## Tractate Semachot Chapter 13

###### Tractate Semachot 13:1
[Tractate Semachot 13:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tractate%20Semachot/r/13:1)

המלקט עצמות והמשמר עצמות פטור מקריאת שמע ומן התפלה ומן התפילין ומכל מצות האמורות בתורה ואם רצה להחמיר על עצמו לא יחמיר מפני כבוד עצמות רבי יוחנן בן נורי אומר ירחיק ארבע אמות ויקרא רבי שמעון בן עזריה אומר אם היו אחרים עמו יסלקום למקום וקורא רבי יצחק אומר של קרובים פטור ושל אחרים חייב ר׳ שמעון אומר חייב בשבת ובחול פטור רבי נתן אומר אם יש תפלתו עליו הרי זה פטור שזיקת שמירתו עליו ולא זיקת התפילה.

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
One who gathers or guards bones is exempt from reading the *Shema‘*, the *Tefillah*, from *tefillin* and all the commandments prescribed by the Torah. Should he desire to impose a strict view upon himself, he may not do so because of the honour of the bones.¹ R. Joḥanan b. Nuri said: He should withdraw a distance of four cubits and read [the prayers]. R. Simeon b. ‘Azzai said: If he was travelling on a ship with the bones, he should remove them to another part [of the vessel] and read.² R. Isaac said: If they are the bones of a near relative he is exempt, but if of strangers he is under obligation. R. Simeon said: On the Sabbath he is under obligation,³ but on week-days he is exempt. R. Nathan said:⁴, etc., because his concern about their safety may not allow him to concentrate on his religious devotions; but where he carries them in a bundle the question of their safety does not arise and he should be able to concentrate. If the bundle [containing the bones] is with him, he is not exempt⁵ because the obligation of guarding [the bones] rests upon him but not the obligation of guarding the bundle.

footnotes:
¹ His obedience of laws, from which he is exempt, would result in delay in the burial of the bones.
² The text is in disorder and the translation follows the version of GRA.
³ Because if he does not read the prayers he would appear to be mourning on the Sabbath which is not permitted.
⁴ The text is corrupt and emended by GRA. R. Nathan agrees with the ruling that one who guards bones is exempt from the Shema‘
⁵ In his note on the text GRA reads ‘is exempt’, but in his annotation to Y.D. ch. 403 he rules that, in the circumstances here described, the man is obliged to read the prayers, etc.


###### Tractate Semachot 13:2
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המעביר עצמות (בכלי) וכתבי הקדש ממקום למקום לא יניחם לא בקרון ולא בספינה ולא על גבי בהמה ולא ישב עליהן ואם בשביל הניית עצמו או שיגנוב את המכס מאנסים הרי זה מותר (כיוצא בו הגונב את החרם הרי זה שופך דמים ולא שופך דמים אלא כעובד עבודת כוכבים ומגלה עריות ומחלל את השבת)

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
One who is removing bones or sacred books from one place to another may not place them on a wagon or a ship or an animal and⁶ sit on them; but if it is for their benefit⁷ or to escape paying ransom to robbers it is permissible.⁸

footnotes:
⁶ So GRA and H. V has ‘and not sit’.
⁷ i.e. for the protection of the bones.
⁸ V inserts here a sentence in brackets which is irrelevant to the subject and is omitted by GRA and H.


###### Tractate Semachot 13:3
[Tractate Semachot 13:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tractate%20Semachot/r/13:3)

היה עובר בין הקברות לא יהיו תפילין עליו ולא כתבי הקדש בידו מפני שהוא דרך בזיון

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
If one passes through graves he should not wear the *tefillin* or carry sacred books in his hand, because it is disrespectful [to the dead].⁹ (Prov. 17, 5), because the dead are ‘poor’ in that they cannot acquire merit by the study and performance of the Torah.

footnotes:
⁹ In Ber. 18a (Sonc. ed., p. 108) he is said to transgress the teaching, Whoso mocketh the poor blasphemeth his Maker


###### Tractate Semachot 13:4
[Tractate Semachot 13:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tractate%20Semachot/r/13:4)

העושה כוך בקבר והגיע זמן המקרא לא יקרא ולא יתפלל אלא פי׳ למקום טהרה וקורא ואחר כך נכנס.

