עבודה ועובדים

Rava responded: But doesn’t Rav say that a laborer may reconsider and quit his job, even at midday? Evidently, the relationship between the employer and the laborer is structured to the benefit of the laborer.

Rav Naḥman said to him: As long as he does not retract his commitment, his hand is like the employer’s hand. When he does retract his commitment, he is able to do so. But this is not because matters are structured to the benefit of the laborer, but for a different reason, as it is written: “For to Me the children of Israel are slaves; they are My slaves whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt” (Leviticus 25:55), which indicates: They are My slaves, and not slaves of slaves, i.e., of other Jews. Consequently, a Jew can never be enslaved to another Jew with a contract from which he cannot release himself whenever he wishes. Nevertheless, as long as the laborer does not quit the job, he is considered his employer’s agent.

When a person hires workers and the workers hoax the employer or the employer hoaxes the workers, all they have is complaints against each other. When does the above apply? When the workers did not go to the appointed place. Different rules apply, however, if donkey drivers went to the appointed place and did not find any grain, workers went to a field and found that the ground was wet, or the employer hired workers to irrigate his field and they discovered that it was filled with water. If the owner checked the area that required work on the previous evening and saw that the workers were necessary, the workers are not entitled to any reimbursement. What could the owner have done? If, however, he did not check the land where he wants the work to be performed beforehand, he must pay them as an idle worker. For a person who comes carrying a burden cannot be compared to someone who comes empty-handed, nor can a person who performs labor be compared to someone who does not. When does the above apply? When they did not begin doing work. If, however, the worker began doing his work different rules apply. A worker may quit his work even in the middle of the day. This is derived from Leviticus 25:55: "The children of Israel are servants to Me" - i.e., to Me alone. They are not servants to servants. What is the law that applies to a worker who quits after having started work? We evaluate the work that he performed and he is paid that amount. If he is a contractor, we evaluate the work that still must be performed. Whether the price of labor was low at the time he was hired or it was not low, whether it was reduced afterwards or whether it was not reduced, we evaluate the work that must be performed. What is implied? A person agreed to harvest standing grain for two selaim. He harvested half of the grain, but left half unharvested. Similarly, a person agreed to weave a garment for two selaim. He wove half of the garment, but left half unwoven. If the remainder would cost six dinarim to complete, the original contractor is paid a shekel or he is given the option of completing his work. If the remainder was worth only two dinarim, the owner need not pay the contractor more than a sela, because he did not perform more than half the work. When does the above apply? With regard to work that does not involve an immediate loss. If, however, the work involves an immediate loss - e.g., he hired the workers to remove flax from the vat, or he hired a donkey to bring flutes for a funeral or for a wedding or the like - neither a worker nor a contractor may retract unless he is held back by forces beyond his control -e.g., he became ill or a close relative died. If the worker is not held back by forces beyond his control, and he retracts, the owner may hire others on their account or deceive them.What is meant by deceiving them? He tells them: "I agreed to pay you a sela; take two so that you will complete your work." Afterwards, he is not required to give them anything more than he originally agreed. Moreover, even if he gave them two, he can compel them to return the additional amount. What is meant by hiring others on their account? He hires other workers who complete their task so that he will not suffer a loss. Whatever he must add to pay these later workers beyond the amount the first workers agreed upon, he may take from the first workers. To what extent are the first workers responsible? For their entire wage. Moreover, if they have property that is in the employer's possession, the employer can use that property to hire workers to complete their work until he pays each worker 40 or 50 zuz a day although he originally hired the worker at three or four zuz. When does the above apply? When there are no workers available to hire at the wage to be paid the original workers. If, however, such workers are available and the original workers tell the employer: "Go out and hire from these to complete your work so that you will not suffer a loss," whether a worker or a contractor is involved, the employer has only complaints against them. To determine the wage that should be paid, we follow these guidelines: For a worker, we calculate the work he already[ performed and for a contractor, we calculate the work that must be performed.

