Study Ketubot folio 72A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
איכא נועל בפניה, אלא לבית האבל מאי נועל בפניה איכא? תנא: למחר היא מתה ואין כל בריה סופדה. ואיכא דאמרי: אין כל בריה סופנה.
there is effectively an act of locking a door in front of her by withholding from her any possibility of rejoicing, but when he forbids her from going to a house of mourning, what locking of a door in front of her is there? He taught: In the future she too will die, and no person will eulogize her or take care of her, just as she did not do so for others. And some say: No person will value her or pay attention to her, since a person who does not visit the sick or console mourners cuts himself off from others.
תניא, היה רבי מאיר אומר: מאי דכתיב ״טוב ללכת אל בית אבל מלכת אל בית משתה באשר הוא סוף כל האדם והחי יתן אל לבו״, מאי ״והחי יתן אל לבו״? דברים של מיתה: ד[י]ספד — יספדוניה, ד[י]קבר — יקברוניה, דידל — ידלוניה, ד[י]לואי — ילווניה, ד[י]טען — יטענוניה.
Similarly, it is taught in a baraita: R' Meir used to say: What is the meaning of that which is written: “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, since that is the end of all men, and the living will take it to heart” (Ecclesiastes 7:2)? What does “and the living will take it to heart” mean? It means that they will take matters relating to death to heart, realizing that they too will eventually die. He who eulogizes others, people will eulogize him; he who buries someone, people will bury him; he who lifts others to bring them to burial, people will similarly lift him to bring him to burial; he who escorts others out for burial, people will similarly escort him; he who carries others, others will carry him. Therefore, one who does not come to a house of mourning to comfort the bereaved will himself not be treated with proper dignity when he dies.