Bava Batra 15

Chapter 15

א אלו ת"ח ור"ל סבר לה כדדרש רבא (שיר השירים ח, י) אני חומה זו כנסת ישראל ושדי כמגדלות אלו בתי כנסיות ובתי מדרשות
1 to the students of the Torah?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Who therefore require no protection. ');"><sup>1</sup></span> — Resh Lakish, however, adopts the exposition [of this verse] given [also] by Raba, viz. that 'I am a wall' refers to the community of Israel,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which as it were walls itself round against heathen influence. ');"><sup>2</sup></span>
ב רב נחמן בר רב חסדא רמא כרגא ארבנן א"ל רב נחמן בר יצחק עברת אדאורייתא ואדנביאי ואדכתובי
2 and 'my breasts are like towers', to synagogues and houses of study. R. Nahman b. R. Hisda<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [As head of Daraukart where R. Nahman b. Isaac also lived. V. Hyman. Toledoth, II, 471.] ');"><sup>3</sup></span>
ג אדאורייתא דכתיב (דברים לג, ג) אף חובב עמים כל קדושיו בידך אמר משה לפני הקב"ה רבונו של עולם אפילו בשעה שאתה מחבב עמים כל קדושיו יהיו בידך והם תכו לרגלך תני רב יוסף אלו תלמידי חכמים שמכתתים רגליהם מעיר לעיר וממדינה למדינה ללמוד תורה ישא מדברותיך לישא וליתן בדבורותיו של מקום
3 levied a poll tax on the Rabbis. Said R. Nahman b. Isaac to him: You have transgressed against the Law, the prophets, and the Holy Writings. Against the Law, where it says, Although<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Heb. [H] E.V. 'Yea'. ');"><sup>4</sup></span> he loveth the peoples, all his saints are in thy hand.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXXIII, 3. ');"><sup>5</sup></span>
ד אדנביאי דכתיב (הושע ח, י) גם כי יתנו בגוים עתה אקבצם ויחלו מעט ממשא מלך ושרים אמר עולא פסוק זה בלשון ארמית נאמר אי תנו כולהו עתה אקבצם ואם מעט מהם יחלו ממשא מלך ושרים
4 Said Moses to the Holy One, blessed be He: Sovereign of the Universe, even at the time when Thou fondlest [other] peoples,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Allowing them to have dominion over Israel. ');"><sup>6</sup></span> let all [Israel's] saints be in Thy hand. [The verse proceeds,] And they are cut<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.V. 'nestle'. ');"><sup>7</sup></span>
ה אדכתובי דכתיב (עזרא ז, כד) מנדה בלו והלך לא שליט למרמא עליהם ואמר רב יהודה מנדה זו מנת המלך בלו זו כסף גולגלתא והלך זו ארנונא
5 at thy feet.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. ');"><sup>8</sup></span> R. Joseph learned: These are the students of the Torah who cut their feet in going from town to town and country to country to learn the Torah. He shall receive of thy words:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. ');"><sup>9</sup></span>
ו רב פפא רמא כריא חדתא איתמי א"ל רב שישא בריה דרב אידי לרב פפא ודילמא לא מידויל אמר ליה מישקל שקילנא מנייהו אי מידויל מידויל ואי לא מהדרנא לה ניהלייהו
6 alluding to their discussing the utterances of God.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the Torah. ');"><sup>10</sup></span> You have transgressed against the Prophets, where it says, Yea, though they study<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.V.'hire. ');"><sup>11</sup></span>
ז אמר רב יהודה הכל לאגלי גפא אפילו מיתמי אבל רבנן לא צריכי נטירותא הכל לכריא פתיא אפילו מרבנן ולא אמרן אלא דלא נפקי באכלוזא אבל נפקי באכלוזא רבנן לאו בני מיפק באכלוזא נינהו:
