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- ב"ה - Today in Judaism - Today is Sunday, Av 14, 5777 · August 6, 2017Today's Laws & Customs:
• Omit Tachanun in the AfternoonStarting in the afternoon, Tachanun (confession of sins) and similar prayers are omitted.
Daily Quote:
He has made everything beautiful in its time; also the [wisdom of] the world He put into their hearts, save that man should not find the deed which God did, from beginning to end... [Ecclesiastes 3:11]
Daily Torah Study:
Daily Torah Study:
Chumash: Eikev, 1st Portion Deuteronomy 7:12-8:10 with Rashi
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• English Text (Lessons in Tanya)
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Sunday, Menachem Av 14, 5777 · August 6, 2017
Today's Tanya Lesson
Iggeret HaKodesh, middle of Epistle 5
AUDIO & VIDEO CLASSES
• VIDEO CLASS: Rabbi Yehoshua B. Gordon Watch • Listen
• AUDIO CLASS: Rabbi Manis Freidman Listen • Download MP3Until this point the Alter Rebbe has explained the Talmudic teaching that the World to Come was created by the letter yud: the Sefirah of Chochmah, which this letter represents, is the spiritual source of Gan Eden which is in the World to Come.
However, according to the above, since the letters of the Supernal creative speech derive from Chochmah, it would seem that this world, which was also created by the letters of Divine speech, was likewise created from the letter yud that represents Chochmah. Why, then, do our Sages teach that only the World to Come was created from the letter yud, while this world was created from the letter hei?
The Alter Rebbe therefore now goes on to explain that the letters of speech are composed of “matter” and “form” — the “body” and “soul” (or: the external and internal aspects) of the letters. While the “form” of the letters does indeed derive from Chochmah, the “matter” of the letters of speech merely derives from the heart.
So, too, Above: the internal aspect of the letters derives from Chochmah; from this aspect are created the higher spiritual beings which are able to apprehend G‑dliness. However, the external aspect of the Supernal letters of speech derives from the “breath” — the hei of the Divine Name. It is from this lesser level that this physical world was created.
In the words of the Alter Rebbe:
אך האותיות הן בבחינת חומר וצורה, הנקרא פנימית וחיצונית
However, the letters exist on planes of “matter” and “form”, which are also referred to as their “internal” aspect (i.e., the “form”, which is their “soul”) and their “external” aspect (i.e., the “matter”, which is their “body”).
כי הגם שמקורן הוא מקדמות השכל ורצון הנפש
Although their source is the primordial stage of the intellect and the will of the soul, for as soon as the soul desires to speak these letters are formed, as explained above,
זו היא בחינת צורת שינוי המבטא שבכ״ב אותיות
this is but the “form” of the differentiation in the pronunciation of the twenty-two letters.
אבל בחינת החומר וגוף התהוותן, והוא בחינת חיצוניותן, הוא ההבל היוצא מהלב
The “matter” and “body” of their formation, however, i.e., the aspect of their “externality”, is the breath issuing from the heart.
שממנו מתהוה קול פשוט היוצא מהגרון
From this breath is formed a simple sound which proceeds from the throat,
ואחר כך נחלק לכ״ב הברות וביטוי כ״ב אותיות
and which is then divided into the twenty-two kinds of enunciation and expression of the twenty-two letters,
בה׳ מוצאות הידועות: אחה״ע מהגרון
[these divisions taking place] through the five known organs of speech: alef, chet, heiand ayin1 through the throat;
גיכ״ק מהחיך כו׳
gimmel, yud, kaf and kuf through the palate, and so on; e.g., beit, vav, mem and pei from the lips, and so on;
ומבטא ההבל הוא אות ה׳, אתא קלילא כו׳
while the breath itself, which has its own sound independent of the letter being spoken, is uttered by the letter hei2 — “the light letter,” inasmuch as it lacks the substance of a complete letter,
והוא מקור החומר וגוף האותיות טרם התחלקותן לכ״ב
which is the source of the “matter” and “body” of the letters before their division into twenty-two.
The hei is thus the source of each letter’s “body”.
ולכן אמרו רז״ל שעולם הזה נברא בה׳
And that is why our Sages, of blessed memory, said that “this world was created by the hei”: it was created by the external aspect, or “body”, of the Supernal letters whose source is thehei of the Divine Name.
1. “The reason for the change in order (אחה״ע instead of the alphabetical order of אהח״ע) may be understood by reference to the statement in Zohar II, 123a. (See also Etz Chayim, Shaar Derushei HaTzelem, p. 2.)” ( — Note of the Rebbe.)
2. Akdamut Millin, verse 6 (Siddur Tehillat HaShem, p. 400).
Rambam:
• Sefer Hamitzvot:
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Today's Mitzvah
Sunday, Menachem Av 14, 5777 · August 6, 2017
A daily digest of Maimonides’ classic work "Sefer Hamitzvot"
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Positive Commandment 243
The Paid Guardian and the Renter
"If a man gives his fellow a donkey, a bull, or a lamb..."—Exodus 22:9.
We are commanded to follow the rules outlined in the Torah regarding a paid watchman and a renter. Similar rules regulate the both of them [in the event that the item being watched or rented is lost or damaged].
Full text of this Mitzvah »
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Deuteronomy Chapter 7
12And it will be, because you will heed these ordinances and keep them and perform, that the Lord, your God, will keep for you the covenant and the kindness that He swore to your forefathers. יבוְהָיָה | עֵקֶב תִּשְׁמְעוּן אֵת הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים הָאֵלֶּה וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם וְשָׁמַר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְךָ אֶת הַבְּרִית וְאֶת הַחֶסֶד אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ:
And it will be, because you will heed: Heb. עֵקֶב, lit. heel. If you will heed the minor commandments which one [usually] tramples with his heels [i.e., which a person treats as being of minor importance].
והיה עקב תשמעון: אם המצות הקלות שאדם דש בעקביו תשמעון (תנחומא א(:
That the Lord, your God, will keep: He will keep His promise to you.
ושמר ה' אלוהיך לך את הברית וגו': ישמור לך הבטחתו:
13And He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your soil, your grain, your wine, and your oil, the offspring of your cattle and the choice of your flocks, in the land which He swore to your forefathers to give you. יגוַאֲהֵבְךָ וּבֵרַכְךָ וְהִרְבֶּךָ וּבֵרַךְ פְּרִי בִטְנְךָ וּפְרִי אַדְמָתֶךָ דְּגָנְךָ וְתִירשְׁךָ וְיִצְהָרֶךָ שְׁגַר אֲלָפֶיךָ וְעַשְׁתְּרֹת צֹאנֶךָ עַל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ לָתֶת לָךְ:
The offspring of your cattle: Heb. שְׁגַר אִלָפֶיךָ, [meaning] the offspring born of your herd, which the female casts out מְשַׁגֶּרֶת from her womb.
שגר אלפיך: ולדי בקרך, שהנקבה משגרת ממעיה:
and the choice of your flocks: Heb. וְעַשְׁתְּרוֹת צֹאנֶךָ. Menachem [ben Saruk] explains this expression as: אַבִּירֵי בָּשָׁן, “the strong rams of Bashan” (Ps. 22:13), [meaning] the choicest of the flock, similar to “Ashteroth-Karnaim” (Gen. 14:5), [עַשְׁתְּרֹת being] an expression for “strength.” Onkelos translates it:“and the flocks of your sheep.” Our Rabbis said: Why are they עַשְׁתְּרֹת? Because they enrich (מַעֲשִׁירוֹת) their owners (Chul. 84b).
ועשתרות צאנך: מנחם פירש אבירי בשן (תהלים כב, יג), מבחר הצאן. כמו עשתרות קרנים (בראשית יד, ה), לשון חוזק. ואונקלוס תרגם ועדרי ענך. ורבותינו אמרו למה נקרא שמם עשתרות שמעשרות את בעליהן (חולין פד):
14You shall be blessed above all peoples: There will be no sterile male or barren female among you or among your livestock. ידבָּרוּךְ תִּהְיֶה מִכָּל הָעַמִּים לֹא יִהְיֶה בְךָ עָקָר וַעֲקָרָה וּבִבְהֶמְתֶּךָ:
sterile male: Heb. עָקָר, [meaning] that does not beget children.
עקר: שאינו מוליד:
15And the Lord will remove from you all illness, and all of the evil diseases of Egypt which you knew, He will not set upon you, but He will lay them upon all your enemies. טווְהֵסִיר יְהֹוָה מִמְּךָ כָּל חֹלִי וְכָל מַדְוֵי מִצְרַיִם הָרָעִים אֲשֶׁר יָדַעְתָּ לֹא יְשִׂימָם בָּךְ וּנְתָנָם בְּכָל שׂנְאֶיךָ:
16And you shall consume all the peoples which the Lord your God gives you; you shall not spare them, nor shall you worship their gods, for that will be a snare for you. טזוְאָכַלְתָּ אֶת כָּל הָעַמִּים אֲשֶׁר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ לֹא תָחוֹס עֵינְךָ עֲלֵיהֶם וְלֹא תַעֲבֹד אֶת אֱלֹהֵיהֶם כִּי מוֹקֵשׁ הוּא לָךְ:
17Will you say to yourself, "These nations are more numerous than I; how will I be able to drive them out"? יזכִּי תֹאמַר בִּלְבָבְךָ רַבִּים הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה מִמֶּנִּי אֵיכָה אוּכַל לְהוֹרִישָׁם:
Will you say to yourself: Heb. כִּי תֹאמַר בִּלְבָבְךָ. [The word כִּי here] must mean “perhaps.” [I.e.,] will you perhaps say to yourself,“Because they are many, I will be unable to drive them out”? Do not say this [but rather,] do not fear them. It is, however, impossible to explain this with one of the other [three] meanings of כִּי so that the statement “You shall not fear them” (verse 18) will appropriately follow it. [See Rashi on Gen. 18:15.]
כי תאמר בלבבך: על כרחך לשון דלמא הוא, שמא תאמר בלבבך מפני שהם רבים לא אוכל להורישם, אל תאמר כן, לא תירא מהם. ולא יתכן לפרשו באחת משאר לשונות של כי (גיטין ל) שיפול עליו שוב לא תירא מהם:
18You shall not fear them. You shall surely remember what the Lord, your God, did to Pharaoh and to all of Egypt: יחלֹא תִירָא מֵהֶם זָכֹר תִּזְכֹּר אֵת אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְפַרְעֹה וּלְכָל מִצְרָיִם:
19The great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, the wonders, the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm with which the Lord, your God, brought you out. So will the Lord, Your God, do to all the peoples you fear. יטהַמַּסֹּת הַגְּדֹלֹת אֲשֶׁר רָאוּ עֵינֶיךָ וְהָאֹתֹת וְהַמֹּפְתִים וְהַיָּד הַחֲזָקָה וְהַזְּרֹעַ הַנְּטוּיָה אֲשֶׁר הוֹצִאֲךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ כֵּן יַעֲשֶׂה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְכָל הָעַמִּים אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה יָרֵא מִפְּנֵיהֶם:
the trials: הַמַּסֹּת, [meaning] the trials.
