Nedarim 123

תנא הוקפלו רוב המקצועות מותרות משום גזל ופטורות מן המעשרות

A Tanna taught: If most of the knives have been put away, they [the remaining figs] are permitted [to strangers] as far as theft is concerned, and are exempt from tithes.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because once the knives are put away, the owner has, in effect, shewn that the remaining figs are unwanted by him and free to all, i.e., hefker, from which there are no priestly dues; cf. p. 139, n. 2. ');">¹</span> Rabbi and R. Jose son of K. Judah came to a certain place when most of the knives had been folded. Rabbi ate;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of the figs left on the fields. ');">²</span>

רבי ורבי יוסי בר רבי יהודה איקלעו לההוא אתרא בזמן שהוקפלו רוב המקצועות רבי הוה קא אכיל רבי יוסי בר ר' יהודה לא אכיל אתא מרהון אמר להו אמאי לא אכלי רבנן הוקפלו רוב המקצועות הוא ואף על פי כן לא אכיל ר' יוסי בר ר' יהודה קסבר משום סניות מילתא הוא דקאמר הדין גברא

R. Jose son of R. Judah did not. Their owner came and said to them, 'Why do the Rabbis not eat? most of the knives have been folded!' Nevertheless R. Jose son of R. Judah did not eat, believing that the man had spoken [sarcastically] in a grudging spirit. R. Mama son of R. Hanina came to a place when most of the knives had been folded. He ate; but [when] he offered [some] to his attendant, he would not eat. 'Eat,' said he; 'thus did R. Ishmael son of R. Jose tell me on his father's authority: When most of the knives have been folded, they [the remaining figs] are permitted [to strangers] as far as theft is concerned 'and are exempt from tithes'.

רבי חמא בר רבי חנינא איקלע לההוא אתרא בזמן שהוקפלו רוב המקצועות הוה קאכיל יהיב לשמעיה לא אכיל אמר ליה אכול כך אמר לי רבי ישמעאל בר רבי יוסי משום אביו הוקפלו רוב המקצועות מותרות משום גזל ופטורות מן המעשר

R. Tarfon was found by a man eating [of the figs] when most of the knives had been folded, [whereupon] he threw him into a sack and carried him, to cast him in the river. 'Woe to Tarfon,' he cried out, 'whom this man is about to murder!' When the man heard this,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That he was R. Tarfon. ');">³</span> he abandoned him and fled. R. Abbahu said on the authority of R. Hananiah b. Gamaliel: All his lifetime that pious man grieved over this, saying. 'Woe is me that I made [profane] use of the crown of the Torah!'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., over saving his life by revealing his identity. ');">⁴</span>

ר' טרפון אשכחיה ההוא גברא בזמן שהוקפלו המקצועות דקאכיל אחתיה בשקא ושקליה ואמטייה למשדיה בנהרא אמר לו אוי לו לטרפון שזה הורגו שמע ההוא גברא שבקיה וערק אמר רבי אבהו משום ר' חנניה בן גמליאל כל ימיו של אותו צדיק היה מצטער על דבר זה אמר אוי לי שנשתמשתי בכתרה של תורה

For Rabbah b. Bar Hanah said in R. Johanan's name: Whoever puts the crown of the Torah to [profane] use, is uprooted from the world.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is in accordance with the general view held that one should derive no benefit whatsoever from the Torah. Cf supra 37a and Aboth, IV, 5. (Sonc. ed.) p. 47, n. 3. ');">⁵</span> This follows <i>a fortiori</i>. If Belshazzar, who used the holy vessels which had become profaned, as it is written, For the robbers shall enter into it, and profane it:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ezek. VII, 22. ');">⁶</span>

ואמר רבה בר בר חנה אמר ר' יוחנן כל המשתמש בכתרה של תורה נעקר מן העולם קל וחומר ומה בלשצר שנשתמש בכלי קודש שנעשו כלי חול שנאמר (יחזקאל ז, כב) ובאו בה פריצים וחיללוה כיון שפרצום נעשו חול נעקר מן העולם דכתיב (דניאל ה, ל) בה בליליא קטיל בלשצר המשתמש בכתרה של תורה שהוא חי וקיים לעולם על אחת כמה וכמה

[teaching], since they had broken in, they were profaned; yet he was uprooted from the world, as it is written, In that night was Belshazzar slain:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Dan. V, 30. ');">⁷</span> how much more so he who makes [profane] use of the crown of the Torah, which endureth for ever!

ורבי טרפון כיון דכי אכיל דהוקפלו רוב המקצועות הוה אמאי צעריה ההוא גברא משום דההוא הוו גנבי ליה ענבי כולה שתא וכיון דאשכחיה לר' טרפון סבר היינו דגנבן אי הכי אמאי ציער נפשיה משום דרבי טרפון עשיר גדול הוה והוה ליה לפייסו בדמים

Now since R. Tarfon ate when most of the knives were folded, why did that man ill-treat him? — Because someone had been stealing his grapes all the year round, and when he found R. Tarfon, he thought that it was he. If so, why was he grieved [at revealing his identity]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' His grief would have been justified had the keeper been angry on account of R. Tarfon's action alone: For instead of saving himself by disclosing his name, he should have told him the law on the subject and offered to pay for what he had eaten, but if he was mistaken for an habitual thief, what else could he have done: should he have offered to make good the depredations of the whole year! ');">⁸</span> — Because R. Tarfon, being very wealthy, should have pacified him with money.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Precisely so. ');">⁹</span>

