Demai 7

Chapter 7

א תְּרֵין מִסְכֵּינִין אַפְקְדוּן תְּרֵין סְאִין דִּשְׂעָרִין גַּבֵּי רִבִּי פִינְחָס בֶּן יָאִיר זַרְעוֹן וְחַצְדּוֹן. וָאַעֲלוּן בְּעָיָין מֵיסַב שְׂעָרֵיהוֹן. אֲמַר לוֹן אַייתוּן גַּמְלָיָא וַחֲמָרָיָא וּסְבוּן שְׂעָרֵיהוֹן.

1 Two poor people entrusted two se’ah of barley to Rebbi Phineas ben Yaïr; he sowed them and harvested them. They came to him and wanted to take their barley. He said to them, bring camels and donkeys to carry their barley.

ב רִבִּי פִינְחָס בֶּן יָאִיר אֲזַל לְחַד אֲתַר אֲתוּן לְגַבֵּיהּ אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ עַכְבָּרָיָא אֲכַל עִיבּוּרָן. גָּזַר עֲלֵיהוֹן וְצַמְתּוּן שָׁרוּן מְצַפְצְפִין אֲמַר לוֹן יָדְעִין אַתּוּן מַה אִינּוּן אָמְרִין אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ לָא. אֲמַר לוֹן אָמְרִן דְּלָא מְתַקְּנָא. אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ עוֹרְבָן וְעָרְבוֹן וְלָא אַנְכּוּן.

2 Rebbi Phineas ben Yaïr went to a place where they came to him and said, rats are eating our grain. He commanded them; they assembled and started to whistle. He asked them, do you understand what they are saying? They said, no. He said to them, they say that it is not put in order. They said to him, be our guarantor. He promised and they had no further losses.

ג מַרְגְּלִי מִן דְּמַלְכָּא סַרָקִיָּא נָפְלָת וּבָלְעָת חַד עַכְבָּר. אֲתָא לְגַבֵּי רִבִּי פִינְחָס בֶּן יָאִיר אֲמַר לֵיהּ מִן אֲנָא חֲבַר. אֲמַר לֵיהּ לִשְׁמָךְ טָבָא אָתִית. גָּזַר עֲלֵיהֹן וְצַמְתּוּן. חָמָא חַד מְגַבַּע וַאֲתֵי אֲמַר גַּבֵּי הָהֵן נִיהוּ וּגְזַר עֲלוֹי וּפְלָטָהּ.

3 A pearl of the king of Saracens fell and was swallowed by a rat. He came to Rebbi Phineas ben Yaïr, who said to him, am I a sorcerer? He answered, I came because of your good name. He commanded them; they assembled. He saw one coming that was hunchbacked. He said, it is in this one; he gave the rat a command and it spat out the pearl.

ד רִבִּי פִינְחָס בֶּן יָאִיר אֲזַל לְחַד אֲתַר אֲתוּן לְגַבֵּיהּ אָמְרוּן לֵיהּ לֵית מַבּוּעָן מְסַפַּק לַן. אֲמַר לוֹן דִּילְמָא לָא אַתּוּן מְתַקְּנִן. אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ עוֹרְבָן וְעָרְבוֹן וְאַסְפַּק לְהוֹן.

4 Rebbi Phineas ben Yaïr went to a place where they came to him and said, our water source is not sufficient for us. He said to them, perhaps you do not put in order? They said to him, be our guarantor. He promised them and it became sufficient for them.

ה רִבִּי פִינְחָס בֶּן יָאִיר הֲוָה אֲזִיל לְבֵית וַועַד וַהֲוָה גִּינַיי גְּבִיר. אֲמַר לֵיהּ גִּינַיי גִּינַיי מַה אַתְּ מְנַע לִי מִן בֵּית וַועֲדָה וּפְלַג קוֹמוֹי וַעֲבַר. אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ תַּלְמִידָיו יָכְלִין אֲנָן עָבְרִין. אֲמַר לוֹן מַאן דִּידַע בְּנַפְשֵׁיהּ דְּלָא אֲקִיל לְבַר נַשׁ מִן יִּשְׂרָאֵל מִן יוֹמוֹי יַעֲבוֹר וְלָא מְנֻכֶּה.

