POINT BY POINT SUMMARY
Prepared by Rabbi P. Feldman of Kollel Iyun Hadaf, Yerushalayim Rosh Kollel: Rabbi Mordecai Kornfeld
Ask A Question on the daf
Previous daf
Gitin 53
GITIN 53-55 - Sponsored by Rabbi Dr. Eli Turkel and his wife, Jeri
Turkel. May Hashem bless them with many years of Simcha,
health and fulfillment, and may they see all of their children
and grandchildren follow them in the ways of Torah and Yir'as
Shamayim!
|
1) UNOBSERVABLE DAMAGE
(a) (Mishnah): Reuven made Shimon's produce Tamei, or mixed
Shimon's produce with Terumah, or Nisech (rendered
Shimon's wine a libation to idolatry) - if he did this
unintentionally, he is exempt; intentionally, he must
pay.
(b) (Gemara - Rav): The case of Menasech is understood
simply, he poured the wine as a libation to idolatry.
(c) (Shmuel): No, he mixed Shimon's wine with wine which was
a libation to idolatry.
1. Question: Why didn't Shmuel explain as Rav?
2. Answer: Shmuel holds, in such a case, Reuven would
be exempt (since at the time he damages, he is
liable to death for serving idolatry).
i. Rav holds as R. Yirmeyah, who says that Reuven
acquired (responsibility for) Shimon's wine
when he picked it up; he is not liable to death
until he pours it to the idolatry.
3. Question: Why didn't Rav explain as Shmuel?
4. Answer: Mixing wine is just as mixing produce with
Terumah, the Mishnah would not teach this case
twice.
5. Shmuel holds that we can not derive one fine from
another, each must be taught by itself.
(d) Question: Rav holds that we can derive fines from one
another - why must the Mishnah teach these 3 cases?
(e) Answer: We cannot learn mixing Terumah with Chulin from
making Tamei as we explain:
1. If the case is making Terumah Tamei, he renders it
totally worthless, we could not learn to mixing
Terumah and Chulin (the mixture is permitted to a
Kohen);
2. If it speaks of making Chulin Tamei, perhaps we were
more stringent there, because it is forbidden to
make Chulin Tamei in Eretz Yisrael;
3. We cannot learn the fine for making Tamei from that
for mixing Terumah and Chulin, for the latter is
more common;
4. From these 2 fines, we could not learn pouring wine
as a libation - one might have thought, he is exempt
because he is liable to death - the Mishnah much
teach, this is not so, as R. Yirmeyah taught.
(f) (R. Avin's father): At first, they used to say that one
who makes another's produce Tamei, or prohibits it as a
libation to idolatry, he must pay; later, they said, even
one that mixes it with Terumah.
(g) Question: Why must all these cases be taught?
(h) Answer: One is not liable to be killed for making produce
Tamei, so we could not learn to pouring wine as a
libation (one might have thought, he is exempt from
paying because he is liable to death).
1. We can not learn from pouring wine as a libation,
which renders the wine worthless, to making produce
Tamei, in which case the produce retains value.
2. We could not learn from these 2 cases, in which
there is a large loss, to the case of mixing Terumah
and Chulin, which only causes a small loss.
2) DOES THE TORAH OBLIGATE PAYMENT FOR UNOBSERVABLE DAMAGE?
(a) (Chizkiyah): mid'Oraisa, one is obligated whether he
caused unobservable damage unintentionally or
intentionally - the Torah considers it damage.
1. It was a Rabbinical enactment to exempt one who
damaged unintentionally, in order that he will tell
the victim.
2. Question: If so, the same enactment should apply to
one who intentionally damaged!
3. Answer: If he intentionally damaged, certainly he
will tell him - his whole purpose was to cause him a
loss!
(b) (R. Yochanan): mid'Oraisa, one is exempt whether he
caused unobservable damage unintentionally or
intentionally - the Torah does not consider it to be
damage.
1. It was a Rabbinical enactment to obligate one who
damaged intentionally, in order that people will not
make each other's produce Tamei, knowing that they
will not have to pay.
(c) (Mishnah): Kohanim that had intention to eat sacrifices
in a forbidden time or place (thereby invalidating the
sacrifices) - if they intentionally did this, they are
obligated to pay.
1. (Beraisa): This is an enactment to fix the world.
2. Question: If unobservable damage is considered
damage - the Beraisa should say, if they did so
unintentionally, they are exempt, because of an
enactment to fix the world!
3. Answer: That is the intention of the Beraisa! It
says, when they did this intentionally, they are
obligated; if unintentionally, they are exempt, as
an enactment to fix the world.
(d) Question (R. Elazar - Beraisa): One who uses water
sanctified with ashes of the red heifer or a red heifer
itself (thereby disqualifying them) - Beis Din cannot
make him pay, but Heaven holds him responsible to pay.
1. Question: If unobservable damage is considered
damage - Beis Din should be able to force him to
pay!
(e) Answer (R. Elazar): The case of the red heifer is that he
entered it into the pen so it should nurse and thresh;
the case of the water is, he used them for weighing.
