Responsa for Sanhedrin 49:19

וצריכא דאי תנא תולה בדעת עצמו התם הוא דלא גמר ומקני דאמר

and dismissedhim. Thereupon he went and let his hair and nailsgrow.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As a sign of penitence. ');">¹⁸</span> Then R. Nahman thought ofreinstating him, but Raba said to him: Perhaps he is only pretending[repentance]. What then is his remedy? — The course suggested by R. Iddib. Abin, who said: He who is suspected of passing terefoth cannot berehabilitated unless he leaves for a place where he is unknown and findsan opportunity of returning a lost article of considerable value, or ofcondemning as <i>terefah</i> meat of considerable value, belonging tohimself.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So exhibiting his staunch observance of the law, even in the face of loss. ');">¹⁹</span> AND PIGEON TRAINERS: What are PIGEON TRAINERS? —Here<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In Babylon. ');">²⁰</span> it has been interpreted, [ofone who says to another], 'If your pigeon passes mine [you win].'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A pigeon-racer. ');">²¹</span> R. Hamab. Oshaia said: It means anAra.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Or Ada, a fowler, one who puts up decoy-birds to attract other birds from another's dove-cote. [Ara is connected by Ginzberg, L., with the Assyrian aru, denoting by 'gin', 'snare'; v. Krauss, S., Sanhedrin-Makkot, p. 124.] ');">²²</span> On what ground does he whointerprets [the phrase to mean] 'pigeon-racer' disagree with him who interpretsit as Ara? — His answer is that the conduct of an Ara [is regarded as robbery]merely from the standpoint ofneighbourliness.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'ways of peace', but not its law, since birds may, and often do change their homes of their own will. According to strict law, these birds are considered as semi-wild, and therefore ownerless. Yet it is robbery on account of 'the ways of peace'. ');">²³</span> And he who interpretsit as 'Ara', why does he not accept this view [sc. 'if thy pigeon etc.]?— His answer is, in that case it is identical with a dice player. And theformer?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' How does he answer this objection? ');">²⁴</span> — He [the Tanna of theMishnah] deals with a case where he relies on his own capabilities. [i.e.,dice-playing] and a case where he relies on the capabilities of his pigeon.And both are necessary. For had he dealt only with the case where a man reliesupon himself, [I might have supposed that] only there was his promise withoutserious intent, since he thinks,

Teshuvot Maharam

Teshuvot Maharam