Shabbat 127b (קכז:) — the Talmud in English

And we answer: Rabbi Yohanan came to explain our Mishna: all

these

six matters are

also

included among these

three matters taught in the Mishna; they

belong

to their general categories.

Hospitality and visiting the sick are included in “acts of kindness.”

Delving into prayer is also included in this, because one “performs an act of kindness” for himself, as it is written: “He who performs kindness for his soul is a man of kindness” (Proverbs 11).

Rising early to go to the study hall, and raising one’s sons for Torah study, are included in “Torah study.”

And judging one’s fellow favorably is included in “bringing peace,” because when one judges him favorably and says that he did not sin against him, there is peace between them.

The Sages taught: One who judges his fellow favorably is judged

by Heaven

to

a

favorable judgment.

And there was an incident involving a certain man

who came down from Upper Galilee and was hired

to work

by a certain householder

who was

in the South,

for

three years.

On the eve of Yom Kippur [

some versions read:

the eve of the Festival]

he said to him: Give me my wages, and I will go and provide food for my wife and children.

He said to him: I have no money.

He said to him: Give me produce

as payment for my wages.

He said to him: I have none.

He said to him:

Give me land.

He said to him:

I have none.

He said to him:

Give me an animal.

He said to him:

I have none.

He said to him:

Give me pillows and cushions.

He said to him:

I have none.

What did that hired laborer do?

He slung his belongings over his back and went home dejected,

in great distress.

After the Festival, the householder took his wages in his hand, and

also

with him

he took

a load carried by three donkeys,

which were laden:

one with food, one with drink, and one with delicacies; and he went to the laborer’s home

.

After they had eaten and drunk, he gave him his wages.

He said to him,

the householder asked the laborer:

When you said to me, “Give me my wages,” and I said

to you:

“I have no money,”

what suspicion did you have of me?

He replied:

I said: Perhaps merchandise

or goods

became available to you at a bargain price, and you purchased it

for yourself

with

the money

that

you had, and therefore you had no money with which to pay my wages.

He asked him further:

When you said to me, “Give me an animal,” and I said

to you:

“I have no animal,” what suspicion did you have of me?

He replied:

I said: Perhaps it is rented out

out

to others.

He asked him further:

When you said to me, “Give me land,” and I said to you, “I have no land,” what suspicion did you have of me?

He replied:

I said: Perhaps

the land was leased

to others

[that is, you had given it to another person to work, so that he would give you a specified quantity of grain each year].

He asked him:

And when I said to you, “I have no produce,” what suspicion did you have of me?

He replied:

I said: Perhaps

the produce

had not been tithed.

He asked him:

And when I said to you, “I have no pillows and cushions,” what suspicion did you have of me?

He replied: I said:

Perhaps you consecrated

all

your possessions to Heaven.

He said to him,

the householder:

By the Temple service [

an expression of an oath].

Thus

indeed

it was.

For

I had made all my possessions forbidden by a vow for the sake of my son Hyrcanus,

because

he did not engage in Torah. And when I came to my colleagues

who were

in the South, they released all my vows.

And just as you judged me

to a

favorable judgment

so

may the Omnipresent judge you favorably.

The Sages taught: There was an incident involving a pious man

who redeemed

from captivity

a young woman,

a girl

of Israel.

And

when they arrived

at an inn, he laid her down beneath his feet.

The next day, he descended, immersed, and taught his disciples.

And he said,

asking

them: When I laid her beneath my feet,

what suspicion did you have of me?

They replied:

We said: Perhaps among us there is a disciple who has not been fully tested by the Master,

who does not know him well enough to be able to rely on him not to sin, and therefore you guarded her beneath your feet.

He asked them further:

When I descended and immersed, what suspicion did you have of me?

They replied:

We said: Perhaps, because of the exertion of the journey, the Master experienced a seminal emission.

He said to them: By the Temple service

an expression of an oath.

Thus

indeed

it was.

And just as you judged me favorably

so may the Omnipresent judge you favorably.

The Sages taught: Once, it became necessary

to request

something for Torah scholars from a certain noblewoman,

a gentile,

with whom all the leading men of Rome

were

frequent visitors.

They said: Who will go

to request it from her?

Rabbi Joshua said to them: I will go.

Rabbi Joshua went with his disciples.

When he reached the entrance to her house, he removed his phylacteries four cubits away,

and entered,

and locked

the

door in front of them.

After he emerged, he descended and immersed, and taught his disciples.

And he said,

asking

them: When I removed my phylacteries, what suspicion did you have of me?

They replied:

We said: Perhaps the Master thought that words of holiness should not enter a place of impurity.

He asked them further:

When I locked

the door,

what suspicion did you have of me?

They replied:

We said: Perhaps a matter of state

that had to be concealed

exists between him and her.

He asked them further:

When I descended and immersed, what suspicion did you have of me?

They replied:

We said: Perhaps a stream of saliva

or spittle

sprayed from her mouth onto the Master’s garments,

and the Sages had decreed that gentiles convey ritual impurity like zavim.

He said to them:

By the Temple service.

Thus it was. And you,

just as you judged me

to

a

favorable judgment, so may the Omnipresent judge you favorably.

We learned in the Mishna:

One may clear pure teruma.

