Arakhin 37

Chapter 37

א שבזכר ושבנקבה מיבעי ליה

1 Why is a female, when she is old, valued only at one third, whereas a man at not even a third?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A woman under sixty is to be valued at thirty, above sixty at ten, which is one third; a man under sixty at fifty, over sixty at fifteen, which is less than a third.');">1

ב ומאי שנא נקבה דכי מיזקנא קיימא אתילתא ומאי שנא זכר דלא קאי אתילתא אמר חזקיה אמרי אינשי סבא בביתא פאחא בביתא סבתא בביתא סימא בביתא:

2 - Said Hezekiah: people say, An old man in the house is a burden in the house, an old woman in the house is a treasure in the house!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A woman is never too old to be useful in the house, whereas in popular opinion, an old man in the house may be termed 'an obstacle', 'a burden', 'a weak vessel'.');">2 <big>MISHNAH: </big>IF A MAN SAID: I VOW MY WEIGHT, THEN HE MUST PAY HIS WEIGHT, IN SILVER [IF HE HAD SAID IN] SILVER, OR IN GOLD [IF HE HAD SAID IN] GOLD. IT HAPPENED WITH THE MOTHER OF YIRMATIA,3

ג <big>הדרן עלך השג יד</big>

3 WHO HAD SAID, 'I VOW MY DAUGHTER'S WEIGHT': SHE WENT UP TO JERUSALEM AND WEIGHED HER AND THEN PAID HER WEIGHT IN GOLD.

ד מתני׳ <big>האומר</big> משקלי עלי נותן משקלו אם כסף כסף ואם זהב זהב מעשה באמה של ירמטיא שאמרה משקל בתי עלי ועלתה לירושלים ושקלה משקלה זהב

4 [IF A MAN SAID: I VOW] THE WEIGHT OF MY HAND, R'JUDAH SAYS: LET HIM FILL A BARREL WITH WATER AND PUT IT [HIS HAND] IN UP TO THE ELBOW. THEN LET HIM WEIGH THE FLESH, BONES AND SINEWS OF AN ASS AND PUT IT INTO THE BARREL UNTIL IT IS FILLED UP AGAIN. SAID R'JOSE: BUT HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO ACCOUNT EXACTLY ONE KIND OF FLESH AGAINST ANOTHER KIND OF FLESH, AND ONE KIND OF BONES AGAINST ANOTHER KIND OF BONES? RATHER: ONE ESTIMATES WHAT THE HAND IS LIKELY TO WEIGH.

ה משקל ידי עלי רבי יהודה אומר ממלא חבית מים ומכניסה עד מרפיקו ושוקל מבשר חמור ועצמות וגידים ונותן לתוכה עד שתתמלא אמר ר' יוסי וכי היאך אפשר לכוין בשר כנגד בשר ועצמות כנגד עצמות אלא שמין את היד כמה היא ראויה לשקול:

5 <big>GEMARA: </big>What does it mean IF SILVER, SILVER, IF GOLD, GOLD? - Rab Judah said: If he had said [my weight] in silver, then [he must pay it] in silver, if gold. gold. But that is self-evident? - This is what is teaching us: The reason4 is because he has mentioned expressly [the precious metal], but if he has not mentioned expressly, he can free himself of the obligation with anything;5 in accord with Rehabah, for Rehabah said: In a place where [they sell] pitch by the weight, he can free himself even with pitch.

ו <big>גמ׳</big> מאי אם כסף כסף אם זהב זהב אמר רב יהודה פירש כסף כסף פירש זהב זהב פשיטא הא קמ"ל טעמא דפירש הא לא פירש פטר נפשיה בכל דהו

6 But that is self-evident? - No, it is necessary to mention that for the case that some weigh and others measure it. You might say since not all [sell it] by weight [he may] not [free himself by paying his weight in pitch], therefore we are informed [that he may]. R'Papa said: In a place where [they sell] onions by the weight, he can acquit himself [of his vow] even with onions. But that is self-evident? - It is necessary to mention that because after weighing it [the seller] would add two or three. Therefore you might have said: thereby it should be excluded from the rule of things [sold] by weight.

