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DAAT · LEVEL 1 — INTRODUCTION

Siman ע״ב · The pallbearers

דין נושאי המטה והמנחמים והמלווים — the pallbearers, their substitutes and the substitutes of the substitutes, since the bier needs them, are exempt from the ק״ש (עוסק במצוה) ; the other escorts are obligated ; the body is not brought out too close to the time ; the הספד, the אונן and the שורה of comforters
סימן ע״ב · ה׳ סעיפים
דין נושאי המטה והמנחמים והמלווים
🌱 Introductory level · Beginners
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This siman teaches the din of the נושאי המטה (pallbearers), the מנחמים (comforters) and the מלוין (escorts): the bearers, their substitutes and the substitutes of the substitutes, before or behind the bier, as long as they are needed for carrying — עוסקים במצוה — are פטורים from the ק״ש, but the other escorts are חייבים ; the body is not brought out too close to the time of the ק״ש ; those at the הספד slip away one by one to recite, the אונן stays silent ; and in the שורה — the inner rows are exempt, the outer ones obligated. Hebrew text, fluent English translation and explanation of the ה׳ seifim, with a section of practical cases.

Topic: The pallbearers and the ק״ש — נושאי המטה, אין מוציאין סמוך לק״ש, הספד ואונן, השורה
Source: שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן ע״ב · ה׳ סעיפים

Compiled by: רב יוסף חיים סממה
DAAT · daattorah.com

Our Sages taught (ברכות י״ז:): העוסק במצוה פטור מן המצוה — one who is occupied with a mitzvah is exempt from another mitzvah. This is the yesod of the siman: accompanying the dead and burying them is a mitzvah (גמילות חסד), so the נושאי המטה who carry the bier — and all whom the bier needs — are exempt from the ק״ש as long as they are engaged in this service. We study here at the level of principle; for personal conduct, one refers to the custom and to the ruling of the Rav.

📑 Study outline

A. The ה׳ seifim — נושאי המטה (séif 1), אין מוציאין סמוך לק״ש (séif 2), הספד ואונן (séif 3), השורה לתנחומין (séif 4), הפנימים והחיצונים (séif 5)
1. Practical case — carrying the bier: who is exempt and who is obligated
2. Practical case — the time of the ק״ש near burial
3. Practical case — the שורה of comforters: inner and outer rows
+ Comprehension questions and going further

A. Bearers, comforters and escorts — the ה׳ seifim

עוֹסֵק בְּמִצְוָה פָּטוּר מִן הַמִּצְוָה — one occupied with a mitzvah is exempt from another — this is the principle that governs the whole siman. Those who are needed for carrying the dead (נושאי המטה) are engaged in the mitzvah of burial and therefore exempt from the ק״ש ; those who escort without being needed (שאר המלוין) are not "taken up" and remain obligated. Hence too the rule not to bring out the body too close to the time, the conduct during the הספד and for the אונן, and the division of the שורה between פנימים and חיצונים.

Séif 1 — נושאי המטה: the bearers and their substitutes

נושאי המטה וחילופיהן וחילופי חילופיהן, בין אותם שהם לפני המטה בין אותם שהם לאחריה, מאחר שלמטה צורך בהם — פטורים; ושאר המלוין את המת שאין למטה צורך בהם — חייבים.
Séif 1: the pallbearers (נושאי המטה), their substitutes (חילופיהן) and the substitutes of the substitutes (חילופי חילופיהן), whether before the bier or behind it — since the bier needs them (מאחר שלמטה צורך בהם) — are exempt (פטורים); but the other escorts of the dead whom the bier does not need (שאר המלוין שאין למטה צורך בהם) are obligated (חייבים).
All those whom the bier needs for carrying are עוסקים במצוה and therefore exempt — not only those carrying at this moment, but also the substitutes and the substitutes of the substitutes, ready to take over, and even those placed before the bier (who have not yet carried). By contrast, שאר המלוין — those who merely escort without being needed for carrying — remain חייבים in the ק״ש.

Séif 2 — אין מוציאין סמוך לק״ש: the time of bringing out

אין מוציאין את המת סמוך לק״ש שאין שהות להוציאו ולקברו קודם שיגיע זמן ק״ש; ואם התחילו להוציאו אין מפסיקין כדי לקרות.
Séif 2: we do not bring out the body close to the time of the ק״ש when there is not enough time (שאין שהות) to bring it out and bury it before the zman of the ק״ש arrives; but if they have already begun to bring it out (ואם התחילו להוציאו), they do not interrupt (אין מפסיקין) in order to recite.
One does not begin to bring out the body if, because of the burial, one risks letting the zman of the ק״ש pass. But if the procession is already on its way, one does not interrupt — those needed for carrying remain עוסקים במצוה and complete the mitzvah to the end.

