Siman - Moed Katan Daf 28
- The death of Miriam
Rebbe Elazar said: אף מרים בנשיקה מתה – Miriam also died through a “kiss” from Hashem. אתיא "שם" "שם" ממשה – This is learned by connecting the word "there" by the death of Miriam to the word "there" by the death of Moshe, who died by a “kiss” from Hashem. And why is it not written then by Miriam, "על פי ה'" – by the mouth of Hashem? מפני שגנאי הדבר לאומרו – Because it would be unbecoming to say such a thing. Rebbe Ami said: למה נסמכה מיתת מרים לפרשת פרה – Why is the death of Miriam next to the parshah of the parah adumah? It is to tell you that, מה פרה אדומה מכפרת אף מיתתן של צדיקים מכפרת – Just as the parah adumah brings kaparah, so too the death of tzadikim brings kaparah. Rebbe Elazar said: למה נסמכה מיתת אהרן לבגדי כהונה – Why was the death of Aharon juxtaposed next to the bigdei Kehunah? מה בגדי כהונה מכפרין אף מיתתן של צדיקים מכפרין – Just as the bigdei Kehuna are mechaper, so too the death of tzadikim are mechaper.
- The meaning of death at different ages
It was taught in a Baraisa: מת בחמשים שנה זו היא מיתת כרת – If one dies at the age of fifty, this is death by kares. חמשים ושתים שנה זו היא מיתת של שמואל הרמתי – If one dies at the age of fifty two, this is the death of Shmuel HaRamasi. ששים זו היא מיתת בידי שמים – If one dies at the age of sixty, this is death by the Hands of Heaven. Mar Zutra said that the passuk that is the source that sixty is considered a mature age is: "תבוא בכלח אלי קבר" – You will go to the grave at a mature age, and the gematria of בכלח is sixty. שבעים שיבה – Death at seventy or older is death of an old age. שמונים גבורות – at eighty is death in the age of strength. Rabba said that kares is a death that occurs between fifty and sixty. The reason the Baraisa did not mention it is משום כבודו של שמואל הרמתי – to protect the honor of Shmuel. We learned in Taanis Daf 5b that Hashem had Shmuel die prematurely so he would not see the demise of Shaul. When Rav Yosef reached the age of sixty, he made a celebration for his talmidim, and said, "נפקי לי מכרת" – I have passed the age of kares.”
- Those who come to comfort an avel may not speak until the avel begins
Rebbe Yochanan said: אין מנחמין רשאין לומר דבר עד שיפתח אבל – Those who come to comfort an avel are not permitted to speak until the avel opens conversation, for it is written regarding Iyov’s friends who came to comfort him, They sat with him on the ground for seven days…no one said a word to him… "אחרי כן פתח איוב את פיהו" – After that Iyov opened his mouth, והדר "ויען אליפז התימני" - and it is written right after that, Eliphaz HaTimani then spoke up.
