## Bava Metzia Daf 83b

###### Bava Metzia 83b:1
[Bava Metzia 83b:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/83b:1)

פּוֹעֵל בִּכְנִיסָתוֹ מִשֶּׁלּוֹ, בִּיצִיאָתוֹ מִשֶּׁל בַּעַל הַבַּיִת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״תִּזְרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ יֵאָסֵפוּן וְאֶל מְעוֹנֹתָם יִרְבָּצוּן. יֵצֵא אָדָם לְפׇעֳלוֹ וְלַעֲבֹדָתוֹ עֲדֵי עָרֶב״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**A laborer’s entrance** into the city from the field at the end of a day’s work is **at his own** expense, i.e., he must work until the very end of the day before returning home, and he is not paid for his travel time. In contrast, **his departure** to work is **at** his **employer’s** expense, i.e., he may travel after sunrise, which is time that he is paid for. The source for this is **as it is stated: “The sun rises; they slink away and couch in their dens; man goes forth to his work and to his labor until the evening”** (Psalms 104:22–23). This verse indicates that people set out to work only from sunrise, but they work until the very end of the day.


###### Bava Metzia 83b:2
[Bava Metzia 83b:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/83b:2)

וְלִיחְזֵי הֵיכִי נְהִיגִי – בְּעִיר חֲדָשָׁה. וְנִיחְזֵי מֵהֵיכָא קָא אָתוּ – בְּנָקוֹטָאֵי. אִיבָּעֵית אֵימָא: דְּאָמַר לְהוּ – דְּאָגְרִיתוּ לִי כְּפוֹעֵל דְּאוֹרָיְיתָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **But** if employment practices are in accordance with regional custom, how can a source be cited from a verse? **Let us see how** they **are accustomed** to working in that place. The Gemara answers: The statement of Reish Lakish is **with regard to a new city,** which does not yet have an accepted practice. The Gemara asks: Even so, **let us see from which city** the laborers originally **came,** and let them follow the customs of that city. The Gemara answers: This is a case **of an eclectic** group of laborers, who came from many different cities. The Gemara offers an alternative answer: **If you wish, say** instead **that** the employer **said to** the laborer: **I am hiring you as a laborer by Torah law.** According to this explanation, Reish Lakish is detailing the *halakha* by Torah law.


###### Bava Metzia 83b:3
[Bava Metzia 83b:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/83b:3)

דָּרֵשׁ רַבִּי זֵירָא וְאָמְרִי לַהּ, תָּנֵי רַב יוֹסֵף: מַאי דִּכְתִיב ״תָּשֶׁת חֹשֶׁךְ וִיהִי לָיְלָה בּוֹ תִרְמֹשׂ כׇּל חַיְתוֹ יָעַר״. ״תָּשֶׁת חֹשֶׁךְ וִיהִי לָיְלָה״ – זֶה הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה שֶׁדּוֹמֶה לְלַיְלָה. ״בּוֹ תִרְמֹשׂ כׇּל חַיְתוֹ יָעַר״ – אֵלּוּ רְשָׁעִים שֶׁבּוֹ, שֶׁדּוֹמִין לְחַיָּה שֶׁבַּיַּעַר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
With regard to the aforementioned psalm, the Gemara notes: **Rabbi Zeira interpreted** a verse **homiletically, and some say** that **Rav Yosef taught** in a *baraita*: **What** is the meaning of that **which is written: “You make darkness and it is night, in which all the beasts of the forest creep forth”** (Psalms 104:20)? **“You make darkness and it is night”; this** is referring to **this world, which resembles nighttime. “In which all the beasts of the forest creep forth”; these are the wicked in** this world, **who resemble a beast of the forest,** as the wicked have great influence in this world.


