Commentary for Berakhot 2:7
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:
And when Tevi, his bondsman, died, he accepted condolences for him, at which his disciples said to him: "Did our master not teach us that it is forbidden to accept condolences for bondsmen?" He answered: "Tevi, my bondsman, was not like other bondsmen; he was a man of integrity."
English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
Introduction
This is the final case in which Rabban Gamaliel seems to behave not according to halakhic norms.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
When Tabi his [Rabban Gamaliel’s] slave died he accepted condolences for him. His disciples said to him: Master, have you not taught us that one does not accept condolences for slaves? He replied to them: My slave Tabi was not like other slaves: he was a fit man. Normally, one does not accord to slaves the same mourning practices that one does for a free person. The community does not come to offer condolences to the master nor does the master open his house to people coming to console him. However, Tabi was a special slave, one who kept all of the mitzvoth to which he was subject (see Sukkah 2:1, where Tabi sleeps under a bed inside a sukkah). Hence, Rabban Gamaliel again broke the normal halakhah and accepted formal condolences upon the loss of this special slave.
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