המסות: נסיונות:
the signs: For example, “and it became a serpent” (Exod. 4:3), [and]“will become blood on the dry land” (Exod. 4:9).
והאותות: כגון ויהי לנחש (שמות ד:ג), והיו לדם ביבשת (שמות ד:ט) :
the wonders: The wondrous plagues.
והמופתים: המכות המופלאות:
the mighty hand: This is the pestilence.
והיד החזקה: זה הדבר:
and the outstretched arm: This refers to the sword in the plague of the firstborn.
והזרוע הנטויה: זה החרב של מכת בכורות:
20And also the tzir'ah, the Lord, your God, will incite against them, until the survivors and those who hide from you perish. כוְגַם אֶת הַצִּרְעָה יְשַׁלַּח יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בָּם עַד אֲבֹד הַנִּשְׁאָרִים וְהַנִּסְתָּרִים מִפָּנֶיךָ:
The tzir’ah: Heb. הַצִּרְעָה, a species of flying insect which injected poison into them [the Canaanites], making them impotent and blinding their eyes wherever they hid. — [Sotah 36a]
הצרעה: מין שרץ העוף, שהיתה זורקת בהם מרה ומסרסתן ומסמאה את עיניהם בכל מקום שהיו נסתרים שם:
21You shall not be terrified of them, for the Lord, your God, Who is in your midst, is a great and awesome God. כאלֹא תַעֲרֹץ מִפְּנֵיהֶם כִּי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּקִרְבֶּךָ אֵל גָּדוֹל וְנוֹרָא:
22And the Lord, your God, will drive out those nations from before you, little by little. You will not be able to destroy them quickly, lest the beasts of the field outnumber you. כבוְנָשַׁל יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵל מִפָּנֶיךָ מְעַט מְעָט לֹא תוּכַל כַּלֹּתָם מַהֵר פֶּן תִּרְבֶּה עָלֶיךָ חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה:
lest the beasts of the field outnumber you: But is it not so that if [the Israelites] obey the will of the Omnipresent, they need not fear the beasts? As it is said, “And the beasts of the field made peace with you” (Job 5:23). It was, however, revealed before him [Moses] that they would sin in the future.
פן תרבה עליך חית השדה: והלא אם עושין רצונו של מקום אין מתיראין מן החיה, שנאמר (איוב ה, כג) וחית השדה השלמה לך, אלא גלוי היה לפניו שעתידין לחטוא:
23But the Lord, your God, will deliver them to you, and He will confound them with great confusion, until they are destroyed. כגוּנְתָנָם יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְפָנֶיךָ וְהָמָם מְהוּמָה גְדֹלָה עַד הִשָּׁמְדָם:
And He will confound them: All of this [word] is vocalized with a “kamatz” because the last“mem” is not part of the root, [but it is a suffix,] and it is equivalent to וְהָם אוֹתָם, “And He will confound them.” But in“and the wheel of his wagon shall break וְהָמַם ” (Isa. 28:28), the [word] is all root [letters], therefore, half of it [one syllable] has a “kamatz” and half of it has a“pattach,” just like any other verb of three letters.
והמם: נקוד קמ"ץ כולו, לפי שאין מ"ם אחרונה מן היסוד, והרי הוא כמו והם אותם. אבל (ישעי' כח, כח) והמם גלגל עגלתו, כולו יסוד. לפיכך חציו קמ"ץ וחציו פת"ח, כשאר פעל של שלש אותיות:
24And He will deliver their kings into your hand, and you will destroy their name from beneath the heavens; no man will be able to stand up before you, until you have destroyed them. כדוְנָתַן מַלְכֵיהֶם בְּיָדֶךָ וְהַאֲבַדְתָּ אֶת שְׁמָם מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם לֹא יִתְיַצֵּב אִישׁ בְּפָנֶיךָ עַד הִשְׁמִדְךָ אֹתָם:
25The graven images of their gods you will burn with fire; you shall not covet the silver or gold that is upon them and take it for yourself, lest you be ensnared by it, for it is an abomination to the Lord, your God. כהפְּסִילֵי אֱלֹהֵיהֶם תִּשְׂרְפוּן בָּאֵשׁ לֹא תַחְמֹד כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב עֲלֵיהֶם וְלָקַחְתָּ לָךְ פֶּן תִּוָּקֵשׁ בּוֹ כִּי תוֹעֲבַת יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ הוּא:
26Nor should you bring an abomination into your house, lest you are to be destroyed like it, but you shall utterly detest it, and you shall utterly abhor it; for it is to be destroyed. כווְלֹא תָבִיא תוֹעֵבָה אֶל בֵּיתֶךָ וְהָיִיתָ חֵרֶם כָּמֹהוּ שַׁקֵּץ | תְּשַׁקְּצֶנּוּ וְתַעֵב | תְּתַעֲבֶנּוּ כִּי חֵרֶם הוּא:
Deuteronomy Chapter 8
1Every commandment that I command you this day you shall keep to do, that you may live and multiply, and come and possess the land that the Lord swore to your forefathers. אכָּל הַמִּצְוָה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם תִּשְׁמְרוּן לַעֲשׂוֹת לְמַעַן תִּחְיוּן וּרְבִיתֶם וּבָאתֶם וִירִשְׁתֶּם אֶת הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע יְהֹוָה לַאֲבֹתֵיכֶם:
Every commandment: [This is to be understood] according to its simple meaning. A midrashic explanation is [“the whole of the commandment… you shall keep”]: If you have started a mitzvah, finish it, because it is attributed only to the one who completes it, as it is said, “And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel had brought up from Egypt, they buried in Shechem” (Josh. 24:32). But did not Moses alone occupy himself with them to bring them up? [See Exod. 13:19.] However, since he did not complete the mitzvah [of burying the bones], and [the children of] Israel did, [this mitzvah] is accredited to their name. — [Tanchuma 6]
כל המצוה: כפשוטו. ומדרש אגדה אם התחלת במצוה גמור אותה, שאינה נקראת המצוה אלא על שם הגומרה, שנאמר (יהושע כד, לב) ואת עצמות יוסף אשר העלו בני ישראל ממצרים קברו בשכם, והלא משה לבדו נתעסק בהם להעלותם, אלא לפי שלא הספיק לגומרה וגמרוה ישראל, נקראת על שמם:
2And you shall remember the entire way on which the Lord, your God, led you these forty years in the desert, in order to afflict you to test you, to know what is in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. בוְזָכַרְתָּ אֶת כָּל הַדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר הוֹלִיכְךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ זֶה אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה בַּמִּדְבָּר לְמַעַן עַנֹּתְךָ לְנַסֹּתְךָ לָדַעַת אֶת אֲשֶׁר בִּלְבָבְךָ הֲתִשְׁמֹר מִצְוֹתָיו (כתיב מצותו) אִם לֹא:
whether you would keep His commandments: that you would not test Him or suspect Him [i.e., doubt His ways].
התשמור מצותיו: שלא תנסהו ולא תהרהר אחריו:
3And He afflicted you and let you go hungry, and then fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your forefathers know, so that He would make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but rather by, whatever comes forth from the mouth of the Lord does man live. גוַיְעַנְּךָ וַיַּרְעִבֶךָ וַיַּאֲכִלְךָ אֶת הַמָּן אֲשֶׁר לֹא יָדַעְתָּ וְלֹא יָדְעוּן אֲבֹתֶיךָ לְמַעַן הוֹדִיעֲךָ כִּי לֹא עַל הַלֶּחֶם לְבַדּוֹ יִחְיֶה הָאָדָם כִּי עַל כָּל מוֹצָא פִי יְהֹוָה יִחְיֶה הָאָדָם:
4Your clothing did not wear out upon you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. דשִׂמְלָתְךָ לֹא בָלְתָה מֵעָלֶיךָ וְרַגְלְךָ לֹא בָצֵקָה זֶה אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה:
Your clothing did not wear out: The clouds of glory would rub their [the Israelites’] clothes and clean them so that they looked like freshly laundered clothes. And also their children, as they grew, their clothes grew along with them, like a snail’s shell, which grows along with it- [Pesikta d’Rav Kahana p. 92a]
שמלתך לא בלתה: ענני כבוד היו שפין בכסותם ומגהצים אותם כמין כלים מגוהצים, ואף קטניהם כמו שהיו גדלים היה גדל לבושן עמהם, כלבוש הזה של חומט שגדל עמו:
nor did [your foot] swell: Heb. לֹא בָצֵקָה [This means:] Neither [did your foot] swell like dough בָּצֵק, as [usually happens] with those who walk barefoot, that their feet swell.
לא בצקה: לא נפחה כבצק, כדרך הולכי יחף שרגליהם נפוחות:
5You shall know in your heart, that just as a man chastises his son, so does the Lord, your God, chastise you. הוְיָדַעְתָּ עִם לְבָבֶךָ כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר יְיַסֵּר אִישׁ אֶת בְּנוֹ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ מְיַסְּרֶךָּ:
6And you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to go in His ways, and to fear Him. ווְשָׁמַרְתָּ אֶת מִצְוֹת יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לָלֶכֶת בִּדְרָכָיו וּלְיִרְאָה אֹתוֹ:
7For the Lord your God is bringing you to a good land, a land with brooks of water, fountains and depths, that emerge in valleys and mountains, זכִּי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ מְבִיאֲךָ אֶל אֶרֶץ טוֹבָה אֶרֶץ נַחֲלֵי מָיִם עֲיָנֹת וּתְהֹמֹת יֹצְאִים בַּבִּקְעָה וּבָהָר:
8a land of wheat and barley, vines and figs and pomegranates, a land of oil producing olives and honey, חאֶרֶץ חִטָּה וּשְׂעֹרָה וְגֶפֶן וּתְאֵנָה וְרִמּוֹן אֶרֶץ זֵית שֶׁמֶן וּדְבָשׁ:
oil-producing olives: Heb. זֵית שֶׁמֶן, lit. olives of oil, [i.e.] olives that produce oil.