###### Bava Metzia 83b:4
[Bava Metzia 83b:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/83b:4)

״תִּזְרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ יֵאָסֵפוּן וְאֶל מְעוֹנֹתָם יִרְבָּצוּן״. ״תִּזְרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ״ – לַצַּדִּיקִים, ״יֵאָסֵפוּן״ – רְשָׁעִים לְגֵיהִנָּם, ״וְאֶל מְעוֹנֹתָם יִרְבָּצוּן״ – אֵין לָךְ כׇּל צַדִּיק וְצַדִּיק שֶׁאֵין לוֹ מָדוֹר לְפִי כְבוֹדוֹ. ״יֵצֵא אָדָם לְפׇעֳלוֹ״ – יֵצְאוּ צַדִּיקִים לְקַבֵּל שְׂכָרָן, ״וְלַעֲבֹדָתוֹ עֲדֵי עָרֶב״ – בְּמִי שֶׁהִשְׁלִים עֲבוֹדָתוֹ עֲדֵי עָרֶב.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
With regard to the World-to-Come, the verse states: **“The sun rises; they slink away and couch in their dens”** (Psalms 104:22). **“The sun rises” for the righteous,** and **“they slink away,”** i.e., **the wicked** go **to Gehenna.** As for the phrase: **“And couch in their dens,”** it is interpreted as follows: **You will not have a single righteous person who will not have his** own **residence** in the World-to-Come, as **befitting his dignity.** With regard to the phrase: **“Man goes forth to his work,”** it indicates that **the righteous go forth to receive their reward.** Finally, the phrase: **“And to his labor until the evening”** (Psalms 104:22), teaches that the verse is referring **to one who has completed his labor by the evening,** i.e., before the evening of his lifetime, his death.


###### Bava Metzia 83b:5
[Bava Metzia 83b:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/83b:5)

רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אַשְׁכַּח לְהָהוּא פַּרְהַגְוָנָא דְּקָא תָפֵיס גַּנָּבֵי, אֲמַר לֵיהּ: הֵיכִי יָכְלַתְּ לְהוּ, לָאו כְּחֵיוָתָא מְתִילִי, דִּכְתִיב: ״בּוֹ תִרְמֹשׂ כׇּל חַיְתוֹ יָעַר״? אִיכָּא דְּאָמְרִי מֵהַאי קְרָא קָאָמַר לֵיהּ: ״יֶאֱרֹב בַּמִּסְתָּר כְּאַרְיֵה בְסֻכֹּה״. דִּלְמָא שָׁקְלַתְּ צַדִּיקֵי וְשָׁבְקַתְּ רַשִּׁיעֵי?

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara relates a story that involves rising early. **Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, found a certain officer [*parhagavna*] whose** responsibility was to **arrest thieves. He said to** the officer: **How are you able** to arrest **them? Aren’t they likened to beasts, as it is written:** “You make darkness and it is night, **in which all the beasts of the forest creep forth”** (Psalms 104:20)? **There are** those **who say that he said to him** a proof **from this verse: “He lies in wait in a secret place as a lion in his lair,** he lies in wait to catch the poor; he catches the poor when he draws him up in his net” (Psalms 10:9). Since the wicked are so devious, **perhaps you apprehend the righteous and leave the wicked** alone?


###### Bava Metzia 83b:6
[Bava Metzia 83b:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/83b:6)

אֲמַר לֵיהּ: וּמַאי אֶעֱבֵיד? הַרְמָנָא דְמַלְכָּא הוּא. אֲמַר: תָּא אַגְמְרָךְ הֵיכִי תַּעֲבֵיד. עוּל בְּאַרְבַּע שָׁעֵי לְחָנוּתָא, כִּי חָזֵית אִינִישׁ דְּקָא שָׁתֵי חַמְרָא וְקָא נָקֵיט כָּסָא בִּידֵיהּ וְקָא מְנַמְנֵם, שְׁאוֹל עִילָּוֵיהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The officer **said to him: But what should I do? It is the king’s edict [*harmana*]** that I must arrest thieves, and I am performing my job to the best of my ability. Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, **said** to him: **Come** and **I will instruct you how you should do** it. **At the fourth hour** of the day **enter the tavern. When you see someone drinking wine, holding** his **cup in his hand, and dozing, inquire about his** background.


