Un ouvrier peut manger une gourde, même si elle vaut un dinar; une date, (c'est-à-dire des dates) même un dinar. R. Eliezer Chisna dit: Un ouvrier ne peut pas manger plus que son salaire, [il est écrit (Deutéronome 23:25): "comme votre âme"—comme (le salaire) de son salaire, pour lequel il donne son âme, de grimper sur un talus et de "pendre" dans un arbre.] Les sages le permettent, mais un homme (c'est-à-dire le travailleur) apprend à ne pas être un glouton et fermez la porte devant lui [en guise de "bon conseil". Et le premier tanna diffère avec les sages, disant qu'il n'est pas ainsi conseillé. La halakha est conforme aux sages. ("et fermez la porte devant lui"): c.-à-d. et faites en sorte que les gens ne l'engagent pas.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
אפילו בדינר – even if it is worth the equivalent of a denar.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
A laborer may eat cucumbers even to a denar’s worth, and dates even to a denar’s worth. Rabbi Elazar ben Hisma says: “A laborer may not eat more than the value of his wages. But the Sages permit it, but they teach a man not to be gluttonous as to close the door against himself. According to the anonymous opinion in section one of the mishnah, a laborer may eat as much food as he wants. Rabbi Elazar ben Hisma disagrees and states that by law a laborer may not eat more than he earns. The Sages, who are the same Rabbis who held the opinion in the first clause, permit a laborer to eat more than he earns. However, they state that for the laborer’s own good we teach him not to eat too much for if he does he will not be rehired. In other words while it may be legal for him to eat gluttonously, it will damage his reputation and in the future prevent him from being able to earn an income.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
לא יאכל פועל יותר על שכרו – as Scripture states, “until you are full,” while he is hired, for it is upon him as he obligates himself to ascend the ramp or to hang in the tree.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
מלמדין – we say to him via advice that is appropriate, but the first Tanna disputes the Sages and states that we don’t teach him, and Halakha is according to the Sages.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
ויהא סותם את הפתח – and they will be prevented from hiring him.