זית שמן: זיתים העושים שמן:
9a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, you will lack nothing in it, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose mountains you will hew copper. טאֶרֶץ אֲשֶׁר לֹא בְמִסְכֵּנֻת תֹּאכַל בָּהּ לֶחֶם לֹא תֶחְסַר כֹּל בָּהּ אֶרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אֲבָנֶיהָ בַרְזֶל וּמֵהֲרָרֶיהָ תַּחְצֹב נְחשֶׁת:
10And you will eat and be sated, and you shall bless the Lord, your God, for the good land He has given you. יוְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׂבָעְתָּ וּבֵרַכְתָּ אֶת יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ עַל הָאָרֶץ הַטֹּבָה אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָךְ:
Tehillim: Psalms Chapters 72 - 76• Hebrew text
• English text
Chapter 72
David composed this psalm for Solomon, praying that he be granted the wisdom to provide justice for the poor.
1. For Solomon. O God, impart Your justice to the king, and Your righteousness to the son of the king.
2. May he judge Your people with righteousness, Your poor with justice.
3. May the mountains bear peace to the nation, also the hills, in [reward for their] righteousness.
4. May he judge the nation's poor, save the children of the destitute, and crush the oppressor,
5. so that they will fear You as long as the sun [shines] and the moon endures, generation after generation.
6. May [his words] descend like rain upon cut grass, like raindrops that water the earth.
7. In his days may the righteous flourish, with much peace until the moon is no more.
8. And may he rule from sea to sea, and from the river until the ends of the earth.
9. May nobles kneel before him, and may his enemies lick the dust.
10. The kings of Tarshish and the islands will return tribute, the kings of Sheba and Seba will offer gifts.
11. All kings will bow to him, all nations will serve him;
12. for he rescues the needy one who cries out, the poor one who has no one to help him.
13. He pities the impoverished and needy, and saves the souls of the destitute.
14. He redeems their soul from deception and violence, and their blood is precious in his eyes.
15. He revives [the poor], and gives him of the gold of Sheba; and so [the poor] pray for him always, and bless him all day.
16. May there be abundant grain in the land, upon the mountaintops; may its fruit rustle like the [cedars of] Lebanon, and may [people] blossom from the city like the grass of the earth.
17. May his name endure forever; may his name be magnified as long as the sun [shines]. And all nations will bless themselves by him, they will praise him.
18. Blessed is the Lord God, the God of Israel, Who alone performs wonders.
19. Blessed is His glorious Name forever, and may the whole earth be filled with His glory, Amen and Amen.
20. The prayers of David, son of Jesse, are concluded1
FOOTNOTES
1.David composed this psalm at the end of his lifetime.
Chapter 73
This psalm addresses the question of why the righteous suffer while the wicked prosper, and prays for an end to our long exile. Read, and you will find repose for your soul.
1. A psalm by Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, to the pure of heart.
2. But as for me, my feet nearly strayed; in an instant my steps would have been swept aside.
3. For I envied the revelers when I saw the tranquility of the wicked.
4. For there are no bonds1 to their death, and their health is sound.
5. They have no part in the toil of men, nor are they afflicted like other mortals;
6. therefore they wear pride as a necklace; their bodies are enwrapped in violence.
7. Their eyes bulge from fat; they surpassed the fantasies of their heart.
8. They consume [others], and talk wickedly of oppression-from on high do they speak.
9. They set their mouths against Heaven, while their tongues walk upon the earth.
10. Therefore His people return here,2 and suck the full [cup of bitter] waters.
11. And they say, "How can it be that God knows? Is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12. Behold these are the wicked, and they are ever tranquil, they have gained much wealth.
13. Surely in vain have I purified my heart, and washed my hands in cleanliness;
14. for I was afflicted all day, and my rebuke came each morning.
15. Were I to say, "I shall tell it like it is," behold I would turn the generation of Your children to rebels.
16. And when I pondered to understand this, it was unjust in my eyes;
17. until I came to the sanctuaries of God, and perceived their end.
18. Only on slippery places do You set them, You cast them into darkness.
19. How they have become desolate in an instant! They came to an end, they were consumed by terrors,
20. like a dream upon awakening. O my Lord, disgrace their image in the city.
21. When my heart was in ferment, and my mind was sharpened,
22. I was a boor and did not understand, like an animal was I with You.
23. Yet I was always with You; You held my right hand.
24. Guide me with Your counsel, and afterward, receive me with honor.
25. Whom do I have in heaven [besides You]? And when I am with You I desire nothing on earth.
26. My flesh and my heart yearn; God is the rock of my heart and my portion forever.
27. For behold, all those who are far from You perish, You cut down all who stray from You.
28. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have put my trust in my Lord, God, that I may recount all Your works.
FOOTNOTES
1.Their death is not protracted by illness and misery(Radak).
2.To the way of the wicked (Rashi).
Chapter 74
The psalmist mourns and weeps over all the synagogues and study halls that have been burned: the Philistines destroyed the Tabernacle of Shiloh; Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the first Temple. We have been in exile for so long, without seeing any signs of redemption! When will the redemption come? Read, and you will find lamentation and consolation.
1. A maskil1 by Asaph. Why, O God, have You abandoned us forever, does Your wrath fume against the sheep of Your pasture?
2. Remember Your congregation which You acquired long ago, the tribe of Your inheritance whom You redeemed [and brought to] Mount Zion, where You rested Your Presence.
3. Lift Your steps to inflict eternal ruin, because of all the evil done by the enemy in the Sanctuary.
4. Your foes roared in the midst of Your meeting place; they considered their omens to be [genuine] signs.
5. The axes in the thicket of trees2 were reckoned as bringing [an offering] to the Above.
6. And now, all her ornaments together are smashed by hammer and hatchet.
7. They set Your Sanctuary on fire; they desecrated the Abode of Your Name to the ground.
8. Their rulers thought together in their hearts; they burned all the meeting places of God in the land.
9. We have not seen our signs; there is no longer a prophet, and there is none among us who knows how long.
10. How long, O God, will the adversary disgrace, will the enemy blaspheme Your Name forever!
11. Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand? Cast it out from within Your bosom!
12. For God is my King from long ago, working salvations in the midst of the earth.
13. In Your might, You divided the sea; You shattered the heads of the sea-monsters on the waters.
14. You crushed the heads of the Leviathan,3 leaving him as food for the nation [wandering in] the wilderness.
15. You split [the rock, bringing forth] fountain and brook; You dried up mighty streams.
16. Yours is the day, the night is also Yours; You established the moon and the sun.
17. You set all the boundaries of the earth; summer and winter-You created them.
18. Remember this, how the enemy reviled the Lord, and the vile nation blasphemed Your Name.
19. Do not give the soul of Your turtledove to the wild beast; do not forget the life of Your poor forever.
20. Look to the covenant, for the dark places of the earth are filled with dens of violence.
21. Do not turn back the oppressed in disgrace; [then] the poor and needy will praise Your Name.
22. Arise, O God, champion Your cause; remember Your insults from the perverse all day long.
23. Forget not the voice of Your adversaries; the tumult of Your opponents ascends always.
FOOTNOTES
1.A psalm intended to enlighten and impart knowledge(Metzudot).
2.Chopping wood for the construction of the Temple (Metzudot).
3.Pharaoh and his chieftains
Chapter 75
How great is Israel! During their holidays they do not engage in frivolity, but in song and praise, and the study of the holiday's laws. Also, when they proclaimed (at the giving of the Torah), "We will do and we will hear!" they allowed the world to remain in existence. This psalm also admonishes those who indulge in worldly pleasures and attribute their prosperity to their own efforts.
1. For the Conductor, a plea not to be destroyed. A psalm by Asaph, a song.
2. We gave thanks to You, O God, we gave thanks; and Your Name was near [when] they1 told of Your wonders.
3. When I choose the appointed time, I will judge with fairness.
4. When the earth and all its inhabitants were melting, I established its pillars forever.
5. I said to the perverse, "Do not pervert [Israel]," and to the wicked, "Do not raise your pride.”
6. Do not raise your pride heavenward, nor speak with an arrogant neck
7. For not from the east or the west, nor from the desert does greatness come.
8. For God is Judge; He humbles one, and elevates the other.
9. For there is a cup [of punishment] in the hand of the Lord, with strong wine of full mixture; He pours from this, and all the wicked of the earth will drink, draining even its dregs.
10. But as for me, I will tell of it forever; I will sing to the God of Jacob.
11. I will cut off all glory of the wicked, but the glory of the righteous will be raised up.
FOOTNOTES
1.Our ancestors.
Chapter 76
This psalm contains the prophecy of when the vast army of Sennacherib was seized with a deep slumber that rendered the hands of the soldiers powerless to raise their weapons; thus did they all fall in battle.
1. For the Conductor, with instrumental music, a psalm by Asaph, a song.
2. God is known in Judah, His Name is great in Israel.
3. His Tabernacle was in Shalem,1 and His dwelling place in Zion.
4. There He broke the flying arrows of the bow, the shield, the sword and battle-forever.
5. You are illumination, mightier than the mountains of prey.
6. The stout-hearted were without sense, they slept their sleep, and all the warriors were unable to find their strength.
7. At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob, chariot and horse were stunned.
8. You, awesome are You! Who can stand before You once You are enraged.
9. From heaven You let the verdict be heard; the earth feared and was still,
10. when God rose to pass judgement, to save all the humble of the earth forever.
11. The anger of man will cause us to thank You;2 You will restrain the residue of wrath.
12. Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them; all who surround Him will bring tribute to the Awesome One.
13. He cuts down the spirit of nobles; He is awesome to the kings of the earth.
FOOTNOTES
1.Jerusalem.
2.When the wicked are punished for being angry with Israel, Israel acknowledges God (Metzudot).
Tanya: Iggeret HaKodesh, middle of Epistle 5• English Text (Lessons in Tanya)
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Sunday, Menachem Av 14, 5777 · August 6, 2017
Today's Tanya Lesson
Iggeret HaKodesh, middle of Epistle 5
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• VIDEO CLASS: Rabbi Yehoshua B. Gordon Watch • Listen
• AUDIO CLASS: Rabbi Manis Freidman Listen • Download MP3Until this point the Alter Rebbe has explained the Talmudic teaching that the World to Come was created by the letter yud: the Sefirah of Chochmah, which this letter represents, is the spiritual source of Gan Eden which is in the World to Come.
However, according to the above, since the letters of the Supernal creative speech derive from Chochmah, it would seem that this world, which was also created by the letters of Divine speech, was likewise created from the letter yud that represents Chochmah. Why, then, do our Sages teach that only the World to Come was created from the letter yud, while this world was created from the letter hei?
The Alter Rebbe therefore now goes on to explain that the letters of speech are composed of “matter” and “form” — the “body” and “soul” (or: the external and internal aspects) of the letters. While the “form” of the letters does indeed derive from Chochmah, the “matter” of the letters of speech merely derives from the heart.
So, too, Above: the internal aspect of the letters derives from Chochmah; from this aspect are created the higher spiritual beings which are able to apprehend G‑dliness. However, the external aspect of the Supernal letters of speech derives from the “breath” — the hei of the Divine Name. It is from this lesser level that this physical world was created.
