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In the back of a siddur, I saw one of the halachot state that one who has not visited the Kotel ("Western Wall" in Jerusalem) within 30 days should tear his clothes when he comes to the Kotel.

Let's say an avel (mourner) can't get a minyan in his home. He goes to the Kotel to pray with a minyan, there. An avel would already be wearing torn clothes during his week of shiva. If he goes to the Kotel would he need to tear again (same shirt, or perhaps wear a different shirt), or is the torn shirt that he is already wearing for his own aveilut sufficient?

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  • I haven't found anything on point yet, but M"K 26a gives 2 examples of double kriah -- in those cases, the two concepts re related and one might think that one kriah could cover both. In your case, maybe one could say kal vachomer, when there is no such hava amina, then certainly 2 tears. But that's just an off the cuff theory on my part.
    – rosends
    Commented Jul 23, 2018 at 14:58
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    Just to clarify - the obligation of kriyah is not specifically connected to the Western Wall (see e.g. hirhurim.blogspot.com/2010/05/kriah-at-kotel.html )
    – Loewian
    Commented Jul 23, 2018 at 15:33

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Wearing torn clothing isn't the command. A tear for one event doesn't help at all for another later event. Even if another relative passes away during Shiva he would need to tear again (YD 340:21-23; see there for details about when one can add on to an existing tear and when one tear can count for two simultaneous events).

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