If one bevows benefit from his neighbor, and he comes in to visit him, he may stand, but not sit. [Our Mishnah speaks of the property of the visitor being forbidden to the sick one, in a place where one is paid for sitting with a sick person, so that if he sits with him and does not take the customary payment, he benefits him. But standing is just for a short time and it is not customary to take payment for it.] And he may heal him, the healing of soul [i.e., his body], but not the healing of property [the healing of his beast. For one is obligated to heal his friend if he takes ill, viz. (Deuteronomy 22:2): "And you shall return it to him" — to include bodily restoration (i.e., healing), and he does a mitzvah thereby. Therefore, even though he bevowed himself of benefit from him, he may heal him with his hands (i.e., directly) when he himself takes ill. But if his beast is sick, he may not heal it with his hands because he benefits him thereby. However, he may say to him: This drug is good for it; this drug is bad for it.] And he may bathe with him in a big tub, but not in a small one. [For he benefits him by "lifting" the water upon him.] And he may sleep with him in one bed. R. Yehudah says: In the summertime, but not in the wintertime [because he warms him. The halachah is in accordance with R. Yehudah.] And he may sit with him on one bed, and he may eat with him at one table, but not from the tamchui. [He may not eat with him from one plate, lest he leave off eating a "goodly portion" of it, so that the other, who bevowed benefit from him, eat it; or lest he move a piece close to him so that he eat it, thereby benefitting him.] But he may eat from a tamchui that returns [to the owner. Reuven may eat from a plate that he knows will be sent back to Shimon, who bevowed benefit from him, after it returns to the owner. And we are not concerned that he might leave something in the plate for Shimon to eat, thereby benefitting him.] He may not eat with him from the evus (placed) before the workers, [a large receptacle that they would fill with food and from which the workers would eat together], and he may not work with him together on the border bed. These are the words of R. Meir. [He may not harvest with him in the same row that he is harvesting, for he assists him in finishing his work quickly by providing open spaces before him, thereby benefitting him. The halachah is not in accordance with R. Meir.] The sages say: He may work at a distance from him.
Bartenura on Mishnah Nedarim
עומד אבל לא יושב – our Mishnah deals with when those who visit [the sick] enter who are forbidden [by vow] to the sick. But in a place where they take payment on sitting with the infirm person, for if he sits with him and doesn’t take his customary payment, he causes him benefit. But standing, it is a short time and it is not customary to take payment for this.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Nedarim
Introduction
The mishnah deals with several types of benefit that Shimon must refrain from giving Reuven who has sworn (or been sworn by Shimon) not to receive benefit from him.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Nedarim
רפואת הנפש – the healing of his body.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Nedarim
If one is forbidden to benefit from his neighbor, and he pays him a visit [in sickness] he must stand, but not sit. Shimon may visit Reuven when he is sick, because that is a mitzvah. However, he shouldn’t sit with him for a long time, because that would be causing benefit to Reuven.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Nedarim
רפואת ממונן – the healing of his cattle/beast. For it is obligatory for a person to heal his fellow when he takes ill, as it states (Deuteronomy 22:2): “then you shall give it back to him,” to include he loss of his body, and he is doing a Mitzvah, therefore, even though he made a vow not to allow him to derive any benefit from him, he heals him with his hands when he becomes sick in his body. But if his beast/cattle became ill, he is not able to heal it with his hands because he provides benefit, but says to him: “this drug/medication is fine for it (i.e., the animal), [or] that drug/medication is bad/harmful for it (i.e., the animal).
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English Explanation of Mishnah Nedarim
He may afford him a cure of life, but not a cure of money. The Talmud explains that Shimon may help cure Reuven for that is a commandment. However, he may not cure Reuven’s animal for that is a monetary benefit.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Nedarim
אבל לא בקטנה – because he provides benefit t him when he raises the water over him.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Nedarim
He may bathe together with him in a large bath, but not in a small one. If Shimon gets into a small bath with Reuven, he will raise the level of the bath water, and thereby benefit Reuven. Therefore he may not do so. However, he may get into a large bath with him where the water level will barely be raised.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Nedarim
אבל לא בימות הגשמים – because he warms it (i.e., through his body) And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yehuda.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Nedarim
He may sleep in a bed with him. Rabbi Judah said: in summer, but not in winter, because he thereby benefits him. He may [nevertheless] recline with him on a couch. He may sleep in bed with him, even though he warms up the bed. Rabbi Judah restricts this to the summer months, when it is warm anyway. However, even Rabbi Judah agrees that he may recline with him on the same couch, and we are not concerned lest he fall asleep.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Nedarim
אבל לא מן המחוי – he doesn’t eat with him in one utensil, lest he leave over from eating a nice portion that is within in order that this one who took a vow against deriving benefit from him will eat, or lest a piece that he eat draws close in front of him and it is found that he benefitting him.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Nedarim
[He may] eat at the same table with him but not out of the same bowl; but he may eat with him out of a bowl which returns. He may not eat with him out of the food trough put before laborers. Reuven may eat at the same table as Shimon, and we are not concerned lest Reuven eats from Shimon’s plate and thereby derives benefit. However, they may not eat out of the same communal bowl, lest Shimon intentionally leave the best part of the food for Reuven, and thereby cause him benefit. If the communal bowl was a “returning bowl” meaning one that was full of food, such that each person eating could eat his fill and still have leftovers, then they may share. In such a case, there is no concern that Shimon will leave food for Reuven because there is enough for everyone. They may not eat out of the same bowl put before laborers, because laborers are always hungry and there are never leftovers. Therefore, Shimon might eat less so that Reuven could eat more.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Nedarim
אבל אוכל הוא מן התמחוי החוזר – the owner of the house. Reuven eats in a bowl that he knows that when he will return it to the owner of the house, the house owner will go back and send it to Shimon who is under a vow against benefit from him, and we don’t suspect lest he (i.e., the owner of the house) in order that Shimon will eat from it and it is found that he is benefitting him.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Nedarim
He may not work with him on the same furrow, the words of Rabbi Meir. But the Sages say: he may work at a distance from him. According to Rabbi Meir they may not work plowing the same furrow, since if Shimon works harder he will benefit Reuven by allowing him to work less. The Sages allow them to work in the same furrow, as long as they keep their distance.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Nedarim
האבוס שלפני הפועלים – a large utensil that we fill it and all of the workers will eat from it together.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Nedarim
לא יקצור עמו באומן – he should not trim with in in the same row that he trims. For this causes him that he will hurry to do his work that when he finds the place free, and it is found tha the benefits him. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Meir.