In the words of the Alter Rebbe:
אך האותיות הן בבחינת חומר וצורה, הנקרא פנימית וחיצונית
However, the letters exist on planes of “matter” and “form”, which are also referred to as their “internal” aspect (i.e., the “form”, which is their “soul”) and their “external” aspect (i.e., the “matter”, which is their “body”).
כי הגם שמקורן הוא מקדמות השכל ורצון הנפש
Although their source is the primordial stage of the intellect and the will of the soul, for as soon as the soul desires to speak these letters are formed, as explained above,
זו היא בחינת צורת שינוי המבטא שבכ״ב אותיות
this is but the “form” of the differentiation in the pronunciation of the twenty-two letters.
אבל בחינת החומר וגוף התהוותן, והוא בחינת חיצוניותן, הוא ההבל היוצא מהלב
The “matter” and “body” of their formation, however, i.e., the aspect of their “externality”, is the breath issuing from the heart.
שממנו מתהוה קול פשוט היוצא מהגרון
From this breath is formed a simple sound which proceeds from the throat,
ואחר כך נחלק לכ״ב הברות וביטוי כ״ב אותיות
and which is then divided into the twenty-two kinds of enunciation and expression of the twenty-two letters,
בה׳ מוצאות הידועות: אחה״ע מהגרון
[these divisions taking place] through the five known organs of speech: alef, chet, heiand ayin1 through the throat;
גיכ״ק מהחיך כו׳
gimmel, yud, kaf and kuf through the palate, and so on; e.g., beit, vav, mem and pei from the lips, and so on;
ומבטא ההבל הוא אות ה׳, אתא קלילא כו׳
while the breath itself, which has its own sound independent of the letter being spoken, is uttered by the letter hei2 — “the light letter,” inasmuch as it lacks the substance of a complete letter,
והוא מקור החומר וגוף האותיות טרם התחלקותן לכ״ב
which is the source of the “matter” and “body” of the letters before their division into twenty-two.
The hei is thus the source of each letter’s “body”.
ולכן אמרו רז״ל שעולם הזה נברא בה׳
And that is why our Sages, of blessed memory, said that “this world was created by the hei”: it was created by the external aspect, or “body”, of the Supernal letters whose source is thehei of the Divine Name.
* * *
FOOTNOTES1. “The reason for the change in order (אחה״ע instead of the alphabetical order of אהח״ע) may be understood by reference to the statement in Zohar II, 123a. (See also Etz Chayim, Shaar Derushei HaTzelem, p. 2.)” ( — Note of the Rebbe.)
2. Akdamut Millin, verse 6 (Siddur Tehillat HaShem, p. 400).
Rambam:
• Sefer Hamitzvot:
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Sunday, Menachem Av 14, 5777 · August 6, 2017
A daily digest of Maimonides’ classic work "Sefer Hamitzvot"
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Positive Commandment 243
The Paid Guardian and the Renter
"If a man gives his fellow a donkey, a bull, or a lamb..."—Exodus 22:9.
We are commanded to follow the rules outlined in the Torah regarding a paid watchman and a renter. Similar rules regulate the both of them [in the event that the item being watched or rented is lost or damaged].
Full text of this Mitzvah »
The Paid Guardian and the Renter
Positive Commandment 243
Translated by Berel Bell
The 243rd mitzvah is that we are commanded regarding a paid watchman and a renter, since both are governed by the same law, as our Sages explained,1 regarding the three laws governing the four types of watchmen. 2
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement3 (exalted be He), "If one person gives another a donkey, an ox, a sheep [or any other animal to watch...]"
The details of this mitzvah are explained in the 6th and 9th chapters of tractate Bava Kama, the 3rd and 6th chapters of Bava Metzia, and the 8th chapter of Shavuos.
FOOTNOTES
1.Shavuos 49a.
2.The four "watchmen" are the paid watchman, the renter, the unpaid watchman and the borrower. Should the animal be stolen, the watchman and renter must pay the owner its value. An unpaid watchman is exempt after swearing that it was stolen. The borrower, unlike the others, must pay even if the animal died by itself. See P244, P242.
3.Ex. 22:9.
• 1 Chapter A Day: Edut Edut - Chapter 4
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Edut - Chapter 4
1
Both witnesses in cases involving capital punishment must see the person committing the transgression at the same time. They must deliver their testimony together, in the same court. These requirements do not apply with regard to cases involving financial matters.
What is implied? If while looking from one window, a witness saw the person commit the transgression and the other witness saw him from the other window, their testimonies can be combined if they see each other. If they cannot see each other, their testimonies cannot be combined. If a person who administered the warning sees the witnesses and the witnesses see him, because of the person administering the warning, their testimony is combined even though they do not see each other.
If they do not see the transgression at the same time, their testimony is not combined. For example, the two witnesses were in one house and one stuck his head out of the window and saw a person perform a forbidden labor on the Sabbath and another person issue a warning. He then thrust in his head and the other witness stuck his head out of the same window and saw the person commit the transgression. Their testimonies cannot be combined unless they both see the transgression at the same time.
The following laws apply when two witnesses see the transgressor from one window, two other witnesses see him from another window, and there is a person who gives a warning in between. If some of them see each other, they are considered as one group of witnesses. If they do not see each other and the person giving the warning does not include them together, they are considered as two groups of witnesses. Therefore if one group are discovered to be zomamim, the transgressor and the witnesses are executed. For the transgressor is executed on the basis of the testimony of the second group of witnesses.
א
עדי נפשות צריכין שיהיו שניהם רואים את העושה עבירה כאחד וצריכין להעיד כאחד ובבית דין אחד אבל דיני ממונות אין צריכין לכך כיצד היה אחד רואהו מחלון זה כשעבר העבירה והעד האחר רואהו מחלון אחר אם היו שני העדים רואין זה את זה מצטרפין ואם לאו אין מצטרפין היה זה המתרה בו רואה העדים והעדים רואין אותו אף על פי שאין רואין זה את זה המתרה מצרפן היו שני העדים בבית אחד והוציא אחד מהן ראשו מן החלון וראהו זה שעושה מלאכה בשבת ואחד מתרה בו והכניס ראשו וחזר העד השני והוציא ראשו מאותו החלון וראהו אין מצטרפין עד שיראו שניהם כאחד היו שני עדים רואין אותו מחלון זה ושני עדים רואין אותו מחלון אחר ואחד מתרה בו באמצע בזמן שמקצתן רואין אלו את אלו הרי זו עדות אחת ואם לא היו רואין אלו את אלו ולא צירף אותן המתרה הרי אלו שתי עדויות לפיכך אם נמצאת כת אחת מהן זוממין הוא והן נהרגין שהרי הוא נהרג בעדות הכת השניה:
2
With regard to cases involving financial matters, by contrast, even though they did not see each other, their testimony can be combined.
What is implied? One witness said: "In my presence, he lent money him on this-and-this day" or "In my presence, he acknowledged a debt," and the second witness says: "I also testify that he lent him money" or "...acknowledged a debt" on a different day, their testimony can be combined.
ב
אבל בדיני ממונות אע"פ שלא ראו אלו את אלו עדותן מצטרפת כיצד אמר האחד בפני הלוהו ביום פלוני או בפני הודה לו ואמר העד השני וכן אני מעיד שהלוהו בפני או הודה ביום אחר הרי אלו מצטרפין:
3
Similarly, if one witness states: "He gave a loan in my presence," and the other said: "He acknowledged a debt in my presence," or the first said: "He acknowledged a debt in my presence," and the other testified afterwards, saying: "He gave a loan in my presence," their testimony can be combined.
ג
וכן אם אמר האחד בפני הלוהו והשני אומר בפני הודה לו או שאמר הראשון בפני הודה והשני שהעיד אחר זמן אמר בפני הלוהו הרי אלו מצטרפין:
4
Similar concepts apply with regard to the time of their testimony in court. One may come on one day and the court will hear his testimony and the other may come on a later date and have his testimony heard. The testimonies may be combined and money expropriated on this basis.
ד
וכן בעת שמעידין בבית דין יבא אחד ושומעין דבריו היום וכשיבוא העד השני לאחר זמן שומעין דבריו ומצטרפין זה לזה ומוציאין בהן הממון:
5
Similarly, if the testimony of one witness was recorded in a legal document and the other testified orally, their testimony may be combined. If the witness who did not record his testimony states: "I entered into an act of contract with him concerning this manner, but the lender did not come and ask me to record my testimony in a legal document," the two can join together to give the claim the status of a loan backed by a promissory note. The borrower may not claim: "I repaid the debt."
ה
וכן אם היה עד אחד בכתב ואחד על פה מצטרפין ואם אמר זה שלא כתב עדותו אני קניתי מידו על דבר זה ולא בא המלוה הזה ולא שאל ממני לכתוב שניהם מצטרפין לעשות המלוה בשטר ואינו יכול לומר פרעתי:
6
The following laws apply in cases involving financial matters. If one witness delivered testimony in one court and the other witness delivered testimony in a second court, the two courts should come together and combine the testimonies. Similarly, if two witnesses delivered testimony in one court and then delivered testimony in another court, a member of either court can join together with a member of the other court. The statements of a witness and a judge before whom two witnesses testified may not be combined.
ו
העיד האחד בבית דין זה והעד השני בבית דין אחר יבא בית דין אצל בית דין ויצטרפו עדותן וכן אם העידו שני העדים בבית דין זה וחזרו והעידו בב"ד אחר יבא אחד מכל בית דין ויצטרפו אבל העד עם הדיין שהעידו שני העדים בפניו אין מצטרפין:
7
Although testimony of two witnesses may be combined in matters of financial law, each of the witnesses must deliver testimony concerning an entire matter, as we explained. If, by contrast, one witness testifies concerning a portion of a matter and the other witness testifies concerning another portion of the matter, we do not establish the matter on the basis of their testimony, as indicated by Deuteronomy 19:15: "According to the testimony of two witnesses shall the matter be established."
What is implied? One witness testifies that a person benefited from a field one year, another testifies that he benefited in the following year, and a third testifies that he benefited in the third year, the testimonies of the three cannot be linked together to say that he benefited for three years. For each of them testified only about a portion of the matter.
Similarly, if one witness testifies: "I saw one hair on the person's right side," and another witness testifies: "I saw one hair on the person's left side," their testimonies are not linked together so that we can say that two people testified that the person concerned manifested signs of physical maturity on that particular day. For each of them testified only about a portion of the physical signs required. Even if two witnesses testified that they saw one hair and two other witnesses testified that they saw another hair, their testimony is of no consequence. Since they both testified about only half the matter, this is not acceptable testimony.