7 among the nations, now I shall gather them, and a few of them shall be free<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.V. 'begin' or 'sorrow'. [H] is taken as from [H], 'to break', 'to be exempt', hence 'to be free'. ');"><sup>12</sup></span> from the burden of king and princes.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hos. VIII, 10. ');"><sup>13</sup></span>
ח רבי פתח אוצרות בשני בצורת אמר יכנסו בעלי מקרא בעלי משנה בעלי גמרא בעלי הלכה בעלי הגדה אבל עמי הארץ אל יכנסו דחק רבי יונתן בן עמרם ונכנס אמר לו רבי פרנסני אמר לו בני קרית אמר לו לאו שנית אמר לו לאו אם כן במה אפרנסך [אמר לו] פרנסני ככלב וכעורב פרנסיה
8 This verse, 'Ulla has told us, is written [partly] in Aramaic,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That is to say, the word [H] is to be understood as if it were an Aramaic and not a Hebrew word. ');"><sup>14</sup></span> [and is to be expounded thus:] If they all study, I will gather them even now, and if only a few of them study, they [those few] shall be free from the burden of king and princes.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence you transgress against the Prophets in levying a tax on the students of the Torah. ');"><sup>15</sup></span>
ט בתר דנפק יתיב רבי וקא מצטער ואמר אוי לי שנתתי פתי לעם הארץ אמר לפניו ר' שמעון בר רבי שמא יונתן בן עמרם תלמידך הוא שאינו רוצה ליהנות מכבוד תורה מימיו בדקו ואשכח אמר רבי יכנסו הכל
9 You have transgressed against the Holy Writings, as it is written, It shall not be lawful to impose upon them [the priests and Levites etc.] minda, belo, and halak<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.V. 'tribute, custom, or toll'. Ezra VII, 24. ');"><sup>16</sup></span> and Rab Judah has explained that minda means the king's tax, belo the poll tax, and halach denotes annona.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'Produce tax'. The rabbis are the upholders of the Law, like the priests and Levites; hence to levy imposts on them is to transgress against the Holy Writings. ');"><sup>17</sup></span>
י רבי לטעמיה דאמר רבי אין פורענות בא לעולם אלא בשביל עמי הארץ כההוא דמי כלילא דשדו אטבריא אתו לקמיה דרבי ואמרו ליה ליתבו רבנן בהדן אמר להו לא אמרו ליה ערוקינן [אמר להו] ערוקו ערקו פלגיהון דליוה פלגא
10 R. Papa levied an impost for the digging of a new well on orphans [also]. Said R. Shesheth the son of R. Idi to R. Papa: perhaps no water will be found there?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And though other persons may excuse the waste of their money, the trustees of orphans are not allowed to do so. ');"><sup>18</sup></span> — He replied: I will collect the money from them in any case. If water is found, well and good, and if not, I will refund them the money. Rab Judah said: All must contribute to the building of doors in the town gates, even orphans; not, however, the Rabbis, [since] they do not require protection. All must contribute to the digging of a well<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [ [H] lit. 'a drinking vessel', hence by metonymy 'well'.] ');"><sup>19</sup></span>
יא אתו הנהו פלגא קמי דרבי א"ל ליתבו רבנן בהדן אמר להו לא ערוקינן ערוקו ערקו כולהו פש ההוא כובס שדיוה אכובס ערק כובס פקע כלילא א"ר ראיתם שאין פורענות בא לעולם אלא בשביל עמי הארץ:
11 [for a public fountain], including the Rabbis. This, however, is only when there is no corvee,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., when the inhabitants are not called on to go out en masse to perform the work, but can make a money contribution. ');"><sup>20</sup></span> but when the digging is done by corvee, we do not expect the Rabbis to participate.
