Moed Katan 27B

בכליכה, והיו עניים מתביישין. התקינו שיהו הכל מוציאין בכליכה, מפני כבודן של עניים.

on a plain bier made from poles that were strapped together, and the poor were embarrassed. The rabbis instituted that everyone should be taken out for burial on a plain bier, due to the honor of the poor.

בראשונה היו מניחין את המוגמר תחת חולי מעים מתים, והיו חולי מעים חיים מתביישין. התקינו שיהו מניחין תחת הכל, מפני כבודן של חולי מעים חיים.

Similarly, at first they would place incense under the beds of those who died with an intestinal disease, because the body emitted an especially unpleasant odor. And those who were alive with an intestinal disease were embarrassed when they understood that they, too, would be treated in this manner after their death, and that everyone would know the cause of their death. The rabbis instituted that incense should be placed under everyone, due to the honor of those with an intestinal disease who were still living.

בראשונה היו מטבילין את הכלים על גבי נדות מתות, והיו נדות חיות מתביישות. התקינו שיהו מטבילין על גבי כל הנשים, מפני כבודן של נדות חיות. בראשונה מטבילין על גבי זבין מתים, והיו זבין חיים מתביישין. התקינו שיהו מטבילין על גב הכל, מפני כבודן של זבין חיים.

Moreover, at first they would ritually immerse all the utensils that had been used by women who died while menstruating, which had thereby contracted ritual impurity. And due to this, the living menstruating women were embarrassed. The rabbis instituted that the utensils that had been used by all dying women must be immersed, due to the honor of living menstruating women. And, at first they would ritually immerse all the utensils that had been used by zavin, men suffering from gonorrhea, who died, as the utensils had thereby contracted ritual impurity. And due to this the living zavin felt embarrassed. The rabbis instituted that the utensils that had been used by all men must be immersed, due to the honor of the living zavin.

בראשונה היתה הוצאת המת קשה לקרוביו יותר ממיתתו, עד שהיו קרוביו מניחין אותו ובורחין. עד שבא רבן גמליאל ונהג קלות ראש בעצמו, ויצא בכלי פשתן, ונהגו העם אחריו לצאת בכלי פשתן. אמר רב פפא: והאידנא נהוג עלמא אפילו בצרדא בר זוזא.

Likewise, at first taking the dead out for burial was more difficult for the relatives than the actual death, because it was customary to bury the dead in expensive shrouds, which the poor could not afford. The problem grew to the point that relatives would sometimes abandon the corpse and run away. This lasted until Rabban Gamliel came and acted with frivolity, meaning that he waived his dignity, by leaving instructions that he be taken out for burial in linen garments. And the people adopted this practice after him and had themselves taken out for burial in linen garments. Rav Pappa said: And nowadays, everyone follows the practice of taking out the dead for burial even in plain hemp garments [tzerada] that cost only a dinar.