Nedarim 37b (לז:) — the Talmud in English

Consequently, if they were lost

on Shabbat—

he is not liable for them,

since he does not receive wages for guarding them on Shabbat, and thus he is an unpaid bailee.

But if

the worker

was a weekly worker

[one week], or if he was

a monthly worker,

or if he was

a yearly worker,

or if he was

a Sabbatical-cycle worker

[seven years of the Sabbatical cycle],

he gives him wages for Shabbat.

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

Consequently, if they were lost—

he is liable for them!

It is evident that it is permitted to pay wages for Shabbat by including them with the wages for the other days!

Rather, with regard to Shabbat, this is the reason that one does not begin reading: So that the fathers of the children will turn their attention to the mitzva of Shabbat

[so that the fathers of the children will be free to devote themselves to the mitzva of Shabbat and enjoy time with the children. And if it were permitted to begin reading on Shabbat, the fathers would be concerned about the children’s being deprived of their studies].

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

and drink

more than on the other days of the week,

and the world becomes burdensome for them

[the children],

because

their limbs weigh heavily upon them; therefore they cannot study at the outset, since this matter requires extensive concentration.

As Shmuel said: A change in one’s regimen

[a change in one’s accustomed practice—that is, when one changes from his usual practice of eating every day]—

is the beginning of intestinal illness

for him.

And we raised a difficulty:

And according to the one who says

that the wages one receives for teaching Scripture are

wages for the division of the cantillation accents, what is the reason that he did not say

that the reason is

wages for guarding?

He holds: Do girls require guarding?

They do not require guarding, since it is not their practice to go outside! If so, why did the tanna of our Mishna teach without qualification that one may not teach him Scripture, implying both boys and girls? He can teach girls, since he does not receive wages for teaching them!

And according to the one who says

that the reason is

wages for guarding, what is the reason that he did not say

that it is because of

wages for the division of the cantillation accents?

He holds: The division of the cantillation accents is by Torah law,

and it is prohibited to receive wages for teaching them, just as for teaching Torah itself. Since it is by Torah law, it is like statutes and ordinances.

As Rav Eika bar Avin said that Rav Ḥananel said that Rav said: What

is this

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

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

this is Scripture.

“Explicitly”—

this is

the

translation,

which explains Scripture.

“And they gave the sense”—

these are the verses,

the pauses separating the verses, through which a person understands Scripture according to the movement of the cantillation accents.

“And they understood the reading”—

this is the division of the cantillation accents.

And some say

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

these are the Masorot

[the missing and additional letters, and whatever was transmitted through the Masora].

Rabbi Yitzḥak said: The reading transmitted by the scribes,

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

and the adornment transmitted by the scribes,

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

and words read but not written,

that is, words that are read when the Torah is read 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 halakha transmitted to Moses from Sinai.

For Moses received them at Sinai and transmitted them to Israel.

And what is

the reading transmitted by the scribes—

“land,”

which, when it has an etnahta accent, is pronounced with a kamatz,

and likewise, for example, the words

“heaven”

and

“Egypt,”

which, although they contain no alef between the mem and the yod of “heaven,” or between the resh and the yod of “Egypt,” are pronounced as though they did contain one, and are not pronounced with a ḥirik.

The adornment transmitted by the scribes—

this refers, for example, to the following verses, in which the word “after” is written but is superfluous and serves only to beautify the language: “

Support your hearts

after you pass on,”

said concerning Abraham, for it would have sufficed to write: “Support your hearts and pass on,” “

Let the maiden remain with us days or ten;

afterward she shall go,”

said concerning Rebecca; “Let her be confined seven days,

afterward she shall be gathered,”

said concerning Miriam, although it would have been sufficient to write: “Let her be confined seven days and she shall be gathered,”

“The singers went ahead, afterward the musicians,”

although it would have been sufficient to write: “The singers went ahead, the musicians.”

And likewise, what is stated:

“Your righteousness is like the mountains of God.”

It would have been sufficient to write: “Your righteousness, the mountains of God,” since the intent 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 passages in which words are

read but not written:

The word “

Perat” in “when he went,”

that is, in that passage one reads: “when he went to restore his hand at the river Perat,” although the word “Perat” 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: “May it be for her for deliverance,”

“that” in “it was surely 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 tell me I shall 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 “may He forgive,”

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