Translation:Mishnah/Seder Zeraim/Tractate Berakhot/Chapter 2/7
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Introduction[edit]
This mishnah continues from Mishnah Berakhot 2:6 and Mishnah Berakhot 2:7 and provides a third story about Rabban Gamliel. Once again, he makes an exception from the general rule that he taught his students.
Hebrew Text[edit]
- וּכְשֶׁמֵּת טָבִי עַבְדּוֹ – קִבֵּל עָלָיו תַּנְחוּמִין.
- אָמְרוּ לוֹ תַּלְמִידָיו:
- לֹא לִמַּדְתָּנוּ, רַבֵּנוּ, שֶׁאֵין מְקַבְּלִין תַּנְחוּמִין עַל הָעֲבָדִים?
- אָמַר לָהֶם:
- אֵין טָבִי עַבְדִּי כִּשְׁאָר כָּל הָעֲבָדִים,
- כָּשֵׁר הָיָה.
English Translation[edit]
- And when [Rabban Gamliel's] slave Tavi died,
- He received words of comfort for him.
- His students said to him:
- Didn't you teach us, our teacher, that one does not receive words of comfort for slaves?
- He said to them:
- My slave Tavi was not like other slaves.
- He was kasher.
Explanation[edit]
Slave: It would appear from the questions asked of Rabban Gamliel that Tavi was a Canaanite slave.
Kasher: Literally, 'fit'. It is not uncommon for individuals to mourn the deaths of men of great Torah scholarship. Evidently, Tavi was one such man, in spite of his being a slave.