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
If one is constructing a burial chamber¹⁰ [in a cemetery] and the time for reading the *Shema‘* arrives, he should not read the *Shema‘* or the *Tefillah* but withdraw to a clean place and read; after that he re-enters [the chamber].

footnotes:
¹⁰ Vaults were made in the graves for receiving the dead; cf. Ber. 14b (Sonc. ed., p. 85).


###### Tractate Semachot 13:5
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המוצא מת בקבר לא יזיזנו ממקומו אלא אם כן יודע שהיה מקומו שאלו

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
If one finds a dead body in a grave he may not move it from its place,¹¹ unless he knows that the place was lent to it.¹²

footnotes:
¹¹ The dead acquire possession of the spot wherein they are buried. Cf. Sanh. 47b (Sonc. ed., p. 316).
¹² Cf. above X, 8. The word ‘lent’ is according to the text of GRA and H.


###### Tractate Semachot 13:6
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המוצא עצמות בקבר הרי זה נותנו במכמורות דברי רבי עקיבא וחכמים אומרים לא יזיזם ממקומן. המוצא בכוך הן באסטן לא יזיזם ממקומן.

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
If one finds bones in a grave he should place them in mounds,¹³ in the view of R. ‘Aḳiba; but the Sages said: He should not move them from their place. If he found them in a burial chamber or in a cedar-wood coffin,¹⁴ he should not move them from their place.

footnotes:
¹³ Reading מהמורות defined as ‘mounds used as burying places of executed criminals’ (Jastrow). GRA reads: ‘One who finds bones in mounds should place them in a grave’.
¹⁴ So Jastrow. GRA has ‘or in a ravine’.


###### Tractate Semachot 13:7
[Tractate Semachot 13:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tractate%20Semachot/r/13:7)

אין מפנין לא את המת ולא את העצמות ממקום ביזוי למקום ביזוי ולא ממקום מכוער למקום מכוער ואין צריך לומר ממקום מכובד למקום ביזוי בתוך שלו אפילו ממקום מכובד למקום ביזוי הרי זה מותר שכך הוא כבודו.

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
We may not transfer a dead body or bones from one place of honour to another, or from a place of shame to a place of honour,¹⁵ and needless to say from a place of honour to a place of shame; but within [the dead person’s] property it is permissible [to transfer] even from a place of honour to a place of shame, because it is to his honour.¹⁶

footnotes:
¹⁵ The translation follows GRA who alters the text in agreement with j.M.Ḳ. II, 4, 81b.
¹⁶ To be buried within his own property.


###### Tractate Semachot 13:8
[Tractate Semachot 13:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tractate%20Semachot/r/13:8)

אין קוברין שני מתים זה בצד זה ולא את המת בצד עצמות ולא עצמות בצד המת רבי יהודה אומר כל הישן עמו בחייו נקבר עמו במותו.

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
We do not bury two dead bodies in close proximity to each other, or a dead body in close proximity to bones, or bones in close proximity to a dead body. R. Judah said: Whoever sleeps with him in his lifetime¹⁷ is buried with him in his death.¹⁸

footnotes:
¹⁷ i.e. young children.
¹⁸ i.e. in close proximity to him.


###### Tractate Semachot 13:9
[Tractate Semachot 13:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tractate%20Semachot/r/13:9)

קבר שפינהו מותר בהנאה לא יעשה ממנו בית התבן בית בקר בית העצים בית האוצרות כוך שפינהו אסור בהנאה קבר שעשאו לשם חי ימכר לשם מת לא ימכר. אבנים שחצבן לשם חי ימכרו לשם מת לא ימכרו. ארון שפינהו אסור בהנאה ואם היתה של אבן ושל חרס תשבר ושל עץ תשרף המוציא נסרים לבית הקברות לא יזיזם ממקומן:

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
One may derive benefit from a grave which has been cleared,¹⁹ but he may not turn it into a magazine for straw, a stable, a store for wood or a depot. If one clears a burial chamber he may not make use of it [for any other purpose]. If one prepares a grave for a living person²⁰ he may sell it; but if he prepared it for the dead he may not sell it. Stones which were hewn²¹ for one still living may be sold, but if for the dead they may not be sold. If one clears a coffin he may not make use of it; but if it was made of stone or earthenware it must be broken up, and if of wood it must be burnt. If one finds boards in a cemetery²² he may not move them from their place.

footnotes:
¹⁹ Since it is no longer considered the possession of the dead.
²⁰ In preparation for his death.
²¹ To be used for a sepulchre.
²² So emended by GRA. V reads ‘if one carries out boards to a cemetery’.