Ese mismo día dijeron: ¿Cuál es el estado [de las tierras] de Ammón y Moav en el Séptimo [año sabático de descanso agrario]? El rabino Tarphon decretó: [los que residen en esas tierras deben pagar] diezmos por los pobres. Y el rabino Elazar ben Azaria decretó: [deben traer] ma'aser sheini [el segundo diezmo del producto, que debe llevarse a Jerusalén y consumirse allí]. El rabino Yishmael dijo: "Elazar ben Azaria, ¡la responsabilidad recae sobre ti para probar tu afirmación, ya que tú gobiernas estrictamente, y cualquiera que gobierne más estrictamente, recae sobre él para traer la prueba!" El rabino Elazar ben Azaria le dijo: "Yishmael, mi hermano, no me he desviado del orden regular de los años [con respecto a la serie que indica qué diezmos está obligado a traer cada año], pero mi hermano Tarphon se ha desviado, ¡Por lo tanto, la responsabilidad de traer pruebas recae sobre él! " El rabino Tarphon respondió: "Egipto está fuera de la tierra [de Israel], y Ammón y Moav están fuera de la tierra [de Israel]; así como Egipto [tiene el requisito de que sus habitantes paguen] diezmos por los pobres durante el Séptimo [ el año sabático], así también Ammón y Moav [deberían exigir a sus habitantes que también paguen] diezmos por los pobres durante el Séptimo ". El rabino Elazar ben Azaria respondió: "Babilonia está fuera de la tierra [de Israel], y Ammón y Moav están fuera de la tierra [de Israel]; así como Babilonia [paga] ma'aser sheni durante el Séptimo, también Ammón y Moav [también debería pagar] ma'aser sheini durante el Séptimo ". El rabino Tarphon dijo: "Egipto, estando cerca [de la tierra de Israel], fue hecho [para exigir el pago de] diezmos para los pobres, para que los pobres de Israel puedan ser apoyados por él durante el Séptimo; así también Ammón y Los Moav, que están cerca [de la tierra de Israel], se hacen [para exigir el pago de] diezmos para los pobres, de modo que los pobres de Israel puedan ser apoyados por ellos durante el Séptimo ". El rabino Elazar ben Azaria le dijo: "Por lo tanto, eres como alguien que les proporciona más dinero, ¡pero realmente solo pierde almas! ¿Estafarías a los cielos para que no envíen ni rocío ni lluvia, como se dice (Malaquías 3: 8) , "¿Un hombre defraudará a Dios? Porque me has defraudado. Sin embargo, dices: ¿Por qué te hemos defraudado? A través de los diezmos y el terumah". "El rabino Yehoshua dijo," responderé así a mi hermano Tarphon su razonamiento], aunque no con respecto al asunto [específico] del que habló: [el decreto con respecto al estado de] Egipto es una nueva promulgación, [mientras que con respecto a] Babilonia es una promulgación antigua, y el asunto en cuestión ante nosotros es una nueva promulgación; ¡que una conclusión sobre una nueva promulgación se extraiga de una nueva promulgación, y no permita que una conclusión sobre una nueva promulgación se extraiga de una antigua promulgación! [Además, el decreto sobre el estado de] Egipto es una promulgación de los ancianos, [mientras que con respecto a] Babilonia es una promulgación de t Él profetiza, y el asunto en cuestión ante nosotros es una representación de los ancianos; ¡que se saque una conclusión sobre la representación de los ancianos a partir de una representación de los ancianos, y que no se extraiga una conclusión sobre una representación de los ancianos a partir de una representación de los profetas! "Ellos [los Sabios] votaron y concluyeron: [ Las tierras de] Ammón y Moav deben diezmar los diezmos para los pobres durante el Séptimo. Cuando el rabino Yose ben Durmaskit vino al rabino Eliezer en Lod, le dijo: "¿Qué idea innovadora había hoy entre ustedes en el Beit Midrash?" Él le dijo: "Votaron y concluyeron que Ammón y Moav deben diezmar los diezmos por los pobres durante el Séptimo". El rabino Eliezer lloró y exclamó: (Salmos 25:14) "Los secretos del Señor son para aquellos que temen ¡Él y su pacto se les dará a conocer! Ve y diles: '¡No pienses en tu voto! Tengo una tradición recibida de Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai, quien la escuchó de su rabino, y su rabino de su rabino, hasta la ley de Moshé del Sinaí, que Ammón y Moab diezman los diezmos para los pobres durante el Séptimo ''.
