Bava Metzia 141

בכדי חייו

the [minimum] requirements of a livelihood.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But one may not take usury from a Gentile in order to accumulate wealth. ');">¹</span>

רבינא אמר הכא בתלמידי חכמים עסקינן טעמא מאי גזור רבנן שמא ילמוד ממעשיו וכיון דתלמיד חכם הוא לא ילמוד ממעשיו

Rabina said: Here [in the Mishnah] the reference is to scholars. For why did the Rabbis enact this precautionary measure?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of forbidding usury from a heathen, on R. Nahman's view. Though R. Nahman based his opinion on a verse of Proverbs, it is obvious that it is only a Rabbinical, not a Biblical interdict. ');">²</span>

איכא דמתני לה להא דרב הונא אהא דתני רב יוסף (שמות כב, כד) אם כסף תלוה את עמי את העני עמך עמי ונכרי עמי קודם עני ועשיר עני קודם ענייך ועניי עירך ענייך קודמין עניי עירך ועניי עיר אחרת עניי עירך קודמין

Lest he learn of his ways.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rashi: Through business intercourse with him. ');">³</span>

אמר מר עמי ונכרי עמי קודם פשיטא אמר רב נחמן אמר לי הונא לא נצרכא דאפילו לנכרי ברבית ולישראל בחנם

But being a scholar, he will [certainly] not learn of his ways.

תניא אמר ר' יוסי בא וראה סמיות עיניהם של מלוי ברבית אדם קורא לחבירו רשע יורד עמו לחייו והם מביאין עדים ולבלר וקולמוס ודיו וכותבין וחותמין פלוני זה כפר באלהי ישראל

Others referred this statement of R. Huna to [the teaching] which R. Joseph learnt: <i>If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee</i>:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXII, 24. ');">⁴</span>

תניא ר' שמעון בן אלעזר אומר כל מי שיש לו מעות ומלוה אותם שלא ברבית עליו הכתוב אומר (תהלים טו, ה) כספו לא נתן בנשך ושוחד על נקי לא לקח עושה אלה לא ימוט לעולם הא למדת שכל המלוה ברבית נכסיו מתמוטטין והא קא חזינן דלא מוזפי ברבית וקא מתמוטטין אמר רבי אלעזר הללו מתמוטטין ועולין והללו מתמוטטין ואינן עולין

[this teaches, if the choice lies between] my people and a heathen, <i>'my people'</i> has preference; the poor or the rich — the 'poor' takes precedence; thy poor [sc. thy relatives] and the [general] poor of thy town — thy poor come first; the poor of thy city and the poor of another town — the poor of thine own town have prior rights. The Master said: '[If the choice lies between] my people and a heathen — "my people" has preference.' But is it not obvious? — R. Nahman answered: Huna told me it means that even if [money is lent] to the heathen on interest, and to the Israelite without [the latter should take precedence].

(חבקוק א, יג) למה תביט בוגדים תחריש כבלע רשע צדיק ממנו אמר רב הונא צדיק ממנו בולע צדיק גמור אינו בולע

It has been taught: R. Jose said: Come and see the blindness of usurers. If a man calls his neighbour wicked, he cherishes a deep-seated animosity against him;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'descends (in his rage) against his life'. ');">⁵</span>

תניא רבי אומר גר צדק האמור לענין מכירה וגר תושב האמור לענין רבית איני יודע מה הוא

whilst they bring witnesses, a notary, pen and ink, and record and attest, 'So-and-so has denied the God of Israel.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To exact usury in defiance of the Biblical precept is tantamount to rejection of God — the highest degree of wickedness. ');">⁶</span>

גר צדק האמור לענין מכירה דכתיב (ויקרא כה, לט) וכי ימוך אחיך עמך ונמכר לך ולא לך אלא לגר שנא' (ויקרא כה, מז) לגר

It has been taught: R. Simeon b. Eleazar said: He who has money and lends it without interest, of him Scripture writes. <i>He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved</i>;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. XV, 5. ');">⁷</span>

ולא לגר צדק אלא לגר תושב שנא' (ויקרא כה, מז) לגר תושב משפחת גר זה הנכרי כשהוא אומר או לעקר זה הנמכר לעבודת כוכבים עצמה

thus you learn that he who does lend on interest, his wealth<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'his possessions.' ');">⁸</span>

