POINT BY POINT SUMMARY
Prepared by Rabbi P. Feldman of Kollel Iyun Hadaf, Yerushalayim Rosh Kollel: Rabbi Mordecai Kornfeld
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Gitin 12
GITIN 12 - This Daf has been dedicated to the memory of Moshe Simcha ben
David Z"L Rubner by his parents, David and Zahava Rubner of Petach Tikva.
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1) ACQUIRING ON BEHALF OF OTHERS (cont.)
(a) Objection #1 (Ameimar): Perhaps all agree that one who
seizes property from a borrower on behalf of a lender
does not acquire for him.
1. R. Eliezer only says that one can acquire Pe'ah for
a poor man, because even a rich man could declare
his property ownerless, making himself poor, and he
could take it for himself;
i. Since he could take the Pe'ah for himself, he
may take it for another.
(b) Objection #2 (Ameimar): Perhaps all agree that one who
seizes property from a borrower on behalf of a lender
acquires for him.
1. Chachamim only say that one cannot acquire Pe'ah for
a poor man, because it says "Do not gather, for the
poor (you will leave it)" - we expound, do not
gather for a poor man.
2. Question: What does R. Eliezer learn from "Do not
gather, for the poor"?
3. Answer: This warns a poor man not to gather Pe'ah of
his own field.
2) MUST ONE FEED HIS SLAVE?
(a) (Mishnah): If a man does not want to feed ...
1. We infer, a man is allowed to tell his (Kana'ani)
slave, 'Work for me and I will not feed you'.
2. Rejection: No - the case is, the master told him,
'Feed yourself from your earnings'.
3. Question: The corresponding case by his wife is that
he told her 'Feed yourself from your earnings' - why
did the Mishnah say that he must feed his wife?
4. Answer: The case is, her earnings do not suffice for
her food.
5. Question: The case of the slave should also be, his
earnings do not suffice for his food!
6. Answer: One has no obligation to feed a slave that
eats more than the value of his work.
(b) (Beraisa): A slave was exiled to a refuge city (for
having killed unintentionally) - his master need not feed
him, but his earnings go to his master.
1. We infer, a man is allowed to tell his (Kana'ani)
slave, 'Work for me and I will not feed you'.
2. Rejection: No - the case is, his master told him,
'Feed yourself from your earnings'.
3. Question: If so, why does the Beraisa say that his
earnings go to his master?
4. Answer: The excess earnings (above the cost of his
food) go to his master.
5. Question: This is obvious!
6. Answer: One might have thought, since the master
does not give the slave at times when the slave
lacks, he does not take from the slave when the
slave has extra - we hear, this is not so.
(c) Question: If the law is true in general, why does the
Beraisa speak of a slave in exile?
(d) Answer: It says, "He will live" -one might have thought,
one must take extra efforts to ensure his livelihood - we
hear, this is not so.
(e) Question: But end of the Beraisa says, a wife was exiled
to a refuge city - her husband must feed her - it must
be, he did not tell her to feed herself from her
earnings.
1. Since the end of the Beraisa is when he did not tell
her, also in the beginning of the Beraisa he did not
tell his slave!
(f) Answer: Really, he told them; he must feed his wife when
she cannot feed herself from her earnings.
(g) Question: But the Beraisa continues, if he told his wife
to feed herself from her earnings, he is allowed - this
implies, before this, the case is that he did not say
this!
(h) Answer: The Beraisa says thusly: if she earns enough to
feed herself, he is allowed to tell her to feed herself
from her earnings.
(i) Question: If she can earn enough, this is obvious!
(j) Answer: One might have thought, because "The honor of the
king's daughter is (to stay) inside", she need not work
and he must feed her - we hear, this is not so.
(k) Suggestion: Tana'im argue whether a master can tell his
slave 'Work for me and I will not feed you'.
1. (Beraisa - R. Shimon ben Gamliel): In years of
famine, a slave can tell his master, 'Feed me or
free me'; Chachamim say, the master need not comply;
2. Suggestion: Chachamim hold, a master can say 'Work
for me and I will not feed you'; R. Shimon ben
Gamliel says, he cannot.
3. Question #1: If so, (according to R. Shimon ben
Gamliel) why does the slave request food or freedom
- his claim should be 'Feed me or give me my
earnings towards my food'!
4. Question #2: If so, why does the Beraisa speak
specifically of famine years?
