Responsa for Shabbat 299:3

<big>מתני׳</big> לא ישכור אדם פועלים בשבת ולא יאמר אדם לחבירו לשכור לו פועלים אין מחשיכין על התחום לשכור לו פועלים ולהביא פירות אבל מחשיך הוא לשמור ומביא פירות בידו כלל אמר אבא שאול כל שאני זכאי באמירתו רשאי אני להחשיך עליו:

IN ORDER TO HIRE LABOURERS OR BRING IN PRODUCE; BUT ONE MAY DO SO IN ORDER TO WATCH [HIS FIELD]. AND [THEN] HE CAN BRING [HOME] PRODUCE WITH HIM.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'in his hand'. Though he may not go to the tehum in the first place for this purpose, yet since he did so primarily in order to watch his field, he may take advantage of the fact and bring home produce too. ');">5 ABBA SAUL STATED A GENERAL PRINCIPLE: WHATEVER I HAVE A RIGHT TO INSTRUCT [THAT IT BE DONE], I AM PERMITTED TO GO TO AWAIT NIGHTFALL, FOR IT [AT THE TEHUM].

Teshuvot Maharam

Q. A teacher rendered a decision permitting Jews to instruct a Gentile on the Sabbath to go outside of the city limits in order to be ready to assist relatives of a deceased in their burial operations.
A. The decision of the teacher is incorrect, for ordinarily whatever a Jew is not allowed to do on the Sabbath, he is not permitted to tell a Gentile to do.
This Responsum is addressed to R. Nathan, an uncle of R. Meir. But according to Cr. 20, it was sent to R. Hezekiah of Merseburg.
SOURCES: Cr. 20; Pr. 637; Wertheimer 15; Mord. Shabb. 314; Hag. Maim., Shabbat 6, 9.

Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy

Previous Verse Full Chapter Next Verse