A Hebrew slave spoken of in the Torah is an Israelite whom the court sold into servitude forcibly, or one who sold himself voluntarily. If, for example, a man committed a theft and has no means to pay the value of the stolen object, the court sells him, as we have stated in the section concerning theft. With the exception of a thief, the court may not sell any Israelite. When the Torah says: "If you buy a Hebrew slave" (Exodus 21:2), it refers to one whom the court has sold. Of such a one it is written in Deuteronomy: "If your fellow Hebrew is sold to you" (15:12). The person who voluntarily sells himself into slavery is an Israelite who has become exceedingly poor, and the Torah has permitted him to sell himself, as it is written: "If your brother becomes poor and sells himself to you" (Leviticus 25:39). He is not permitted to sell himself and put the money away or buy merchandise or utensils with it, or give it to a creditor. He can sell his freedom only if he needs the money for food. One is not permitted to sell himself unless he has nothing left, not even clothing. Only then may he sell himself.

It is forbidden to work a Hebrew slave ruthlessly. What is meant by ruthless work? It is work that has no definite time or limit, or needless work designed only to keep the slave working and occupied. Hence, the sages have said: The master should not tell the Hebrew slave: "Pluck weeds under the vines until I arrive," because he has not given him a time limit. He should rather tell him : Pluck weeds until a certain hour or up to a certain place. Nor should he say to him: "Dig up this place," when he does not need it. It is even forbidden to tell him to prepare a glass of hot or cold water for him if he does not need it. By doing this he breaks a prohibitive law, as it is written: "You shall not rule over him ruthlessly" (43). This implies that the Hebrew slave is to do for the master only what is time-marked and needed.

An Israelite who bought any Hebrew slave is forbidden to impose upon him humiliating tasks, performed by slaves only, such as making him carry his clothing to the bathhouse, or take off his shoes, as it is written: "Do not subject him to the treatment of a slave" (39). He must treat him as a hired worker, as it is written: "You must let him stay with you as a hired servant and a resident alien" (40).— — This applies only to a Hebrew slave, who feels humiliated by having been sold. It is, however, permissible to impose the work of a slave upon an Israelite who has not been sold, since the latter is doing this work voluntarily and with his own consent.

The master must treat his Hebrew male and female slaves as his equals as to food, drink, clothing, and shelter, as it is written: "Because he fares well with you" (Deuteronomy 15:16), meaning that you should not eat white bread, and the slave black bread; you should not drink old wine, and he new wine; you should not sleep on a feather bed, and he on straw; you should not live in the city, and he in the village; or you in the village, and he in the city, as it is written: "He shall come out from staying with you" (Leviticus 25:41). Hence, the sages have declared: "He who has bought a Hebrew slave is like one who has acquired a master for himself" (Kiddushin 20a). He should treat him brotherly, as it is written : "You must not lord it over your brothers the children of Israel" (Leviticus 25:46). Nevertheless, the slave should behave as a slave in the servile work he does for his master.

3) (Vayikra 25:40) ("As a hired man and as a sojourner shall he be with you; until the Yovel year shall he work with you.") "As a hired man": Just as a hired man (Devarim 24:15) "On his day shall you give him his hire," so, this one, "On his day shall you give him his hire." "as a sojourner": Just as a sojourner (Devarim 23:17) "… what is good for him; you shall not oppress him," so, this one "… what is good for him; you shall not oppress him." "shall he be with you": "with you" in eating, "with you" in drinking, "with you" in covering — that you not eat a clean loaf and he eat a coarse loaf; that you (not) drink old wine and he drink new wine; that you (not) sleep on cotton and he sleep on straw. "shall he work with you": that he (the master) should not engage him for his craft to another. So that if he (the servant) were formerly a public bath-house attendant, a barber to the public, or a baker to the public, he should not do this (as a servant). R. Yossi says: If this were his trade (before he became a servant) he should do it; but his master should not bid him to do so ab initio. But the sages said: He cuts his (the master's) hair, and washes his garment, and bakes his dough. (Vayikra 25:41) ("Then he shall go out from you; and his children with him. And he shall return to his family, and to the holding of his fathers shall he return.") "Then he shall go out from you": (From this we may infer) that you (the servant) should not be in the village and he in the city, or you in the city and he in the village. "he and his children with him": (from which we may infer) Just as his master is obligated to feed him, so is he obligated to feed his wife and children. I might think, even if he married a woman without the knowledge of his master; it is, therefore, written "he (and his wife) and his children" — Just as he, with the knowledge of his master, so, his wife and children with the knowledge of his master.

1) (Vayikra 25:42) ("For they are My servants, whom I took out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as slaves are sold.") "For they are My servants": My deed (of servitude) came first. (Therefore, they may serve you only as I permit you.) "whom I took out of the land of Egypt": on condition that they not be sold as slaves are sold. "as slaves are sold": that they not be stood up in public and sold on the auction block.

