Comentário sobre Pirkei Avot 5:8
שִׁבְעָה מִינֵי פֻרְעָנֻיּוֹת בָּאִין לָעוֹלָם עַל שִׁבְעָה גוּפֵי עֲבֵרָה. מִקְצָתָן מְעַשְּׂרִין וּמִקְצָתָן אֵינָן מְעַשְּׂרִין, רָעָב שֶׁל בַּצֹּרֶת בָּאָה, מִקְצָתָן רְעֵבִים וּמִקְצָתָן שְׂבֵעִים. גָּמְרוּ שֶׁלֹּא לְעַשֵּׂר, רָעָב שֶׁל מְהוּמָה וְשֶׁל בַּצֹּרֶת בָּאָה. וְשֶׁלֹּא לִטֹּל אֶת הַחַלָּה, רָעָב שֶׁל כְּלָיָה בָאָה. דֶּבֶר בָּא לָעוֹלָם עַל מִיתוֹת הָאֲמוּרוֹת בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁלֹּא נִמְסְרוּ לְבֵית דִּין, וְעַל פֵּרוֹת שְׁבִיעִית. חֶרֶב בָּאָה לָעוֹלָם עַל עִנּוּי הַדִּין, וְעַל עִוּוּת הַדִּין, וְעַל הַמּוֹרִים בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁלֹּא כַהֲלָכָה:
Sete tipos (diferentes) de punições vêm ao mundo por sete tipos de transgressões: se alguns (homens) dizimam e outros não dizem, uma fome de fome chega ao mundo. [A chuva é escassa, como resultado do aumento dos preços]—alguns estão com fome e outros estão saciados. Se (todos) resolverem não dar o dízimo, haverá fome de tumulto [(a colheita não pode ser colhida por causa de exércitos invasores)] e falta de fome. Se (eles resolveram) não tomar chalá, uma fome de destruição vem. [Os céus são como ferro e a terra como cobre.] A peste vem ao mundo pelas penas de morte na Torá, que não chegaram a julgamento na beth-din e pelos frutos do ano sabático, [com que negócios foram feitos e que não foram mantidos na santidade do ano sabático.] Uma espada vem ao mundo por atraso no julgamento, [quando se sabe onde o barulho se inclina] e por perversão da justiça, [reivindicando os culpados e incriminar os inocentes] e por decidir na Torá (lei) que não está de acordo com a halachá, [proibindo o permitido e permitido o proibido].
Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
BODIES OF SIN. Different sins. The Sages use this word to speak of various sins as distinct bodies, as you will see from Rav’s comments to the mishna in Keritot 3:10. Because the mishna, in speaking of punishments, says “types” and does not simply say that there are seven punishments, it speaks also of “bodies” of sin and does not simply say there are seven sins.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
Seven kinds of punishment come to the world for seven categories of sin: [When] some of [the people] give tithes, and others do not give tithes, a famine from drought comes: A famine that comes because of the withholding of rains in their time.
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Rambam on Pirkei Avot
A famine from drought is that the year be with little rain. It rains in some places and in some places it does not rain; and when it does rain, the rain will be little. And a famine from tumult is when a man is involved in wars and arguments and other novelties that come up for them until the land is unworked - and he does not plant at the time of planting from the [instability in] the world. And a famine of annihilation is that it not rain at all and the rivers and lakes dry up, as its stating (Deuteronomy 28:23), "And the skies above your head shall be copper."
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Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
Categories (literally, bodies) of sin: Which is to say, differing sins. And see Tosafot Yom Tov.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
A famine from drought: [This is when] the rains are few and, from that, the [prices for food go up].
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English Explanation of Pirkei Avot
The purpose of this saying is that people should check their behavior to see if perhaps calamities are punishments for what they have done. While it is true that humans will often not be able to see a direct correlation between what happens to them and what their actions are, Judaism continues to believe that there is such a correlation. We should also note a couple of other theological statements made by this mishnah. First of all, the mishnah talks about collective punishments and not individual ones. Second of all, the mishnah teaches that God’s punishments are “measure against measure”, in other words, the punishments somehow fit the crime. Third, and perhaps most important, God is seen as responsible for everything, even the bad things that happen in this world.
