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1) GIFTS TO NOCHRIM

(a) Question: What is the source (that we may not sell anything attached)?
(b) Answer (R. Yosi b'Rebbi Chanina): (It is a decree on account of) "V'Lo Sechanem" - do not give to Nochrim Chaniyah (a place to stay) in Eretz Yisrael.
(c) Question: We learn a different law from "V'Lo Sechanem" - do not give to them Chen (praise them)!
(d) Answer: If it only came to teach that, it should have said 'Lo Sechunam';

1. Rather, it says "V'Lo Sechanem" to teach both.

(e) Question: But we must learn another law from "V'Lo Sechanem" - do not give to them Chinam (a free gift)!
(f) Answer: If it only came to teach those two, it should have said 'Lo Sechinam';

1. Rather, it says "V'Lo Sechanem" to teach all three laws.

(g) Support (Beraisa): "V'Lo Sechanem" - do not give to Nochrim Chaniyah;

1. Also, do not give them Chen; (praise them); also, do not give them Chinam.

(h) Tana'im argue whether or not we may give a gift to them.

1. (Beraisa - R. Meir): "Do not eat any Neveilah; to a Ger (Toshav, i.e. a Ben No'ach who accepted to guard his seven Mitzvos)...Titenenah va'Achalah O Machor l'Nochri" - this only permits giving it (as a gift) to a Ger (Toshav), or selling it to a Nochri;

i. Question: What is the source that one may sell it to a Ger?
ii. Answer: "La'Ger...Titenenah va'Achalah O Machor".
iii. Question: What is the source that one may give it to a Nochri?
iv. Answer: "Titenenah va'Achalah O Machor l'Nochri".
v. Conclusion: One may give or sell it to a Ger or Nochri.

2. R. Yehudah only permits what the Torah explicitly says: giving it to a Ger or selling it to a Nochri.

(i) Question: Why does R. Yehudah argue with R. Meir?
(j) Answer: If the Torah meant like R. Meir says, it should not have said "O";

1. Since it says "O", this teaches that we must do one of the two things said.
2. R. Meir argues: "O" teaches that it is better to give it to a Ger than to sell it to a Nochri.
3. R. Yehudah says, we already know this, because we are commanded to help support Gerim, but not Nochrim.

(a) (Beraisa): Also: "V'Lo Sechanem" - do not give to them Chen.
(b) This supports Rav.

1. (Rav): It is forbidden to say 'This Nochri is so beautiful.'
2. Question (Beraisa): R. Gamliel was in Har ha'Bayis, and he saw a beautiful Nochris; he said "Mah Rabu Ma'asecha Hash-m";
3. When Turnusrufus' wife tried to seduce R. Akiva, he spit, laughed and cried:

i. He spit, because she was formed from a putrid drop (of semen);
ii. He laughed, because he saw (through Divine inspiration) that she would later convert and marry him;
iii. He cried on account of her beauty, which would ultimately go to the grave.

(c) Answer: Rav admits that one may praise Hash-m for creating beautiful things.

1. One who sees beautiful creations should say 'Blessed is He who created such things in His world'.

(d) Question: It is forbidden to look at women!

1. (Beraisa): "V'Nishmarta mi'Kol Davar Ra" - one may not look at a beautiful woman, even if she is single, or at a married woman, even if she is ugly;

2. One may not look at a woman's colored clothing, nor at animals or birds mating, even if they fill his field of vision, like the angel of death;

i. The angel of death is full of eyes; when a sick person is about to die, the angel of death stands over him, with a drop of poison on his sword;
ii. When the person sees him, he is seized with fear, his mouth opens, and the drop enters;
iii. The drop kills him, makes him decay, and makes his face turn green.