If, however, one witness testified that he saw two hairs on the person's right side and another witness testified that he saw two hairs on the person's left side, their testimony can be linked together. Similar concepts apply in all analogous situations.
ז
אף על פי שמצטרפין העדות בדיני ממונות צריך שיעיד כל אחד משניהם בכל דבר כמו שביארנו אבל אם העיד עד אחד במקצת דבר והעיד השני במקצתו אין מקיימין הדבר מעדות שניהם שנאמר על פי שנים עדים יקום דבר כיצד זה אומר פלוני אכל שדה זו שנה פלונית וזה העיד שאכלה שנה שניה וזה העיד שאכלה שנה שלישית אין מצטרפין עדות שלשתן ואומרים הרי אכלה שלש שנים שכל אחד ואחד העיד במקצת הדבר וכן אם העיד זה אני ראיתי שערה אחת בצד ימינו של זה וזה אומר אני ראיתי שערה אחת בצד שמאלו של זה באותו היום אין מצטרפין דברי שניהם כדי שנאמר הרי העידו שניהם שהיה זה גדול ביום פלוני לפי שכל אחד מהם לא העיד אלא במקצת הסימנין אפילו העידו שנים בשערה אחת והעידו שנים בשערה אחרת שהרי כל כת מהם העידה על חצי דבר ואין זו עדות אבל אם העידה האחת שראתה שתי שערות בצד ימין והעידה השניה שראתה שתי שערות בצד שמאל מצטרפין וכן כל כיוצא בו:
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English Text | Hebrew Text
Audio: Listen | Download | Video Class
Sechirut - Chapter 1
"I will thankfully acknowledge You with an upright heart, as I study Your righteous judgments" (Psalms 119:7).
The Thirteenth Book
SEFER MISHPATIM
The Book of Judgments
It consists of five halachot. They are, in order:
Hilchot Sechirut - The Laws of Rentals and Employer-Employee Relations; Hilchot She'ilah UFikadon - The Laws Governing Borrowing and Governing Entrusted Objects;
Hilchot Malveh V'Loveh - The Laws Pertaining to Lenders and Borrowers; Hilchot To'en VNit'an - The Laws Governing Disputes between Plaintiffs and Defendants; and Hilchot Nachalot - The Laws Pertaining to Inheritances
Introduction to Hilchos Sechirut
They contain seven mitzvot: three positive mitzvot and four negative mitzvot. They are:
1) The laws governing a hired worker and a paid watchman;
2) To pay a worker his wages when due;
3) Not to delay payment of a worker's wage after it falls due;
4) For a worker to be allowed to eat from the produce with which he is working;
5) That a worker not eat from the produce at the time he should be working;
6) That a worker not take more than what he eats;
7) Not to muzzle an ox while it is threshing.
These mitzvot are explained in the chapters that follow.
הלכות שכירות - הקדמה
הלכות שכירות יש בכללן שבע מצות שלש מצות עשה וארבע מצות לא תעשה וזהו פרטן:
(א) דין שכיר ושומר שכר.
(ב) ליתן שכר שכיר ביומו.
(ג) שלא יאחר שכר שכיר אחר זמנו.
(ד) שיאכל השכיר מן המחובר שעושה בו.
(ה) שלא יאכל השכיר מן המחובר בשעת מלאכה.
(ו) שלא יוליך השכיר בידו יתר על מה שיאכל.
(ז) שלא יחסום שור בדישו
וביאור מצות אלו בפרקים אלו:
1
The Torah mentions four types of watchmen, who are governed by three different rules. The four types of watchmen are an unpaid watchman, a borrower, a paid watchman and a renter.
א
ארבעה שומרים נאמרו בתורה ושלשה דינין יש להם ואלו הן הארבעה שומרין שומר חנם והשואל ונושא שכר והשוכר:
2
These are the three rules that govern cases involving these watchmen: When an entrusted article is stolen from or lost by an unpaid watchman and - needless to say, when the entrusted article is destroyed by forces beyond the watchman's control - e.g., it was an animal and it died or was taken captive -the watchman must take an oath that he guarded the article in a manner appropriate for a watchman, and then he is freed of liability, as Exodus 22:6-7 states: "And it was stolen from the man's home... and the homeowner shall approach the judges."
A borrower must make restitution in all instances, whether the borrowed object was lost, stolen, or destroyed by factors beyond his control - e.g., a borrowed animal died, was injured or taken captive. For with regard to a borrower, ibid.:13 states: "If it becomes injured or dies - when its owner is not with it - he must certainly make restitution."
A paid watchman and a renter are governed by the same laws. If the article that was rented or was entrusted for a fee was lost or stolen, they must make restitution. If the article is lost by forces beyond the watchman's control - e.g., an animal died, was injured, was taken captive or was attacked by a wild animal - the watchman is required to take an oath, and then he is freed of liability, as ibid.:9-10 states: "If it died, was injured or taken captive, and there are no witnesses, an oath of God shall be between them." And ibid.:11 states: "If it is stolen from him, he shall make restitution to its owner."
Thus, an unpaid watchman takes an oath in all instances. A borrower makes restitution in all instances except when an animal dies performing the labor for which it was borrowed, as will be explained. And a paid watchman and a renter make restitution when the article is lost or stolen, and take an oath when it is destroyed by forces beyond their control - e.g., it was injured, taken captive, died, attacked by beasts, lost in a ship that sank at sea, seized by armed thieves - or lost in any other major matter over which the watchman has no control.
ב
ואלו הן שלשה דינין שלהן: ש"ח שנגנב הפקדון ממנו או אבד ואין צריך לומר אם נאנס הפקדון אונס גדול כגון שהיתה בהמה ומתה או נשבית ה"ז נשבע ששמר כדרך השומרין ופטור שנאמר וגונב מבית האיש וגו' ונקרב בעל הבית אל האלהים השואל משלם הכל בין שאבד דבר השאול או נגנב בין שארעו אונס גדול מזה כגון שמתה הבהמה השאולה או נשברה או נשבית שכך כתוב בשואל ונשבר או מת בעליו אין עמו שלם ישלם נושא שכר או השוכר שניהם דין אחד יש להן אם נגנב או אבד הדבר השכור או שנטל שכר על שמירתו הרי אלו משלמים ואם ארעו אונס גדול מזה כגון שהיתה בהמה ומתה או נשברה או נשבית או נטרפה הרי אלו נשבעין שנאנסה ופטורין שנאמר ומת או נשבר או נשבה אין רואה שבועת ה' וגו' וכתיב אם גנוב יגנב מעמו ישלם לבעליו וגו' נמצאת אומר שומר חנם נשבע על הכל והשואל משלם את הכל חוץ מן המתה בשעת מלאכה כמו שיתבאר נושא שכר והשוכר משלמין את האבידה ואת הגניבה ונשבעין על האונסין הגדולים כגון שבורה ושבויה ומתה וטריפה או שאבד הדבר בספינה שטבעה בים או נלקח בלסטים מזויין וכל כיוצא באלו משאר אונסין הגדולים:
3
The following rules apply when a person entrusts an article to a colleague for safekeeping, whether he offers payment or not or lends an article or hires it out. If the watchman also asks the owner of the article to work for him or hires him together with the article, the watchman is never held liable at all. Even if the watchman is negligent in his care of the article he was watching, and it was lost because of his negligence, he is not liable, as Exodus 22:14 states: "If his owner is with him, he need not make restitution. If he is a hired worker, it comes with his wages."
When does the above apply? When the watchman asked or hired the owner to work at the time he took the article, even if the owner was not with him at the time the article was stolen, lost or destroyed by forces beyond his control. If, by contrast, he took the article and became responsible as a watchman at the outset, and afterwards asked or hired the owner to work, he is not absolved of responsibility. Even if the owner was standing nearby at the time the entrusted article was destroyed by forces beyond the watchman's control, the watchman is liable to pay, as implied by ibid.: 13: "If the owner is not with him, he must certainly make restitution."
According to the Oral Tradition, these verses were interpreted to mean: If the owner was with the borrower at the time the article or animal was borrowed, he is not liable, even if he was not with him at the time it was stolen or died. If, however, he was not with the borrower at the time the article or animal was borrowed, he is liable, even if he was with him at the time it was stolen or died. The same laws apply to other watchmen. If the owners are "with them", they are all free of liability. Even if they are negligent, if the owners are "with them", they are all free of liability.
ג
המפקיד אצל חבירו בין בחנם בין בשכר או השאילו או השכירו אם שאל השומר את הבעלים עם הדבר שלהן או שכרן הרי השומר פטור מכלום אפילו פשע בדבר ששמר ואבד מחמת הפשיעה ה"ז פטור שנאמר אם בעליו עמו לא ישלם אם שכיר הוא בא בשכרו בד"א כששאל הבעלים או שכרן בעת שנטל החפץ אף על פי שאין הבעלים שם עמו בעת הגניבה והאבידה או בעת שנאנס אבל נטל החפץ ונעשה עליו שומר תחלה ואחר כך שכר הבעלים או שאלן אע"פ שהיו הבעלים עומדין שם בעת שנאנס הדבר השמור ה"ז משלם שנאמר בעליו אין עמו שלם ישלם מפי השמועה למדו היה עמו בשעת השאלה אף על פי שאינו בעת הגניבה והמיתה פטור לא היה עמו בשעת השאלה אע"פ שהיה עמו בעת המיתה או השבייה חייב והוא הדין לשאר השומרים שכולן בבעלים פטורין אפילו פשיעה בבעלים פטור:
4
Whenever a watchman is negligent when he begins caring for the article, even though the article is ultimately destroyed by forces beyond his control, he is liable, as will be explained.
A borrower is not allowed to lend the entrusted article to another person. Even if he borrows a Torah scroll - in which instance, anyone who reads it performs a mitzvah - he may not lend it to someone else. Similarly, a renter is not permitted to rent the entrusted article to another person. Even if a Torah scroll was rented to him, he may not rent it to someone else. The rationale is that the owner will tell the watchman: "I do not want my article to be in someone else's hands."
The following rules apply if the watchman transgressed and entrusted the article to another watchman. If there are witnesses who testify that the second watchman guarded the article in an appropriate manner, and the article was destroyed by forces beyond his control, the first watchman is not liable. For there are witnesses that the article was destroyed by forces beyond his control.
If there are no witnesses to give such testimony, the first watchman is liable to pay the owners, for he entrusted the article to another watchman. Afterwards, he should enter into litigation with the second watchman. Even if the first watchman was not paid for his services and he entrusted the article to a paid watchman, he is liable. For the owner of the article will tell him: "Although you are an unpaid watchman, you are trustworthy in my eyes, and I am willing to believe your oath. I don't consider the other person trustworthy."
