Pt2 Mourning Rituals and Communal Practices: Blessings, Wine, and Rabban Gamliel’s Burial Reform (Ketubot 8b)
This is the second and final part of a two-part series. Part 1 is here; the outline of the series can be found at Part 1.
Speech 4: Blessing for Comforters of Mourners
Reish Lakish then instructs his disseminator to recite a blessing for those who comfort mourners (מנחמי אבלים), recognizing them as followers of Abraham’s tradition1 of kindness (גומלי חסדים).
The blessing concludes with a prayer for God to reward them accordingly.2
אמר ליה:
קום אימא מלתא כנגד מנחמי אבלים.
פתח ואמר:
!״אחינו
גומלי חסדים בני גומלי חסדים,
המחזיקים בבריתו של אברהם אבינו
(שנאמר: ׳כי ידעתיו למען אשר יצוה את בניו וגו׳׳).
!אחינו
בעל הגמול ישלם לכם גמולכם.
ברוך אתה, משלם הגמול״.
Reish Lakish said to the disseminator:
Stand and say a statement with regard to those who comfort the mourners.
He began and said:
Our brothers!
bestowers of loving-kindness, sons of bestowers of loving-kindness,
who embrace the covenant of Abraham our Patriarch,
as it is stated: “For I know him, that he will command his children…to do righteousness and justice” (Genesis 18:19).
Our brothers!
may the Master of reward pay you your just deserts.
Blessed are You, Lord, Who pays the just deserts.
Speech 5: Blessing for the Jewish People
Another blessing is recited for the entire Jewish people, petitioning God to save them3 from calamities such as epidemics (דֶּבֶר), war,4 looting (ביזה), blight (שדפון), mildew,5 as well as all other divine punishments (פורעניות) which may occur (מתרגשות).
It concludes with a plea for divine intervention before prayers are even uttered.6
אמר ליה:
קום אימא מלתא כנגד כל ישראל:
פתח ואמר:
!״רבון העולמים
פדה והצל,
מלט, הושע
עמך ישראל
מן הדבר
ומן החרב
ומן הביזה
ומן השדפון
ומן הירקון
ומכל מיני פורעניות המתרגשות ובאות לעולם,
טרם נקרא ואתה תענה.
ברוך אתה, עוצר המגפה״.
Reish Lakish said to the disseminator:
Stand and say a statement with regard to the entire Jewish people.
He began and said:
Master of the worlds!
redeem and save,
rescue and deliver
Your people, Israel,
from the pestilence
and from the sword,
and from spoil,
and from the blight,
and from the mildew,
and from all types of afflictions that suddenly erupt and come to the world.
Before we call and You will respond.
Blessed are You, Lord, Who halts the plague.
Drinking Practices in the House of Mourning
Ulla (or a baraita) describes how the Sages instituted the custom of drinking ten cups of wine at a mourner’s home:
Three before the meal to stimulate appetite7
Three during to aid digestion8
Four after, corresponding to the four blessings of Grace after Meals.9
אמר עולא,
ואמרי לה במתניתא תנא:
עשרה כוסות תקנו חכמים בבית האבל:
שלשה קודם אכילה -- כדי לפתוח את בני מעיו.
שלשה בתוך אכילה -- כדי לשרות אכילה שבמעיו.
וארבעה לאחר אכילה --
אחד -- כנגד ״הזן״,
ואחד -- כנגד ברכת הארץ,
ואחד -- כנגד ״בונה ירושלים״,
ואחד -- כנגד ״הטוב והמטיב״.
In connection with comforting mourners, Ulla said,
and some say that it was taught in a baraita:
The Sages instituted ten cups of wine to be drunk in the house of the mourner:
Three cups prior to the meal, in order to open his intestines, i.e., whet his appetite;
three during the meal, to soak the food in his intestines in order to facilitate digestion;
and four cups after the meal, each corresponding to a blessing in the Grace after Meals:
One corresponds to the first blessing: Who feeds all;
one corresponds to the second blessing, the blessing of the land;
one corresponding to the third blessing: Who builds Jerusalem;
and one corresponding to the fourth blessing: Who is good and does good.
Addition and Repeal of More Cups
Four more cups were later added to honor city attendants (חזני) and leaders (פרנסי), the Temple, and Rabban Gamliel.