(e) Answer: R. Gamliel inadvertently saw the woman when he turned a corner, he did not know in advance to close his eyes.
(f) (Beraisa): One may not look at a woman's colored clothing...
(g) (Rav Yehudah): It is forbidden even if they are on the wall.
(h) (Rav Papa): It is forbidden only if he knows whose clothing it is.
(i) Support (Rava): The Beraisa says he may not look at *a woman's* colored clothing; it does not say, 'at (women's) colored clothing'.
(j) (Rav Chisda): It is forbidden only if she already wore the clothing, not if it is new;

1. If not, it would be forbidden to give new clothing to a professional (launderer) to fix it, for he will look at it!
2. Objection: But Rav Yehudah taught, an animal breeder may himself insert the male's Ever into the female, and we said that one may not look at animals mating!

i. You must say, someone involved in his profession is not aroused to improper thoughts - this could also explain why we may give clothing to a professional!

(k) (Beraisa): The drop kills him...
(l) Suggestion: This contradicts Shmuel's father!

1. (Shmuel's father): The angel of death told me that he would prefer to uncover the neck (where he slaughters a sick person), as one does with an animal; he refrains on account of the honor of others around.

(m) Answer: Perhaps the drop cuts the signs of slaughter (foodpipe and windpipe).
(n) (Beraisa): The drop makes him decay...
(o) This supports R. Chanina bar Kahana.

1. (R. Chanina bar Kahana): To prevent a corpse from decaying, one should move him so the mouth faces down (the drop will drip out).

(p) (Beraisa): "V'Nishmarta mi'Kol Davar Ra" - one may not think (of women) during the day, for this may cause a seminal emission an night.
(q) (Beraisa - R. Pinchas ben Ya'ir): One can climb in levels of serving Hash-m as follows: Torah leads to carefulness; carefulness leads to zealousness, which leads to cleanliness (from sin), then to separation (from what is permitted, to be stringent), then to purity (of deeds), then to Kedushah, then to humility, then to fear of sin, then to Chasidus (going beyond the letter of the law), then to Divine inspiration, and this leads to revival of the dead;

1. Chasidus is the highest level - "Az Dibarta v'Chazon la'Chasidecha".

(r) This is unlike R. Yehoshua ben Levi.

1. (R. Yehoshua ben Levi): Humility is the highest level - "Ru'ach Hash-m...Levaser Anavim";
2. Only the humble will receive these tidings, not Chasidim.

(a) (Mishnah): We do not sell to Nochrim...
(b) (Beraisa - R. Yehudah): We may sell them a tree on condition to cut it, and he must cut it;
(c) R. Meir says, we may only sell them a cut tree.
(d) (Beraisa - R. Yehudah): We may sell them fodder, or standing crop on condition to cut it, and he must cut it (in the Rif's text, fodder comes after standing crop; this fits better with the coming Gemara (f:1-2));
(e) R. Meir says, we may only sell them what is already cut.
(f) They must argue in all three cases

1. If they only argued regarding a tree, one might have thought that only there R. Meir forbids - we are concerned that he will delay cutting it, for there is no loss;

i. But regarding standing crop, he will not delay cutting it, lest he suffer a loss, R. Meir would permit.

2. If they only argued regarding a tree or standing crop, one might have thought that only there R. Yehudah permits - we are not concerned that he will delay, for there is no visible gain;

i. But regarding fodder, we suspect that he will delay, for there is a visible gain, R. Yehudah would forbid.

3. If they only argued regarding fodder, one might have thought that only there R. Meir forbids, lest he will delay, for there is a visible gain;

i. But regarding the others, R. Meir would also permit.

(g) Question: May we sell an animal (which is usually bought for work) on condition to slaughter it immediately?

1. Perhaps R. Yehudah only permits regarding things attached (to the land) - since they are on the Yisrael's land, he can ensure that the Nochri will not delay, but if we sell an animal, the Nochri can delay as long as he wants!

(h) Answer (Beraisa - R. Yehudah): We may sell them an animal on condition to slaughter it, and he must slaughter it;
(i) R. Meir says, we may only sell them a slaughtered animal.