Bartenura on Mishnah Yadayim
עמון ומואב מה הן בשביעית – This is not Ammon and Moab that purified in Sihon which is in the inheritance of Reuben and Gad [in Transjordan], for this is the Land of Israel, even if you wish to state that those who came up from Babylonia [following seventy years of Exile in Babylonia following the Destruction of the First Temple] did not conquer it, perforce [the laws of] the Seventh Year are practiced in it, for it is taught in the Mishnah in the Tractate Sheviit, Chapter הפיגם/The Herb rue (i.e., Chapter 9) [Mishnah 2]: “There are three lands/regions [are delineated] with respect to [the laws] of removal: Judea, Transjordan and the Galilee.” And Transjordan is the land of Sihon. But we are speaking about the remainder of the land of Ammon and Moab where they didn’t purify in Sihon nor ever conquered it. Know, that when they include [a person] who made Aliyah [to the Land of Israel] from Babylonia and from Egypt.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Yadayim
Introduction
In today's extraordinarily long mishnah there is a dispute concerning what tithes are given from produce grown in the land of Ammon and Moab on the sabbatical year. Inside the land of Israel seventh year produce is ownerless and no tithes are separated. Ammon and Moab are borderline lands. The sabbatical year is not operative in them but the rabbis did decree that one has to separate tithes from produce grown there. This creates the question of what type of tithes must be separated in the sabbatical year.
As further background, we should remember that there are two tithes. First tithes are given to the Levites. This tithe would be separated in Ammon and Moab during the sabbatical year. The other tithe alternates between second tithe, which is taken to Jerusalem and eaten there by its owners and the poor tithe which is given to the poor. Second tithe is taken out in the 1, 2, 4 and 5 years of the seven year cycle and poor tithe on the 3 and 6 year. This is the tithe that is debated in our mishnah.
Along with the particular content discussion, the argument in this mishnah reveals an unusual amount concerning rabbinic discourse. It offers us a fascinating glimpse into the inner workings of the early rabbinic academy.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Yadayim
ולא שניתי מסדר השנים (I have not changed the order of the years) – of the world. After the year of [bringing] the Poor Man’s Tithe (i.e., year six of the cycle), we bring the Second Tithe [which is consumed in Jerusalem]. Therefore, it is appropriate in the Seventh Year [to bring] Second Tithe
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Yadayim
On that day they said: what is the law applying to Ammon and Moab in the seventh year? Rabbi Tarfon decreed tithe for the poor. And Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah decreed second tithe. Rabbi Tarfon rules that in these two lands they should separate poor tithes on the sabbatical year, whereas Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah rules that they should separate second tithe.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Yadayim
המעשר והתרומה – perforce, the Tithe that is mentioned here is Second Tithe, similar to Terumah/heave-offering which is holy, and not the Poor Man’s Tithe which is profane/non-consecrated, and one cannot make Second Tithe inoperative because of the poor.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Yadayim
Rabbi Ishmael said: Elazar ben Azariah, you must produce your proof because you are expressing the stricter view and whoever expresses a stricter view has the burden to produce the proof. Rabbi Yishmael seems to act as a sort of moderator for the dispute. He tells Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah that the burden of proof is upon him, for he rules strictly. The reason that his opinion is considered "strict" is that second tithe is treated as holy, whereas poor tithe is not holy. As far as how much is given, there is no difference both are tithes.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Yadayim
כמשיב על דברי ר' טרפון – to assist him.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Yadayim
Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah said to him: Ishmael, my brother, I have not deviated from the sequence of years, Tarfon, my brother, has deviated from it and the burden is upon him to produce the proof. Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah responds that the burden of proof should be upon Rabbi Tarfon, and not upon him. In the third and sixth years one gives poor tithes. The year that immediately follows is second tithe (at least in the fourth year). Therefore, Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah has not deviated from the normal order of second tithe always following after a year of poor tithe. So Rabbi Tarfon must first give proof for why we should deviate from the normal order. [This section kind of reminds me of the coin flip at the beginning of a football game arguing over who starts.]
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Yadayim
אבל לא לענין דבריו – meaning to say, but not from his reasoning.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Yadayim
Rabbi Tarfon answered: Egypt is outside the land of Israel, Ammon and Moab are outside the land of Israel: just as Egypt must give tithe for the poor in the seventh year, so must Ammon and Moab give tithe for the poor in the seventh year. Having lost the coin flip, Rabbi Tarfon kicks off. He compares Ammon and Moab with Egypt. Just as Egypt gives poor tithes in the seventh year, so should Ammon and Moab. Later in the Mishnah we shall see that everyone agrees that the earlier sages decreed that Egypt should give poor tithe.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Yadayim
מצרים מעשה חדש – that the elders that existed after Ezra establish to separate tithes in Egypt.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Yadayim
Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah answered: Babylon is outside the land of Israel, Ammon and Moab are outside the land of Israel: just as Babylon must give second tithe in the seventh year, so must Ammon and Moab give second tithe in the seventh year. Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah responds by saying that the laws outside of Israel are not all the same. Babylon is also outside of Israel and there they separate second tithe during the seventh year, not poor tithe. So if you're going to compare Ammon and Moab to something, compare them to Babylon!
