Before us is Mishnah 8 in the third chapter of Tractate Moed Katan, which deals with the laws of carrying out the deceased, the eulogy, and the lamentation of the women on Chol HaMoed.
"Ein manichin es ha'mitah ba'rechov":
On Chol HaMoed one may not set down the funeral bier - the body with its coffin, or the bier on which it is carried out - in the street. And the reason for this: "shelo l'hargil es ha'hesped" - so as not to encourage and stir up eulogizing and the delivery of remarks on Chol HaMoed, for delivering words of eulogy is forbidden on Chol HaMoed. And such was their practice: they would set the bier down in the public square, and the community would deliver eulogies there. This is what we seek to prevent on Chol HaMoed, and therefore the bier is not set down there.
"V'lo shel nashim l'olam":
A woman's bier is never set down in the street or in the marketplace, since this is not in keeping with her dignity. Several approaches were offered as to the reason for this:
Some explain that the concern is on account of bleeding, and particularly in the case of a woman who died in childbirth.
Some say that this applies only to a woman who died in childbirth, whereas with other women this concern does not apply.
And there is a further view in the Gemara: the law is so even with other women, and this is derived from Miriam, who died and was buried immediately without any delay.
"Nashim ba'mo'ed me'anos aval lo metapchos":
Women would customarily arouse mourning at the time of the eulogy, and regarding Chol HaMoed the Mishnah distinguished between two forms:
"Me'anos" - as the next Mishnah will explain, when they all say, sing, or lament one thing together. This they were permitted to do on Chol HaMoed during the burial process.
"Metapchos" - clapping the hands or striking the thigh. This was forbidden to them on Chol HaMoed.
Rabbi Shmuel says: even on Chol HaMoed, those close to the bier - those standing right alongside the bier of the deceased itself - are permitted to clap, and they may strike palm against palm or strike their hands upon their thighs.
In summary: in this Mishnah we learned that the bier is not set down in the street on Chol HaMoed, so as not to encourage the eulogizing that is forbidden on the festival; that a woman's bier is never set down in the street, on account of her dignity, and regarding the reason there is a difference of opinion as to whether this applies only to a woman who died in childbirth or even to other women, as derived from Miriam who was buried immediately; and also that the women lament on the festival but do not clap, and according to Rabbi Shmuel those close to the bier are permitted to clap even on Chol HaMoed.
In the next Mishnah the matter of the 'me'anos' will be explained - what that joint recitation is, and how it is done.