעֲנִי, אַהֲדוֹרֵי אַפִּתְחָא לָא מִיהֲדַר.

It was taught in a baraita that Rabbi Elazar HaKappar says: A person should always request divine mercy with regard to this condition of poverty, for if he does not come to a state of poverty, his son will, and if his son does not come to such a state his grandson will, as it is stated: “You shall surely give him and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, for due to this thing [ biglal hadavar hazeh ] the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you put your hand toward” (Deuteronomy 15:10). With regard to this verse, the tanna from the school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: Due to [ biglal ] this thing means that it is a wheel [ galgal ] that turns in the world, upon which people continuously rise and fall. Rav Yosef said: We hold that a Torah scholar will not become poor. The Gemara challenges this statement: But we see that they do become poor. The Gemara answers: Even so, if there is a Torah scholar who becomes poor, he will still never have to go around asking for charity at people’s doors.

אֲמַר לָהּ רַבִּי חִיָּיא לִדְבֵיתְהוּ: כִּי אָתֵי עַנְיָא – אַקְדִּימִי לֵיהּ רִיפְתָּא, כִּי הֵיכִי דִּלְקַדְמוּ לְבָנַיִךְ. אֲמָרָה לֵיהּ: מֵילַט קָא לָיְיטַת לְהוּ? אֲמַר לָהּ: קְרָא קָא כְּתִיב “כִּי בִּגְלַל הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה״, וְתָנָא דְּבֵי רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל: גַּלְגַּל הוּא שֶׁחוֹזֵר בָּעוֹלָם, תַּנְיָא רַבִּי גַּמְלִיאֵל בְּרַבִּי אוֹמֵר: “וְנָתַן לְךָ רַחֲמִים וְרִחַמְךָ וְהִרְבֶּךָ״ כָּל הַמְרַחֵם עַל הַבְּרִיּוֹת – מְרַחֲמִין עָלָיו מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְכָל שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְרַחֵם עַל הַבְּרִיּוֹת – אֵין מְרַחֲמִין עָלָיו מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם.

In a similar vein, the Gemara relates that Rabbi Ḥiyya said to his wife: When a poor person comes to the house, be quick to give him bread so that they will be quick to give bread to your children. She said to him: Are you cursing them, your children? He said to her: It is a verse that is written, as it says: “Due to this thing,” and the Sages expounded that it is a wheel that continuously turns in the world. Similarly, it was taught in a baraita that Rabbi Gamliel, son of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, says: The verse that states: “And He will show you mercy and have compassion on you and multiply you” (Deuteronomy 13:18) teaches us that anyone who has compassion for God’s creatures will receive compassion from Heaven, and anyone who does not have compassion for God’s creatures will not receive compassion from Heaven.

“עַד אֲשֶׁר לֹא תֶּחְשַׁךְ הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְהָאוֹר״ – זוֹ פַּדַּחַת וְהַחוֹטֶם, “וְהַיָּרֵח״ – זוֹ נְשָׁמָה, “וְהַכּוֹכָבִים״ – אֵלּוּ הַלְּסָתוֹת, “וְשָׁבוּ הֶעָבִים אַחַר הַגָּשֶׁם״ – זוֹ מְאוֹר עֵינָיו שֶׁל אָדָם, שֶׁהוֹלֵךְ אַחַר הַבְּכִי. אֲמַר שְׁמוּאֵל: הַאי דִּמְעֲתָא, עַד אַרְבְּעִין שְׁנִין – הָדְרָא, מִכָּאן וְאֵילָךְ – לָא הָדְרָא.

The Gemara returns to verses from Ecclesiastes that relate to death and old age. It is written: “Before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain” (Ecclesiastes 12:2). The Sages taught: “The sun and the light”; this is referring to the forehead and the nose which stick out from a person’s face. “And the moon”; this is referring to the soul, which shines within a person. “And the stars”; these are the cheeks. “And the clouds return after the rain”; this is the light of a person’s eyes, which goes and dwindles after one cries as if it were covered by clouds. Shmuel said: With regard to the tear that a person cries, until one reaches the age of forty years, one’s vision returns and is not harmed. From here on, once a person reaches the age of forty, it does not return, and every time a person cries his vision is weakened.

וַאֲמַר רַב נַחְמָן: הַאי כּוֹחֲלָא, עַד אַרְבְּעִין שְׁנִין – מַרְוַוח, מִכָּאן וְאֵילָךְ – אֲפִילּוּ מָלְיָא כְּאַבִיסָנָא דְּגִירְדָּאֵי – אוֹקוֹמֵי מוֹקִים, אַרְווֹחֵי לָא מַרְוַוח. מַאי קָא מַשְׁמַע לָן – דְּכַמָּה דְּאַלִּים מִכּוֹחֲלָא טְפֵי מַעֲלִי.

And similarly, Rav Naḥman said: With regard to medicinal eye shadow, until one reaches the age of forty years, it enhances his eyesight. From here and on, even if one fills it as thick as a weaver’s pin [ avisana degirda’ei ], it will maintain his eyesight but it will not enhance it. The Gemara asks about this: What is he teaching us with the example of a weaver’s pin? The Gemara answers: Generally speaking, the more eye shadow one applies, the more beneficial it is.

רַבִּי חֲנִינָא שְׁכִיבָא לֵיהּ בְּרַתֵּיהּ, לָא הֲוָה קָא בָּכֵי עֲלָהּ. אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ דְּבֵיתְהוּ: תַּרְנְגוֹלְתָּא אַפֵּיקַת מִבֵּיתָךְ? אֲמַר לָהּ: תַּרְתֵּי, תִּכְלָא וְעִיוָּרָא? סָבַר לָהּ כִּי הָא דְּאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בֶּן קְצַרְתָּה: שֵׁשׁ דְּמָעוֹת הֵן, שָׁלֹשׁ יָפוֹת וְשָׁלֹֹשׁ רָעוֹת. שֶׁל עָשָׁן וְשֶׁל בְּכִי

The Gemara relates a story: When Rabbi Ḥanina’s daughter died, he did not cry over her. His wife said to him: Have you merely let a chicken out of your house, that you do not show any signs of sorrow? He said to her: If I cry, I will suffer twice, from bereavement and from blindness. The Gemara explains: He held in accordance with the statement that Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Yosei ben Ketzarta: There are six types of tears, three of which are good for the eyes and three of which are bad. Tears that come from smoke, and from crying out of sorrow,