###### Bava Metzia 83b:7
[Bava Metzia 83b:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/83b:7)

אִי צוּרְבָּא מֵרַבָּנַן הוּא וְנָיֵים – אקַדּוֹמֵי קַדֵּים לְגִרְסֵיהּ. אִי פּוֹעֵל הוּא – קָדֵים קָא עָבֵיד עֲבִידְתֵּיהּ, וְאִי עֲבִידְתֵּיהּ בְּלֵילְיָא – רַדּוֹדֵי רַדֵּיד. וְאִי לָא – גַּנָּבָא הוּא וְתִפְסֵיהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**If he is a Torah scholar and is dozing,** assume that he rose **early** in the morning **for his studies. If he is** a daytime **laborer,** assume that he rose **early** and **performed his work. And if his work is at night** and no one heard him working, it is possible that this is because **he draws** copper wires, which is a form of labor that does not produce noise. **And if** he is **none** of these, **he is a thief, and** you should **arrest him,** as it can be assumed that he was awake the previous night because he was stealing, and that is why he is now dozing off.


###### Bava Metzia 83b:8
[Bava Metzia 83b:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/83b:8)

אִישְׁתְּמַע מִילְּתָא בֵּי מַלְכָּא, אֲמַרוּ: קַרְיָינָא דְאִיגַּרְתָּא אִיהוּ לֶיהֱוֵי פַּרְוַנְקָא. אַתְיוּהּ לְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, וְקָא תָפֵיס גַּנָּבֵי וְאָזֵיל. שְׁלַח לֵיהּ רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן קׇרְחָה חוֹמֶץ בֶּן יַיִן! עַד מָתַי אַתָּה מוֹסֵר עַמּוֹ שֶׁל אֱלֹהֵינוּ לַהֲרִיגָה?

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
This **matter** of the advice of Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, **was heard** in **the king’s palace.** The king’s ministers **said: Let the reader of the letter be its messenger [*parvanka*],** i.e., since Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, offered this advice, he should be the one to implement it. **They brought Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon,** to the authorities who appointed him to this task, **and he proceeded to arrest thieves. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korḥa sent** Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, the following message: You are **vinegar, son of wine,** i.e., you are wicked in comparison to your father, the righteous Rabbi Shimon, just as vinegar is spoiled wine. **Until when will you inform on the nation of our God to** be sentenced to **execution** by a gentile king’s court?


###### Bava Metzia 83b:9
[Bava Metzia 83b:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/83b:9)

שְׁלַח לֵיהּ: קוֹצִים אֲנִי מְכַלֶּה מִן הַכֶּרֶם. שְׁלַח לֵיהּ: יָבֹא בַּעַל הַכֶּרֶם וִיכַלֶּה אֶת קוֹצָיו. יוֹמָא חַד פְּגַע בֵּיהּ הָהוּא כּוֹבֵס, קַרְיֵיהּ ״חוֹמֶץ בֶּן יַיִן״. אָמַר: מִדַּחֲצִיף כּוּלֵּי הַאי – שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ רַשִּׁיעָא הוּא. אֲמַר לְהוּ: תִּפְסוּהּ. תַּפְסוּהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, **sent** a message back to **him: I am** merely **eradicating thorns from the vineyard,** i.e., I am removing the wicked from the Jewish people. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korḥa **sent** back **to him: Let the Owner of the vineyard,** i.e., God, **come and eradicate His** own **thorns.** It is not your place to do this. The Gemara relates: **One day, a certain laundryman met** Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, **and called him vinegar, son of wine.** Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, **said: From** the fact **that** this man **acted so insolently** by vilifying a Torah scholar, one can **conclude** that **he is a wicked person. He told** the authorities: **Arrest** that man. **They arrested him** and condemned him to death.


###### Bava Metzia 83b:10
[Bava Metzia 83b:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/83b:10)

לְבָתַר דְּנָח דַּעְתֵּיהּ, אֲזַל בָּתְרֵיהּ לְפָרוֹקֵיהּ וְלָא מָצֵי. קָרֵי עֲלֵיהּ: ״שֹׁמֵר פִּיו וּלְשׁוֹנוֹ שֹׁמֵר מִצָּרוֹת נַפְשׁוֹ״. זַקְפוּהּ. קָם תּוּתֵי זְקִיפָא וְקָא בָכֵי. אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: רַבִּי, אַל יֵרַע בְּעֵינֶיךָ שֶׁהוּא וּבְנוֹ בָּעֲלוּ נַעֲרָה מְאוֹרָסָה בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**After his mind settled,** i.e., when his anger abated, Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, regretted his hasty decision. **He went after** the laundryman in order **to ransom him** and save him from execution, **but he was unable** to do so. **He read** the verse **about him: “Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue, keeps his soul from troubles”** (Proverbs 21:23), i.e., had the laundryman not issued his derogatory comment he would have been spared this fate. Ultimately, **they hanged** the laundryman. Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, **stood beneath the gallows and wept.** Those who were present **said to him: Our teacher, let it not be bad in your eyes** that you caused his death, as this laundryman was a wholly wicked person; you should know **that he and his son** both **engaged in intercourse with a betrothed young woman on Yom Kippur.**


