Babylonian Talmud

Rodkinson 1918 — source 2, scan section 35

REGULATIONS REGARDING THE CLEARING OFF OF REQUIRED SPACE, THE ASSISTANCE TO BE GIVEN CATTLE WHEN GIVING BIRTH TO THEIR YOUNG AND TO WOMEN ABOUT TO BE CONFINED. MISHNA: One may even clear off four or five chests of straw or grain, in order to provide room for guests, and to remove obstacles to instruction; but one must not clear out a whole barn. Further, one may clear ofT: heave-offerings, grain (of which it is not certain that the tithes have been set apart), first tithes of which the heave-offering has been taken off, sec- ond tithes and consecrated things which have been redeemed, and dried broad-beans, which serve the poor (others say, the goats) for food. But one must not clear off mixed grain (of which tithes have not yet been separated), nor first tithes of which the heave-offering had not yet been taken off, nor second tithes nor consecrated things which had not yet been redeemed, nor arum (wake-robin) nor mustard. R. Simeon ben Gamaliel permits arum (wake-robin) to be cleared off, because it serves the (house) raven for food. Bundles of straw, bundles of stalks, and bundles of reeds may be handled, provided they are designed for cattle-fodder, otherwise they must not be handled. GEMARA: The Mishna says, " four or five chests," Why say four or five ? If five may be cleared off, surely four may! Said Samuel: This is said only as a customary saying; but in reality it means to say that any number may be cleared off; but by saying " one must not clear off a whole barn," the Mishna means to state, that all the straw should not be removed for fear lest pits be noticed in the ground, and the man might fill them up. Even if the whole barn be full and as yet untouched, one may commence to remove as much as is necessary, and the Mishna is in accordance with the opinion of R. Simeon, who disregards the law of Muktza. The rabbis taught: One may not commence on a full barn, but one may remove enough, when entering, with his feet, to 276 TRACT SABBATH. 277 provide an entrance, and when going out to make a way of egress. The rabbis taught : A sheaf of grain, if commenced prior to the Sabbath, may be used on the Sabbath; but if not, it must not be used on Sabbath, so saith R. A'ha, but R. Simeon permits this to be done. How large should the sheaf be ? We have learned in a Boraitha that it should measure one Lethach.* The schoolmen propounded a question (not having heard Samuel's explanation): " How is the term ' four or five chests ' to be understood ? Should a man clear off only four or five chests, even if that be not room enough for his guests; or should he do so in proportion to the number of his guests ? If according to the number of his guests, does it mean to say, that one man should clear off sufficient for all, or every man for himself?" Come and hear: Rabba told in the name of R. Hyya: It once happened that Rabbi went out on a Sabbath to a certain place, and saw that the place assigned to him for lecturing was too small; so he went out into the field, and found the whole field full of sheaves. He cleared off the field, and provided sufficient room." Thence we see that he did so in proportion to the number of his guests; but this narration decides only one part of the schoolmen's question, viz. : the one relating to the num- ber of sheaves to be cleared off, but not the one relating to whether one man may clear off sufficient for all, or every man for himself. Come and hear: " Rabbi cleared off the field," etc. (that is, one man for all). And what think you, that Rabbi did this himself ? he certainly must have ordered this to be done, so it is not known whether one man did it, or each man for himself. " For guests,'' etc. R. Johanan said: " The reward for hos- pitality is equal to that for visiting the house of learning, for the Mishna saith for guests and for obstacles to instruction, thus putting the two causes on a par." Said R. Dimi: " Hospital- ity is even a greater virtue, for it is given the precedence over instruction." R. Jehudah said in the name of Rabh : Hospitality is even a greater merit than receiving the Shekhina, as it is written [Genesis xviii. 3] : " And he said, My Lord, if now I have found favor in thy eyes, pass not away," etc. (showing that Abraham let the Lord wait while he went to receive his guests). Said R. Elazar: Come and see how the custom of the Holy One, *A measure of grain spoken of in Hosea iii. 2, and presumably a half of a Kur. 278 THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD. blessed be He, is unlike that of human beings. An insignificant man cannot say to a great man: " Stay here until I come back again," whereas to the Holy One, blessed be He, Abraham said as mentioned above. Said R. Jehudah bar Shila in the name of R. Assi, quoting R. Johanan : " There are six things, the interest on which a man consumes on earth, while the principal is given him in the world to come. They are: Hospitality, visiting the sick, contempla- tion before prayer, attending the house of learning, educating children in the Law, and charity in judging others." Is this so ? Have we not learned in a Mishna : These are the things the inter- est of which a man consumes on earth and the principal of which is given him in the world to come ? " Honoring father and mother, doing favors to neighbors, peace-making among men, and, above all, the study of the Law." Now, if the Mishna says " these are the things," it means no others! Nay; the six things previously mentioned are included in those subse- quently enumerated (hospitality and visiting the sick are included in doing favors to neighbors; contemplation before prayer is a favor to one's self, as it is written [Proverbs xi. 17] : " The man of kindness doth good to his own soul " ; attending the house of learning and educating children in the Law is included in the study of the Law; charity in judging others is included in peace- making among men, and R. Johanan does not dispute the Mishna, but merely expounds it). The rabbis taught : One who exercises charity in judging others is charitably dealt with when judged above. It once happened that a man came from upper Galilee and hired out to a master in southern Palestine for three years. On the last eve of the Day of Atonement (when his term was up) he asked his master for his wages, so that he could return to his wife and children. The master replied that he had no money. Said the man: " Then give me my money's worth in grain." And the master answered: "I have it not." Said the man again : " Give me my money's worth in land," and again the master replied: " I have it not." " Then give me my money's worth in cattle." " I have it not," was the reply. " I will take my money's worth in bolsters or bed-clothes," pleaded the man,