Is it permitted to comfort mourners on Shabbat?

Greetings,

By the letter of the law, it is permitted to comfort mourners on Shabbat, and one should say to him, "It is Shabbat, and comfort is near to come," and some are lenient in permitting one to say, "May the Omnipresent comfort you" (see Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim, siman 287, and Mishnah Berurah, seif katan 3).

However, in our time, the custom of Ashkenazim is not to comfort mourners on Shabbat. In any case, everything depends on the circumstances, for if the mourner will derive consolation from hearing words of comfort, there is certainly no need to refrain, and one is even fulfilling a mitzvah by doing so (see Aruch HaShulchan there, seif 3; Nimei Orach Chayim there, ot 1; Gesher HaChaim, part 1, chapter 20, seif 5, ot 1; and Piskei Teshuvot there, ot 1).

And the custom of Sephardim is to comfort mourners even on Shabbat, and one may say to him words of comfort as on a weekday, and some customarily conclude, "It is Shabbat, and comfort is near to come" (see Gesher HaChaim there, and Chazon Ovadia, Aveilut, part 3, page 87, seif 7).

With good news,

Hillel Meirs