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Derekh Chayim
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Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
SOME TITHE [Heb. me`asrin] ETC. I wrote on the mishna in 1:16 that in many places the word ma`aser is a general name referring to all of the priestly gifts taken from the produce of the earth. Maharal writes in Derech Chaim that our mishna refers specifically to ma`aser and not terumah, because even one kernel of wheat taken as terumah exempts an entire heap. And in the case of challah, the verse uses the language of “giving”, implying that one should remove an amount that is enough for a proper gift, see there. But the Talmud in Shabbat 32b does not seem to support this approach.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
and some go hungry, and others have plenty: [This is] poetic justice - "some of them give tithes, and others do not give tithes."
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Rambam on Pirkei Avot
Delay of justice is the postponement of judgement and its investigation for many days about something that is [already] clear. And perversion of justice is when he judges in [a way] that is not proper.
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Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
give tithes: "Tithe (maaser)" is a general name for all of the gifts [to the Levites and priests]. And see Tosafot Yom Tov..
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
a famine from tumult: [This is when] they are not able to gather the produce because of the [enemy] troops.
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English Explanation of Pirkei Avot
Seven kinds of punishment come to the world for seven categories of transgression:
When some of them give tithes, and others do not give tithes, a famine from drought comes some go hungry, and others are satisfied. In this section and in the following two, we will see that tithes are connected to rain. In a perhaps more modern interpretation of this concept, we might say that our attitude towards the food that we grow can have an effect on the earth itself. In the first section the punishment of famine due to drought, is seen as the least of the types of famine (it is also clearly not uncommon in the dry land of Israel). Since some tithe and some do not, the punishment will only fall on part of the community. However, the mishnah does not state that those who tithe will not be punished and those who don’t will.
When some of them give tithes, and others do not give tithes, a famine from drought comes some go hungry, and others are satisfied. In this section and in the following two, we will see that tithes are connected to rain. In a perhaps more modern interpretation of this concept, we might say that our attitude towards the food that we grow can have an effect on the earth itself. In the first section the punishment of famine due to drought, is seen as the least of the types of famine (it is also clearly not uncommon in the dry land of Israel). Since some tithe and some do not, the punishment will only fall on part of the community. However, the mishnah does not state that those who tithe will not be punished and those who don’t will.
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Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
A FAMINE CAUSED BY DROUGHT COMES. The Talmud in Shabbat 32b: as per the verse “as drought and heat [Heb. chom] steal the snow-waters, so have they sinned [all the way] unto Sheol” (Job 24:19)—on account of your not doing what I commanded you [i.e. terumah and ma`aser] to do in the summer [Heb. bi(ye)mot hachamah], the snow-waters will be stolen from you in winter.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
[When] they all decide not to give tithes: Since they all do not tithe:
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Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
A famine, etc.: In Tractate Shabbat 32b, we learn it from scripture.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
a famine of annihilation: [This is when] the skies are like iron and the earth is like copper.
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English Explanation of Pirkei Avot
When they have all decided not to give tithes, a famine from tumult and drought comes; If all people decide not to tithe, then famine comes not only as a result of lack of rain, but also as a result of war. Since people will be out fighting war, they are not able to tend to their lands and many more people will go hungry.
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Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
AND NOT TO SEPARATE CHALLAH. I.e., not even to separate challah. Midrash Shmuel writes that the mishna might mean specifically challah, which is considered more serious because he could have kneaded less than the amount that would require separating challah and yet chose not to, so it is as if he deliberately decided to not perform the commandment out of spite. But there is nothing one can do about terumah and ma`aser to exempt oneself from the law.
This is only true, however, on a rabbinic level, as by Torah law he may bring the produce home by lowering it through the roof or bringing it in via the enclosed areas behind the houses. For the Torah only requires that terumah and ma`aser be taken from produce that was brought into the house as per the verse “I have cleared the holy gifts out of the house” (Deuteronomy 26:13), and which was brought through the main gate as per the verse “and they shall eat it in your gates” (Deuteronomy 26:12), as Rambam rules in Hilchot Ma`aser 4:1.
