These things were instituted to foster peace: A Cohein reads first (in the Torah); and after him, a Levite; and after him, an Israelite [when they are equal in wisdom; but if the Israelite were greater in wisdom, he takes precedence to the Cohein and the Levite (for "a mamzer who is a Torah scholar takes precedence to a high-priest who is an ignoramus.") This is the law of the gemara; but the practice today is that a Cohein, even if he is an ignoramus, takes precedence to the greatest sage in Israel.] to foster peace. [For according to the Torah, the Cohein can allow anyone he wishes to read in the Torah before him; and "to foster peace" they instituted that he read first and not allow another to do so, so that quarreling not break out, viz.: "Why did you let him read and not the other?" And it makes no difference in this regard whether it be a Sabbath or a festival, when there are many congregants, or a Monday or Thursday — at the present time a Cohein always reads first and may not permit an Israelite to read before him, so as to avoid quarrels. And if there be no Cohein there, "the bundle is scattered," and a Levite reads next only if he is of greater eminence (than the others). Others say that (in such an instance) a Levite does not read at all. And this is the halachah.] An eruv is placed in an old house [ The inhabitants of a courtyard, who are wont to place their Sabbath eruv in the same house every week, should not place it in a different house ], to foster peace. [ For those who were wont to see the eruv in that house, now, not seeing it, might come to say that they carry without an eruv, casting suspicion upon them.] The (water) pit which is closest to the duct [coming from the river] is filled up first [and afterwards, those below it], to foster peace. Theft obtains with (what is taken from) the nets "of" (i.e., which are used to trap) animals birds and fish [even though they lack an "inside" to (legally) acquire their snare], to foster peace [and is not subject to prosecution in beth-din]. R. Yossi says: It is absolute theft [by rabbinical ordinance, and it is subject to prosecution in beth-din. In any event, R. Yossi concedes that it is not theft by Torah law to make one liable for transgression of a negative commandment. (The halachah is not in accordance with R. Yossi)]. Theft obtains with what is found by a deaf-mute, a simpleton, or a minor, to foster peace. R. Yossi says: It is absolute theft. If a pauper were menakef olives (of peah or shikchah) ["menakef" = cutting, as in (Isaiah 10:34): "Venikaf (and he will cut down) the thickets of the forest"], what falls below him is subject to theft, to foster peace. R. Yossi says: It is absolute theft. We do not protest the taking of leket, shikchah, or peah by gentile paupers, to foster peace.
Bartenura on Mishnah Gittin
כהן קורא ראשון – When they are equal in wisdom, but if the Israelite is greater in wisdom, he precedes the Kohen and the Levite (see Mishnah Horayot, Chapter 3, Mishnah 8) for a Sage who is illegitimate comes before a High Priest who is an ignoramus. The law is the law of the Gemara, but today it is the practice that the Kohen, even if he is an ignoramus, comes before a great Sage who is an Israelite.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Gittin
Introduction
This mishnah teaches rules that were made in order to keep peace between people. These “ways of peace” are a subcategory of “tikkun olam”. Whereas many of the other enactments made because of “tikkun olam” had a strong economic element, these rules are more concerned with interpersonal relations.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Gittin
מפני דרכי שלום – that from the Torah, a Kohen can give permission to whomever he wishes that would read from the Torah before him, but for the sake of the social order, they said that he [i.e., the Kohen] should read first and not give permission to another to read [before him], so that it doesn’t come to wrangling. But if there is no Kohen there, the cord has been severed and a Levite should not read second, other than according to his importance. And there are those who say that the Levite should not [in this case where there is no Kohen] read (i.e., called up to) the Torah at all and this is the custom.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Gittin
These were the rules they laid down because of the ways of peace: A priest is called up first to read the Torah and after him a Levite and then an Israelite, because of the ways of peace. The custom of the Kohen receiving the first aliyah to the Torah and the Levite the second and only then the rest of the congregation was enacted because of the ways of peace. [Quite frankly, it seems that this hasn’t worked all that well and synagogue-goers will just find something else to argue about but that’s another story.]