תניא (דברים ל, כ) לאהבה את ה' אלהיך לשמוע בקולו ולדבקה בו שלא יאמר אדם אקרא שיקראוני חכם אשנה שיקראוני רבי אשנן שאהיה זקן ואשב בישיבה

It was taught: That thou mayest love the Lord thy God and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXX, 20. ');">¹⁰</span> [This means] that one should not say, I will read Scripture that I may be called a Sage.' I will study, that I may be called Rabbi, I will study,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [So BaH. cur. edd.: [H] 'I will teach.' I.e. he teaches others, so that his fame may spread and he may obtain a seat in the Academy.] ');">¹¹</span>

אלא למד מאהבה וסוף הכבוד לבא שנאמר (משלי ז, ג) קשרם על אצבעותיך כתבם על לוח לבך ואומר (משלי ג, יז) דרכיה דרכי נועם ואומר (משלי ג, יח) עץ חיים היא למחזיקים בה ותומכיה מאושר

to be an Elder, and sit in the assembly [of elders];<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'Elder' may simply mean scholar (cf. Kid. 32b), or more exactly a member of the Sanhedrin; cf. Joseph. Ant. XII, 111, p. 3. ');">¹²</span> but learn out of love, and honour will come in the end, as it is written, Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart,'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. VII, 3: i.e., make it an integral part of thyself, not as something outside thee, cherished only for its worldly advantages. ');">¹³</span>

רבי אליעזר בר ר' צדוק אומר עשה דברים לשם פעלם ודבר בהם לשמם אל תעשם עטרה להתגדל בהם ואל תעשם קורדום להיות עודר בו וקל וחומר ומה בלשצר שלא נשתמש אלא בכלי קדש שנעשו כלי חול נעקר מן העולם המשתמש בכתרה של תורה על אחת כמה וכמה

and it is also said, Her ways are ways of pleasantness;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. III, 17. ');">¹⁴</span> also, She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is everyone that retaineth her.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 18: this is quoted to shew that honour comes eventually. ');">¹⁵</span>

אמר רבא שרי ליה לאיניש לאודועי נפשיה באתרא דלא ידעי ליה דכתיב (מלכים א יח, יב) ועבדך ירא את ה' מנעוריו אלא קשיא דר' טרפון דעשיר גדול היה והוה ליה לפייסיה בדמים

R. Eliezer son of R. Zadok said: Do [good] deeds for the sake of their Maker,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., God Who decreed them (Ran.). [Or. 'the performance of them', i.e., for the sake of doing good (Bahja Ibn Pakuda, Duties of the Heart, Introduction.] ');">¹⁶</span> and speak of them<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Viz., the words of the Torah. ');">¹⁷</span>

רבא רמי כתיב ועבדך ירא את ה' מנעוריו וכתיב (משלי כז, ב) יהללך זר ולא פיך הא באתרא דידעי ליה הא באתרא דלא ידעי ליה

for their own sake. Make not of them a crown wherewith to magnify thyself, nor a spade to dig with.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In I Sam. XIII, 20. and Ps. LXXIV, 5, kardom means an axe. Possibly it was a two-sided tool, one side serving as a spade and the other as an axe. ');">¹⁸</span> And this follows <i>a fortiori</i>. If Belshazzar, who merely used the holy vessels which had been profaned, was driven from the world; how much more so one who makes use of the crown of the Torah!

אמר רבא שרי ליה לצורבא מרבנן למימר צורבא מרבנן אנא שרו לי תיגראי ברישא דכתיב (שמואל ב ח, יח) ובני דוד כהנים היו מה כהן נוטל בראש אף תלמיד חכם נוטל בראש וכהן מנא לן דכתיב (ויקרא כא, ח) וקדשתו כי את לחם (ה') אלהיך הוא מקריב ותנא דבי רבי ישמעאל וקדשתו לכל דבר שבקדושה

Raba said: A man may reveal his identity where he is unknown, as it is said, but I thy servant fear the Lord from my youth.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Kings XVIII, 12 ');">¹⁹</span> But as for the difficulty of R. Tarfon,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra. ');">²⁰</span> — he was very wealthy, and should have pacified him with money. Raba opposed [two verses]: It is written, But I thy servant fear the Lord for in my mouth,' whilst it is also written, Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. XXVII, 2. ');">²¹</span> One refers to a place where he is known; the other, to where he is unknown. Raba said: A rabbinical scholar may assert, I am a rabbinical scholar; let my business receive first attention;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'dismiss my case first'. E g., in a shop or market place. cf. the story in Kid. 70a. ');">²²</span> as it is written, And David's sons were priests,'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Sam. VIII, 18. They were not priests, of course; hence the verse means that as scholars they were entitled to certain priestly privileges. ');">²³</span> just as a priest receives [his portion] first, So does the scholar too. And whence do we know this of a priest? — Because it is written, Thou shalt sanctify him therefore, for he offereth the bread of thy God:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXI, 8. ');">²⁴</span> whereon the School of R. Ishmael taught: 'Thou shalt sanctify him' — in all matters pertaining to holiness: