משנה: הַמּוּדָר הֲנָייָה מֵחֲבֵירוֹ וְאֵין לוֹ מַה יֹאכַל נוֹתְנוֹ לְאַחֵר מִשֵּׁם מַתָּנָה וְהַלָּהּ מוּתָּר בָּהּ. מַעֲשֶׂה בְּבֵית חוֹרוֹן בְּאֶחָד שֶׁהָיָה אָבִיו מוּדָּר מִמֶּנּוּ הֲנָייָה וְהָיָה מַשִּׂיא אֶת בְּנוֹ וְאָמַר לַחֲבֵירוֹ הֲרֵי הֶחָצֵר וְהַסְּעוֹדָה נְתוּנִין לָךְ בְּמַתָּנָה וְהֵן בְּפָנֶיךְ עַד שֶׁיָּבוֹא אַבָּא וְיֹאכַל עִמָּנוּ בַּסְּעוּדָה. אָמַר לוֹ אִם שֶׁלִּי הֵם הֲרֵי הֵן מוּקְדָּשִׁין לַשָׁמַיִם. אָמַר לוֹ לֹא נָתַתִּי לָךְ אֶת שֶׁלִּי שֶׁתַּקְדִּישֵׁם לַשָּׁמַיִם. אָמַר לוֹ לֹא נָתַתָּה לִי אֶת שֶׁלָּךְ אֶלָּא שֶׁתְּהֵא אַתָּה וְאָבִיךָ אוֹכְלִים וְשׁוֹתִים וּמִתְרַצִּין זֶה לָזֶה וִיהֵא עָוֹן תָּלוּי בְּרֹאשִׁי. וּכְשֶׁבָּא דָבָר לִפְנֵי חֲכָמִים אָֽמְרוּ כָּל מַתָּנָה שֶׁאֵינָהּ שֶׁאִם הִקְדִּישָהּ אֵינָהּ מְקוּדֶּשֶׁת אֵינָהּ מַתָּנָה. MISHNAH: If a person who by a vow was forbidden usufruct from another has nothing to eat, the other donates [food] as a gift to a third party and the person is permitted it76This was already stated in Mishnah 4:10; it is repeated as introduction to the definition of “gift”.. It happened in Bet Ḥoron with a person whose father was by a vow forbidden usufruct from him; when he married off his son he said to a friend, here the courtyard77His own courtyard, where the wedding takes place and his father is forbidden entry. and the meal are given to you as a gift and they shall be yours until my father has come and eaten with us at the [wedding] meal. He said to him, if they are mine, they are dedicated to Heaven78They are Temple property to be sold for the upkeep of the Temple.. He said, I did not give you my property that you should dedicate it to Heaven. He said to him, you gave me your property only that you and your father should eat, drink, and be friendly with one another and let the sin hang on my head. When the case came before the Sages they said, any gift with the proviso that if [the recipient] dedicated, it was not sanctified, is no gift.
הלכה: הַמּוּדָר הֲנָייָה מֵחֲבֵירוֹ כול׳. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. נִיכָּר הוּא זֶה שֶׁהוּא תַּלְמִיד חָכָם. HALAKHAH: “If a person who by a vow was forbidden usufruct from another,” etc. Rebbi Joḥanan said, it is obvious that this one was learned.