However, excessive drinking--leading to drunkenness (משתכרין)--led the Sages to revert to how it was previously.10
הוסיפו עליהם ארבעה:
אחד — כנגד חזני העיר,
ואחד — כנגד פרנסי העיר,
ואחד — כנגד בית המקדש,
ואחד — כנגד רבן גמליאל.
התחילו (היו) שותין ומשתכרין,
החזירו הדבר ליושנה.
Later, the Sages added to those four additional blessings:
One, noting the actions of the attendants of the city [ḥazzanei ha’ir], who tend to burials and other communal needs;
one, noting the actions of the leaders of the city, who would provide funding for the burial of the poor;
one, noting the Temple, commemorating its destruction;
and one, noting the actions of Rabban Gamliel.
The people began observing this ordinance instituted by the Sages, and they would drink and become intoxicated.
Therefore, the Sages restored the matter to its previous status and established that they drink no more than ten cups.
Rabban Gamliel’s Burial Reform
Initially, funeral expenses (הוצאת המת) were so extravagant that they were “more difficult” (קשה) for the families than the death itself (!), leading some to abandon the deceased.
This changed when Rabban Gamliel set an example by requesting a simple (קלות) linen (פשתן) shroud for his burial.
Following his lead, people began instructing their families to do the same.
Rav Pappa notes that by his time, it had become customary to bury the dead in very cheap, rough cloth.11
מאי רבן גמליאל?
דתניא:
בראשונה היתה הוצאת המת קשה לקרוביו יותר ממיתתו,
עד שהיו מניחים אותו ובורחין.
עד שבא רבן גמליאל,
ונהג קלות בעצמו,
והוציאוהו בכלי פשתן.
ונהגו כל העם אחריו
להוציא בכלי פשתן.
אמר רב פפא:
והאידנא
נהוג עלמא אפילו בצרדא בר זוזא.
What is the connection between Rabban Gamliel and a house of mourning?
It is as it is taught in a baraita:
Initially, the funeral expenditures for the deceased were more taxing for his relatives than his death, as the burials were opulent,
until it reached a point where people would abandon the deceased and flee.
This continued until Rabban Gamliel came
and conducted himself in a self-deprecatory manner,
instructing the people that they were to take him for burial in plain linen garments.
And all the people conducted themselves following his example,
and instructed their families to take them for burial in plain linen garments.
Rav Pappa said:
And today,
everyone is accustomed to bury the dead in plain garments, even in rough cloth [tzerada] worth one zuz.
בעל הגמול ישלם לכם גמולכם - literally: “may the Master of reward (גמול) pay you your reward” -
This line is derived from Psalms.137.8, where it is used negatively in reference to Babylon, expressing a wish for its punishment:
שישלם־לך את־גמולך
שגמלת לנו
him who repays you
what you have paid on us
חרב - literally: “sword”.
The list of bad occurrences is partially based on Jeremiah.21.7, where God declares that King Zedekiah, his courtiers, and the surviving people of Jerusalem will be handed over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and their enemies, who will kill them mercilessly (I added bolding to the translation to highlight the parallels):
ואחרי־כן נאם־יהוה
אתן
את־צדקיהו מלך־יהודה
ואת־עבדיו
ואת־העם ואת־הנשארים בעיר הזאת
מן־הדבר
מן־החרב
ומן־הרעב
ביד נבוכדראצר מלך־בבל
וביד איביהם
וביד מבקשי נפשם
והכם לפי־חרב
לא־יחוס עליהם
ולא יחמל
ולא ירחם
And then—declares YHWH—
I will deliver
King Zedekiah of Judah
and his courtiers
and the people—those in this city who survive
the pestilence (דבר ),
the sword (חרב),
and the famine (רעב)—
into the hands of King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon,
into the hands of their enemies,
into the hands of those who seek their lives.
He will put them to the sword (חרב)
without pity,
without compassion,
without mercy.
ירקון - i.e. diseases on crops, which would lead to famine; these items are also mentioned in the divine punishments in my recent piece.
Based on Isaiah.65.24:
טרם־יקראו
ואני אענה
Before they pray,
I will answer
לפתוח את בני מעיו - literally: “to open his intestines”.
לשרות אכילה שבמעיו - literally: “to soak the food in his intestines”.
On these four blessings, see Berakhot.48b.2, where the origins of the four blessings of Grace after Meals are attributed to different historical moments:
First Blessing (הזן - “Who feeds”): Instituted by Moses when manna descended for Israel in the wilderness (to thank God for sustenance).