This is only true, however, on a rabbinic level, as by Torah law he may bring the produce home by lowering it through the roof or bringing it in via the enclosed areas behind the houses. For the Torah only requires that terumah and ma`aser be taken from produce that was brought into the house as per the verse “I have cleared the holy gifts out of the house” (Deuteronomy 26:13), and which was brought through the main gate as per the verse “and they shall eat it in your gates” (Deuteronomy 26:12), as Rambam rules in Hilchot Ma`aser 4:1.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
a famine from tumult and drought comes: This is a famine that comes because of war and disasters that come to people and [so] they are not able to work their land. 'And the Lord will send tumult' and they will all go hungry - poetic justice - as they all do not tithe.
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Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
the dough [offering]: Which is to say, "also not set apart the dough [offering]." And see Tosafot Yom Tov.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
that are not given over to the court [to carry out]: [such] that they did not perform a Torah judgement (din Torah) on them.
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English Explanation of Pirkei Avot
[When they have, in addition, decided] not to set apart the dough-offering, an all-consuming famine comes. When making bread, Jewish law dictates that a piece of the dough be separated and given to the priests. This dough is called “challah”. If Jews don’t separate the challah and they don’t separate tithes, a total famine will come. In this famine people will die of their hunger.
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Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
[*PLAGUE COMES TO THE WORLD FOR CAPITAL CASES ETC. See the next mishna, on “plague increases at four times”.]
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
[And when they decide, in addition,] not to set apart the dough [offering]: Since they all do not set apart the dough [offering]:
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Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
And since the court sinned and did not do [a judgement], pestilence comes to the world, and it does not distinguish between the good and the bad, 'and it will be to the righteous one like the evil one.' But the expression, "that are not given over" does not imply this, but rather like the commentators explain - for example, [sins that result in] death penalties by the hand of the Heavens and excisions (keritot); and also (another explanation is) [sins that are committed] without warning or witnesses, or that the sinner escaped [such that the court cannot punish him].
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
and for [violation of the laws governing] the produce of the Sabbatical year: They are doing business with [this produce] and they are not treating it with the holiness of the Sabbatical year.
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English Explanation of Pirkei Avot
Pestilence comes to the world for sins punishable by death according to the Torah, but which have not been referred to the court, and for neglect of the law regarding the fruits of the sabbatical year. There are several possible explanations for “sins punishable by death according to the Torah, but which have not been referred to the court”. This might refer to crimes that should have been punished by death, but were not brought to trial for various reasons (for example not enough witnesses or the perpetrator was not properly warned). Another explanation is that this refers to cases that could have been brought to trial, and maybe were, but for some reason the courts neglected their duty to execute. Yet another explanation is that this refers to crimes punishable by death at the hand of Heaven (in other words they were not referred to the court because by definition the court could not punish for these crimes. If enough people commit these crimes, perhaps reasoning that a court won’t punish them anyway, pestilence will come to the world. In addition, pestilence comes to the world because people transgress the laws of the fruit of the sabbatical year. According to Jewish law, fruit that grows on its own during the sabbatical year may be collected in order to eat, but not in order to sell. If one collects in order to eat but then has extra, he may sell the extra. Since this system is open to abuse, for only God can tell what a person’s intentions were when he collected, the punishment is great. One who thinks that he won’t bring punishment into the world because people do not see his sins, is actually causing even greater punishment.
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Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
THAT WERE NOT GIVEN OVER TO THE COURT. Rav: that the court did not try. Since the court and the leaders of the people sinned and did not uphold the law, plague comes to the world and does not distinguish between [good and evil people] and the righteous and wicked are treated in the same way.
But the language “not given over” does not mean this. As the commentators explain, it refers to sins that carry the penalty of death by the heavenly court or excision, or sins that were done without receiving sufficient warning, or cases in which the one who sinned fled.
But the language “not given over” does not mean this. As the commentators explain, it refers to sins that carry the penalty of death by the heavenly court or excision, or sins that were done without receiving sufficient warning, or cases in which the one who sinned fled.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
a famine of annihilation comes: A year that no rain falls at all - 'and the skies above your head shall be copper.' Because of the proliferation of sins, there is a great punishment.