(They are only disqualified because of his intention;
Beis Din cannot make someone pay for damage dependent on
intention.)
(f) Question: But Rava taught, if one used water of the red
heifer for weighing, it remains valid!
53b---------------------------------------53b
(g) Answer #1: Rava speaks of weighing against the water
(e.g. on the other side of a balance scale); R. Elazar's
case is when the water itself was used (e.g. meat was
weighed by placing it in the water and measuring the
displacement).
1. Objection: If an action was done with the water
itself, if unobservable damage is considered damage
- Beis Din should be able to force him to pay!
(h) Answer #2: In both cases, he weighed against the water.
The water is only disqualified if he took his mind off of
guarding it.
(i) Question (Rav Papa - Mishnah): A man stole a coin, and it
became disqualified; or, he stole Terumah, and it became
Teme'ah; or, he stole Chametz, and Pesach came
(forbidding benefit from the Chametz) - he may return the
stolen item, and need not compensate for the loss.
1. If unobservable damage is considered damage - since
he is a thief, he should have to compensate for the
loss!
i. Chizkiyah is refuted.
3) FINING UNINTENTIONAL ON ACCOUNT OF INTENTIONAL
(a) Suggestion: Tana'im argue on unobservable damage.
1. (Mishnah - R. Meir): Reuven made Shimon's produce
Tamei, or mixed Shimon's produce with Terumah, or
Nisech - whether he did this intentionally or not,
he must pay;
2. R. Yehudah says, if he did this unintentionally, he
is exempt; intentionally, he must pay.
3. Suggestion: R. Meir holds that unobservable damage
is considered damage, R. Yehudah holds that it is
not.
(b) Rejection: (Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak): No, all hold that
unobservable damage is not considered damage. R. Meir
holds that we fine one who damaged unintentionally on
account of one who damages intentionally; R. Yehudah does
not make such a fine.
(c) Contradiction: But R. Meir and R. Yehudah both hold just
the opposite!
1. (Beraisa - R. Meir): One who cooks on Shabbos - if
this was unintentional, he may eat the food; if it
was intentional, he may not;
2. R. Yehudah says, if this was unintentional, he may
eat it after Shabbos; if it was intentional, he may
never eat it;
3. R. Yochanan ha'Sandlar says, if this was
unintentional, others may eat the food after
Shabbos, he may not; if it was intentional, no one
may ever eat the food.
(d) Answer (Part 1): R. Meir does not contradict himself - he
only fines unintentional on account of intentional by
mid'Rabanan prohibitions, not by Torah prohibitions.
1. Question: But Menasech is a Torah prohibition, and
R. Meir makes this fine!
2. This is an exception, he fines it because of the
severity of idolatry.
(e) Answer (Part 2): R. Yehudah does not contradict himself -
he only fines unintentional on account of intentional by
mid'Oraisa prohibitions, not by mid'Rabanan prohibitions.
1. Question: But Menasech is mid'Oraisa, and R. Yehudah
does not fine!
2. This is an exception - he need not fine it, because
people refrain from this anyway because of the
severity of idolatry.
(f) Contradiction: Elsewhere, we see that R. Meir fines
unintentional on account of intentionally by mid'Oraisa
laws (and R. Yehudah does not)!
1. (Beraisa - R. Meir): One who plants on Shabbos - if
this was unintentional, he may let it grow; if he
intentionally transgressed, he must uproot it;
i. If he planted in Shemitah, whether it was
intentional or not he must uproot it.
2. R. Yehudah says, if this was unintentional, he may
let it grow; if he intentionally transgressed, he
must uproot it;
i. If he planted on Shabbos, whether it was
intentional or not he must uproot it.
(g) Counter-question: In that Beraisa itself, R. Meir (and R.
Yehudah) are inconsistent - Shabbos and Shemitah are both
mid'Oraisa!
(h) Answer (Beraisa - R. Meir): Regarding Shemitah he must
uproot it, because Yisraelim count the years of Shemitah
(and when they see him redeem the fruit in the 4th year,
they will know that the tree was planted in Shemitah, and
they will assume we may plant in Shemitah);
1. There is no such concern by Shabbos, so he may let
the tree grow.
(i) Another answer: Yisraelim are suspected to transgress
Shemitah, but not to transgress Shabbos.
1. Question: Why is the second answer needed?
2. Answer: One might have thought, sometimes the 30th
day before Shemitah is Shabbos, and people will
remember that a tree was planted on that day (in
order that the 30 days should count as the first of
the years of Orlah) - we hear, Yisrael are not
suspected to transgresses Shabbos, so we are not
concerned for this.
(j) Answer (regarding R. Yehudah): In R. Yehudah's area,
people were very stringent regarding Shemitah (and we are
not concerned that they will transgress).
1. A man in R. Yehudah's area was insulted - he
retorted by saying, 'At least I don't eat
(forbidden) fruits of Shemitah as you do'.
Next daf
|