ז כרחבה דאמר רחבה באתרא דתקלי כופרא פטר נפשיה אפי' בכופרא פשיטא לא צריכא דאיכא דתקל ואיכא דכייל מהו דתימא כיון דכולהו לא תקלי לא קמ"ל

7 Therefore we are informed [that it is not so excluded]. IT HAPPENED WITH THE MOTHER OF YIRMATIA. An accident [is reported] to contradict [the law just stated]? - Something is missing here and thus it ought to read: 'But if it be a prominent person, then although he has not expressly stated, we estimate it in accordance with his dignity; and IT HAPPENED WITH THE MOTHER OF YIRMATIA WHO HAD SAID, 'I VOW MY DAUGHTER'S WEIGHT': SHE WENT UP TO JERUSALEM AND THEY WEIGHED HER, AND THEN SHE PAID HER WEIGHT IN GOLD'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' According to which one is bound only by express statement as to that metal is meant, whereas the mother of Yirmatia, on the basis of a general vow, is reported to have made a payment of the weight in gold.');">6 Rab Judah said: If one says, I vow my stature, he must give a staff which cannot be bent. [If he said:] I vo my full stature, he may give a staff which can be bent.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the first case the stature of the metal, whichever he mentioned, should be paid. In the second, he has stressed only the height, therefore a staff, however thin and easy to be bent, will redeem the pledge. In the first it must be solid, as his figure, in the second it must be high, but need not be of any minimum thickness.');">7

ח אמר רב פפא באתרא דתקלי שמכי פטר נפשיה אפי' בשמכי פשיטא לא צריכא דבתר דשקלי שדו תרי תלתא מהו דתימא בטיל תורת משקל קמ"ל:

8 They raised the following objection: [If one said:] 'I vow my stature', or [if he said, 'I vow] my full stature', he must give a staff which cannot be bent? He holds with R'Akiba, who pays close attention to redundant speech. For we learnt: Nor [has he thereby sold]8 the cistern or the walled cellar, even though he wrote [in the document of sale], 'the depth and the height', but he [the seller] must acquire for himself a way thereto. These are the words of R'Akiba.

ט מעשה באמה של ירמטיא וכו': מעשה לסתור

9 The Rabbis taught: He does not need to do so. R'Akiba, however, agrees that if he had said, 'With the exception of these', he need not buy himself a way thereto.9

י חסורי מחסרא והכי קתני ואם אדם חשוב הוא אף ע"ג דלא פריש לפי כבודו אמרינן ומעשה באמה של ירמטיא שאמרה משקל בתי עלי ועלתה לירושלים ושקלוה ונתנה משקלה זהב

10 Thus we see that since he did not have to say anything and nevertheless did make a statement, he meant to add something thereby; therefore here, too, since he did not have to say anything and he spoke nevertheless, he wanted to add something.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The seller should not have mentioned a self-evident clause: that cistern and cellar are not sold with the house. Having mentioned that, he must have added something to the contract not implicit therein, viz., the right to the cellar. In similar manner here, 'full' is a superfluous phrase, stature implies the full height. Hence the additional suggestion: It is only as to the full height that I assume obligation, but as to thickness, that may be as slender as possible.');">10 The following question was raised [in the Academy]: If he said, 'My stand', what is [the law]?

יא אמר רב יהודה האומר קומתי עלי נותן שרביט שאינו נכפף מלא קומתי עלי נותן שרביט הנכפף מיתיבי קומתי עלי מלא קומתי עלי נותן שרביט שאינו נכפף

יב הוא דאמר כר"ע דדייק לישנא יתירא דתנן לא את הבור ולא [את] הדות אף ע"פ שכתב עומקה ורומה וצריך ליקח לו דרך דברי ר"ע

יג וחכ"א אינו צריך ומודה רבי עקיבא בזמן שאמר לו חוץ מאלו שאין צריך ליקח לו דרך אלמא כיון דלא צריך וקאמר לטפויי מילתא קאתי הכא נמי כיון דלא צריך וקאמר לטפויי מילתא קאתי

יד איבעיא להו עומדי מהו

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