For this reason, if the owner of the article would frequently entrust articles of this nature to the second watchman, the first watchman is not required to make restitution. For he could tell the owner: "Yesterday, you were willing to entrust the article that you entrusted to me to this person."
In the above instance, the watchman is freed of liability only when he does not reduce the level of responsibility for watching the article. What is meant by reducing the level of responsibility for watching the article? For example, the article was entrusted to the first watchman for a fee, and he entrusted it to the second watchman without charge, or the first watchman was a borrower, and he entrusted it to a paid watchman. In such instances, since the watchman reduced the level of responsibility for watching the article, he is considered to be negligent and is required to pay.
[The above applies even if when the article was originally entrusted, the owner was working for or hired by the first watchman. For that watchman removed the entrusted article from his domain and entrusted it to another watchman.
ד
כל שומר שפשע בתחלתו אף על פי שנאנס בסופו חייב כמו שיתבאר ואין השואל רשאי להשאיל אפילו שאל ספר תורה שכל שקורא בו עושה מצוה לא ישאילנו לאחר וכן אין השוכר רשאי להשכיר אפילו השכירו ס"ת לא ישכירנו לאחר שהרי זה אומר לו אין רצוני שיהיה פקדוני ביד אחר עבר השומר ומסר לשומר השני אם יש עדים ששמרה השומר השני כדרך השומרין ונאנס פטור השומר הראשון שהרי יש עדים שנאנס ואם אין שם עדים חייב השומר הראשון לשלם לבעלים מפני שמסר לשומר אחר ויעשה הוא דין עם השומר השני אפילו היה הראשון ש"ח ומסר לשומר שכר חייב שהרי יש לבעל החפץ לומר לו אתה נאמן אצלי להשבע וזה אינו נאמן לפיכך אם היה דרך הבעלים להפקיד תמיד דבר זה אצל השומר השני ה"ז השומר הראשון פטור מלשלם שהרי הוא אומר לבעלים זה הדבר שהפקדתם אצלי או השאלתם אמש הייתם מפקידין אותו אצל זה שהפקדתי אני אצלו והוא שלא ימעט שמירתו כיצד ימעט שמירתו כגון שהיה מופקד אצלו בשכר והפקידו אצל אותו השני בחנם או שהיה שאול אצלו והפקידו אצל אותו השני בשכר הואיל ומיעט שמירתו פושע הוא ומשלם אע"פ ששאל או ששכר בבעלים הרי הוא הוציא הדבר השמור מידו ליד שומר אחר:
5
If the second watchman was able to bring proof that would free the first watchman from responsibility for guarding the article, he is not liable.
What is implied? A paid watchman entrusted an animal that was entrusted to him to an unpaid watchman. If the second watchman brought witnesses who testify that the animal died in a natural manner, the first watchman is not liable. The same principles apply in all analogous situations.
ה
ואם הביא השומר השני הראייה שיפטר בה שומר ראשון כדין שמירתו הרי זה פטור כיצד שומר שכר שנתן הבהמה השמורה אצלו לש"ח אם הביא השומר השני עדים שמתה הבהמה כדרכה הרי השומר הראשון פטור וכן כל כיוצא בזה:
6
When a watchman entrusted an animal entrusted to him to another watchman and increased the responsibility of the watchman and the animal died, the owner receives the benefit.
What is implied? A person rents a cow from a colleague and then lends it to another person. Afterwards, the cow dies in an ordinary manner in the possession of the borrower. Since the borrower is required to make full restitution, he should return the worth of the cow to its owners. For the renter is not carrying out business with his colleague's cow. Similar principles apply in all analogous situations.
The following rules apply when a person was in possession of an entrusted object belonging to a colleague and gave it to another person to bring to its owner. Since the first watchman is responsible for the article until it reaches its owner's domain, if he desires to retrieve the article from the second watchman, he may. If it is established that the first watchman has denied that property was entrusted to him, he cannot retrieve the article from the second watchman although he remains responsible for the entrusted article.
ו
שומר שמסר לשומר אחר והוסיף בשמירתו ומתה ההנאה לבעלים כיצד השוכר פרה מחבירו והשאילה לאחר ומתה כדרכה ביד השואל הואיל והשואל חייב בכל יחזירו דמי הפרה לבעלים שאין זה השוכר עושה סחורה בפרתו של חבירו וכן כל כיוצא בזה היה בידו פקדון ושלחו ביד אחר לבעליו הואיל והשומר הראשון חייב באחריותו עד שיגיע ליד הבעלים אם בא לחזור ולהחזיר הפקדון מיד השומר השני מחזיר ואם הוחזק השומר הראשון כפרן אינו יכול להחזיר הפקדון מיד השומר השני אף על פי שעדיין הפקדון באחריותו של ראשון:
Sechirut - Chapter 2
1
The three laws that the Torah states with regard to the four watchmen apply only with regard to movable property that is not consecrated and which belongs to a Jew.
This is derived from Exodus 22:6,9, which mentions: "money or articles and any animal." This excludes landed property and slaves, for they are equated with landed property. And it excludes promissory notes, for they themselves are not money.
And consecrated property is excluded, for ibid.:6 states: "When a person will give to his colleague." And this also excludes property owned by gentiles. Accordingly, our Sages stated: An unpaid watchman need not take an oath with regard to claims involving slaves, promissory notes, landed property and consecrated property. Similarly, a paid watchman or a renter need not pay if they are destroyed. If the watchman performed a kinyan confirming his responsibility for such articles, he is responsible for them.
א
שלשה דינין האמורין בתורה בארבעה השומרין אינן אלא במטלטלין של ישראל ושל הדיוט שנאמר כסף או כלים וכל בהמה יצאו קרקעות ויצאו העבדים שהוקשו לקרקעות ויצאו השטרות שאין גופן ממון ויצאו הקדשות שנא' כי יתן איש אל רעהו ויצאו נכסי עכו"ם מכאן אמרו חכמים העבדים והשטרות והקרקעות וההקדשות ש"ח שלהן אינו נשבע ונושא שכר או שוכר אינו משלם ואם קנו מידו חייב באחריותן:
2
Our Sages ordained that the oaths required of watchmen should be taken with regard to consecrated property in the same manner as required by the Torah with regard to other property so that people should not deal lightly with consecrated property.
ב
ותקנו חכמים שנשבעין על ההקדשות שבועת השומרין כעין של תורה כדי שלא יזלזלו בהקדשות:
3
It appears to me that a watchman who was negligent with regard to the care of slaves and the like is obligated to make restitution. For he is freed of responsibility with regard to slaves, landed property and promissory notes -only for the obligations stemming from theft, loss, death and the like. For if he was an unpaid watchman for movable property, and it was stolen or lost, he would be required to take an oath; but for slaves, landed property and promissory notes, he is not required to take an oath. Similarly, if he was a paid watchman, he would be required to make restitution for movable property that was stolen or lost, but for these he is freed of liability. If, however, he was negligent, he is required to make restitution. For everyone who is negligent is considered to be one who damages property, and there is no difference between the laws applying to a person who damages landed property and one who damages movable property.
This is a true judgment, as those who understand will see, and this is the appropriate way to rule. Similarly, my teachers issued the following rulings with regard to a person who entrusts his vine to a sharecropper or to a watchman and stipulates that he dig, prune or dust it from his own resources. If the watchman is negligent and does not perform the required task, he is liable as if he destroyed it with his hands. Similarly, he is liable in all instances where he causes a loss through his actions.
ג
יראה לי שאם פשע השומר בעבדים וכיוצא בהן חייב לשלם שאינו פטור בעבדים וקרקעות ושטרות אלא מדין גניבה ואבידה ומתה וכיוצא בהן שאם היה ש"ח על מטלטלין ונגנבו או אבדו ישבע ובעבדים וקרקעות ושטרות פטור משבועה וכן אם היה שומר שכר שמשלם גניבה ואבידה במטלטלין פטור מלשלם באלו אבל אם פשע בה חייב לשלם שכל הפושע מזיק הוא ואין הפרש בין דין המזיק קרקע לדין המזיק מטלטלין ודין אמת הוא זה למבינים וכן ראוי לדון וכן הורו רבותי שהמוסר כרמו לשומר בין באריסות בין בשמירות חנם והתנה עמו שיחפור או יזמור או יאבק משלו ופשע ולא עשה חייב כמי שהפסיד בידים וכן כל כיוצא בזה שהפסיד בידים חייב על כל פנים:
4
When a person entrusts produce that is growing on land - even grapes that are ready to be harvested - to a colleague to watch, they are considered to be landed property with regard to the laws of watchman.
ד
המוסר לחבירו דבר המחובר לקרקע לשמור אפילו היו ענבים העומדות להבצר הרי הן כקרקע בדין השומרין:
5
The following principle applies if a person entrusts consecrated property to a watchman and then redeems it, and so it is no longer consecrated at the time the owner takes it from the watchman, or he lends it to a person when it was not consecrated and then consecrates it while it is in the borrower's possession, or a gentile entrusts property and then converts. In all these situations, the laws of watchmen do not apply, unless the article was not consecrated property and belonged to a Jew from the beginning of the time the article was entrusted until the conclusion of that period.
ה
הפקיד הקדש ואח"כ פדהו והרי הוא חולין בעת שנטלו מיד השומר או שהשאילו חולין ואחר כך הקדיש והוא ביד השואל וכן עכו"ם שהפקיד ואחר כך נתגייר כל אלו אין בהן כל דיני השומרין עד שתהיה תחלתן וסופן נכסי הדיוט ונכסי ישראל:
6
The laws applying to borrowers apply equally to men and to women. This applies if the woman is the owner of the entrusted article, or an article was entrusted to her care.
ו
אחד האיש ואחד האשה בדין השומרין בין שהיה הדבר השמור של אשה או שהיה ביד האשה:
7
When a minor entrusts an article to an adult or lends it to him, the adult must take the oaths required of a watchman to the minor. My teachers ruled that the adult is not taking the oath because of the claim of the minor in which instance, the oath would not be required. For an oath is never taken with regard to a claim made by a minor. The rationale is that all the oaths taken by watchmen are taken because of an indefinite claim.
ז
קטן שהפקיד ביד גדול או השאילו הרי זה הגדול נשבע שבועת השומרים לקטן הורו רבותי שאין זה נשבע בטענת הקטן כדי שנאמר אין נשבעין על טענת קטן שכל השומרין שבועתן שבועת שמא היא:
8
Just as our Sages ordained that a purchaser must finalize his acquisition of an article through meshichah; so, too, they ordained that a watchman's responsibility for an article is established through meshichah.
