הלכות אבל א׳Mourning 1

Halacha 1א׳

מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה לְהִתְאַבֵּל עַל הַקְּרוֹבִים. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא י יט) "וְאָכַלְתִּי חַטָּאת הַיּוֹם הַיִּיטַב בְּעֵינֵי ה'". וְאֵין אֲבֵלוּת מִן הַתּוֹרָה אֶלָּא בְּיוֹם רִאשׁוֹן בִּלְבַד שֶׁהוּא יוֹם הַמִּיתָה וְיוֹם הַקְּבוּרָה. אֲבָל שְׁאָר הַשִּׁבְעָה יָמִים אֵינוֹ דִּין תּוֹרָה. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בַּתּוֹרָה (בראשית נ י) "וַיַּעַשׂ לְאָבִיו אֵבֶל שִׁבְעַת יָמִים" נִתְּנָה תּוֹרָה וְנִתְחַדְּשָׁה הֲלָכָה. וּמשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ תִּקֵּן לָהֶם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל שִׁבְעַת יְמֵי אֲבֵלוּת וְשִׁבְעַת יְמֵי הַמִּשְׁתֶּה:

It is a positive commandment to mourn for one's closest relatives, as it is said (Lev 10:19) "...had I eaten sin offering today would the Lord have approved." And mourning is not based on Scripture except for the first day only because it is the day of the death and the day of the funeral. But the rest of the seven days are not torah-mandated, even though it says (Gen 50:10) "...and he mourned for his father seven days." - when the Torah was given the law was renewed. And Moses our teacher established the seven days of mourning and the seven days of celebrating for Israel.

Halacha 2ב׳

מֵאֵימָתַי יִתְחַיֵּב אָדָם בָּאֵבֶל. מִשֶּׁיִּסָּתֵם הַגּוֹלֵל. אֲבָל כָּל זְמַן שֶׁלֹּא נִקְבַּר הַמֵּת אֵינוֹ אָסוּר בְּדָבָר מִן הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁהָאָבֵל אָסוּר בָּהֶן. וּמִפְּנֵי טַעַם זֶה רָחַץ דָּוִד וְסָךְ כְּשֶׁמֵּת הַיֶּלֶד טֶרֶם שֶׁיִּקָּבֵר:

From when is a man obliged in mourning? From when the covering-stone is closed over. But so long as the dead has not been buried, he is not forbidden in any of the things in which a mourner is forbidden. And it is for this reason that David washed and anointed himself when the child died, before it was buried.

Halacha 3ג׳

הֲרוּגֵי מַלְכוּת שֶׁאֵין מְנִיחִין אוֹתָן לְהִקָּבֵר מֵאֵימָתַי מַתְחִילִין לְהִתְאַבֵּל עֲלֵיהֶן וְלִסְפֹּר שִׁבְעָה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים מִשֶּׁיִּתְיָאֲשׁוּ לִשְׁאל לַמֶּלֶךְ לְקָבְרָן. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא נִתְיָאֲשׁוּ מִלִּגְנֹב אוֹתָן:

Those executed by the kingdom, whom they do not allow to be buried — from when do they begin to mourn for them and to count the seven and the thirty? From when they have despaired of asking the king to bury them, even though they have not despaired of stealing them away.