Jerusalem Talmud Berakhot 2.7

משנה: רָחַץ לַיְלָה רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁמֵּתָה אִשְׁתּוֹ. אָמְרוּ לוֹ תַלְמִידָיו לִימַּדְתָּנוּ רַבֵּנוּ שֶׁאָבֵל אָסוּר לִרְחוֹץ. אָמַר לָהֶן אֵינִי כִשְׁאָר כָּל בְּנֵי אָדָם אִיסְטְנֵיס אָנִי.

MISHNAH: He took a bath in the first night after his wife died. His students said to him: Did you, our teacher, not teach us that the mourner may not take a bath. He said to them: I am not like most other people, I am asthenic.

הלכה: מַאן תַּנָּא אָבֵל אָסוּר בִּרְחִיצָה כָל שִׁבְעָה רִבִּי נָתָן. רִבִּי אַמִּי הֲוָה לֵיהּ עוּבְדָּא וְשָׁאַל לְרִבִּי חִיָיא בַּר בָּא וְהוֹרֵי לֵיהּ כָּל שִׁבְעָה כְרִבִּי נָתָן. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי הֲוָה לֵיהּ עוּבְדָּא וְשָׁאַל לְרִבִּי בָּא בַּר כֹּהֵן לְגַבֵּי רִבִּי אָחָא אָמַר לֵיהּ לֹא כֵן [אִלְפָּן רִבִּי]. רִבִּי אַמִּי הַוָּה לֵיהּ עוּבְדָּא וְשָׁאַל לְרֵישׁ לָקִישׁ וְהוֹרֵי לֵיהּ כְּרִבִּי נָתָן כָּל שִׁבְעָה. אָמַר לֵיהּ דִּילְמָא תְּרֵין עוּבְדִּין אִינּוּן. אֲנָן אָמְרִין לֵיהּ עַל דְּרִבִּי חִיָיא בַּר בָּא. וְאַתּוּן אָמְרִין לֵיהּ עַל דְּרֵישׁ לָקִישׁ. וְעוֹד מִן הֲדָא רִבִּי חָמָא אָבוֹי דְּרִבִּי אוֹשַׁעְיָא הֲוָה לֵיהּ עוּבְדָּא שָׁאַל לְרַבָּנָן וְאָסְרוּן.

HALAKHAH: Who stated that the mourner is forbidden to take a bath during the entire seven days? Rebbi Nathan. Something happened to Rebbi Ammi, he asked Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba who instructed him “all seven days following Rebbi Nathan”. Something happened to Rebbi Yose; he sent Rebbi Abba bar Cohen to Rebbi Aḥa; he said to him: Rebbi, did you not so teach us that something happened to Rebbi Ammi, he asked Resh Laqish who instructed him “all seven days following Rebbi Nathan”. He said to him, maybe these were two separate incidents, we say it in the name of Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, you say it in the name of Resh Laqish. And also from the following: Something happened to Rebbi Ḥama, father of Rebbi Oshaya, he asked the rabbis and they forbade it.

רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בָּעֵי אִיילֵּן רַבָּנָן. רַבָּנָן דְּהָכָא אוֹ רַבָּנָן דְּרוֹמַיָּא. אִין תֵּימַר רַבָּנָן דְּהָכָא נִיחָא. אִין תֵּימַר רַּבָּנָן דְּרוֹמַיָּא. רַבְרְבַיָיא קוֹמוֹי וְהוּא שָׁאַל לִזְעִירַיָיא. אִין תֵּימַר רַבָּנָן דְּרוֹמַיָּיא אִינּוּן שָׁרְיָין וְאִינּוּן אָסְרִין. דְּתַנִּי מָקוֹם שֶׁנָּהֲגוּ לְהַרְחִיץ אַחַר הַמִּיטָּה מַרְחִיצִין וּבְדָרוֹם מַרְחִיצִין. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בֵּי רִבִּי אָבוּן מִי שֶׁהוּא מַתִּיר אֶת הָרְחִיצָה הַזֹּאת עוֹשֶׂה אוֹתָהּ בַּאֲכִילָה וּשְׁתִיָּיה.

Rebbi Yose asked, which rabbis? The rabbis here or the rabbis in the South? If you say the rabbis of here, it is fine. If you would say the rabbis from the South, would he have asked minor authorities when greater ones were before him? If you say the rabbis of the South, some of them would allow and some of them would forbid, as we have stated: “At a place where it is customary to bathe after a funeral, one may bathe; in the South one bathes.” Rebbi Yose bar Abun said: He who permits that bath makes it like eating and drinking.

הֲדָא דְתֵימַר בִּרְחִיצָה שֶׁל תַּעֲנוֹג. אֲבָל בִּרְחִיצָה שֶׁאֵינָהּ שֶׁל תַּעֲנוֹג מוּתָּר. כַּהֲדָא דִשְׁמוּאֵל בַּר אַבָּא עָלוּ בוֹ חַטָּטִין אָתוּן שַׁיְילוּן לְרִבִּי יָסָא מַהוּ דְיַסְחֵי. אָמַר לוֹן דְּלָא יַסְחֵי מַיִית הוּא. אִין בָּעֵי אֲפִילוּ בְתִשְׁעָה בְאַב. אִין בָּעֵי אֲפִילוּ בְיוֹם הַכִּיפּוּרִים.