אמר מר ולא לך אלא לגר שנא' לגר למימרא דגר קני עבד עברי ורמינהי אין הגר נקנה בעבד עברי ואין אשה וגר קונין עבד עברי

dissolves.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., he is 'moved'. ');">⁹</span>

גר לא נקנה בעבד עברי (ויקרא כה, מא) ושב אל משפחתו בעינן והא ליכא ואין אשה וגר קונין עבד עברי אשה לאו אורח ארעא גר נמי גמירי דמקני קני דלא מקני לא קני

But do we not see [people] who do not lend on interest, yet their wealth dissolves? — R. Eleazar said: The latter sink [into poverty] but re-ascend, whereas the former sink but do not re-ascend.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Translating, he that doeth these things shall not for ever be moved, i.e., shall not sink into penury for good. ');">¹⁰</span>

אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק אינו קונה ודינו כישראל אבל קונה ודינו כנכרי

<i>Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?</i><span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hab. I, 13. ');">¹¹</span>

דתניא הנרצע והנמכר לנכרי אינו עובד לא את הבן ולא את הבת

R. Huna said: 'the man that is [merely] more righteous than he,' he devoureth: but the man that is completely righteous, he cannot devour.

אמר מר ואין אשה וגר קונין עבד עברי נימא דלא כרבן שמעון בן גמליאל דתניא אשה קונה את השפחות ואינה קונה את העבדים רבן שמעון בן גמליאל אומר אף קונה את העבדים אפילו תימא רבן שמעון בן גמליאל ולא קשיא כאן בעבד עברי כאן בעבד כנעני

It has been taught: Rabbi said: The righteous proselyte<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [ [H] 'Righteous' in the sense of 'upright', 'genuine', 'real'. V. Moore, op. cit. I, 338.] ');">¹²</span>

עבד עברי צניע לה עבד כנעני פריץ לה

who is mentioned in connection with the sale [of oneself for a slave], and the resident alien who is mentioned with reference to usury — I know not their purpose. 'The righteous proselyte who is mentioned in connection with a sale' — as it is written, <i>And if thy brother that dwelleth with thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee</i>;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXV, 39. ');">¹³</span>

אלא הא דתני רב יוסף ארמלתא לא תרבי כלבא ולא תשרי בר בי רב באושפיזא בשלמא בר בי רב צניע לה אלא כלבא כיון דמסריך בה מירתתא אמרי כיון דכי שדיא ליה אומצא מסריך בתרה אמרי אינשי משום אומצא דשדיא ליה הוא דמסריך

and not only <i>'unto thee'</i> [a Hebrew], but even to a proselyte, as it is written, [<i>and sell himself</i>] <i>unto a proselyte</i>;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 47. ');">¹⁴</span>

גר תושב האמור לענין רבית מאי היא דכתיב (ויקרא כה, לה) וכי ימוך אחיך ומטה ידו עמך והחזקת בו גר ותושב וחי עמך אל תקח מאתו נשך ותרבית ויראת מאלהיך וחי אחיך עמך ורמינהי לוין מהן ומלוין אותן ברבית וכן בגר תושב

and not alone to a righteous proselyte, but even to a resident alien, as it is written, <i>to a proselyte [and] a settler</i>;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. This deduction is arrived at by treating [H], (proselyte) and [H] (settler, citizen) as two separate substantives, thus: and sell himself unto a proselyte and unto a resident alien. i. e., even as they are treated at the beginning of the verse: and if a proselyte ([H]) or a settler ([H]) wax rich etc. (Rashal). ');">¹⁵</span>

אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק מי כתיב אל תקח מאתם מאתו כתיב מישראל

or <i>to a family of the proselyte</i> — i.e., to a heathen; hence, when it is said, <i>or to the stock</i> etc. it must refer to one who sells himself to the service of the idol itself.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To hew wood and draw water in its service. This Baraitha is quoted more fully in 'Ar. 20b; the successive depths of degradation are the fate of him who trades in the commodities of the seventh year, this being deduced from the fact that these laws of sale follow those of the seventh year prohibitions. ');">¹⁶</span>

