Translation:Mishnah/Seder Zeraim/Tractate Berakhot/Chapter 2/7

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.

משנה ברכות ב ו Mishná/Seder Zeraim/Tratado Berakhot/II/7