5 Rebbi Phineas ben Yaïr went to the House of Assembly when Ginai overflowed. He said: Ginai, Ginai, why do you prevent me from going to the House of Assembly? It split before him and he crossed it. His students asked him, may we cross also? He said to them, he who knows of himself that he never slighted a Jew may cross and will not be harmed.

ו רִבִּי בָּעֵא מִישְׁרֵי שְׁמִיטְתָא סְלַק רִבִּי פִינְחָס בֶּן יָאִיר לְגַבֵּיהּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ מַה עִיבּוּרָיָא עֲבִידִין. אֲמַר לֵיהּ עוּלְשִׁין יָפוֹת. מַה עִיבּוּרָיָא עֲבִידִין. אֲמַר לֵיהּ עוּלְשִׁין יָפוֹת. וִידַע רִבִּי דְּלֵית הוּא מַסְכְּמָא עִימֵּיהּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ מִישְׁגָּח רִבִּי מֵיכוּל עִימִּין צִיבְחַד פְּטָל יוֹמָא דֵין. אֲמַר לוֹן אִין. מִי נְחֵית חֲמָא מוּלְוָותָא דְּרִבִּי קַיָימִין. אֲמַר כָּל אִילֵּין יְהוּדָאֵי זְנִין אֵיפְשַׁר דְּלָא חֲמֵי סְבַר אַפּוֹי מִן כְּדוֹן. אָזְלוּן וְאָמְרוּן לְרִבִּי שְׁלַח רִבִּי בְּעֵי מְפַיְיסָתֵיהּ. מָטוּן בֵּיהּ גַּבֵּי קַרְתֵּיהּ אֲמַר בְּנֵי קַרְתֵּיהּ קוֹרְבִין לִי וְנָחִתוּ בְּנֵי קַרְתָּא וְאַקְפוּן עֲלוֹי. אֲמַר לוֹן רִבִּי בְּעֵי מְפַיְיסָתֵיהּ. שַׁבְקוּנֵיהּ וַאֲזוּל לוֹן. אֲמַר בְּנֵי דִידִי קוּרְבִין לִי. נָחִתָת אֵישְׁתָא מִן שְׁמַיָּא וְאַקְפַּת עֲלוֹי. אָזְלוּן אָמְרוּן לְרִבִּי אָמַר הוֹאִיל וְלֹא זְכִנינָן נִישְׂבַּע מִינֵיהּ בְּעָלְמָא הָדֵין נִיזְכֵּי נִישְׂבַּע מִינֵיהּ בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי.

6 Rebbi wanted to permit the Sabbatical year. Rebbi Phineas ben Yaïr went to him. He said to him: how is the grain doing? He answered him: endives are doing fine. He said to him: how is the grain doing? He answered him: endives are doing fine. From this, Rebbi understood that he did not agree with him. He said to him: Would the rabbi care to eat a bite with me today? He said to him, yes. When he came, he saw the she-mules of Rebbi standing. He said, are all these fed by Jews? He will not see me again! They went and told this to Rebbi. Rebbi sent and wanted to pacify him. They found him in his city. He said, the people of my city should come close to me. The people of his city came and surrounded him. They said to them, Rebbi wants to make peace with him. They left him and went away. He said, my cousins should come close to me. Fire descended from Heaven and surrounded him. They returned and told Rebbi. He said, since we did not have merit to eat our fill from him in this world, may we be worthy to eat our fill from him in the World to Come.

