The Pasuk states (Yechezkel 24, 17), "Your splendor shall be bound upon you''. (Hash-m commanded Yechezkel to continue with regular his behavior, despite his wife having just passed away.) Some say that this refers to Tefillin and some say that it refers to laundering (as clean clothes are a splendor for a person).

According to the opinion that understands that it is Tefillin, just as Tefillin are prohibited for two days, so the mourning should be for two days.

According to the opinion that said that it is laundering, just as laundering is prohibited for 30 days, so mourning should be for 30 days.

The Pasuk there continues, "...and your shoes should be put on your feet'' - this teaches that it is prohibited (for a mourner) to wear shoes.

(Ibid), "Do not cover yourself until your lips'' - we learn from here that a mourner should cover his face until his mouth.

Question: (According to this Pasuk) he could merely cover his mouth and not his head?

Answer (Rav Chisda): People will say that he is covering there merely because his mouth pains him.

(Ibid), "Do not eat the bread of people'' - from here we learn that those who are more junior go to those who are more senior.

Question: From where do we learn that the more senior also go to the more junior?

Answer (R. Shmuel bar R. Yitzchak): The Pasuk states (Yirmiyahu 16, 5), "So says Hash-m, you shall not come to the House of Marzeach (mourning)''. (If Hash-m is warning Yirmiyah not to come there, it must have been customary for him to otherwise come to visit mourners even though they were lesser in status than him.)

Beraisa: The following things are prohibited for a mourner to do throughout the 7 days - bathe, anoint with oil, wear shoes, have marital relations, take a haircut, launder, read from the Torah, study Midrash, Halachos and Agados, greet others and work.

Question: Who is the Tana who holds that a mourner may not bathe during the 7 days? R. Noson.

This case happened to R. Ami and he asked R. Chiya bar Ba, who instructed him to refrain from bathing for all 7 days, like the opinion of R. Noson.

This case happened to R. Yosa and he sent a message to R. Ba bar Kohen. R. Ba told him that he had also taught them this law... as this case instead happened to R. Ami - he asked R. Shimon ben Lakish who told him to refrain from bathing for all 7 days like R. Noson.

R. Yosa to R. Ba bar Kohen: Perhaps there were two separate parallel stories - I say it about R. Chiya bar Ba and you say it about R''SBL!

Furthermore, R. Chama, the father of R. Hoshiyah asked this question to the Rabbanan and they prohibited it.

Question (R. Yosa): Who are those Rabbanan - the Rabbanan here (the Galil) or the Rabbanan of the south? If here, that is fine, but if the Rabbanan of the south, he has great Rabbis in his locality in the Galil, so why is he consulting lesser Rabbis in the south? If you say that it is the Rabbanan here, that is fine, but if it is the Rabbanan of the south, they actually permit it!

As the Beraisa teaches - in a place where it is customary to bathe after the burial, one may bathe, and in the south they bathe!

R. Yosa bei R. Bun: Whoever permits bathing viewed it like eating and drinking (i.e. it is a basic bodily need). If you prohibit bathing, it is bathing for pleasure, as bathing not for pleasure is permitted.

Shmuel bar Abba was afflicted with (a type of) boils (on his scalp). He asked R. Yasa if it was permitted to wash his hair (despite his mourning). R. Yasa said - if he will die if he does not wash, this would even be permitted on the 9th of Av and Yom Kippur?! (Rather, it is prohibited.)

R. Yosi ben Chaninah was seen immersing (in a Mikveh during his period of mourning). They did not know if he was immersing because he became a Baal Keri (a type of Tumah) or in order to cool his body (as washing in cold water is not considered to be washing).

R. Ba bar Kohen ruled like the second opinion (that he may wash in cold water).

R. Acha ruled that one who comes in from a journey and his feet are tired, he may wash them in water.

Beraisa: If a mourner or an excommunicated person were walking on a journey they may wear shoes. When they come to the city, they must remove them. This law also applies to the 9th of Av and to a public fast day.

Beraisa: In a place where it is customary to greet mourners on Shabbos, it is permitted. In the south, they greet.

R. Hoshiya Rabah went to a certain place. On Shabbos, he saw mourners there and greeted them. He said, "I am not aware of your custom, but Shalom Aleichem like our custom.''

R. Yosi bei R. Chalafta was praising R. Meir before the people of Tzipori, saying that he is a great, holy and modest man.

Once, on Shabbos, R. Meir greeted mourners. The people of Tzipori said to R. Yosi B''C, "Rebbi, is this the one who you praised?'' R. Yosi B''C asked them what R. Meir had done.

They replied: He greeted mourners on Shabbos.

R. Yosi B''C replied: You must know of his power, that he wished to teach us that there is no mourning on Shabbos, as the Pasuk states (Mishlei 10, 22), "It is the blessing of Hash-m that gives riches'' - this is the blessing of Shabbos; "and one does not need to add with it Etzev'' - this is referring to mourning, as the Pasuk states (Shmuel 2, 19, 3), "And the king (David) is saddened (Ne'etzav) over his son (Avshalom who was killed).''

Shmuel: Pachaz is obligatory (to avoid any acts of public mourning) and Natar is optional (for a mourner on Shabbos).

(Pachaz is an abbreviation of) Prias Rosh (uncovering the Tallis from one'e head), Chaziras Kera (reversing the tear) and Zekifas Hamitah (standing up the bed). (Natar is an abbreviation of) Neilas Hasandal (wearing shoes), Tashmish Hamitah (marital relations) and Rechitzah (bathing).

One student of Shmuel had marital relations (on Shabbos during his period of mourning). Shmuel heard about it and was upset at the student who then died. Shmuel said - this was stated as Talmudic statement but is it to be actually carried out?!

Rav: Chaz is obligatory and Pen is optional. (Chaz is) Chaziras Kera (reversing the tear) and Zekifas Hamitah (standing up the bed). (Pen) is Prias Rosh (uncovering the head) and Neilas Hasandal (wearing shoes).

Two sons (who were mourners) went out on Shabbos - one with his head uncovered and with his shoes removed and one with his head covered and with his shoes on his feet.

R. Yona went to R. Gurian (who was mourning). R. Gurian went out to meet R. Yona wearing shoes.

R. Yona to R. Gurian: (Why are you wearing shoes - so that people will not learn from you that one mourns on Shabbos?) What do you think - that we will learn this from you? We do not learn laws from a person who is not a great Sage.