שְׁמוֹנִים זוּג שֶׁלְּתַלְמִידִים הָיוּ לוֹ לְהִלֵּל הַזָּקֵן. גָּדוֹל שֶׁבָּהֶן יוֹנָתָן בֶּן עוּזִּיאֵל. וְהַקָּטָן שֶׁבָּהֶן רַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי. פַּעַם אַחַת חָלָה וְנִכְנְסוּ כוּלָּן לְבַקְּרוֹ. עָמַד לוֹ רַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי בֶּחָצֵר. אָמַר לָהֶן. הֵיכַן הוּא הַקָּטָן שֶׁבָּכֶם שֶׁהוּא אַב לְחָכְמָה וְאַב לְדוֹרוֹת. אֵין צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁבָּכֶם. אָֽמְרוּ לוֹ. הֲרֵי הוּא בֶחָצֵר. אָמַר לָהֶן. יִכָּנֵס. כֵּיוָן שֶׁנִּכְנַס אָמַר לָהֶן. לְהַנְחִיל אוֹהֲבַיי יֵשׁ וְאוֹצְרוֹתֵיהֶם אֲמַלֵּא. 79Cf. Babli Sukkah 28a. Hillel the Elder had eighty pairs of students. The greatest among them was Jonathan ben Uzziel, the least important Rabban Joḥanan ben Zakkai. Once he fell sick and all came to visit him. Rabban Joḥanan ben Zakkai waited in the courtyard. He said to them, where is the least important among you who is a head in wisdom and a head for generations? Unnecessary to speak of the greatest among you! They said, he is in the courtyard. He said to them, let him enter. When he entered, he said to them “to let my lovers inherit substance; their treasuries I shall fill.80Prov. 8:21. Cf. Mishnah Uqeṣin 3:12.”
וְאָמַר רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. נִיכָּר זֶה שֶׁהוּא תַּלְמִיד חָכָם. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בֵּירִבִּי בּוּן. אָכֵין הֲוָה עוֹבְדָא. יוֹנָתָן בַּר עוּזִּיאֵל הִדִּירוֹ אָבִיו מִנְּכָסָיו וְעָמַד וּכְתָבָן לְשַׁמַּי. מַה עָשָׂה שַׁמַּי. מָכַר מִקְצָת וְהִקְדִּישׁ מִקְצָת וְנָתַן לוֹ מַתָּנָה אֶת הַשְּׁאָר וְאָמַר. כָּל־מִי שֶׁיָּבוֹא וִיעַרְעֵר עַל הַמַּתָּנָה הַזֹּאת יוֹצִיא מִיַּד הַלְּקוּחוֹת וּמִיַּד הַהֶקְדֵּשׁ וְאַחַר כָּךְ יוֹצִיא מִיַּד זֶה. “Rabbi Joḥanan said, it is obvious that this one was learned.” Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun said, that is what happened81The background of the last Mishnah. A similar story, with Jonathan ben Uzziel in the role given here to Shammai, is in the Babli, Baba Batra 133b with Shammai trying and failing to attack the method.: Jonathan ben Uzziel’s father vowed not to let him have any usufruct from him and in his will gave his82Jonathan ben Uzziel. part to Shammai. What did Shammai do? He sold some, gave some to the sacred fund, gave him82Jonathan ben Uzziel. the remainder as a gift, and said: He who wants to attack this gift83As circumventing the will of the donor., let him first get back [the merchandise] from the buyers and from the sacred fund; after that he can get [the remainder] back from this82Jonathan ben Uzziel. one84If somebody wants to shield himself from an accusation of “Beth Ḥoron gift”, he should give something away before giving to the person prohibited by the vow..
רִבִּי יִרְמְיָה בְּעֵי. מֵעַתָּה אֵין אָדָם נוֹתֵן מַתָּנָה לַחֲבֵירוֹ עַל מְנָת שֶׁלֹּא יַקְדִּישֶׁנָּהּ לַשָּׁמַיִם. כֵּינִי מַתְנִיתָא. כָּל מַתָּנָה שֶׁהִיא כְמַתְּנַת בֵּית חוֹרוֹן שֶׁהָֽיְתָה בְהַעֲרָמָה שֶׁאֵינָהּ שֶׁאִם הִקְדִּישָׁהּ אֵינָהּ מְקוּדֶּשֶׁת אֵינָהּ מַתָּנָה. Rebbi Jeremiah asked: Does this mean that nobody can give a gift to a friend on condition that he not dedicate it to Heaven85Does such a clause invalidate any gift even if given honestly and permanently?? So is the Mishnah: Any gift similar to that of Beth Ḥoron, which was dishonest in that if [the recipient] dedicated, it was not sanctified, is no gift86In the language of the Babli, 48a: If the end proved that the beginning was dishonest. The Babli prefers to emend the first, not the last, sentence of the Mishnah..