Mishnah
Mishnah

Quoting%20commentary for Bava Metzia 7:1

הַשּׂוֹכֵר אֶת הַפּוֹעֲלִים וְאָמַר לָהֶם לְהַשְׁכִּים וּלְהַעֲרִיב, מְקוֹם שֶׁנָּהֲגוּ שֶׁלֹּא לְהַשְׁכִּים וְשֶׁלֹּא לְהַעֲרִיב, אֵינוֹ רַשַּׁאי לְכוֹפָן. מְקוֹם שֶׁנָּהֲגוּ לָזוּן, יָזוּן. לְסַפֵּק בִּמְתִיקָה, יְסַפֵּק. הַכֹּל כְּמִנְהַג הַמְּדִינָה. מַעֲשֶׂה בְּרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן מַתְיָא שֶׁאָמַר לִבְנוֹ, צֵא שְׂכֹר לָנוּ פוֹעֲלִים. הָלַךְ וּפָסַק לָהֶם מְזוֹנוֹת. וּכְשֶׁבָּא אֵצֶל אָבִיו, אָמַר לוֹ, בְּנִי, אֲפִלּוּ אִם אַתָּה עוֹשֶׂה לָהֶם כִּסְעֻדַּת שְׁלֹמֹה בִשְׁעָתוֹ, לֹא יָצָאתָ יְדֵי חוֹבָתְךָ עִמָּהֶן, שֶׁהֵן בְּנֵי אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב. אֶלָּא עַד שֶׁלֹּא יַתְחִילוּ בַמְּלָאכָה צֵא וֶאֱמֹר לָהֶם, עַל מְנָת שֶׁאֵין לָכֶם עָלַי אֶלָּא פַת וְקִטְנִית בִּלְבַד. רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר, לֹא הָיָה צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר, הַכֹּל כְּמִנְהַג הַמְּדִינָה:

If one hires workers and he tells them to rise early and work till late, in a place where it is not customary to do so, he may not compel them. [Even if he paid them more than other workers, he may not tell them: "I am paying you more on the understanding that you rise early and work late"; for they can tell him: "You are paying us more on the understanding that we are good workers."] Where it is customary to feed them, they are fed. Where it is customary to provide them with seasoning, they are thus provided — all according to the custom of the land. ["all" — to include places where the workers are accustomed to eat and drink in the morning in the employer's house before going out to work. If the employer tells them: "Go out first to work in the field, and I will bring you your food there," they can tell him: "No, we will eat now in the house before going out to work in the field," this being the custom of the land. The Gemara explains that the Mishnah is defective and is to be understood thus: "And if he stipulates to feed them, they receive much food." That is, since he does not have to stipulate this, it being the custom of the land to feed them, and he did stipulate it, the intent is that they are to be fed more than the customary fare. And] once, R. Yochanan b. Mattia said to his son: "Go and hire workers for us." He went and stipulated that they would be fed; and when he came to his father, he said to him: "My son, even if you made for them a meal like that of King Solomon in his time [(i.e., in the time of his reign, for he was both king and non-king)], you would not fulfill your obligation towards them, for they are the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. [And the meal of Abraham was larger than that of Solomon. That of Abraham — three bullocks for three men. That of Solomon — (I Kings 4:20): "Judah and Israel, numerous, as the sands on the shore of the sea."] But go and tell them before they start working, [there being only "words" at this point; for once they start working you cannot retract]: 'On condition that you have no claim upon me but for a loaf and pulse alone.'" R. Shimon b. Gamliel says: There was no need to say this, for it is "all according to the custom of the land."

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