When a person tells a colleague: "Watch an article for me," and he tells him: "Place it down in front of me," he is an unpaid watchman. If he tells him: "Place it down before yourself," or "Place it down" without saying anything else, or tells him: "My house is before you," he is neither a paid watchman nor is an unpaid watchman, nor is he obligated to take an oath at all. The owner of the article may, however, have a ban of ostracism issued applying to anyone who took his article and did not return it to its owner. Similar principles apply in all analogous situations.
Whenever a person entrusts, lends or rents an article to a colleague, the same laws apply whether or not the transfer was observed by witnesses. When the watchman himself admits that he served as a watchman, or he borrowed the article, he is required to take the oath required of watchmen. We do not employ the principle of miggo to absolve a person of the responsibility for an oath, but only to free him of the responsibility to make restitution.
Even if the article that was borrowed, entrusted or rented was worth only a p'rutah, the watchman is required to take an oath concerning it. None of the watchmen are required to admit to a portion of the plaintiff's claim before being required to take the oath.
ח
כדרך שתקנו חכמים משיכה בלקוחות כך תקנו משיכה בשומרין האומר לחבירו שמור לי זה ואמר לו הנח לפני הרי זה ש"ח אמר לו הנח לפניך או הנח סתם או שאמר לו הרי הבית לפניך אינו לא ש"ח ולא שומר שכר ואינו חייב שבועה כלל אבל מחרים על מי שלקח הפקדון שלו ולא יחזירו לבעליו וכן כל כיוצא בזה אחד המפקיד או המשאיל או המשכיר את חבירו בעדים או שלא בעדים דין אחד יש להן כיון שהודה זה מפי עצמו ששמר לו או ששאל ממנו הרי זה נשבע שבועת השומרין שאין אומרים מיגו לפוטרו משבועה אלא לפוטרו מלשלם אפילו היה הדבר השאול או המופקד או המושכר שוה פרוטה הרי זה השומר נשבע עליו ואין אחד מן השומרים צריך להודייה במקצת:
9
An unpaid watchman may make a stipulation to be freed of the responsibility to take an oath, and a borrower may make a stipulation to be freed of the responsibility to make restitution. Similarly, the owner of the entrusted object may make a stipulation that an unpaid watchman, a paid watchman or a borrower will be liable in all situations as a borrower is. This is acceptable, for any stipulation regarding money or an oath that involves money that is agreed upon by both principals is binding. Neither a kinyan to affirm it nor witnesses are required.
ט
מתנה שומר חנם להיות פטור משבועה והשואל להיות פטור מלשלם וכן מתנה בעל הפקדון על ש"ח או נושא שכר ושוכר להיות חייבין בכל כשואל שכל תנאי בממון או בשבועות של ממון קיים וא"צ קניין ולא עדים:
10
When the owner claims that there was a stipulation made requiring the watchman to undertake more responsibility, and the watchman denies that such a stipulation was made, the watchman must take the oath required of a watchman, and on the basis of the principle of gilgul sh'vuah he must includein his oath that there was no stipulation involved.
י
טען זה שהיה שם תנאי והשומר אומר לא היה שם תנאי נשבע השומר שבועת השומרין ומגלגל בה שלא היה שם תנאי:
11
If the owner of an object claims that he entrusted it to a watchman, and the watchman answers that he said merely: "Place the article down before yourself," and thus never became obligated as a watchman, the defendant is required to take a sh'vuat hesseft that this was the manner in which he received the article. He should include in his oath that he did not use it for his own purposes, destroy it with his own hands or cause it to be destroyed in a manner that would obligate him to make restitution.
יא
טען שהפקיד אצלו וזה אומר לא אמרתי אלא הנח לפניך ולא נעשיתי לו שומר נשבע היסת שלא קבלו אלא בדרך זו וכולל בשבועתו שלא שלח בו יד ולא אבדו בידים ולא בגרם שגרם לו שיהיה חייב לשלם:
12
If the owner of an object claims: "I lent it to you," "I rented it to you," or "I entrusted it to you," and the defendant responds: "This never took place," or "That is true, but I returned it to you, and my responsibility was concluded. There is no obligation between us at all," the defendant must take a sh'vuat hesset. He is then freed of responsibility.
does this apply? When the watchman's responsibility is not recorded in a legal document. If, however, a legal document recorded that the article was entrusted, rented or lent, and the watchman claims that he returned the article, he must affirm his statement with an oath taken while holding a sacred article. The rationale for this ruling is that since an unpaid watchman could claim that the article was stolen or lost, and a borrower could claim that it died because he was working with it, his word is accepted when he says he returned it. But just as if he claimed that it was destroyed by forces beyond his control, he would have been required to take a Scriptural oath while holding a sacred article; so, too, when he claims to have returned it, he is required to take an oath resembling a Scriptural oath. The rationale is that the plaintiff has a legal document recording that the article was entrusted.
does the above apply? When the watchman could have claimed that the article was destroyed by forces beyond his control without having to bring proof of his claim. If, however, he would have to bring proof of his claim, as will be explained, his word is not accepted if he claims that he returned the article. Instead, the plaintiff in possession of the legal document should take an oath while holding a sacred article that the watchman did not return anything to him. The watchman is then required to make restitution.
There is no other instance where a defendant is obligated to take an oath while holding a sacred article because he could have used another argument, except a watchman against whom a legal document serves as evidence. Whenever any other defendant is obligated an opportunity to take an oath, because he could have used another argument, all that is involved is a sh'vuat hesset.
יב
זה אומר השאלתיך או השכרתיך או הפקדתיך והלה אומר לא היו דברים מעולם או שאמר כן היה אבל החזרתי לך ונסתלקה השמירה ולא נשארה בינינו תביעה הרי הנתבע נשבע שבועת היסת ונפטר במה דברים אמורים כשלא היה שם שטר אבל אם הפקיד או השכיר או השאיל בשטר ואמר לו החזרתי לך הרי השומר נשבע בנקיטת חפץ מתוך שיכול לומר ש"ח שנגנב או אבד והשואל מתה בשעת מלאכה נאמן לומר החזרתי וכשם שאם טען שנאנס נשבע מן התורה בנקיטת חפץ כך אם טען החזרתי ישבע כעין של תורה הואיל ויש שם שטר ביד התובע בד"א כשהיה השומר יכול לטעון ולומר נאנסו ולא נצריך אותו להביא ראייה על טענתו אבל אם היה חייב להביא ראייה על טענתו כמו שיתבאר אינו נאמן לומר החזרתי אלא ישבע בעל השטר בנקיטת חפץ שלא החזיר לו וישלם אין לך מי שנשבע מתוך שיכול לומר כך וכך וישבע בנקיטת חפץ אלא זה השומר בלבד שיש עליו שטר אבל שאר כל הנשבעין בדין מתוך שיכול לומר אינן נשבעין אלא היסת:
Sechirut - Chapter 3
1
The following rules apply when a watchman claims that the entrusted article was destroyed by a major factor over which he had no control - e.g., it was broken or it died. If the loss occurred in a place where witnesses are ordinarily present, we require him to bring proof to support his claim that it was destroyed by factors beyond his control. He is then freed of liability, even for a watchman's oath. If he does not bring proof, he is required to make restitution, as Exodus 22:9-10 states: "If there are none who see, the oath of God will be between the two of them." This impliesthat in a place where it is possible to bring proof, he cannot free himself of responsibility by taking an oath. Either he brings proof or he makes restitution.
If, however, the watchman claims that the article was destroyed in a place where witnesses are not ordinarily present, we do not require him to prove his claim. Instead, he must take an oath that it was destroyed by factors beyond his control, and then he is freed of responsibility. If he brings witnesses who testify that he was not negligent in his care for the article, he is not liable; he is not even required to take an oath.
An incident occurred with regard to a person who was hired to transfer a jug of wine and it broke in the market place of Mechuzah. The matter was brought before the Sages and they said that people are ordinarily present in the market place where the watchman claimed that the jug was broken. Hence they required him to either bring proof that he was not negligent, but instead stumbled and fell or make restitution. Similar principles apply in all analogous situations.
א
שומר שטען שנאנס אונס גדול כגון שבורה ומתה אם נאנס במקום שהעדים מצויין שם מצריכין אותו ראייה על טענתו שנאנס ויפטר אף משבועת שומרים ואם לא הביא ראייה ישלם שנאמר אין רואה שבועת ה' תהיה בין שניהם הא במקום שאפשר להביא ראייה אין שם שבועה אלא או יביא ראייה או ישלם אבל אם טען שנאנס במקום שאין העדים מצויין שם אין מצריכין אותו ראייה אלא ישבע שנאנס ויפטר ואם הביא עדים שלא פשע בה נפטר אף מן השבועה מעשה באחד שהביא חבית של יין בשכר ושברה בשוק של מחוזא ובאו לפני חכמים ואמרו שוק זה שטענת שנשברה בו חבית בני אדם מצויין שם או תביא ראייה שלא פשעת אלא נתקלת ונפלת או תשלם דמיה וכן כל כיוצא בזה:
2
When a person is hired to transfer a jug from place to place for a wage, and the jug is broken, according to Scriptural Law, he should be required to pay. For this is not a major factor that is beyond the porter's control; breaking an article is equivalent to its being stolen or lost, for which he is liable.
Nevertheless, our Sages ordained that the porter should be liable merely to take an oath that he was not negligent in caring for it. For if he were required to make financial restitution, no person would ever carry a jug for a colleague. Therefore, the Sages ordained that the breaking of a jug is equivalent to the death or the injury of an animal.
With regard to this matter, our Sages also ordained that if two people were carrying a jug with shafts, and it was broken, they should pay half the damages. For since this burden is very great for one person, but light for two people, it can be considered both similar and dissimilar to a loss due to factors beyond one's control. Therefore, if there are witnesses who testify that they were not negligent, they should pay half the damages.
If the jug was broken in a place where witnesses are not ordinarily present, the porters must take an oath that they did not break it through negligence. Afterwards, they are required to pay half the damages. For each one of should not have attempted to transport anything more than a burden that he could transport on his own. From this, one can derive thaht when a person transports a large jug that a porter would not ordinarily transport, he is considered to be negligent. If it breaks in his hands, he must make full restitution.
