Arakhin 33

Chapter 33

א פורענות מזדמנת לו
1 Retribution is prepared for him.
ב תניא רבי אליעזר הגדול אומר אלמלא בא הקב"ה עם אברהם יצחק ויעקב בדין אין יכולין לעמוד מפני תוכחה שנאמר (שמואל א יב, ז) ועתה התיצבו ואשפטה אתכם לפני ה' את כל צדקות ה' אשר עשה אתכם ואת אבותיכם
2 It was taught: R'Eliezer the great said: If the Holy One, blessed be He, wished to enter in judgment with Abraham, Isaac or Jacob, not [even] they could stand before His reproof! As it is said: Now therefore stand still, that I may plead with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous acts of the Lord, which He did to you and to your fathers.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Sam. XII, 7.');"><sup>1</sup></span> [It is written:] Such is the generation of them that seek after Him, that seek Thy face, even Jacob. Selah.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. XXIV, 6.');"><sup>2</sup></span>
ג (תהלים כד, ו) זה דור דורשיו מבקשי פניך יעקב סלה פליגי בה רבי יהודה נשיאה ורבנן חד אמר דור לפי פרנס וחד אמר פרנס לפי דורו
3 R'Judah Nesi'ah<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Prince, R. Judah II.');"><sup>3</sup></span> and the Rabbis differ [as to the meaning]: One says, as the leader, so the generation; the other: as the generation, so the leader. For what practical purpose [is this discussion]?
ד למאי הלכתא אילימא למעליותא דמר סבר אי מעלי דרא מעלי פרנס ומר סבר אי מעלי פרנס מעלי דרא הא איכא צדקיה דהוה מעלי ודריה לא הוה מעלי והא יהויקים דלא הוה מעלי ודריה הוה מעלי
4 Would you say: It refers to virtue so that one holds: if the generation is virtuous, so is the leader; the other view being: if the leader is virtuous, so is the generation; but surely there is Zedekiah who was virtuous, whereas his generation was not so; and there is Jehoiakim who was not virtuous, whilst his generation was so. For R'Johanan said in the name of R'Simeon B'Yohai: What is the meaning of: In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Jer. XXVI, 1.');"><sup>4</sup></span> The Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to reduce the world to formlessness and emptiness because of Jehoiakim, but when He considered His generation. His anger subsided.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The emphasis is on the phrase in the beginning used instead of simply 'in the first year', v. Sanh. Sonc. ed., p. 699 notes.');"><sup>5</sup></span> The Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to reduce the world to formlessness and emptiness because of the generation of Zedekiah, but when he considered Zedekiah, his anger subsided? - Rather, it refers to anger and gentleness respectively.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The temperament of the leader, gentle or otherwise, depends upon the spirit of his time.');"><sup>6</sup></span>
ה דאמר רבי יוחנן משום רבי שמעון בן יוחי מאי דכתיב (ירמיהו כו, א) בראשית ממלכות יהויקים מלך יהודה
5 <big><b>MISHNAH: </b></big>AS TO THE SUFFICIENCY OF MEANS,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Lev. XXVII, 8.');"><sup>7</sup></span> THIS SHALL BE DONE ACCORDING TO THE ABILITY OF HIM WHO VOWS.
ו ביקש הקב"ה להחזיר את העולם לתוהו ובהו בשביל יהויקים כיון שנסתכל בדורו נתיישבה דעתו ביקש הקדוש ברוך הוא להחזיר את העולם לתוהו ובהו מפני דורו של צדקיהו כיון שנסתכל בצדקיהו נתיישבה דעתו
6 AND [WHEN ACCORDING TO] THE YEARS OF HIS AGE, THIS SHALL BE ACCORDING TO HIM WHO IS THE SUBJECT OF THE VOW. AS FOR VALUATIONS,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Explained in Mishnah infra 18a.');"><sup>8</sup></span>
ז אלא לענין תוקפא וניחותא קאמרינן:
7 THIS SHALL BE ACCORDING TO HIM WHO IS THE SUBJECT OF THE VALUATION.
ח <br><br><big><strong>הדרן עלך יש בערכין</strong></big><br><br>
8 AND THE VALUATIONS [SHALL BE PAID ACCORDING TO THE RATE PRESCRIBED] AT THE TIME OF THE VALUATION.
ט מתני׳ <big><strong>השג</strong></big> יד בנודר והשנים בנידר והערכין בנערך והערך בזמן הערך
9 AS TO THE SUFFICIENCY OF MEANS, THIS SHALL BE ACCORDING TO THE MAN WHO VOWS'.
י השג יד בנודר כיצד עני שהעריך את העשיר נותן ערך עני ועשיר שהעריך את העני נותן ערך עשיר
10 HOW IS THAT? IF A POOR MAN EVALUATED A RICH MAN, HE SHALL PAY ONLY THE VALUATION OF A POOR MAN.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., according to his means.');"><sup>9</sup></span>
יא אבל בקרבנות אינו כן הרי שאמר קרבנו של מצורע זה עלי היה מצורע עני מביא קרבן עני עשיר מביא קרבן עשיר
