Nedarim 37b — the Talmud in English

Therefore, if they were lost

on Shabbat—

he is not liable for them,

for he does not receive payment for guarding them on Shabbat, and thus he is an unpaid guardian.

And if the

worker

was a weekly Shabbat hireling

[one week], or if he was

a monthly hireling,

or if he was

a yearly hireling,

or if he was

a Sabbatical-cycle hireling

[the seven years of the Sabbatical cycle],

he gives him payment for Shabbat.

Since he did not mention Shabbat explicitly, but included it among the other days, this is not considered payment for Shabbat.

Therefore, if they were lost—

he is liable for them!

It is evident that it is permitted to pay payment for Shabbat by including it among the payment for other days!

Rather, concerning Shabbat, this is the reason that they do not read at the outset: so that the fathers of the children will turn their attention to the mitzva of Shabbat

[so that the fathers of the children will turn their attention to the mitzvot of Shabbat and delight with the children. And if it were permitted to read at the outset on Shabbat, the fathers would be concerned about the children’s neglect of their studies].

And if you wish, say: Because on Shabbat they eat

and drink

more than on the other days of the week,

and the world becomes heavy upon them

[upon the children]

upon them,

for their limbs are heavy upon them, and therefore they cannot study at the outset, since this matter requires much concentration.

As Shmuel said: A change of regimen

[a change of habit, that is, one who changes from his accustomed practice of eating every day]—

is the beginning of intestinal illness

it is.

And we raise it against this:

And according to the one who says

that what they take payment for teaching Scripture is

payment for the division of the cantillation marks, what is the reason he did not say

that the reason is

payment for guarding?

He holds: Do girls require guarding?

They do not require guarding, since it is not their way to go outside! If so, why did the tanna of our Mishna teach anonymously that one may not teach him Scripture, implying both boys and girls? He can teach girls, since he does not take payment for teaching them!

And according to the one who says

that the reason is

payment for guarding, what is the reason he did not say

because of

payment for the division of the cantillation marks?

He holds: The division of the cantillation marks is of biblical origin,

and it is forbidden to take payment for teaching them—as for the study of the Torah itself. Since it is of biblical origin, it is like statutes and laws.

For Rav Ika bar Avin said that Rav Hananel said that Rav said: What

is this

that is written: “And they read in the scroll, in the Torah of God, distinctly, and they gave the sense, and they understood the reading”?

“And they read in the scroll, in the Torah of God”—

this is Scripture.

“Distinctly”—

this is

the

translation,

which explains Scripture.

“And they gave the sense”—

these are the verses,

the points that interrupt between the verses, through which a person understands Scripture according to the movement of the cantillation marks.

“And they understood the reading”—

this is the division of the cantillation marks.

And some say

[and there are those who say]: “And they understood the reading”—

these are the received traditions

[the defective and plene spellings, what was transmitted in the Masora].

Rabbi Yitzhak said: The reading of the scribes,

that is, the form of reading that the early authorities, who were called scribes, transmitted to us,

and the adornment of the scribes,

that is, extra words that were written to beautify the language, as will be explained below [and they were called adornment because they adorn the language],

and words read but not written,

that is, words that are read when reading the Torah, but are not written in Scripture,

and words written but not read,

that is, words written in Scripture that are not read—

all these matters

are a halakha given to Moses at Sinai

for so Moses received them at Sinai and transmitted them to Israel.

And what is

the reading of the scribes—

“land,”

for when it has an atnahta, it is read with a kamatz,

and likewise, for example, the words

“heavens”

and

“Egypt,”

which, even though they do not contain an alef between the mem and the yod of “heavens,” or between the resh and the yod of “Egypt,” are read as though they contained one, and are not read with a hiriq.

“The adornment of the scribes”—

this means, for example, the following verses, in which the word “after” that is written in them is superfluous and serves only to beautify the language: “Strengthen your hearts

after

you pass on,”

said concerning Abraham, for it would have sufficed for him to write: “Strengthen your hearts and pass on,” “Let the girl remain with us days or ten days,

after

she will go,”

said concerning Rebecca, “Let her be shut up seven days,

after she will be gathered in,”

said concerning Miriam, for it would have sufficed to write: “Let her be shut up seven days and she will be gathered in,”

“The singers went first, after the musicians,”

for it would have sufficed to write: “The singers went first, the musicians.”

And likewise, what is said:

“Your righteousness is like the mountains of God.”

It would have sufficed to write, “Your righteousness, the mountains of God,” for the intention of the verse is to say that the lofty mountains, which are the angels, require the righteousness of God. However, it wrote “like the mountains of God” to beautify the language.

And these are the verses in which there are

words read but not written:

The word

“Euphrates” in “when he went,”

that is, in that verse one reads: “when he went to restore his hand at the Euphrates River,” even though the word “Euphrates” is not written in the verse.

And the word “man”

in “as a man inquires concerning the word of God,”

“coming” in “it was built,”

that is, the word “coming” in the verse: “Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, and the city shall be built, etc.,”

“to her” in “for deliverance,”

that is, the word “to her” in the verse: “Let her be for deliverance,”

“that” in “it was told,”

that is, the word “that” in the verse: “It was surely told to me all that you did for your mother-in-law,”

“to me” in “the threshing floor,”

that is, the word “to me” in the verse: “And she said to her, All that you say to me I will do” [and the Gemara calls this verse “the threshing floor,” after the following verse: “And she went down to the threshing floor, etc.”],

“to me” in “the barley.”

That is, the word “to me” in the verse: “And she said, These six measures of barley he gave me, for he said to me, etc.”

These,

the words listed above—

are read but not written.

And

the following words—

are written but not read:

“Please” in “he will forgive,”

that is, the word “please” in the verse: “May the Lord please forgive Your servant concerning this matter,”