2) (Vayikra 25:43) ("You shall not rule over him oppressively, and you shall fear your G d.") "You shall not rule over him oppressively": Do not tell him "Heat up this cup for me" if you do not need it, "Cool this cup for me," if you do not need it, "Dig under this grape-vine until I come." And lest you say "I really do need it," such things are relegated to the heart, (i.e., to the truth that one knows in his heart). And of all things that are relegated to the heart it is written "and you shall fear your G d," (who probes the heart).

3) (Vayikra 25:44) ("And your man-servant and your maid-servant, which will be to you, from the nations, which are around you; of them shall you buy a man-servant and a maid-servant.") Lest you say: If You forbade all of these to us, who shall serve us? It is, therefore, written "And your man-servant and your maid-servant, which will be to you from the nations." What is the intent of this? Whence is it derived that if a Jew lived with his maid-servant and begot a son by her you are permitted to make him your servant? From "which will be to you." "from the nations which are around you": and not from the Canaanites in the land, (whom it is a mitzvah to destroy). "from them shall you buy a man-servant and a maid-servant": "a man-servant and a maid-servant": man-servant is being compared to maid-servant. Just as there is no kiddushin (betrothal) for a maid-servant (with a Jew) (viz. Shemoth 21:4), so, there is no kiddushin for a man-servant (with a Jewess).

When a person hires workers and the workers hoax the employer or the employer hoaxes the workers, all they have is complaints against each other. When does the above apply? When the workers did not go to the appointed place. Different rules apply, however, if donkey drivers went to the appointed place and did not find any grain, workers went to a field and found that the ground was wet, or the employer hired workers to irrigate his field and they discovered that it was filled with water. If the owner checked the area that required work on the previous evening and saw that the workers were necessary, the workers are not entitled to any reimbursement. What could the owner have done? If, however, he did not check the land where he wants the work to be performed beforehand, he must pay them as an idle worker. For a person who comes carrying a burden cannot be compared to someone who comes empty-handed, nor can a person who performs labor be compared to someone who does not. When does the above apply? When they did not begin doing work. If, however, the worker began doing his work different rules apply. A worker may quit his work even in the middle of the day. This is derived from Leviticus 25:55: "The children of Israel are servants to Me" - i.e., to Me alone. They are not servants to servants. What is the law that applies to a worker who quits after having started work? We evaluate the work that he performed and he is paid that amount. If he is a contractor, we evaluate the work that still must be performed. Whether the price of labor was low at the time he was hired or it was not low, whether it was reduced afterwards or whether it was not reduced, we evaluate the work that must be performed. What is implied? A person agreed to harvest standing grain for two selaim. He harvested half of the grain, but left half unharvested. Similarly, a person agreed to weave a garment for two selaim. He wove half of the garment, but left half unwoven. If the remainder would cost six dinarim to complete, the original contractor is paid a shekel or he is given the option of completing his work. If the remainder was worth only two dinarim, the owner need not pay the contractor more than a sela, because he did not perform more than half the work. When does the above apply? With regard to work that does not involve an immediate loss. If, however, the work involves an immediate loss - e.g., he hired the workers to remove flax from the vat, or he hired a donkey to bring flutes for a funeral or for a wedding or the like - neither a worker nor a contractor may retract unless he is held back by forces beyond his control -e.g., he became ill or a close relative died. If the worker is not held back by forces beyond his control, and he retracts, the owner may hire others on their account or deceive them.What is meant by deceiving them? He tells them: "I agreed to pay you a sela; take two so that you will complete your work." Afterwards, he is not required to give them anything more than he originally agreed. Moreover, even if he gave them two, he can compel them to return the additional amount. What is meant by hiring others on their account? He hires other workers who complete their task so that he will not suffer a loss. Whatever he must add to pay these later workers beyond the amount the first workers agreed upon, he may take from the first workers. To what extent are the first workers responsible? For their entire wage. Moreover, if they have property that is in the employer's possession, the employer can use that property to hire workers to complete their work until he pays each worker 40 or 50 zuz a day although he originally hired the worker at three or four zuz. When does the above apply? When there are no workers available to hire at the wage to be paid the original workers. If, however, such workers are available and the original workers tell the employer: "Go out and hire from these to complete your work so that you will not suffer a loss," whether a worker or a contractor is involved, the employer has only complaints against them. To determine the wage that should be paid, we follow these guidelines: For a worker, we calculate the work he already[ performed and for a contractor, we calculate the work that must be performed.

