Translation:Mishnah/Seder Zeraim/Tractate Berakhot/Chapter 2/7

Introduction

This mishnah continues from Mishnah Berakhot 2:6 and Mishnah Berakhot 2:7 and provides a third story about Rabban Gamliel. Once again, he makes an exception from the general rule that he taught his students.

Hebrew Text

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.

English Translation

And when [Rabban Gamliel's] slave Tavi died,

He received words of comfort for him.

His students said to him:

Didn't you teach us, our teacher, that one does not receive words of comfort for slaves?

He said to them:

My slave Tavi was not like other slaves.

He was kasher.

Explanation

Slave: It would appear from the questions asked of Rabban Gamliel that Tavi was a Canaanite slave.

Kasher: Literally, 'fit'. It is not uncommon for individuals to mourn the deaths of men of great Torah scholarship. Evidently, Tavi was one such man, in spite of his being a slave.