Pesachim

AND A MAN MUST NOT ACT DIFFERENTLY [FROM LOCAL CUSTOM] ON ACCOUNT OF THE QUARRELS [WHICH WOULD ENSUE]. SIMILARLY, HE WHO TRANSPORTS SABBATICAL YEAR PRODUCE FROM A PLACE WHERE IT HAS CEASED TO A PLACE WHERE IT HAS NOT CEASED OR FROM A PLACE WHERE IT HAS NOT CEASED TO A PLACE WHERE IT HAS CEASED,1 IS BOUND TO REMOVE IT.2 R. JUDAH SAID: ‘DO YOU TOO GO OUT AND BRING [PRODUCE] FOR YOURSELF.3 GEMARA. Why particularly THE EVE OF PASSOVER? Even on the eve of Sabbaths and Festivals too? For it was taught: He who does work on the eve of Sabbaths or Festivals from minhah4 and onwards will never see a sign of blessing?5 — There it is forbidden only from minhah and onwards, but not near to6 minhah; [whereas] here it is [forbidden] from midday. Alternatively, there he merely does not see a sign of blessing,7 yet we do not place him under the ban; [whereas] here we even place him under the ban. [To turn to] the main text: He who does work on the eve of the Sabbath and on the eve of Festivals from minhah and onwards, and at the termination of the Sabbath or at the termination of a Festival, or at the termination of the Day of Atonement, or wherever there is the [least] suspicion of sin,8 which is to include a public fast,9 will never see the sign of a blessing. Our Rabbis taught: Some are industrious and profit [thereby,] while others are industrious and suffer loss; some are indolent10 and profit [thereby], while others are indolent and suffer loss. An industrious man who profits, — he who works the whole week but does not work on the eve of the Sabbath. An industrious man who suffers loss, — he who works the whole week and works on the eve of the Sabbath. An indolent man who profits, — he who does not work the whole week and does not work on the eve of the Sabbath.11 An indolent man who suffers loss, — he who does not work the whole week but works on the eve of the Sabbath. Raba said: As to these women of Mahuza,12 though they do not work on the eve of the Sabbath, it is because they are used to indulgence [indolence], seeing that they do not work every day either. Yet even so, we call them, an indolent person who profits’.13 Raba opposed [two verses]. It is written, For thy mercy is great unto the heavens;14 whereas it is also written, For thy mercy is great above the heavens?15 How is this [to be explained]? Here it refers to those who perform [God's behest] for its own sake;16 there it refers to those who perform [it] with an ulterior motive.17 And [this is] in accordance with Rab Judah. For Rab Judah said in Rab's name: A man should always occupy himself with Torah and good deeds, though it is not for their own sake, for out of [doing good] with an ulterior motive there comes [doing good] for its own sake. Our Rabbis taught: He who looks to the earnings of his wife or of a mill will never see a sign of blessing. ‘The earnings of his wife’ means [when she goes around selling wool] by weight.18 ‘[The earnings of] a mill’ means its hire.19 But if she makes [e.g., woollen garments] and sells them, Scripture indeed praises her, for it is written, she maketh linen garments and selleth them. 20 Our Rabbis taught: He who trades in cane and jars will never see a sign of blessing. What is the reason? Since their bulk is large, the [evil] eye has power over them. Our Rabbis taught: Traders in market-stands21 and those who breed small cattle,22 and those who cut down beautiful trees,23 and those who cast their eyes at the better portion,24 will never see a sign of blessing. What is the reason? Because people gaze at them.25 Our Rabbis taught: Four perutoth never contain a sign of blessing:26 the wages of clerks, the wages of interpreters,27 the profits of orphans,28 and money that came from oversea countries. As for the wages of interpreters, that is well, [the reason being] because it looks like wages for Sabbath [work]; orphans money too, because they are not capable of renunciation;29 money which comes from overseas, because a miracle does not occur every day.30 But what is the reason for the wages of writers? — Said R. Joshua b. Levi: The men of the Great Assembly31 observed twenty-four fasts so that those who write Scrolls, tefillin and mezuzoth32 should not become wealthy for if they became wealthy they would not write. Our Rabbis taught: Those who write Scrolls, tefillin, and mezuzoth, they, their traders and their traders’ traders,33 and all who engage [in trade] in sacred commodities,34 which includes the sellers of blue wool,35 never see a sign of blessing. But if they engage [therein] for its own sake,36 they do see [a sign of blessing]. The citizens of Beyshan37 were accustomed not to go from Tyre to Sidon38 on the eve of the Sabbath. Their children went to R. Johanan and said to him, For our fathers this was possible; for us it is impossible. Said he to them, Your fathers have already taken it upon themselves, as it is said, Hear my son, the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother.39 The inhabitants of Hozai40 were accustomed to separate hallah on rice.41 [When] they went and told it to R. Joseph he said to them, Let a lay Israelite eat it in their presence:42 Abaye raised an objection against him: Things which are permitted, yet others treat them as forbidden, 43 animals, a man may keep produce at home as his private property; but when the produce in the field has ceased, — the animals having consumed it, he must carry out the produce from his home and declare it free for all. Having done this, he may then take back into the house whatever he needs for his private use (Tosaf. 52b, s.v. ihrgc,n). terminated. fact he does abstain. used . . ,yet even so are called etc.] woman. other three incur the ill-will of people, the first because breeding small animals was generally frowned upon. interpreter, and he explained them to the people. Also, those who publicly interpreted and translated the weekly readings of the Law on the Sabbath. their labour. after the Prophets; v. Ab. I, 1. to go there and back in one day. It must therefore be located in the neighbourhood of Tyre and it is identified with the village at Abasiya, N.E. of Tyre (Hurwitz, Palestine, p. 112).]