Séif 3 — הספד ואונן: the eulogy and the pre-burial mourner

העם העוסקים בהספד בזמן שהמת מוטל לפניהם נשמטים אחד אחד וקורין ומתפללין; אין המת מוטל לפניהם הם קורין ומתפללין, והאונן יושב ודומם.
Séif 3: the people occupied with the הספד (the eulogy) while the body lies before them — they slip away one by one (נשמטים אחד אחד) to recite the ק״ש and pray; if the body does not lie before them, they recite and pray (in place); and the אונן (one whose relative is not yet buried) sits and is silent (יושב ודומם).
During the הספד, when the body is before them, they do not all recite together out of respect for the dead (לועג לרש): each one slips away in turn (one by one) to recite and pray. If the body is not before them, they recite normally. As for the אונן, exempt and barred from mitzvot until his relative is buried, he remains silent and answers nothing.

Séif 4 — השורה לתנחומין: joining the line of condolences

קברו את המת וחזרו האבלים לקבל תנחומין וכל העם הולכין אחריהם ממקום הקבר למקום שעומדין שם האבלים לעשות שורה לקבל תנחומין; אם יכולין העם להתחיל ולגמור אפילו פסוק אחד קודם שיגיעו לשורה יתחילו, ואם לאו לא יתחילו (הגה: אם יש שהות ביום לקרא אחר כך).
Séif 4: they buried the dead and the mourners returned to receive condolences, and all the people go after them from the place of the grave to the place where the mourners stand to form a line (שורה) to receive condolences; if the people can begin and finish even one verse (אפילו פסוק אחד) before they reach the line — they begin, and if not, they do not begin. Rem"a: if there is still time in the day to recite afterwards.
After the burial, while the people accompany the mourners toward the שורה: if they can read and finish at least one verse before reaching it — they begin; if not, they do not begin, so as not to interrupt in the middle. The Rama's הגה adds: this is when there is still time in the day to recite after the שורה.

Séif 5 — הפנימים והחיצונים: in the line

העומדים בשורה לנחמו — הפנימים שרואים פני האבל פטורים, והחיצונים שאינם רואים פני האבל חייבים.
Séif 5: those standing in the line to comfort the mourner — the inner rows that see the mourner's face (הפנימים שרואים פני האבל) are exempt (פטורים), and the outer rows that do not see the mourner's face (החיצונים שאינם רואים פני האבל) are obligated (חייבים).
In the שורה, only those who see the face of the mourner — the inner rows — are then performing the mitzvah of comforting mourners (נחמת אבלים) and are therefore פטורים from the ק״ש. The outer rows, who do not see the mourner, are not "taken up" by the comforting and remain חייבים.
The siman in one sentence: the נושאי המטה and all whom the bier needs (substitutes, substitutes of substitutes, before or behind) are פטורים from the ק״ש as עוסקים במצוה, but שאר המלוין are חייבים; the body is not brought out סמוך לק״ש, and if they began they do not interrupt; at the הספד they slip away one by one to recite, and the אונן יושב ודומם; those heading to the שורה begin only if they can finish a verse; and in the line, הפנימים פטורים והחיצונים חייבים.

Practical cases

Case 1 — Carrying the bier

Situation: one accompanies a dead person to burial. Who in the procession must recite the ק״ש and who is exempt?
Conduct: those who carry the bier, as well as the substitutes ready to take over (before or behind) — all whom the bier needs — are עוסקים במצוה and therefore exempt. Those who only escort, without being needed for carrying, are obligated to recite. For the application (number of bearers, local custom), one follows one's Rav.

Case 2 — The time of the ק״ש near burial

Situation: the zman of the ק״ש is approaching and one hesitates to bring out the body now. What to do?
Conduct: one does not begin to bring out the body if there is not enough time to bring it out and bury it before the zman of the ק״ש passes. But if the bringing-out has already begun, one does not interrupt to recite; those needed for carrying remain engaged in the mitzvah. For borderline cases (the exact reckoning of time and priorities), one follows one's Rav.

Case 3 — The שורה of comforters

Situation: after the burial, a line is formed to comfort the mourners. Who recites the ק״ש in the שורה?
Conduct: the inner rows, who see the face of the mourner, are engaged in comforting and therefore exempt; the outer rows, who do not see him, are obligated to recite. And while walking toward the line, one begins the ק״ש only if one can finish a verse before arriving. For the practical application, one follows one's Rav.

Comprehension questions

Check your understanding:
  1. What is the principle (the yesod) that exempts the נושאי המטה from the ק״ש (séif 1)?
  2. Why are the substitutes and those before the bier exempt too, and not שאר המלוין?
  3. When must one not bring out the body, and what does one do if one has already begun (séif 2)?
  4. During the הספד, how does one recite when the body is before them, and what does the אונן do (séif 3)?
  5. In the שורה, who is פטור and who is חייב, and why (séif 5)?

Going further

If you wish to deepen this siman:
Continue to the next simanSiman 73 →
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DAAT · רב יוסף חיים סממה

סימן ע״ב · ה׳ סעיפים · Level 1 — Introduction
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