Second Blessing (ברכת הארץ - “Blessing of the Land”): Instituted by Joshua upon Israel's entry into the Land of Israel.
Third Blessing (בונה ירושלים - “Who builds Jerusalem”): Instituted in two stages:
Fourth Blessing (הטוב והמטיב - “Who is good and does good”): Instituted at Yavne to commemorate the burial of those killed in Beitar (at the end of the Bar Kokheva rebellion, c. 135 CE). It thanks God for preventing the corpses from decomposing ("Who is good") and for allowing their burial ("and does good").
The full passage:
אמר רב נחמן:
משה תקן לישראל ברכת ״הזן״, בשעה שירד להם מן.
יהושע תקן להם ברכת הארץ, כיון שנכנסו לארץ.
דוד ושלמה תקנו ״בונה ירושלים״:
דוד תקן ״על ישראל עמך ועל ירושלים עירך״,
ושלמה תקן ״על הבית הגדול והקדוש״.
״הטוב והמטיב״ ביבנה תקנוה, כנגד הרוגי ביתר.
דאמר רב מתנא:
אותו היום שניתנו הרוגי ביתר לקבורה,
תקנו ביבנה ״הטוב והמטיב״.
״הטוב״ — שלא הסריחו,
״והמטיב״ — שניתנו לקבורה.
With regard to the origins of the four blessings of Grace after Meals, Rav Naḥman said:
Moses instituted for Israel the first blessing of: Who feeds all, when the manna descended for them and they needed to thank God.
Joshua instituted the blessing of the land when they entered Eretz Yisrael.
David and Solomon instituted the third blessing: Who builds Jerusalem, in the following manner:
David instituted “…on Israel Your people and on Jerusalem Your city…” as he conquered the city,
and Solomon instituted “…on the great and Holy Temple…” as he was the one who built the Temple.
They instituted the blessing: Who is good and does good, at Yavne in reference to the slain Jews of the city of Beitar at the culmination of the bar Kokheva rebellion.
They were ultimately brought to burial after a period during which Hadrian refused to permit their burial.
As Rav Mattana said:
On the same day that the slain of Beitar were brought to burial,
they instituted the blessing: Who is good and does good, at Yavne.
Who is good, thanking God that the corpses did not decompose while awaiting burial,
and does good, thanking God that they were ultimately brought to burial.
A baraita then lists the sections of Grace after Meals, with their traditional names, the same as those used here in our sugya, Berakhot.48b.3:
תנו רבנן,
סדר ברכת המזון כך היא:
ברכה ראשונה — ברכת ״הזן״,
שניה — ברכת הארץ,
שלישית — ״בונה ירושלים״,
רביעית — ״הטוב והמטיב״,
On the topic of the blessings of Grace after Meals, the Gemara adds that the Sages taught in a baraita that
the order of Grace after Meals is as follows:
The first blessing is the blessing of: Who feeds all;
the second is the blessing of the land;
the third is: Who builds Jerusalem;
and the fourth is: Who is good and does good.
It is notable that the phrase הטוב והמטיב (“Who is good and does good“) is also the name an unrelated, independed blessing; see my recent piece on this blessing.
יושנה - i.e. to the original ten cups.
The idiom used here is notable:
החזירו הדבר ליושנה.
The Talmudic idiom "החזירו הדבר ליושנה" literally means "they returned [=reverted] the matter to its ‘oldness’ [=original state]."
This phrase is used in contexts where a law, custom, or decision was changed but was later reinstated or reverted to its original form. It conveys a sense of restoring a previous status quo.
In a legal or halachic discussion, this phrase might be used when a later authority revokes a modification and returns to the original ruling.
It can also appear in historical or institutional contexts, where a policy or practice is reinstated after deviation.
See discussion here, לְהַחְזִיר עֲטָרָה לְיָשְׁנָהּ - האקדמיה ללשון העברית, my translation:
The phrase "להחזיר עטרה ליושנה" (literally: "to restore the crown to its former glory") means to reinstate something—such as a neglected custom—to the honored status it once held. The expression is commonly used in reference to the revival of past halachic practices.
The phrase originates in the Babylonian Talmud:
"R’ Yehoshua ben Levi said: Why were they called the Men of the Great Assembly? Because they restored the crown to its former glory." (Yoma 69b).
The word עֲטָרָה (atarah) means a crown or diadem, as seen in:
"Go forth, O daughters of Zion, and gaze upon King Solomon, with the crown with which his mother crowned him…" (Song of Songs 3:11).
