Translation:Shulchan Aruch/Yoreh Deah/393
Seif 1: A mourner, during the first three days, he does not leave the house of mourning and not to the graveyard. From here and onward, if someone in his neighborhood has a relative die, he follows the funeral bier to go to the graveyard but does not sit with the consolers, but rather in the place of the mourners. And if there are not enough (to carry) the bier and to bury it, he leaves (his house of mourning) on the first day, and even if it is in a different neighborhood. HGH: And if it is partially the third day, behold it is like its entirety. And I have not seen people act thusly now; for the mourner does not go to the graveyard and not to a house of mourning during all seven (days of Shiva); and it is possible that it is not incumbent to do so, but rather optional. And since nowadays, people are not comforted such as there were in their days (of the above described situation) and “shev v’al taaseh” (a characteristic of mitzvoth that one should sit and not do anything) is preferable.
Seif 3: The mourner does not leave (his house) during the week to go to the synagogue, but on Shabbat, he goes (HGH: and so too to the Beit Midrash) and we behave that on every day of reading Torah he leaves to go to the Beit Knesset. HGH: And in these nations, we behave not to go out other than on Shabbat. And if the mourner is a mohel or a baal brit (father of a child who will be circumcised), after three (days), he prays in his house, and when they bring the baby to be circumcised, the mourner goes to the synagogue. But within 3 days he does not leave, unless there is no other mohel in the city. And there are some who are lenient, even within 3 days, even if there is another mohel in the city. And it is permissible for him to cut his nails and to shave for the purpose of circumcision, but if there is another mohel, it is forbidden. And so too for every mitzvah which is impossible to perform without the mourner, it is permissible for him to leave to fulfill the mitzvah.