A Hebrew slave spoken of in the Torah is an Israelite whom the court sold into servitude forcibly, or one who sold himself voluntarily. If, for example, a man committed a theft and has no means to pay the value of the stolen object, the court sells him, as we have stated in the section concerning theft. With the exception of a thief, the court may not sell any Israelite. When the Torah says: "If you buy a Hebrew slave" (Exodus 21:2), it refers to one whom the court has sold. Of such a one it is written in Deuteronomy: "If your fellow Hebrew is sold to you" (15:12). The person who voluntarily sells himself into slavery is an Israelite who has become exceedingly poor, and the Torah has permitted him to sell himself, as it is written: "If your brother becomes poor and sells himself to you" (Leviticus 25:39). He is not permitted to sell himself and put the money away or buy merchandise or utensils with it, or give it to a creditor. He can sell his freedom only if he needs the money for food. One is not permitted to sell himself unless he has nothing left, not even clothing. Only then may he sell himself.

With regard to the matter of the blessing: Who is good and does good, Rav Yosef said: Know that the blessing: Who is good and does good, is not required by Torah law, as laborers who recite Grace after Meals at work eliminate it. If it can be eliminated, it could not be a Torah obligation.

Rav Naḥman explains in accordance with his reasoning; everyone agrees that the zimmun blessing extends only until Let us bless. According to the one who said that Grace after Meals is three and four blessings, this works out well. And the one who said that Grace after Meals is two and three blessings could have said to you: Here we are dealing with the blessing recited by laborers, as the Master said that when a laborer is working, he is permitted to abridge Grace after Meals, and he begins with the blessing: Who feeds all, and includes the third blessing: Who builds Jerusalem, in the context of the second blessing, the blessing of the land.

The Sages taught in a Tosefta: Laborers who were working for a homeowner are obligated to recite Shema and recite the blessings before it and after it; and when they eat their bread they are obligated to recite the blessing before and after it; and they are obligated to recite the Amida prayer. However, they do not descend before the ark as communal prayer leaders and the priests among them do not lift their hands to recite the Priestly Blessing, so as not to be derelict in the duties they were hired to perform.

And indeed it was taught in a baraita: Laborers who were performing labor for the homeowner recite Shema and pray; and when they eat their bread they do not recite a blessing beforehand because the blessing recited before food is only an obligation by rabbinic law, but they recite two of the three blessings normally recited in the blessing thereafter, the Grace after Meals, which is an obligation by Torah law. How so? The first blessing is recited in its standard formula; the second blessing, he begins to recite the blessing of the land and they include the blessing: Who builds Jerusalem within the blessing of the land, at which point they conclude the Grace after Meals.

In what case is this said? This is said with regard to laborers who work for their wage, but if they work for their meal or if the homeowner reclined and ate the meal with them, they recite the blessings in their standard formula.

Labourers who are working on the top of a wall, or on the top of a tree, when the time for prayer arrives, should descend to the ground, recite the prayer, and resume their labours. If they are on the top of an olive tree or a fig tree, they recite it where they are, as it would entail excessive trouble to descend. What prayer do they recite? Those who work for board only recite the three daily prayers, of nineteen blessings each. If they were working for wages, they recite Havinenu [Summary of the Middle Blessings, together with the first three and last three blessings]. In either case, no congregational service is held, nor is the priestly benediction pronounced.

Laborers doing work for their employer should abbreviate the grace after meals so that they do not take themselves away from the work of their employer. How (do they abbreviate the grace after meals)? (They recite) the first blessing as established and the second they begin with "the blessing on the land" then include in it "He who builds Jerusalem" and conclude with "the blessing on the land". They do not recite the blessing of "The one who is Good and does good" at all. In what circumstances does this apply? When they are receiving payment for their work besides the meal (they are provided with). However, if they are not taking payment but rather are only provided with the meal they eat, they should recite all four blessings as established. This is also the case if the employer is eating with them, even if they are taking payment in addition to the meal, they should recite all four blessings.

Rather, the verse juxtaposes standing to reverence: Just as reverence does not include neglect of work, so too, standing does not include neglect of work; therefore, one who is engaged in work is not obligated to stand before an elder. And the verse also juxtaposes reverence to standing: Just as standing includes no monetary loss, as standing applies only when it does not entail neglect of work, as explained previously, so too, reverence is referring to an action that includes no monetary loss. From here the Sages stated: Craftsmen are not permitted to stand before Torah scholars when they are engaged in their work.