5. Answer (To both questions): The case is, his master
said 'Feed yourself from your earnings' - in famine
years, the slave's earnings do not suffice.
i. R. Shimon ben Gamliel holds, if he will not
feed him, he must free him, so people will have
mercy on him and feed him.
ii. Chachamim hold, whoever has mercy to feed a
free man will also have mercy to feed a slave.
3) HOW THE AMORA'IM HOLD
(a) (Rav): One who makes Hekdesh his slave's hands, the slave
borrows money for food, and pays up the debt through his
earnings.
1. We infer, a man is allowed to tell his slave, 'Work
for me and I will not feed you'.
(b) Rejection: No - the case is, his master is feeding him.
(c) Question: If so, why does the slave borrow to eat?
12b---------------------------------------12b
(d) Answer: For extra food.
(e) Question: (The treasurer of) Hekdesh should tell him -
until now, you managed with standard rations - now also,
that suffices for you!
(f) Answer: It is beneficial for Hekdesh that he eats extra,
his value will increase.
(g) Question: How can he pay his debt through his earnings -
every bit of money, as he earns it, becomes Hekdesh!
(h) Answer: He pays from his earnings bit by bit, before his
earnings accumulate to a Perutah.
(i) We can prove that the case is that the master is feeding
him.
1. (Rav): One who makes his slave's hands Hekdesh, the
slave works and eats what he earns - if he will not
work, who will feed him?!
2. We can resolve the contradiction in Rav's 2
teachings by saying that in the former, the master
feeds him; in the latter, he does not.
(j) Question: But if you will say that in the first teaching,
the master does not feed him, because a master can say
'Work for me and I will not feed you' - why does the
second teaching say, 'Who will feed him' - whoever wants
to will feed him!
1. Rather, we conclude, Rav holds that he cannot say
'Work for me and I will not feed you'.
(k) (R. Yochanan): Reuven cut off the hand of Shimon's slave
- Reuven compensates Shimon for the loss of earnings and
the medical expenses; the slave is fed from Tzedakah.
1. R. Yochanan must hold, a master can say 'Work for me
and I will not feed you'.
2. Rejection: No - the case is, the master is feeding
him.
3. Question: If so, why is the slave fed from Tzedakah?
4. Answer: For extra food.
5. Objection: If so, it should say he is financed from
Tzedakah!
6. Rather, R. Yochanan must hold, a master can say
'Work for me and I will not feed you'.
(l) Question: R. Yochanan said, Shimon receives the
compensation for the loss of earnings and the medical
expenses - obviously, he gets the compensation for the
loss of earnings!
(m) Answer: Yes, it was only taught by way of teaching the
medical expenses.
(n) Question: The medical expenses should go to the slave, he
must heal himself!
(o) Answer: The case is, the doctors estimated that he needs
5 days of treatment; they gave him a potent (but painful)
drug which healed him in 3 days.
1. One might have thought, the savings goes to the
slave, since it came through his pain - we hear, it
goes to the master.
4) DOES A SLAVE BENEFIT BY GOING FREE?
(a) (Beraisa - R. Elazar): We told R. Meir - a slave benefits
by going free!
1. R. Meir: No, it is disadvantageous for him - if his
master was a Kohen, freedom disqualifies him from
eating Terumah.
2. Chachamim: But the master can say that he will not
feed him!
3. R. Meir: A Kohen's slave that fled, or a Kohen's
wife that rebels on him - they eat Terumah, but not
a freed slave!
i. But it is disadvantageous for a wife to be
divorced, for she is disqualified from Terumah
and ceases to be fed.
(b) Question: How do we understand this dialogue between R.
Meir and Chachamim?
(c) Answer: R. Meir admitted - you refuted my proof from food
- what can you answer regarding Terumah?
1. Suggestion: If you will say, the master could throw
a Get at the slave (and divorce him against his
will), and disqualify him from Terumah - the slave
could run away!
2. A Kohen's slave that fled, or a Kohen's wife that
rebelled, may eat Terumah, but a freed slave may
not!
3. Question: R. Meir's argument is sound - why didn't
Chachamim agree?
4. Answer (Rava): The Mishnah records their answer -
because he is the money of the Kohen, the master may
sell him to a Yisrael for a small amount and
disqualify the slave from Terumah, wherever the
slave is.
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