with a select treasury of commentaries on all levels of Torah interpretation
Chapter 3 Mishna 8
with select commentaries
Commentaries used in this translation:
Rashi Commentary (1040-1105)
Rambam Commentary (1135-1204)
Rabbi Ovadiah of Bartenura Commentary (1445-1515)
Tiferet Yisrael commentary (1782–1860)
Rabeinu Yonah (1180-1263)
Derech Chaim - Maharal of Prague (1525-1609) (hebrewbooks.org/14193)
Biur HaGra of Rabbi Eliyahu of Vilna - (1720-1797)
Rabbi Avraham Azoulai commentary - (1570-1643)
Rabbi Chayim Yosef David Azoulai (Chida) commentary - (1724-1806)
Chatam Sofer commentary - (1762-1839), along with Ktav Sofer, and others
Ben Ish Chai commentary - (1835-1909)
and many more..
Commentary Level:
- Min - (level 1) for basic commentaries as relating to the plain meaning (Pshat).
- Med - (level 2) elaborates more into the theme.
- Max - (level 3) deeper in, Maharal of Prague.
- Max+ - (level 4) more themes in the text.
- ShortMix - (recommended) short version of level 4.
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Chapter 3 Mishna 8פרק ג משנה ח
Rabbi Elazar of Birtotah would say: "give to Him from what is His, for you and what is yours is His". And likewise, by David it is written: "for everything is from You and from Your own we have given to You" (Divrei HaYamim I 29). | רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אִישׁ בַּרְתּוֹתָא אוֹמֵר, תֶּן לוֹ מִשֶּׁלּוֹ, שֶׁאַתָּה וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלּוֹ. וְכֵן בְּדָוִד הוּא אוֹמֵר (דברי הימים א כט) כִּי מִמְּךָ הַכֹּל וּמִיָּדְךָ נָתַנּוּ לָךְ. |
Bartenura - do not refrain from occupying in things G-d desires, whether with your body or with your money. For you and your money belong to him.
Tiferet Yisrael - it seems to me that this is not only for tzedaka (charity). Rather, it means as follows: if G-d graced you with some quality or power, like wealth, courage (gevurah), wisdom, memory, pleasant voice, or the like - offer it up to G-d by using it for holy purposes.
Rabeinu Yonah - for man's money is only a deposit in his hands from the Holy One, blessed be He. Only that he has an advantage over other deposits. Namely, that he can use the money to buy all his needs. But for the rest of the money, he should give it as the wish of the deposit Owner, namely, the Holy One, blessed be He, who commanded him to give to the poor. He should be very joyful for being able to sustain himself honorably from the deposit and when he does the will of its Owner from the rest, he should not boast to himself (yachzik tovah l'atzmo).
For it was given to him for this purpose. This is like the case of a flesh and blood king who gave his servant a thousand zuz. The king told him "take one hundred for yourself and give the remaining 900 to nine different people." Will he not rejoice in this?
Binyan Avot - in the Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh Deah 267:22) "all that a slave acquires belongs to his master. This is so whether he found a lost object or it was given to him as a gift. And likewise whether it was given to him by his master or by someone else - the slave does not acquire it. Rather, everything belongs to his master. Even if the giver stipulates a condition: "on condition that your master does not have any ownership in it" - it does not avail. Only if the master gives to him on condition that he goes out to freedom" end quote. With this the words of our mishna are explained.
A man should not say: "even though it is written: 'the earth and all that is in it belongs to G-d' (Tehilim 24:1) and 'the Heavens belong to G-d while the earth was given to human beings' (Tehilim 115:16), and thus the person has acquired his belongings and the Giver no longer has any merit in this gift".
On this, the sage said: "give to Him from what is His, for you and what is yours is His". Even though you think G-d has given it to you as a gift. But the money did not yet go out of His domain. For you yourself are acquired to Him a kinyan guf (like a slave) and whoever gives to a slave, whether the master or someone else - it all belongs to his master.