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Yadayim
ובבבל מעשה ישן – it is the ordinance of the Prophets who existed prior to the Destruction of the Temple, but the matter was forgotten, for perhaps there wasn’t a need for the poor at that particular hour/time.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Yadayim
Rabbi Tarfon said: on Egypt which is near, they imposed tithe for the poor so that the poor of Israel might be supported by it during the seventh year; so on Ammon and Moab which are near, we should impose tithe for the poor so that the poor of Israel may be supported by it during the seventh year. The fight is truly getting brutal my friends! Rabbi Tarfon now explains why he compared Ammon and Moab to Egypt and not Babylon. Ammon, Moab and Egypt are both close to the land of Israel. Therefore the sages declared that they should give poor tithes so that the poor of Israel could benefit. In other words, Rabbi Tarfon feels that the sages adjusted the halakhah so that it would most benefit the poor.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Yadayim
עשה נביאים – and by the word of Prophecy, they made a special emergency dispensation (not to be taken as a precedent), and we don’t learn from it.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Yadayim
Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah said to him: Behold, you are like one who would benefit them with gain, yet you are really as one who causes them to perish. Would you rob the heavens so that dew or rain should not descend? As it is said, "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you: How have we robbed You? In tithes and heave-offerings" (Malakhi 3:8). Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah counterattacks. Giving tithes to the poor might provide them with some temporary relief. But if people should really be giving second tithe then they in the end will be causing destruction and death. For the verses from Malakhi state that people have cheated God by not bringing tithes. As a punishment, God will stop the rains and dew (this is made even more explicit in v. 10, not quoted in the Mishnah). Thus, perverting tithe laws in order to give to the poor ultimately will cause drought.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Yadayim
הלכה למשה מסיני – Not exactly. For this is not from Torah, but rather, it is as if it is a usage dating from Moses as delivered from Sinai (i.e., a traditional interpretation of a written law). However, in the Tosefta [Tractate Yadayim, Chapter 2, Halakha 16 – in the Zuckermandel edition], it implies it is stating an actual usage dating from Moses as delivered from Sinai.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Yadayim
Rabbi Joshua said: Behold, I shall be as one who replies on behalf of Tarfon, my brother, but not in accordance with the substance of his arguments. The law regarding Egypt is a new act and the law regarding Babylon is an old act, and the law which is being argued before us is a new act. A new act should be argued from [another] new act, but a new act should not be argued from an old act. The law regarding Egypt is the act of the elders and the law regarding Babylon is the act of the prophets, and the law which is being argued before us is the act of the elders. Let one act of the elders be argued from [another] act of the elders, but let not an act of the elders be argued from an act of the prophets. Rabbi Joshua now jumps into the debate. He defends Rabbi Tarfon but using different reasoning. That Egypt should give poor tithe is a "new act," decreed by the sages of the Second Temple period, when Egypt again flourished as a center for Judaism. That Babylon should give second tithe is an "old act," decreed by the prophets. Since Ammon and Moab are both new acts, they should be like the other "new act" and give poor tithe. A related factor is that Egypt is a "decree of the sages," whereas Babylon is a "decree of the prophets." Since Ammon and Moab will obviously be a decree of the sages, they should be like the other decree of the sages and give poor tithe.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Yadayim
The votes were counted and they decided that Ammon and Moab should give tithe for the poor in the seventh year. After all of the arguments have been made, the sages take a vote and Rabbi Joshua and Rabbi Tarfon win.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Yadayim
And when Rabbi Yose ben Durmaskit visited Rabbi Eliezer in Lod he said to him: what new thing did you have in the house of study today? He said to him: their votes were counted and they decided that Ammon and Moab must give tithe for the poor in the seventh year. Rabbi Eliezer wept and said: "The counsel of the Lord is with them that fear him: and his covenant, to make them know it" (Psalms 25:14). Go and tell them: Don't worry about your voting. I received a tradition from Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai who heard it from his teacher, and his teacher from his teacher, and so back to a halachah given to Moses from Sinai, that Ammon and Moab must give tithe for the poor in the seventh year. There is a fascinating epitaph to this story. Rabbi Eliezer was evidently not there when this vote was taken. According to later legends he was excommunicated. Rabbi Yose ben Durmaskit, an otherwise unknown sage, goes to Rabbi Eliezer to report to him about what happened in the academy. Rabbi Eliezer agrees with the content of the vote, but vehemently seems to disagree with the process. Rabbi Eliezer is saying I don't need your vote because I have a tradition that goes all the way back to Sinai that Ammon and Moab give poor tithe on the sabbatical year. The argument here is between Rabbi Eliezer's way of determining halakhah and that of the other rabbis. The other rabbis, at whose forefront stands Rabbi Joshua, hold that whenever a new situation arises sages must argue about it, present opposing points of view, and then bring the matter up for a vote. There are indeed innovations in halakhah and they are arrived upon through a process of dispute and voting. Rabbi Eliezer is the arch-conservative. Even obviously new situations such as this, Jews living in the lands of Ammon and Moab, were addressed at Sinai. There is no need for a vote and no need for argumentation. Everything that ever will be was already there in the original revelation.