That means, about a bath for pleasure. But a bath that is not for pleasure is permitted. An example is the case of Samuel bar Abba who developed scab. They came and asked Rebbi Yose, what is the rule, may he bathe? He said to them: If he does not bathe, would he not die? If he needs it, even on the Ninth of Av. If he needs it, even on Yom Kippur.

רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בְּרִבִּי חֲנִינָא רָאוּ אוֹתוֹ טוֹבֵל. אִם לְקֵרוּיוֹ לֹא יָדְעִין אִם לְהָקֵר גוּפוֹ שֶׁאֵין רְחִיצַת צוֹנֵין רְחִיצָה לֹא יָדְעִין.

They saw Rebbi Yose, son of Rebbi Ḥanina, immersing himself. They did not know whether it was for his emission, they did not know whether it was to cool down because bathing in cold water is not called bathing.

הוֹרֵי רִבִּי בָּא כְהֵין תַּנְיָא. הוֹרֵי רִבִּי אָחָא בְּבָא מִן הַדֶּרֶךְ וְהָיוּ רַגְלָיו קֵיהוֹת עָלָיו שֶׁמּוּתָּר לְהַרְחִיצָן בַּמַּיִם.

Rebbi Abba taught like that which was stated. Rebbi Aḥa taught about him who comes from the road and his feet ache that he is permitted to wash them with water.

תַּנִּי אָבֵל וּמְנוּדֶּה שֶׁהָיוּ מְהַלְּכִין בַּדֶּרֶךְ מוּתָּרִין בִּנְעִילַת הַסַּנְדָּל. לִכְשֶׁיָּבוֹאוּ אֶל הָעִיר יַחֲלוֹצוּ. וְכֵן בְּתִשְׁעָה בְאַב וְכֵן בְּתַעֲנִית צִיבּוּר.

It has been stated: “A mourner and one banned on a trip are permitted to wear sandals. When they come to town they should remove them. The same holds for the Ninth of Av and public fasts.”

תַּנִּי בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁנָּהֲגוּ לִשְׁאוֹל אֲבֵילִים בְּשַׁבָּת שׁוֹאֲלִין. וּבְדָרוֹם שׁוֹאֲלִין. רִבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָא רוּבָּא אֲזַל לְחַד אֲתָר וַחֲזָא אֲבֵילַיָּא בְשׁוּבְתָּא וּשְׁאִיל בּוֹן. אָמַר לוֹן אֲנִי אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ מִנְהַג מְקוֹמְכֶם. אֶלָּא שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם כְּמִנְהַג מְקוֹמֵינוּ. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בֵּי רִבִּי חֲלַפְתָּא מְשַׁבֵּחַ בִּדְרִבִּי מֵאִיר קוֹמֵי צִיפּוֹרָאֵי אָדָם גָּדוֹל אָדָם קָדוֹשׁ אָדָם צָנוּעַ. חַד זְמָן חֲמָא אֲבֵלַיָּיא בְשׁוּבְתָּא וּשְׁאַל בּוֹן. אָמְרִין לֵיהּ אֲהֵן דְּאַתְּ מַתְנֵי שְׁבָחֵיהּ. אָמַר לוֹן מַה עִיסְקֵיהּ. אָמְרִין לֵיהּ חֲמָא אֲבֵילַיָּיא בְשׁוּבְתָּא וּשְׁאַל בּוֹן. אָמַר לוֹן בָּעְאֵי אַתּוּן מֵידָע מַהוּ חֵילֵיהּ בָּא לְהוֹדִיעֲכֶם שֶׁאֵין אֵבֶל בְּשַׁבָּת. הֲדָא הִיא דִּכְתִיב בִּרְכַת יי הִיא תַעֲשִׁיר זוּ בִרְכַת שַׁבָּת. וְלֹא יוֹסִיף עֵצֶב עִמָּהּ זוּ אֲבֵילוּת. כְּמָה דְתֵימָא נֶעֱצָב הַמֶּלֶךְ עַל בְּנוֹ.

It is stated: “In a place where one is used to greet mourners on the Sabbath one may do so. In the South one does greet.” The great Rebbi Oshaya went to some place, saw there mourners on the Sabbath and greeted them. He said to them: “I do not know the custom of your place, but be greeted according the custom of our place.” Rebbi Yose, son of Rebbi Ḥalaphta, praised Rebbi Meïr before the people of Sepphoris: A great, holy, and meek man. At some time, he saw mourners on the Sabbath and greeted them. They said to him: Is that the one whose praise you proclaim? He said to them, what are his works? They said to him, he saw mourners on the Sabbath and greeted them. He said to them: you have to recognize his strength; he comes to make you aware that there is no mourning on the Sabbath. That is what is written (Prov. 10:22): “The blessing of the Lord makes rich,” that is the blessing of Sabbath, “He will not add grief to it,” that is mourning, as it is said (2Sam. 19:3): “The king is grieving about his son.”