11 BUT IF A RICH MAN EVALUATED A POOR MAN, HE MUST PAY THE VALUATION OF A RICH MAN.
יב רבי אומר אומר אני אף בערכין כן וכי מפני מה עני שהעריך את העשיר נותן ערך עני שאין העשיר חייב כלום אבל עשיר שאמר ערכי עלי ושמע עני ואמר מה שאמר זה עלי נותן ערך עשיר:
12 BUT IT IS NOT SO WITH OFFERINGS. IF A MAN SAID: I TAKE UPON MYSELF THE OFFERING OF THIS LEPER, AND THE LEPER WAS POOR, HE BRINGS THE OFFERING OF A POOR MAN.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XIV, 21-32.');"><sup>10</sup></span> BUT IF THE LEPER WAS RICH, HE MUST BRING THE OFFERING OF A RICH MAN.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 10.');"><sup>11</sup></span> RABBI SAYS: I SAY THE SAME APPLIES WITH REGARD TO A VALUATION.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' There are two views as to what Rabbi means: (i) Rabbi disagrees with the Tanna, for according to the former, a poor man would under all circumstances incur no liability beyond that of a poor man's valuation, i.e., according to his means; even though he heard the rich man vow his own valuation and thereupon he (the poor man) said: I take upon myself what this man has said. According to Rabbi, however, in such a case the poor man would be liable to pay the rich man's (i.e., the normal) valuation, since in saying: 'I take upon myself what this man has said' he deliberately assumes the full liability, and he would owe the sum until able to pay it. (ii) Maimonides interprets Rabbi's attitude to be in accord with the first Tanna's, opposing only the suggestion that it is not so with offerings'. because if the same conditions which prevail at the leper's vow prevailed in the case of a valuation, the same rules would apply, according to the view of the Tanna which Rabbi holds.');"><sup>12</sup></span> WHY IS A POOR MAN WHO EVALUATED A RICH MAN OBLIGED TO PAY ONLY THE VALUATION OF A POOR MAN?
יג <big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> השג יד במעריך הוא כדכתי' (ויקרא כז, ח) אשר תשיג יד הנודר יעריכנו הכהן
13 BECAUSE THE RICH MAN HAD NOT INCURRED ANY LIABILITY WHATSOEVER'BUT IF THE RICH MAN SAID: I EVALUATE MYSELF' AND THE POOR MAN, HEARING THAT, SAID: WHAT THIS MAN HAS SAID, I TAKE UPON MYSELF, THEN HE MUST PAY THE VALUATION OF A RICH MAN. <big><b>GEMARA: </b></big>Surely 'sufficiency of means' is written only in connection with evaluation?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Our Mishnah uses the term 'vows' instead of 'evaluates', whereas the rule of paying according to one's means applies not to the vower (of a man's market value) , but to the valuations.');"><sup>13</sup></span> As it is written: According to the means of him that vowed shall the priest value him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Torah uses in this particular case 'vowing' in its general meaning, which includes also the vowing of one's valuation, that is why the Mishnah, too, uses the same term, not in the stricter but in the general sense. (Lev. XXVII, 8) .');"><sup>14</sup></span>
יד השנים בנידר בנערך הוא איידי דאמר השג יד בנודר אמר נמי השנים בנידר:
14 But is [payment according to] the years of his age with regard to one [whose worth has been] vowed, is it not only [stated] with regard to one who has been subject to valuation? - Since he [the Tanna] had spoken of 'sufficiency of means' in connection with 'one who vows', he speaks, touching the years, also of one who had been the subject of a vow. AS TO SUFFICIENCY OF MEANS, THIS SHALL BE ACCORDING TO THE MAN WHO VOWS'. HOW IS THAT? IF A POOR MAN EVALUATED A RICH MAN HE SHALL PAY ONLY THE VALUATION OF A POOR MAN. But why?
טו השג יד בנודר כיצד עני שהעריך את העשיר נותן ערך עני: מ"ט דאמר קרא אשר תשיג יד הנודר בנודר תלה רחמנא
15 Scripture said: 'According to the means of him that vowed', i.e., the Divine Law made it dependent upon him who 'vowed'. BUT IT IS NOT SO WITH OFFERINGS. IF A MAN SAID: I TAKE UPON MYSELF THE OFFERING OF THIS LEPER'AND THE LEPER WAS POOR, HE BRINGS THE OFFERING OF A POOR MAN. This means although he who vowed is rich! But did not the Divine Law say: And if he be poor,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XIV, 21.');"><sup>15</sup></span> and he [who vowed] is not poor?
טז אבל בקרבנות אינו כן הרי שאמר קרבנו של מצורע זה עלי היה מצורע עני מביא קרבן עני ואע"ג דמדירו עשיר (ויקרא יד, כא) ואם דל הוא אמר רחמנא ולא דל הוא
16 Said R'Isaac: This refers to the case where he who vowed [too] was poor. But perhaps the All Merciful spared only [the leper] himself, but not him who vowed, as it is written: [If] he [be too poor]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The suggestion is that the Torah, out of pity for a poor leper, would allow him to bring the lesser sacrifice, but might not be willing to extend the same consideration to a healthy poor man, who without any compulsion assumed his liability.');"><sup>16</sup></span> - Said R'Adda B'Ahabah: 'And his means suffice not',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid.');"><sup>17</sup></span>
יז אמר רבי יצחק כשהיה מדירו עני ודלמא עליה דידיה חס רחמנא אמדירו לא דהכתיב הוא
17 includes him who vows. But if he who vows were a rich man, would he indeed have to bring the offering of a rich man? If so, what means BUT IT IS NOT SO WITH OFFERINGS?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When the same regulation applies to them too.');"><sup>18</sup></span> -
יח אמר רב אדא בר אהבה ואין ידו משגת לרבות את הנודר
18 
יט אבל מדירו עשיר הכי נמי דמייתי בעשירות
19 
כ א"כ מאי אבל בקרבנות אינו כן
20 
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