תנו רבנן אל תקח מאתו נשך ותרבית אבל אתה נעשה לו ערב

Now,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He now proceeds to explain Rabbi's difficulty. ');">¹⁷</span> the Master said: 'And not only <i>unto thee</i>, but even unto a proselyte,' as it is written, <i>[and sell himself] unto a proselyte.</i>' Are we to say that a proselyte may acquire a Hebrew slave? But the following contradicts it: A proselyte cannot be acquired as a Hebrew slave, nor may a woman or a proselyte acquire a Hebrew slave. 'A proselyte cannot be acquired as a Hebrew slave', for the verse, <i>and he shall return unto his own family</i>, must be applicable. which it is not [in the case of a proselyte];<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Lev. XXV, 10. Because a proselyte loses all relationship with his former kin, hence has no family. ');">¹⁸</span> 'nor may a woman or a proselyte acquire a Hebrew slave' — a woman, because it is not seemly;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lest she be suspected of immoral designs. ');">¹⁹</span> a proselyte, because it is a tradition that he who can be acquired can himself acquire, but he who cannot be acquired, cannot himself acquire! — R. Nahman b. Isaac said: He cannot acquire [him] under the provisions of an Israelite [owner], but may acquire [him] as a non-Israelite [master]. For it has been taught: He [sc. a Hebrew slave] whose ear is bored,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Ex. XXI, 5f. ');">²⁰</span> and he who is sold to a heathen, serve neither the son nor the daughter.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As heirs. Thus, a proselyte can acquire a Hebrew slave under the laws applicable to a heathen owner, so that if he dies his children do not inherit him (the slave), but not as an Israelite, who is able to transmit him as a legacy. ');">²¹</span> The Master said: 'Nor may a woman or a proselyte acquire a Hebrew slave.' Must we assume that this disagrees with R. Simeon b. Gamaliel? For it has been taught: A woman may acquire female but not male slaves. R. Simeon b. Gamaliel ruled: She may acquire even male slaves! — It may agree even with R. Simeon b. Gamaliel, yet there is no difficulty: the former applies to a Hebrew slave, the latter to a Canaanite slave. A Hebrew slave she deems to be self-respecting;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., he has a feeling of shame and regard for appearances. Therefore she may be emboldened to an illicit relationship, in the certainty that he will not disclose the fact: hence she may not purchase him. ');">²²</span> whereas a Canaanite slave she deems unreservedly dissolute.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Feeling no shame therein; therefore she fears intimacy with him, lest he boast thereof, and so may buy him. ');">²³</span> But what of that which R. Joseph learned: A widow may not breed dogs,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For fear of malicious slander, but not because she is actually suspected of bestiality (Tosaf.). ');">²⁴</span> nor permit a scholar to live with her as a boarder? Now, [the prohibition] of a scholar is intelligible, since she deems him self-respecting; but as for a dog since it will follow her [if she commits bestiality], she will surely be afraid!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Why is she then forbidden to breed dogs? ');">²⁵</span> — I will tell you: since it follows her even if she merely throws it a piece of meat, that will be assumed the cause of its attachment.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence she does not fear to commit bestiality, and though, as stated in n. 3, she is not suspected thereof, yet the mere fact that she can indulge without fear of discovery gives tongue to slander. ');">²⁶</span> 'The resident alien who is mentioned with reference to usury:' — What is it? — For it is written, <i>And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him; yea, though he be a proselyte or a settler, that he may live with thee. Take thou no usury of him nor increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee</i>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXV, 35f; this implies that usury may not be taken from a citizen proselyte. ');">²⁷</span> But the following opposes it: ONE MAY BORROW FROM AND LEND TO THEM ON INTEREST; THE SAME APPLIES TO A RESIDENT ALIEN! — R. Nahman b. Isaac replied: Is it then written, 'Take thou no usury of them'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which would apply to all the antecedents. ');">²⁸</span> 'of him' is written, [meaning] of an Israelite.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' ['Proselyte' being mentioned only with reference to assisting him in his need.] ');">²⁹</span> Our Rabbis taught: <i>Take thou no usury of him, or increase</i>, but thou mayest become a surety for him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., for one who is borrowing money on interest. ');">³⁰</span>