Just as the employer is warned against robbing the wage of the poor workman, and against delaying it, so is the poor workman warned against robbing the employer by idling away his time on the job, a little here and a little there, thus wasting the entire day deceitfully. He must be scrupulous throughout the time of work. Also, he is required to work to the best of his ability, as the upright Jacob said: "I have served your father with all my strength" (Genesis 31:6). For this reason, he was rewarded even in this world, as it is written: "The man became exceedingly rich" (30:43).

You shall not defraud your fellow. You shall not commit robbery. The wages of a laborer shall not remain with you until morning.

and if few years remain until the jubilee year, he shall so compute: he shall make payment for his redemption according to the years involved.

You shall not abuse a needy and destitute laborer, whether a fellow countryman or a stranger in one of the communities of your land.

You must pay him his wages on the same day, before the sun sets, for he is needy and urgently depends on it; else he will cry to the LORD against you and you will incur guilt.

It is a positive command to pay the hired man his wages on time, as it is written: "You must pay him his wages on the same day" (Deuteronomy 24:15). If the employer delayed the payment till after it was due, he has transgressed a prohibitive command, as it is written: "Let not the sun go down upon it." The transgressor is not to be lashed for this, since he is required to pay money. One must pay on time not only the hire of a human being but also the hire of an animal and the hire of implements. If one put off the payment, he has transgressed a prohibitive command.— —

Anyone who detains the wages of a hired man is as if he took his life, as it is written: "His life depends on it" (15). — — When are wages due? A hireling for the day collects his wages all night, and about him it is written: "You shall not detain overnight the wages of your day laborer until morning" (Leviticus 19:13). A hireling for the night collects all day, and about him it is written: "You must pay him his wages on the same day" (Deuteronomy 24:15). A hireling by the hour during the day collects all day; a hireling by the hour during the night collects all that night ; a hireling by the week, by the month, by the year, by a seven-year period, collects all day if his term ends in the daytime; if his term ends in the night, he collects all that night.

The Gemara asks: And what does the other Sage, the second tanna, derive from this verse? The Gemara responds: That verse is necessary for that which is taught in a baraita: The expression “for he sets his soul upon it” explains why one must be so precise when paying a laborer his wages: For what reason did this laborer ascend on a tall ramp or suspend himself from a tree and risk death to himself? Was it not for his wages? How, then, can his employer delay his payment?

The Gemara asks: And with regard to the first tanna, who does not address this verse of: “For he is poor,” what does he do with it? The Gemara answers: That verse is necessary to give precedence to a poor person over a wealthy person if the employer does not have enough money to pay all his workers. And how does Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Yehuda, derive that halakha? In his opinion that halakha is derived from: “You shall not oppress a hired laborer who is poor and needy” (Deuteronomy 24:14).

Rather, Rav Naḥman says that Shmuel says: They taught fixed ordinances here that are necessary for practical life. The reason is that taking the oath is actually the duty of the employer, but the Sages transferred the oath of the employer and imposed it upon the hired laborer due to the livelihood of the hired laborer. The laborer requires his wages to survive, and therefore if the employer is allowed to exempt himself by taking an oath, the laborer will be left with nothing. The Gemara asks: And simply due to the livelihood of the hired laborer should we cause the employer to lose out? If the employer is entitled to take an oath to exempt himself, why should he suffer due to the laborer’s needs?

The Gemara answers: It is preferable for the employer himself that the hired laborer should take an oath and receive his wages so that laborers will hire themselves out to him with the knowledge that their wages are secure. The Gemara asks: Why not argue the reverse, that it is preferable for the hired laborer himself that the employer should take an oath and be exempt so that he should be hired? If the terms of labor are too imposing, people will not hire laborers. The Gemara responds: The employer must perforce find a laborer to hire. The Gemara retorts: A hired laborer, too, must perforce allow himself to be hired out.

The Gemara now retracts the previous explanation: Rather, the employer is preoccupied with many laborers, and it is more likely that he forgot and mistakenly believed that he already paid this laborer’s wages. The Gemara asks: If so, i.e., if it is reasonable that the employer forgot, we should give the laborer his wages without him taking an oath, as there are grounds to presume that the employer erred. The Gemara responds: The laborer takes an oath in order to alleviate the concerns of the employer, as, if he is not required to take an oath, the employer will feel that he has been cheated.

