הלוית המת ובטול ת"ת להלויתו. ובו ה' סעיפים:מבטלין תלמוד תורה להוצאת המת למאן דמתני לאחרים אין לו שיעור אפילו יש עמו כמה אלפים מתבטל בשבילו למאן דקרי ותני דהיינו שקרא ושנה ועדיין לא שנה לתלמידים אם יש ס' רבוא אין צריך להתבטל בשבילו למאן דלא קרי ותני כיון שיש לו מי שיתעסק עמו אין צריך להתבטל בשבילו והוא שיש שם עשרה (וי"א דעכשיו מן הסתם מבטלין שאין לך אחד מישראל בזמן הזה שאינו במקרא או במשנה) (ב"י בשם הריטב"א פ"ב דכתובות שכ"כ בשם סמ"ג) ואשה י"א שדינה כמאן דקרי ותני וי"א שדינה כמאן דלא קרי ותני וכן נהגו באשה ותינוק לקולא ואין מבטלין ת"ת למת כשיש מי שיתעסק עמו כל צרכו אלא עוסק בתורה ואינו צריך לצאת ולראות אם יש עמו כל צרכו אם לאו אלא כיון שיש שם מי שיעשה מעשה תלמוד תורה שלו קודם ותינוקות של בית רבן אין מתבטלין כלל:
One suspends the study of the Torah for the sake of taking out the dead [for burial].1Ket. 17a and Tosaf. ibid. s.v. מבטלין. Here the reference is to dead in general (v. supra § 343, n. 3), and not only to a Meth Miẓwah (v. Glos.). also Meg. 3b, 29a and Ket. ibid. Tosaf. s.v. להוצאת. The suspension of Torah studies is obligatory — ShaK. For one who taught others there is no limit, [i.e.,] even if there are many thousands [present] with him [the dead], one must suspend himself [from studies] for his sake. For one who read [Bible] and studied [Mishna], i.e., one who read [Bible] and studied [Mishna] but has not yet taught students, — if there are sixty myriads [attending the funeral], one need not suspend himself [from studies] for his sake.2Ket. 17a-b and parallel passages. ShaK states that according to this ruling a knowledge of both Bible and Mishna is required. Not so RITBA (cited by B.Yos.) where it is implied that a knowledge of either one is sufficient. The number sixty myriads is explained by the Gemara (ibid.) as follows: ‘The taking away of the Torah (on account of a scholar’s death) must correspond to its giving. As its giving was in the presence of sixty myriads (600,000), so also its taking away must be in the presence of sixty myriads.’ For one who has not read [Bible] nor studied [Mishna], — as long as there is someone looking after [his burial needs], one need not suspend himself [from studies] for his sake,3She’iltoth, Ḥayye Sarah § 14; ibid. Vay-yeḥi § 34 quoted in Rashi and Tosaf. Ket. ibid. Thus also Tur on the authority of BeHaG. The suspension of Torah studies in order to escort the dead and bring the bride into the bridal canopy, applies only if one actually witnesses these taking place. Sem(H). XI, 7; Y.Ḥag. I, 7(76c); Ha‘amek She’elah to She’iltoth ibid. On the greater importance of practice over study, cf. the following sources: Sifre, ‘Ekeb s. 41; Meg. 29a; Ket. 17a and Tosaf. s.v. ;להוצאת המת Kid. 40b and Tosaf. s.v. תלמוד; B.K. 17a and Tosaf. והאמר Y.Pes. III, 7(30b); Y.Ḥag. ibid. provided that [at least] ten people are [present] there.4Tur on the authority of R. Notrai Gaon. Thus also N and ShaK, since the line of comforters, the Kaddish prayer, recital of Ẓidduk Haddin etc. require ten males to be present. Some say that today, [even] without knowing [one's scholastic ability] we suspend [studies], for there is no man from among Israel nowadays, who is not [versed] in Bible or Mishna.5B.Yos. on the authority of RITBA, Ket. II, cited in the name of SeMaG — G. This ruling of Isserles applied to the period during which he flourished. [With respect to] a woman, some say that her status6Lit. ‘her law.’ is like one who read [Bible] and studied [Mishna];7Tur on the authority of Asheri. The reason being that although she is not enjoined to study Torah, yet she takes care of the education of her children etc. and attends to all her duties. and some say that her status6Lit. ‘her law.’ is like one who has not read [Bible] nor studied [Mishna]. And thus is the accepted practice regarding a woman and a child, — to adopt the lenient view.8N in T.H. She is treated as one who has not read Bible nor studied Mishna. Hence, if there is someone looking after her needs, one is not required to suspend his studies on her account. One does not suspend the study of the Torah for the sake of attending to [the burial needs of] the dead, when there is someone [else] who will attend to his need[s] sufficiently; but one occupies himself with [the study of] the Torah and is not required to go out and see whether all his [burial] need[s] are [attended to] or not; but as long as there is some one who will perform the [necessary] work [with respect to the corpse], his study of the Torah has priority.9Y.Pes. and Hag. ibid. Cf. also Tur a.l. and Ket. and Tosaf. ibid. This refers only to the time when the corpse is awaiting to be escorted for burial, in which case, even if the dead was a teacher, one does not interrupt his studies on his account. We suspend studies only at the time of the funeral procession (v. infra par. 2) — ShaK contra BaḤ. School children are not suspended [from their studies] at all.10Y.Pes. III, 7(30b). Cur. edd. of Y. do not have אין מבטלין תינוקות של בית רבן להוצא׳ המת as recorded by W.G. however, Torathan Shel Rishonim in Y. ibid. where such a version of Y. is cited by Sem. of R. Meir of Rothenberg, s. 46 Cf. also Asheri and Mord. to M.K. Shab. 119b: ‘Children are not made to suspend (their studies) even for the building of the Temple.’ This refers even to the time of the funeral procession — ShaK.