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Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
the produce of the Sabbatical year: to render them ownerless; and also (another explanation is) to completely dispose of them, as I wrote in Mishnah Sheviit 9:2. And therefore it is poetic justice that pestilence comes to the world, as it causes people to be 'ownerless,' as the destructive angel does not distinguish. But with the sword, it is possible that if his voice supplicates, the enemy will surely hear him and leave him - Derekh Chaim. And these two [sins] are considered one in the count of seven since they are similar in their punishment. And so [too] the adjacent [ones].
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
the delay of justice: They know to [which side] the judgement is leaning and they do not decide upon it.
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English Explanation of Pirkei Avot
The sword comes to the world for the delay of judgment, and for the perversion of judgment, and because of those who teach the Torah not in accordance with the accepted law. The sword, representative of war, comes to the world because of delay and perversion of justice. In other words because the system of justice was not implemented properly, society will decay into the anarchy of war, an inherently unjust situation. The sword also comes when people teach Torah not according to the accepted halakhah. Although there are many interpretations of this sentence, my sense is that it means that this person teaches Jewish law from what seems to them to be the simple meaning of the Torah. Jewish law is derived from the Torah, but it is mitigated by the oral Torah, the traditional teachings that have always accompanied the Torah. The Sadducees were the ones who taught literal interpretations of the Torah, whereas the Pharisees used tradition to help them interpret and make legal rulings.
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Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
AND THE FRUITS OF THE SHEVI`IT YEAR. For the law is that one must relinquish ownership of them or clear them out of the house entirely; I record all the opinions on this matter in my commentary on the mishna in Shevi`it 9:2. It is measure for measure, therefore, that plague comes to the world, which is like relinquishing ownershp of people, for the angel of desruction does not distinguish between the righteous and the wicked. With the sword, it is possible that one will speak fairly and the enemy will heed his plea—so Maharal in Derech Chaim.
Since these sins bring forth the same punishment, they are counted together as one of the seven, as are the ones in the next group.
Since these sins bring forth the same punishment, they are counted together as one of the seven, as are the ones in the next group.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
Pestilence comes to the world for the death penalties set forth in the Torah that are not given over to the court [to carry out]: For example, excision and death penalties at the hand of the Heavens.
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Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
[The] sword, etc.: In the gemara (Shabbat 33a), we learn it from scripture.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
the perversion of justice: [meaning] to render the guilty innocent and the innocent guilty.
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Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
THE SWORD COMES TO THE WORLD ON ACCOUNT OF PROTRACTED RULINGS. As per the verse “and I will bring upon you the sword which extracts vengeance for the covenant” (Leviticus 26:25), in which “covenant” refers to the Torah. And the verse at the end of that same section says, “because they have made My laws revolting”225The simple reading is “because they have found My laws revolting.” The midrashic reading interprets ma'asu as a transitive verb, giving “because they have made My laws revolting.” The Talmud explains that the courts have made the laws revolting by protracting the rulings and perverting justice. (Leviticus 26:43)—Talmud, Shabbat 33a.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
and for [violation of the laws governing] the produce of the Sabbatical year: That he does not dispose of them from his house and does business with them and [that is] forbidden. And for this, pestilence comes from the angle that (the leaders of) Israel agreed to turn their eyes away from the community. In this which they are doing evil, pestilence comes to all of 'the haters of Israel' - and from them, it extends to the whole world. However, if the heads do not have the power to protest against the lesser people, "pestilence comes to the world" is understood to be talking about an individual person - who is called a small world. And he is evil and will die in his sin. And all of Israel is [then] exempt.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
and because of those who interpret the Torah counter to the accepted law: [meaning] to render the permissible forbidden and the forbidden permissible.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
[The] sword comes to the world: Since it is written (Leviticus 26:25), "I will bring a sword against you to wreak vengeance for the covenant." And covenant only [means] Torah, since it is written after it (Leviticus 26:43), "because and because they rejected My judgments.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
and because of those who interpret the Torah counter to the accepted law [declaring] the forbidden, permissible, and the permissible, forbidden.
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