Beitza 24b.
1- We returned to the Mishna on 24a that records the story of a non-Jew that offered Rabban Gamliel a gift of fish on Yom Tov. The issue is whether the Goy fished it on Yom Tov which would make it Muktza. Rabban Gamliel permitted them in principle, his opinion being that Safek Muchan is permitted, but he did not accept the fish.
Rashi writes that his non acceptance was simply because he didn’t like the Goy. – שאני שונאו.
2- We discussed the מנחת פיתים that was written by Reb Meir Arik.
He discusses the topic of accepting gifts from non -Jews here.
Firstly, to publicly accept צדקה from them is strictly forbidden since it would constitute a chilul Hashem indicating that we cannot provide for our own! See here in Shulchan Aruch. Y”D 254.
See there that if a king sends charity to Jews it needs to be discretely distributed, lest the king take offence, but to non-Jews only.
[we spoke about governmental programs etc.]
The above concerns accepting צדקה. What about gifts?
The general rule is ’שונא מתנות יחי. Meaning that generally, accepting a gift is detrimental to one’s health. So it would seem that accepting gifs from a גוי is similarly not advisable.
However Reb Meir Arik suggest that accepting a gift from a גוי is not a problem. See here for his reasoning.
He brings proof of this from our Gemara: Why did Rashi need to say that Rabban Gamliel didn’t accept the gift from the goy because he disliked him? Even if there was no enmity between them he would not have been allowed to accept a gift from him. So it seems that taking gifts from them is not a an issue!
On the other hand he quotes a Yerushalmi that goes even further. We are familiar with the famous ‘18 decrees’ that were enacted in the time of the תנאים. Some of them, such as פת עכו”ם, oil, and wine of Goyim, יחוד and טומאה , were enacted in order to prevent the mingling with גוים.
The Yerushalmi adds that accepting gifts from them was also enacted at the time!
3- We read the text of the ספר חסידים where he quotes the מדרש איכה that when upon the request of Reb Yochanon ben Zakai (to Aspayonus – Vespasian) a doctor came to heal Reb Tzadok, who had fasted for 40 years in a futile attempt to avoid the churban – his son urged his father to pay the doctor who was a Goy. See there for the reasoning.
4- We continued further where the Gemara states that R’ Pappa presented guidelines for accepting gifts from non- Jews when there is a concern that a מלאכה was performed to obtain or deliver the item.
The Gemara concludes that if a non-Jew brings a gift (e.g., fruit or fish) to a Jew on the first day of Yom Tov, the Jew may not benefit from that gift until after Yom Tov, and the Jew must also wait an additional period of time referred to as בכדי שיעשה before eating it.
5 What does ‘after Yom Tov’ mean?
Rashi explains that the gift may be used on the night of the second day of Yom Tov, after the first day of Yom Tov has elapsed. Rashi himself cites another opinion, that the gift may not be used until after the second day of Yom Tov has ended.
Rome of Olde…
We read the text of the uncharacteristically long Rashi where he writes regarding his teachers and Rabbeinu Gershom, and a letter that he received from Reb Klonimus originally from Rome Italy that settled in Worms who was a great and aged scholar that knew all Sha”s!
More on this topic IY”H next week.