Commentaire sur Berakhot 2:7
וּכְשֶׁמֵּת טָבִי עַבְדּוֹ, קִבֵּל עָלָיו תַּנְחוּמִין. אָמְרוּ לוֹ תַּלְמִידָיו, לֹא לִמַּדְתָּנוּ רַבֵּנוּ, שֶׁאֵין מְקַבְּלִין תַּנְחוּמִין עַל הָעֲבָדִים. אָמַר לָהֶם, אֵין טָבִי עַבְדִּי כִּשְׁאָר כָּל הָעֲבָדִים, כָּשֵׁר הָיָה:
Et quand Tevi, son esclave, est mort, il a accepté les condoléances pour lui, au cours desquelles ses disciples lui ont dit: "Notre maître ne nous a-t-il pas appris qu'il est interdit d'accepter les condoléances pour les esclaves?" Il répondit: "Tevi, mon esclave, n'était pas comme les autres esclaves; c'était un homme intègre."
English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
Introduction
This is the final case in which Rabban Gamaliel seems to behave not according to halakhic norms.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
When Tabi his [Rabban Gamaliel’s] slave died he accepted condolences for him. His disciples said to him: Master, have you not taught us that one does not accept condolences for slaves? He replied to them: My slave Tabi was not like other slaves: he was a fit man. Normally, one does not accord to slaves the same mourning practices that one does for a free person. The community does not come to offer condolences to the master nor does the master open his house to people coming to console him. However, Tabi was a special slave, one who kept all of the mitzvoth to which he was subject (see Sukkah 2:1, where Tabi sleeps under a bed inside a sukkah). Hence, Rabban Gamaliel again broke the normal halakhah and accepted formal condolences upon the loss of this special slave.
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