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Bartenura on Mishnah Gittin
מערבין בבית ישן – members of a courtyard who are accustomed to place their Eruv (contribute their share towards a dish which is deposited in one of the dwellings, by which act all the dwellings are considered as common to all – whereby the carrying of objects on Shabbat from one to another and across the court are permitted) in one [particular] house, should not change their place to place it in another house.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Gittin
An “eruv” is placed in the room where it has always been placed, because of the ways of peace. An “eruv” is made by enclosing an area (done today with twine or something similar) and by putting a symbolically communal meal in one house in the area. This is a legal fiction to turn a large community into a “home” so that people can carry on Shabbat within this area. The mishnah teaches that this meal is put in the same house every week. If it were to move around from week to week people might argue where it should be put. Alternatively, people might not trust that the eruv was set properly because they didn’t know where it is. Therefore, it is left in the same house week after week.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Gittin
מפני דרכי שלום – that people who are accustomed to see the Eruv in the same house, [and] now that they don’t see it, will say that they are carrying [on the Sabbath] without an Eruv, and there is suspicion.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Gittin
The cistern which is nearest to the channel is filled first, because of the ways of peace. To irrigate cisterns channels were made from the river. The mishnah teaches that the first cistern on the channel is allowed to fill up first and the other cistern owners cannot tell the owner of the closest cistern that he should periodically close his up so that they can fill up first. Rather the cisterns are always filled up in the same order to avoid fights.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Gittin
בור שהוא קרוב – to one who finds a canal that comes from the river.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Gittin
[Taking of] beasts, birds and fishes from traps [set by others] is robbery, because of the ways of peace. Rabbi Yose says that it is actual robbery. The mishnah now begins with a list of three things the taking of which is not considered to be true robbery. Rather, taking these things is prohibited only because of the “ways of peace”. In each of these cases, Rabbi Yose holds that it is prohibited not because of the “ways of peace” but because taking them is truly robbery as defined by the Torah. The first case is taking animals from traps. Since these animals have not yet come into the physical possession of the trap-setters, taking from them is not technically robbery. However, it is still prohibited because of the “ways of peace.” Rabbi Yose holds that although they have not yet come into the physical possession of the trap-setters, the trap-setters have acquired them and therefore taking them is full “robbery.”
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Bartenura on Mishnah Gittin
מתמלא ראשון – and afterwards the lower ones are filled.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Gittin
[Taking away] anything found by a deaf-mute, an idiot or a minor is robbery, because of the ways of peace. Rabbi Yose says that it is actual robbery. According to the first opinion, a deaf-mute, imbecile or child do not legally acquire things that they find. Therefore, technically speaking when one takes something that they found away from them, he is not robbing them. However, for many obvious reasons, this is prohibited because of “the ways of peace.” Again, Rabbi Yose considers this to be full robbery.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Gittin
מצודות חיה – that lack a receptacle where he acquires his utensils (?)
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English Explanation of Mishnah Gittin
If a poor man strikes [down olives] on top of an olive tree, [taking the fruit] that is beneath him is robbery. Rabbi Yose says that it is actual robbery. There are three things that a poor person can take 1) the corners of the field; 2) things which the harvester forgot to take; 3) grain that fell out of the harvesters’ hands. In our mishnah a poor person is on top of an olive tree, beating the tree so that the olives fall below so that he can collect them. Technically, the olives which fall below are not his until he gathers them into his possession. Therefore, if someone else takes them before he gathers them he has not technically stolen them. However, because of “the ways of peace” it is forbidden. Again, Rabbi Yose holds that this is “full robbery.”
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Bartenura on Mishnah Gittin
יש בהן משום גזל מפני דרכי שלום – and is not removed by the judges
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English Explanation of Mishnah Gittin
Poor Gentiles are not prevented from gathering gleanings, forgotten sheaves, and the corners of the field, because of the ways of peace. The agricultural products left in the field are meant to be for poor Jews. However, in the interest of peace Jews are supposed to allow non-Jews to take them as well. I should note that this obviously is an important issue for modern Jews, both in the Diaspora and in Israel.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Gittin
רבי יוסי אומר: גזל גמור – According to the Rabbis and is removed by judges. However, Rabbi Yosi admits that it is not theft according to the Torah, to transgress with a negative commandment. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yosi.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Gittin
המנקף – cut off/sever, like Isaiah 10:34: “The thickets of the forest shall be hacked away with iron…”
