< Translation:Mishnah < Seder Zeraim < Tractate Berakhot < Chapter 2

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.

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