יב וכמה יהא בעיר ויהא כאנשי העיר וכו': ורמינהי החמרת והגמלת העוברת ממקום למקום ולנה בתוכה והודחה עמהן הן בסקילה וממונן פלט
12 Rabbi once opened his storehouse [of victuals] in a year of scarcity, proclaiming: Let those enter who have studied the Scripture, or the Mishnah, or the Gemara, or the <i>Halachah</i>, or the Aggada; there is no admission, however, for the ignorant.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Heb. 'am ha-ares, lit., 'people of the land', generally denoting 'the ignorant', 'the boor'. ');"><sup>21</sup></span> R. Jonathan b. Amram pushed his way in and said, 'Master, give me food.' He said to him, 'My son, have you learnt the Scripture?' He replied, 'No.' 'Have you learnt the Mishnah?' 'No.' 'If so,' he said, 'then how can I give you food?' He said to him, 'Feed me as the dog and the raven are fed.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Apparently he was referring to the verse, He giveth to the beast his food, to the young ravens which cry (Ps. CXLVII, 9), and what he meant was: 'As God can feed these, so you can feed me.' ');"><sup>22</sup></span>
יג ואם נשתהו שם שלשים יום הן בסייף וממונן אבד
13 So he gave him some food. After he went away, Rabbi's conscience smote him and he said: Woe is me that I have given my bread to a man without learning! R. Simeon son of Rabbi ventured to say to him: Perhaps it is Jonathan b. Amram your pupil, who all his life has made it a principle not to derive material benefit from the honour paid to the Torah. Inquiries were made and it was found that it was so; whereupon Rabbi said: All may now enter. Rabbi [in first refusing admission to the unlearned] was acting in accordance with his own dictum. For Rabbi said: It is the unlearned who bring misfortune on the world. A typical instance was that of the crown<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the Emperor of Rome (Rashi). [Others: Aurum coronarium, a special tax which the Jews had to pay to the Roman Emperor. v. Kohut, Aruch, s.v. [H] On the nature of this tax, v. Juster, Les Juifs dans l'Empire Romain, I, 385.] ');"><sup>23</sup></span> for which the inhabitants of Tiberias were called upon to find the money. They came to Rabbi and said to him, 'Let the Rabbis give their share with us.' He refused. 'Then we will run away,' they said. 'You may,' he replied. So half of them [the 'am ha-ares] ran away. Half of the sum demanded was then remitted. The other half then came to Rabbi and asked him that the Rabbis might share with them. He again refused. 'We will run away,' they said. 'You may,' he replied. So they all ran away, leaving only a certain fuller. The money was then demanded of him, and he ran away, and the demand for the crown was then dropped. Thereupon Rabbi said: I see that trouble comes on the world only on account of the unlearned.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., that it was only through them that the crown was demanded in the first instance. ');"><sup>24</sup></span>
יד אמר רבא לא קשיא הא לבני מתא הא ליתובי מתא כדתניא המודר הנאה מאנשי העיר כל שנשתהא שם שנים עשר חדש אסור ליהנות ממנו פחות מכאן מותר מיושבי העיר כל שנשתהא שם שלשים יום אסור ליהנות ממנו פחות מכאן מותר ליהנות ממנו
14 HOW LONG MUST HE BE IN THE TOWN TO BE COUNTED AS ONE OF THE TOWNSMEN, etc. Does not this conflict with the following: 'If a caravan of asses or camels on its way from one place to another stays there<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In a city which is seduced into idolatry. V. Deut, XIV, 12 seq. ');"><sup>25</sup></span> overnight and goes astray with the population, the members of the caravan are condemned to be stoned<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Like any other individuals who are guilty of idolatry. ');"><sup>26</sup></span>
טו ולכל מילי מי בעינן י"ב חדש והתניא שלשים יום לתמחוי שלשה חדשים לקופה ששה לכסות תשעה לקבורה שנים עשר לפסי העיר אמר ר' אסי אמר ר' יוחנן כי תנן נמי מתניתין שנים עשר חדש לפסי העיר תנן:
