Commento su Middot 1:2

אִישׁ הַר הַבַּיִת הָיָה מְחַזֵּר עַל כָּל מִשְׁמָר וּמִשְׁמָר, וַאֲבוּקוֹת דּוֹלְקִין לְפָנָיו, וְכָל מִשְׁמָר שֶׁאֵינוֹ עוֹמֵד, אוֹמֵר לוֹ אִישׁ הַר הַבַּיִת, שָׁלוֹם עָלֶיךָ. נִכָּר שֶׁהוּא יָשֵׁן, חוֹבְטוֹ בְמַקְלוֹ. וּרְשׁוּת הָיָה לוֹ לִשְׂרֹף אֶת כְּסוּתוֹ. וְהֵם אוֹמְרִים, מַה קּוֹל בָּעֲזָרָה. קוֹל בֶּן לֵוִי לוֹקֶה וּבְגָדָיו נִשְׂרָפִין, שֶׁיָּשֵׁן לוֹ עַל מִשְׁמָרוֹ. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב אוֹמֵר, פַּעַם אַחַת מָצְאוּ אֶת אֲחִי אִמָּא יָשֵׁן, וְשָׂרְפוּ אֶת כְּסוּתוֹ:

L'uomo [che è responsabile] del Monte del Tempio andrebbe in giro per ogni guardia. Di fronte a lui c'erano torce accese e qualsiasi guardia che non era in piedi [in guardia], l'uomo del Monte del Tempio gli avrebbe detto [la guardia addormentata] "Pace su di te". Se fosse evidente che lui [la guardia] dormiva, lo avrebbe colpito con il suo bastone. Aveva anche il permesso di bruciare i vestiti della sua [guardia del sonno]. [Se ciò accadesse] loro [le persone esterne] direbbero "Cos'è quel rumore nel cortile del tempio?" [È stato detto loro] è la voce di un Levi che viene picchiato e i cui vestiti vengono bruciati perché ha dormito di guardia. Rebbi Eliezer ben Yaakov dice: "Una volta hanno trovato il fratello di mia madre che dormiva e gli hanno bruciato il mantello".

Bartenura on Mishnah Middot

איש הר הבית – appointed over all of the guards. [The story is told in Tractate Yoma 16a that Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov, the first of two Tannaim of such a name, who was the friend of Rabbi Eliezer the Great/ben Hyrcanus – was the Tanna who taught Tractate Middot.

Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy

English Explanation of Mishnah Middot

The officer of the Temple Mount used to go round to every watch, with lighted torches before him, and if any watcher did not rise [at his approach] and say to him, “Shalom to you, officer of the Temple Mount, it was obvious that he was asleep. Then he used to beat him with his rod.
And he had permission to burn his clothes. And the others would say: What is the noise in the courtyard? It is the cry of a Levite who is being beaten and whose clothes are being burned, because he was asleep at his watch. Rabbi Eliezer ben Jacob said: once they found my mother's brother asleep, and they burnt his clothes.
Today’s mishnah describes the officer in charge of security on the Temple Mount who would go around and check to make sure no one was asleep on his watch. If he found anyone asleep he would beat them, and perhaps even burn their clothes. Don’t ask me what they would do without any clothes!
The mishnah is straightforward (although a bit harsh) and therefore doesn’t really need explanation.

Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy

Versetto precedente Capitolo completo Versetto successivo