And we raised a difficulty:

It is obvious

that teruma may be moved, since it is fit to eat. What novelty is the tanna teaching us by stating this?

And we explain:

It is necessary

to teach this only with regard to teruma

that is lying

where it is found

in the possession of an Israelite.

Lest you say: Since it is not fit for him

the Israelite,

it is prohibited

for him to move it, since it is muktzeh for him.

It teaches us

that

since it is fit for a priest, it is entirely permissible

to move it even for an Israelite.

We learned in the Mishna:

And

one may clear

demai.

And we raised a difficulty: Why is it permitted to move it?

But

demai

is not fit for him;

it is not fit to eat until he tithes it. If so, why is it not considered muktzeh, like untithed produce? And we explain: Demai is not considered muktzeh because it differs from untithed produce.

Untithed produce is muktzeh because it is not fit for everyone to eat, whereas demai is fit for the poor to eat.

Therefore, it is also considered fit for every person to eat. With regard to anyone, it can be said:

Since, if he wishes, he can declare

his property ownerless, and become poor, and

then

it is fit for him

to eat, since the Sages did not prohibit the poor from eating demai.

Accordingly,

now as well,

even though he did not declare his property ownerless, it is considered as though

it is fit for him.

As we learned

in tractate Demai:

One may feed the poor

demai,

because the Sages did not require them to tithe it, since they go from door to door seeking food, and the Sages relied on the fact that most common people tithe their produce.

And

similarly, one may feed demai

to the military contingent,

the army of the king of Israel, since the residents of the city are responsible for their sustenance, they may feed them

demai.

And Rav Huna said: A tanna taught: Beit Shammai say: One may not feed the poor demai, nor the military contingent demai.

Beit Hillel say: One may feed the poor demai, and the military contingent demai.

We learned in the Mishna:

And first tithe from which its teruma has been removed.

The initial assumption is that both the teruma of the tithe, which the Levite gives from the first tithe granted to him, and the great teruma, which the Israelite gives as two parts out of one hundred of all the produce, have been removed from it.

And we ask: Since it has been rendered fit—

it is obvious

that it is permitted to move it.

And we explain:

It is necessary,

but only in a case

where they advanced

the separation of first tithe while the produce was still

in the ears,

before it had been made into a heap, when the produce was still exempt from tithes,

and they removed

from it

at that stage only

the teruma of the tithe,

which the Levite gives from the first tithe,

but

the

great teruma had not yet been removed from it,

which the Israelite gives from all the produce.

And is this not what Rabbi Abbahu said in the name of Reish Lakish: First tithe whose separation they advanced

before the produce was made into a heap, and before the great teruma was removed from it, while the produce was still

in the ears—

it is

exempt from the great teruma?

And we derive this from what is

stated

with regard to the Levites’ separation of the teruma of the tithe from first tithe:

“You shall raise from it the teruma of the Lord, a tithe from the tithe.”

And this is how we expound it: Specifically,

“a tithe from the tithe” I told you

to separate,

but not the great teruma and the teruma of the tithe from the first tithe

itself.

Rav Pappa said to Abaye: If so,

if we expound that only the teruma of the tithe is removed from first tithe,

even if they advanced

the separation of first tithe before the separation of teruma

in the heap,

after the produce had been made into a heap and had become obligated in terumot and tithes,

should it also be exempt?

He said to him: Regarding you, the verse says

with regard to the teruma of the tithe:

“From all your gifts you shall raise

the entire teruma of the Lord.” “All” is an amplification, teaching you that from first tithe you must remove every form of teruma contained in it, even if he advanced the separation of first tithe before the separation of the great teruma.

And we ask:

What have you seen

that led you to expound the verse “You shall raise” as a restriction concerning first tithe whose separation was advanced while the produce was still in the ears, and to expound the verse “all” as an amplification concerning one who advanced first tithe in the heap? Why not say the opposite?

He said to him:

This one had been made into a heap,

that is, the produce had been made into a heap, its work had already been completed, and the obligation of teruma had taken effect upon it, as it is written: “The first of your grain.” Accordingly, the Levite must remove the great teruma contained in it [two parts out of one hundred of the first tithe] and give it to the priest, and afterward give him one tenth of the entire first tithe.

But

if

this one,

whose separation of first tithe had been advanced while it was still in the ears,

had not been made into a heap,

and had not yet become obligated in first tithe, but he had nevertheless advanced and separated it, then we expound the verse to exempt that which had not yet become obligated.

We learned in the Mishna:

And second tithe

and consecrated property that had been redeemed.

And we ask: These

obviously

are permitted to be moved, since they are permitted to be eaten.

And we explain:

It is necessary

to teach this only in a case

where he gave the principal

for their redemption

but did not give the additional fifth,

as a householder redeeming his property properly would, since he is obligated to add a fifth to the redemption payment.

And the tanna teaches us

that

the

additional

fifth does not invalidate

the redemption.

We learned in the Mishna:

And the dried lupine,

because it is food for goats.

And we infer:

Specifically,

the lupine that is

dry.

But

a lupine that is

moist—

we may not

move it.

And we ask:

What is the reason?

And we explain:

Since

it is

bitter,

and bitter things

the animal does not eat.