15 but their property is left untouched; if, however, they have stayed there thirty days, they are condemned to death by the sword and their property is also destroyed'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Like the inhabitants of the doomed city (v. Sanh. 111b). This would show that thirty days' residence is sufficient to enroll a man among the inhabitants of a town. ');"><sup>27</sup></span> — Raba replied: There is no contradiction. The one period [twelve months is required], in order to make a man a full member<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'a son of the town'. ');"><sup>28</sup></span>
טז וא"ר אסי אמר ר' יוחנן הכל לפסי העיר ואפי' מיתמי אבל רבנן לא דרבנן לא צריכי נטירותא אמר רב פפא לשורא ולפרשאה ולטרזינא אפילו מיתמי אבל רבנן לא צריכי נטירותא כללא דמילתא כל מילתא דאית להו הנאה מיניה אפילו מיתמי
16 of the town, the other [makes him] only an inhabitant<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And the verse in Deut. speaks of inhabitants. ');"><sup>29</sup></span> of the town, as it was taught: If a man vows that he will derive no benefit from the men of a certain town, he must derive no benefit from anyone who has resided there twelve months, but he may derive benefit from one who has resided there less then twelve months. If he vows to derive no benefit from the inhabitants of the town, he may derive none from anyone who has resided there thirty days, but he may from one who has resided there less than thirty days.
יז רבה רמא צדקה איתמי דבי בר מריון א"ל אביי והתני רב שמואל בר יהודה אין פוסקין צדקה על היתומים אפילו לפדיון שבוים אמר ליה אנא לאחשובינהו קא עבידנא
17 But is twelve months' residence required for all imposts? Has it not been taught: '[A man must reside in a town] thirty days to become liable for contributing to the soup kitchen,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Tamhui, a kind of dish wherein food was collected. ');"><sup>30</sup></span> three months for the charity box,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Kuppah, basket, bag. ');"><sup>31</sup></span>
יח איפרא הורמיז אימיה דשבור מלכא שדרה ארנקא דדינרי לקמיה דרב יוסף אמרה ליהוי למצוה רבה יתיב רב יוסף וקא מעיין בה מאי מצוה רבה א"ל אביי מדתני רב שמואל בר יהודה אין פוסקין צדקה על היתומים אפילו לפדיון שבוים שמע מינה
18 six months for the clothing fund, nine months for the burial fund, and twelve months for contributing to the repair of the town walls'? — R. Assi replied in the name of R. Johanan: Our Mishnah also in specifying the period of twelve months was thinking of the repair of the town walls. R. Assi further said in the name of R. Johanan: All are required to contribute to the repair of the town walls, including orphans, but not the Rabbis, because the Rabbis do not require protection. R. Papa said: For the repair of the walls, for the horse-guard<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A horseman whose function it was to ride round the walls to see that they were in proper condition. ');"><sup>32</sup></span> and for the keeper of the armoury<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The superintendent of the town armoury, which was kept near the gate (Rashi). [Krauss, TA. 1,525, renders 'the treasury'.] ');"><sup>33</sup></span> even orphans have to contribute, but the Rabbis [do not, since they] do not require protection. The general principle is that even orphans have to contribute for any public service from which they derive benefit. Rabbah levied a contribution for charity on the orphans of the house of Bar Merion; whereupon Abaye said to him: Has not R. Samuel b. Judah laid down that money for charity is not to be levied on orphans even for the redemption of captives? — He replied: I collect from them In order to give them a better standing. Ifra Hormizd the mother of King Shapur<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Shapur II, king of Persia, son of King Hormizd; lived (and reigned) 310-379 C.E.] ');"><sup>34</sup></span> sent a chest of gold coins to R. Joseph, with the request that it should be used for carrying out some really important religious precept. R. Joseph was trying hard to think what such a precept could be, when Abaye said to him: Since R. Samuel b. Judah has laid down that money for charity is not to be levied from orphans even for the redemption of captives, we may conclude
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