###### Bava Metzia 83b:11
[Bava Metzia 83b:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/83b:11)

הִנִּיחַ יָדוֹ עַל בְּנֵי מֵעָיו אָמַר: שִׂישׂוּ בְּנֵי מֵעַי, שִׂישׂוּ! וּמָה סְפֵיקוֹת שֶׁלָּכֶם כָּךְ, וַדָּאוֹת שֶׁלָּכֶם – עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה. מוּבְטָח אֲנִי בָּכֶם, שֶׁאֵין רִמָּה וְתוֹלֵעָה שׁוֹלֶטֶת בָּכֶם.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Upon hearing this, Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, **placed his hand upon** his belly, over **his innards,** and **said: Rejoice, my innards, rejoice! If your** mere **suspicions are so** accurate, **all the more so your certainties** must be correct. If the condemnation of this man based upon the suspicions raised by his insolence proved to be correct, the identification of thieves in accordance with logical reasoning must certainly be accurate. **I am assured about you,** my innards, **that worm and maggot will not affect you,** which is a sign of a completely righteous person.


###### Bava Metzia 83b:12
[Bava Metzia 83b:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/83b:12)

וַאֲפִילּוּ הָכִי לָא מְיַיתְּבָא דַּעְתֵּיהּ. אַשְׁקְיוּהּ סַמָּא דְשִׁינְתָּא וְעַיְּילוּהּ לְבֵיתָא דְשֵׁישָׁא וּקְרַעוּ לִכְרֵיסֵיהּ. הֲווֹ מַפְּקִי מִינֵּיהּ דִּיקּוּלֵי דִּיקּוּלֵי דְּתַרְבָּא וּמוֹתְבִי בְּשִׁמְשָׁא בְּתַמּוּז וְאָב וְלָא מַסְרְחִי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Nevertheless, his mind was not calmed.** He decided to test himself. He arranged for people **to give him a sedative to drink, and they brought him into a house of marble,** where surgeries were performed, **and cut** open **his belly. They removed baskets** upon **baskets of fat from it, placed them in the** hot **sun in** the summer months **of Tammuz and Av, and** the fat **did not putrefy.** In this manner, Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, received proof that his decisions were correct and that he was a wholly righteous individual.


###### Bava Metzia 83b:13
[Bava Metzia 83b:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/83b:13)

כֹּל תַּרְבָּא נָמֵי לָא (סריח) [מַסְרַח]! כֹּל תַּרְבָּא (לָא סְרִיחַ), [כִּי אִית בֵּהּ] שֻׁרְיָקֵי סֻמָּקֵי מַסְרַח. הָכָא, אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִכָּא שֻׁרְיָקֵי סֻמָּקֵי – לָא מַסְרַח. קָרֵי אַנַּפְשֵׁהּ: ״אַף בְּשָׂרִי יִשְׁכֹּן לָבֶטַח״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara questions what the proof was: This is not sufficient proof, as **all fat** that is not attached to flesh **does not putrefy.** The Gemara answers: True, **all fat** not attached to flesh **does not putrefy,** but the **red veins** within the fat **do putrefy. Here,** by contrast, **although there were red veins** in the fat, **they did not putrefy,** which is a sign of his righteousness. Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, **read** the verses **about himself:** “I have set the Lord always before me…therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; **my flesh also dwells in safety”** (Psalms 16:8–9).


###### Bava Metzia 83b:14
[Bava Metzia 83b:14](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/83b:14)

וְאַף רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל בְּרַבִּי יוֹסֵי מְטָא

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara relates: **And a similar incident also occurred to Rabbi Yishmael, son of Rabbi Yosei,** i.e., he too was appointed head officer.