Leadership Lessons from Rabban Gamliel in Moed Katan December 2017

The Sages taught a similar baraita:
At first, they would serve wine in the house of the mourner during the first meal after the burial;
the wealthy would do so in cups made from white glass, and
the poor would serve this wine in cups of colored glass.
And the poor were embarrassed, as everyone would see that they were poor.
The Sages instituted that all should serve drinks in the house of the mourner in colored glass cups, due to the honor of the poor.

Furthermore, at first they would uncover the faces of the wealthy who passed away and cover the faces of the poor,because their faces were blackened by famine. And the poor were embarrassed because they were buried in a different manner.
The Sages instituted that everyone’s face should be covered, due to the honor of the poor.

Additionally, at first the wealthy would take the deceased out for burial on a dargash, and
the poor would take the deceased out on a plain bier made from poles that were strapped together,
and the poor were embarrassed.
The Sages instituted that everyone should be taken out for burial on a plain bier, due to the honor of the poor.

Similarly, at first they would place incense under the beds of those who died with an intestinal disease, because the body emitted an especially unpleasant odor.
And those who were alive with an intestinal disease were embarrassed when they understood that they, too, would be treated in this manner after their death, and that everyone would know the cause of their death.
The Sages instituted that incense should be placed under everyone, due to the honor of those with an intestinal disease who were still living.

Moreover, at first they would ritually immerse all the utensils that had been used by women who died while menstruating, which had thereby contracted ritual impurity. And due to this, the living menstruating women were embarrassed.
The Sages instituted that the utensils that had been used by all dying women must be immersed, due to the honor of living menstruating women.

And, at first they would ritually immerse all the utensils that had been used by zavin, men suffering from gonorrhea, who died, as the utensils had thereby contracted ritual impurity.
And due to this the living zavin felt embarrassed.
The Sages instituted that the utensils that had been used by all men must be immersed, due to the honor of the living zavin.

Likewise, at first taking the dead out for burial was more difficult for the relatives than the actual death, because it was customary to bury the dead in expensive shrouds, which the poor could not afford.
The problem grew to the point that relatives would sometimes abandon the corpse and run away.
This lasted until Rabban Gamliel came and controlled the weightiness, meaning that he waived his dignity, by leaving instructions that he be taken out for burial in linen garments.
And the people adopted this practice after him and had themselves taken out for burial in linen garments.
Rav Pappa said: And nowadays, everyone follows the practice of taking out the dead for burial even in plain hemp garments [tzerada] that cost only a dinar.