By extension, the word is used metaphorically to signify honor and glory:
"He has stripped me of my honor and removed the crown from my head" (Job 19:9),
and
"Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly, and the glory of children is their fathers" (Proverbs 17:6).
A parallel version of this phrase appears in the Jerusalem Talmud:
"Why were they called the Men of the Great Assembly (אנשי כנסת הגדולה)? Because they restored the greatness to its former glory." (Megillah 3:6, 74d; Berakhot 7:3, 11d).
The passage explains that the "crown" or "greatness" being restored refers to God's divine attributes, specifically the reinstatement of His honorific titles […]
The use of עֲטָרָה as a metaphor for honor and glory is also evident in Lamentations:
"The joy of our hearts has ceased, our dancing has turned to mourning. The crown has fallen from our head—woe to us, for we have sinned!" (Lamentations 5:15–16).
Today, the phrase "נפלה עטרת ראשנו" ("The crown has fallen from our head") is used to express mourning for the loss of a revered figure, such as a great rabbi or the head of a family.
The full aggadic sugya referred to (Yoma.69b.14-15) discusses the interpretation of God's attributes—great, mighty, and awesome—as expressed in prayer:
Moses' Original Phrase: Moses in Deuteronomy 10:17 described God as great (גדול), mighty (גבור), and awesome (נורא).
Jeremiah's Omission: Seeing the destruction of the Temple and foreign invaders desecrating it, Jeremiah questioned God’s awesomeness and omitted the term awesome from his prayers (Jeremiah 32:18).
Daniel's Omission: Witnessing the subjugation of the Jewish people, Daniel questioned God’s might and omitted the term mighty from his prayers (Daniel 9:4).
The Response of the Great Assembly: They restored the original phrase, arguing that true might is shown through self-restraint (כובש את יצרו)—God’s patience (ארך אפים) with evildoers rather than immediate punishment. Similarly, His awesomeness is evident in the Jewish people's survival despite hostility from surrounding nations.
The full passage states:
אמר רבי יהושע בן לוי:
למה נקרא שמן אנשי כנסת הגדולה?
שהחזירו עטרה ליושנה.
אתא משה, אמר: ״האל הגדול הגבור והנורא״.
אתא ירמיה ואמר: גוים מקרקרין בהיכלו, איה נוראותיו?! לא אמר ״נורא״.
אתא דניאל אמר: גוים משתעבדים בבניו, איה גבורותיו?! לא אמר ״גבור״.
אתו אינהו ואמרו: אדרבה!
זו היא (גבורת) גבורתו: שכובש את יצרו, שנותן ארך אפים לרשעים.
ואלו הן נוראותיו: שאלמלא מוראו של הקדוש ברוך הוא, היאך אומה אחת יכולה להתקיים בין האומות?!
R' Yehoshua ben Levi said:
Why are the Sages of those generations called the members of the Great Assembly?
It is because they returned the crown of the Holy One, Blessed be He, to its former glory.
How so?
Moses came and said in his prayer: “The great, the mighty, and the awesome God” (Deuteronomy 10:17).
Jeremiah the prophet came and said: Gentiles, i.e., the minions of Nebuchadnezzar, are carousing in His sanctuary; where is His awesomeness?! Therefore, he did not say awesome in his prayer: “The great God, the mighty Lord of Hosts, is His name” (Jeremiah 32:18).
Daniel came and said: Gentiles are enslaving His children; where is His might?! Therefore he did not say mighty in his prayer: “The great and awesome God” (Daniel 9:4).
The members of the Great Assembly came and said: On the contrary!
this is the might of His might, i.e., this is the fullest expression of it: that He conquers His inclination in that He exercises patience toward the wicked. God’s anger is flared by the gentile nations’ enslavement of His people, yet He expresses tremendous might by suppressing His anger and holding back from punishing them immediately. Therefore, it is still appropriate to refer to God as mighty.
And these acts also express His awesomeness: Were it not for the awesomeness of the Holy One, Blessed be He, how could one people, i.e., the Jewish people, who are alone and hated by the gentile nations, survive among the nations?!
See the article cited earlier (“לְהַחְזִיר עֲטָרָה לְיָשְׁנָהּ“):
This restoration of divine titles is reflected in Nehemiah’s prayer: "the great, mighty, and awesome God" (Nehemiah 9:32), and Nehemiah himself is considered one of the Men of the Great Assembly.