ב
המעביר חבית ממקום למקום בשכר ונשברה דין תורה הוא שישלם שאין זה אונס גדול והרי השבירה כגניבה ואבידה שהוא חייב בהן אבל תקנו חכמים שיהיה חייב שבועה שלא פשע בה שאם אתה אומר ישלם אין לך אדם שיעביר חבית לחבירו לפיכך עשו בו שבירת החבית כמיתת הבהמה ושבירתה ועוד תקנו בדבר זה שאם נשאו אותה שנים במוט ונשברה משלמין חצי דמיה הואיל ומשוי זה גדול לגבי אחד וקל לגבי שנים הרי הוא כאונס ואינו אונס ומשלמין מחצה אם יש עדים שלא פשעו בה נשברה במקום שאין העדים מצויין נשבעין שלא שברוה בפשיעה ומשלמין חצי דמיה שהרי לא היה לכל אחד להעביר אלא משוי שיכול להעבירו בפני עצמו מכאן אתה למד שהאחד שהעביר חבית גדולה שאין דרך כל הסבלים להעבירה שהוא פושע ואם נשברה בידו משלם הכל:
3
The following rules apply when a porter breaks a jug of wine belonging to a merchant and was obligated to make restitution, and the jug was worth four zuzim on a market day, and three zuzim on other days. If he makes restitution on a market day, he must give him either a jug of wine or four zuzim This applies if the merchant does not possess other wine to sell on the market day. If the merchant possesses other wine, the porter is required to pay only three. If the porter makes restitution on another day, he is required to return only three.
Whenever the porter makes restitution, a deduction is made for the effort the merchant would have to undertake in selling the jug, the damage the hole causes in the jug, and other similar matters.
ג
הסבל ששבר חבית של יין לחנווני ונתחייב לשלם והרי היא שוה ביום השוק ארבעה ובשאר הימים שלשה אם החזירו ביום השוק חייבין להחזיר חבית של יין או ישלמו לו ארבעה והוא שלא היה לו יין למכור ביום השוק אבל אם היה לו יין מחזירין לו שלשה החזירו לו בשאר הימים מחזירין לו שלשה ומנכין לו בכל זמן טורח שהיה טורח במכירתה ופגם הנקב שהיה נוקב החבית וכן כל כיוצא בזה:
4
The following rules apply when wolves come and attack herds being watched by a shepherd and seize some of them. If there is only one wolf, it is not considered to be a loss due to factors beyond his control. This applies even when there is an outbreak of wolves. If there are two wolves, it is considered to be a loss beyond his control." Two dogs are not considered to be a loss beyond his control, even if they come from two directions. If there are more than two, it is considered to be a loss beyond his control.
Armed thieves are considered to be a loss beyond his control. This applies even if the shepherd was armed and only one armed thief opposed him; it is considered to be a loss beyond his control. For a shepherd will not risk his life as a thief will.
A lion, a bear, a leopard, a cheetah or a snake are considered to be losses beyond his control.
When does this apply? When they come on their own initiative. If, however, the shepherd brings his herd to a place of wild beasts or thieves, losses incurred because of them are not considered to be losses beyond his control, and the shepherd is liable to make restitution.
ד
רועה שבאו זאבים וטרפו ממנו אם היה זאב אחד אין זה אונס אפילו בשעת משלחת זאבים ואם היו שני זאבים ה"ז אונס שני כלבים אינן אונס אפילו באו משתי רוחות היו יתר על שנים ה"ז אונס ליסטים מזויין הרי הוא אונס ואפילו היה הרועה מזויין ובא לו ליסטים אחר מזויין הרי זה אונס שאין הרועה מוסר נפשו כליסטים הארי והדוב והנמר והברדלס והנחש הרי אלו אונסין אימתי בזמן שבאו מאליהן אבל אם הוליכם למקום גדודי חיות וליסטים אין אלו אונסין וחייב לשלם:
5
When a shepherd encounters a thief and begins to boast to him, trying to show him that he is not concerned with him, saying: "We are in this and this place. We have these and these many shepherds, and these and these types of weapons," and the thief comes and overcomes him and seizes the animals, the shepherd is liable. For there is no difference between bringing the animal(s) to a place of beasts and thieves, or boasting and thus bringing the thieves to the place of the animal(s).
ה
רועה שמצא גנב והתחיל להתגרות בו ולהראותו שאינו חושש ממנו ואמר לו הרי אנו במקום פלוני וכך וכך רועים אנחנו וכך וכך כלי מלחמה יש לנו ובא אותו הליסטים ונצחו ולקח מהן הרי הרועה חייב שאחד המוליך את הבהמה למקום גדודי חיות וליסטים או מביא את הליסטים בהתגרותו למקום הבהמה:
6
If a shepherd had the opportunity of saving an animal that was preyed upon or taken captive by calling to other shepherds or bringing staves, and he did not call to other shepherds or bring staves to save the animal, he is liable. This applies to both an unpaid watchman and a paid watchman. The difference is that an unpaid watchman should call to other watchman and bring staves without charge. If he cannot find any available for free, he is not liable. A paid watchman, by contrast, is obligated to hire other shepherds and staves until the value of the animal(s) in order to save them. Afterwards, he should collect their hire from the owner. If he does not do so and had the opportunity to hire others and did not avail himself of it, he is considered to be negligent and is liable to make restitution.
ו
רועה שהיה לו להציל הטריפה או השבויה ברועים אחרים ובמקלות ולא קרא רועים אחרים ולא הביא מקלות להציל הרי זה חייב אחד ש"ח ואחד ש"ש אלא שש"ח קורא רועים ומביא מקלות בחנם ואם לא מצא פטור אבל ש"ש חייב לשוכר הרועים והמקלות עד כדי דמי הבהמה כדי להציל וחוזר ולוקח שכרן מבעל הבית ואם לא עשה כן והיה לו לשכור ולא שכר ה"ז פושע וחייב:
7
When a shepherd claims that he hired other shepherds to save a herd from danger, he is required to take an oath. He may then collect the amount that he claims. The rationale is that he cannot claim more than the value of the herd and he could have claimed that the herd was preyed upon. He is required to take an oath while holding a sacred object, as required of all those who take oaths and expropriate property.
ז
רועה שטען שהצלתי על ידי רועים בשכר נשבע ונוטל מה שטען שאינו יכול לטעון אלא עד כדי דמיהן ויכול היה לומר נטרפה וישבע בנקיטת חפץ כדין כל הנשבעין ונוטלין:
8
The following laws apply when a shepherd abandoned his herd and came to the city - whether at the time the shepherds usually come to the city or at a time when this is not their practice - and wolves came and preyed upon the herd, or lions came and attacked them. We do not postulate that if he had been there, he definitely could have saved the animals. Instead, we assess the situation. If he could have saved them - even by hiring other shepherds and staves - he is liable. If not, he is not liable. If it is impossible to make such an assessment, he is liable.
ח
רועה שהניח עדרו ובא לעיר בין בעת שדרך הרועים להכנס ובין בעת שאין דרך הרועים להכנס ובאו זאבים וטרפו ארי ודרס אין אומרים אילו היה שם היה מציל אלא אומדין אותו אם יכול להציל על ידי רועים ומקלות חייב ואם לאו פטור ואם אין הדבר ידוע חייב לשלם:
9
If an animal dies in an ordinary manner, this is considered to be a loss beyond the shepherd's control, and he is not liable. If he oppressed it and it died, it is not considered a loss beyond his control. If it overcame the shepherd and ascended to a high cliff, and it overcame him and fell, it is considered to be a loss beyond his control. If he led it up a steep cliff or it ascended on its own accord, but he could have prevented it from doing so and failed to do so, even though it overcame him and fell and died or was injured, he is liable. For whenever there is negligence at the outset, but ultimately the actual loss happens because of factors beyond the watchman's control, he is liable.
Similarly, when a shepherd leads animals across a bridge, and one pushes another and it falls into the current of the river, the shepherd is liable. The rationale is that he should have brought them over one by one. Indeed, the reason a shepherd receives a wage is to watch the animals in a effective manner. Since he was negligent at the outset, by causing them to cross together, even though when the animal fell, the loss was beyond his control, he is liable.
ט
מתה הבהמה כדרכה ה"ז אונס והרועה פטור סגפה ומתה אינו אונס תקפתו ועלתה לראשי צוקין ותקפתו ונפלה הרי זה אונס העלה לראשי צוקין או שעלתה מאליה והוא יכול למנעה ולא מנעה אף על פי שתקפתו ונפלה ומתה או נשברה חייב שכל שתחלתו בפשיעה וסופו באונס חייב וכן רועה שהעביר הבהמות על הגשר ודחפה אחת מהן לחבירתה ונפלה לשבולת הנהר ה"ז חייב שהיה לו להעבירן אחת אחת שאין השומר נוטל שכר אלא לשמור שמירה מעולה והואיל ופשע בתחלה והעבירן כאחד אע"פ שנאנס בסוף בעת הנפילה הרי הוא חייב:
10
If the shepherd was negligent and the animal went out to a swamp and died in an ordinary manner, he is not liable. For the animal's going there did not cause it to be lost due to forces beyond the shepherd's control. Since it died in an ordinary manner, what difference is it whether it diedin the watchman's house or in the swamp?
If, by contrast, a thief stole it from the swamp, and it died in an ordinary manner in the thief's house, the watchman is liable, even if he is an unpaid watchman. For even if it had not died, it would have been lost to its owner in the possession of the thief, and its going out to the swamp allowed it to be stolen. Similar laws apply in all analogous situations.
י
פשע בה ויצאה לאגם ומתה שם כדרכה פטור שאין יציאתה גרמה לה שתבוא לידי אונס זה הואיל וכדרכה מתה מה לי בבית שומר מה לי באגם אבל אם גנבה גנב מהאגם ומתה כדרכה בבית הגנב הרי השומר חייב אף על פי שהוא ש"ח שאפילו לא מתה הרי היא אבדה ביד הגנב ויציאתה גרמה לה להגנב וכן כל כיוצא בזה:
Hayom Yom:
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• English Text | Video Class
Sunday, Menachem Av 14, 5777 · 06 August 2017
"Today's Day"
Sunday, Menachem Av 14, 5703
Torah lessons: Chumash: Eikev, first parsha with Rashi.
Tehillim: 72-76.
Tanya: And this is (p. 405) ...be (His) will. (p. 407).
Tachanun is not said at Mincha.
The 14th of Menachem Av 5701 (1941) marked fifty years since my father told me to begin recording the stories he told me. When the Tzemach Tzedek began writing on Talmudic and chassidic subjects, the Alter Rebbe said to him: Uknei l'cha chaver1 (lit. "acquire a friend for yourself"); read v'kaneh l'cha chaver (a slight change in vowels) - "the quill shall be your friend."
My father once quoted the Alter Rebbe, "v'kaneh etc..., the quill shall be your friend" - and elaborated: This refers to the quill of the heart, meaning that whatever one learns one must experience emotionally.
FOOTNOTES
1.Avot 1:6.
Daily Thought:
My Thing
You need to take ownership of those things most important in life—the charity you give, the kind deeds you do, the Torah you learn and teach.
You can’t just say, “This is G‑d’s business; He has to take care of it.” It has to hurt when it doesn’t work out; you have to dance with joy when it does.
That is why G‑d created the “I”—so that we would do these things as owners, not just as workers.
[Likkutei Sichot, vol. 33, p. 118.]
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