ז רִבִּי חַגַּיי בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן מַעֲשֶׂה בְּחָסִיד אֶחָד שֵׁהָיָה חוֹפֵר בּוֹרוֹת שִׁיחִין וּמְעָרוֹת לָעוֹבְרִים וְלַשָּׁבִים. פַּעַם אַחַת הָיְתָה בִתּוֹ עוֹבֶרֶת לִינָשֵׂא וּשְׁטָפָהּ נָהָר. וַהֲווֹן כָּל עַמָּא עָלְלִין לְגַבֵּיהּ בְּעִיָין מְנַחֲמָתֵיהּ וְלָא קְבֵיל עֲלוֹי מִתְנַחֲמָה. עֲאַל רִבִּי פִינְחָס בֶּן יָאִיר לְגַבֵּיהּ בְּעֵי מְנַחֲמָתֵיהּ וְלָא קְבֵיל עֲלוֹי מִתְנַחֲמָה. אֲמַר לוֹן דֵּין הוּא חָסִידְכוֹן. אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ רִבִּי כָּךְ וְכָךְ הָיָה עוֹשֶׂה כָּךְ וְכָךְ אִירְעוֹ. אָמַר אֵיפְשַׁר שֶׁהָיָה מְכַבֵּד אֶת בּוֹרְאוֹ בְּמַיִם וְהוּא מְקַפְּחוֹ בְמַיִם. מִיַּד נָפְלָה הֲבָרָה בְּעִיר בָּאָת בִּתּוֹ שֶׁל אוֹתוֹ הָאִישׁ. אִית דְּאָמְרֵי בְּסִיכְּתָא אִיתְעֲרִיָית. וְאִית דְּאָמְרֵי מַלְאַךְ יָרַד בִּדְמוּת רִבִּי פִינְחָס בֶּן יָאִיר וְהִצִּילָהּ.

7 Rebbi Ḥaggai in the name of Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman: It happened that a pious person used to dig cisterns, ditches, and caves for travellers. Once, his daughter travelled to marry and she was swept away by a river. All people came to him and wanted to console him, but he refused to be consoled. Rebbi Phineas ben Yaïr came to him and wanted to console him, but he refused to be consoled. He told them, is that your pious man? They said to him: Rabbi, such and such he did, such and such happened to him. He replied: It is impossible that he would honor his Creator by water and He hurts him by water! Immediately, there started a rumor in the town that the pious man’s daughter had returned. Some say, she got trapped in a hedge of thorns, others say that an angel came in the appearance of Rebbi Phineas ben Yaïr and saved her.

ח רִבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶּן דוֹסָא הֲוָה יְתִיב אֲכִיל בְּלֵילֵי שַׁבָּת פְּחַת פְּתוֹרָא קוֹמוֹי. אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ מַהוּ כֵן. אָמְרָה לֵיהּ תַּבְלִין שָׁאַלְתִּי מִשְׁכֵינָתִי וְלָא עִישַּׂרְתִּיו. וְהִזְכִּיר תִּינָיָין וְעָלָה הַשּׁוּלְחָן מֵאֵילָיו.

8 Rebbi Ḥanina ben Dosa was sitting down to eat on Friday night when the table sank before him. They said to him, what is that? She said to him, I borrowed spices from my neighbor and forgot to give tithes from it. He mentioned a condition and the table rose by itself.

ט רִבִּי טַרְפוֹן הֲוָה יְתִיב אֲכִיל וּנְפַל פִּיתּוּתָא מִינֵיהּ. אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ מַהוּ כֵן. אָמַר לֵיהּ קוֹרְדּוֹם שָׁאַלְתִּי וְעָשִׂיתִי עַל גַּבָּיו טְהוֹרוֹת.

9 Rebbi Tarphon sat down to eat when he dropped his bread. They asked him, what is this? He said to them, I borrowed an axe and I prepared food in purity with it.

י יַיִן לְמוּרִיֵיס וְיַיִן לַאֲלוֹנְטִית קִטְנִיּוֹת לַעֲשׂוֹתָן טְחִינִין חַיָיבִין בִּדְמַאי וְאֵין צוֹרֶךְ לוֹמַר בְּוַדַּאי הֵן עַצְמָן פְּטוּרִין מִן הַדְּמַאי. מַה נָן קַיָימִין אִין כְּרִבִּי אֲפִילוּ בִדְמַאי יְהוֹ חַיָיבִין אִי[ן] כְּרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֵּי רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אֲפִילוּ בְּוַדַּאי יְהוֹ פְטוּרִין. אֶלָּא כְּרִבִּי אֲנָן אָמְרִין בְּקַלִּין שֶׁהֵיקִלוּ בִדְמַאי.

10 “ Wine for brine, wine for perfume, legumes to make into powder are subject to demay, not to mention if they are certain. They themselves are free from demay.” Where are we standing? According to Rebbi, they should be subject to demay, according to Rebbi Eleazar ben Rebbi Simeon, even if certain they should be free. But we follow Rebbi, we say we are dealing with the easy ones, for which they eased the rules of demay.

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