The verse “When you lend your neighbor any manner of loan, you shall not go into his house to take his collateral” can be interpreted in a different direction, i.e., in another manner: You may not enter his house to take collateral for the loan, but if he owes wages, you may enter and take collateral for a porter’s wages, for a donkey driver’s wages, for an innkeeper’s payment, or for the wages for one who made drawings [diyokanaot] for him. One might have thought that this applies even if the one owed the money establishes it as a loan for the one who owes the money after he was already liable for such payment. Therefore, the verse states: “Any manner of loan” (Deuteronomy 24:10), which demonstrates that once the debt has been converted into a loan, it is like any other loan, and therefore one may not take collateral against the debtor’s will.

§ A dilemma was raised before the Sages: In the case of a laborer who eats while performing labor, does he eat from his own property, i.e., is the food he eats in addition to his wages and therefore considered his private property, or does he eat from the property of Heaven? In other words, perhaps the Torah granted him the right to eat the food with which he works as a special privilege, but it does not belong to him.

The Gemara asks: What is the practical difference raised by this dilemma? The Gemara answers: The difference is in a case where he says: I myself will not eat, but I will give the produce to my wife and children in my stead. If you say that he eats from his own property, we give them the food, as it belongs to him, but if you say that he eats from the property of Heaven, the Merciful One entitles the laborer himself to eat, but the Merciful One does not entitle his wife and children to do so. What, then, is the halakha?

MISHNA: With regard to one who hires laborers and tells them to rise exceptionally early and to continue working until exceptionally late, if this is in a locale where laborers are not accustomed to rising so early or to continuing to work until so late, the employer is not permitted to compel them to do so. In a locale where employers are accustomed to feeding their laborers, the employer must feed them. If they are in a locale where an employer is accustomed to providing their laborers with sweet foods, he must provide such food. Everything is in accordance with the regional custom in these matters.

A laborer’s entrance into the city from the field at the end of a day’s work is at his own expense, i.e., he must work until the very end of the day before returning home, and he is not paid for his travel time. In contrast, his departure to work is at his employer’s expense, i.e., he may travel after sunrise, which is time that he is paid for. The source for this is as it is stated: “The sun rises; they slink away and couch in their dens; man goes forth to his work and to his labor until the evening” (Psalms 104:22–23). This verse indicates that people set out to work only from sunrise, but they work until the very end of the day.

The Gemara relates that Runya was the planter of Ravina. He caused a loss, and Ravina removed him from his field. Runya came before Rava and said to him: Let the Master see what Ravina has done to me. Rava said to him: Ravina did well, as you caused him a loss. Runya said to him: But Ravina did not warn me beforehand. How can he force me to leave without prior warning? Rava said to him: In this case it is not necessary to provide a warning. The Gemara comments: Rava conforms to his line of reasoning, as Rava said: With regard to a teacher of children, a planter, a ritual slaughterer, and a bloodletter, and a town scribe who drafts documents on behalf on the local residents, all of these are considered forewarned. Therefore, any loss incurred due to them is deducted from their wages, and they are fined without the need for prior warning. The principle of this matter is: With regard to any loss that is not recoverable they are considered forewarned.

And this commandment is practiced by males and females at the time of the [Temple], as the law of a Hebrew slave is only practiced at the time that the Jubilee is practiced, as I have written in what preceded (Sefer HaChinukh 42). And nonetheless, even at this time, 'the wise man listens and adds insight' - such that if he employed someone from the children of Israel and he served him for a long time or even a short time, he should endow him with that which God blessed him when he leaves him.

There are additional differences between these two types of charity operations: The food from the charity platter is distributed to the poor of the world, meaning, to any poor individual arriving in the city; the money of the charity fund is allocated exclusively to the poor of the city. But it is permitted for the residents of the city to use money that has been collected for the charity fund to purchase food for the charity platter to feed the poor; and similarly they may use food that had been collected for the charity platter for the charity fund. In general, it is permitted for them to change the purpose toward which charity will be used to whatever they want, in accordance with the needs of the community. Similarly, it is permitted for the residents of the city to set the measures used in that city, the prices set for products sold there, and the wages paid to its workers, and to fine people for violating their specifications, in order to enforce observance of these halakhot. This marks the end of the baraita, the details of which the Gemara proceeds to analyze.

and if few years remain until the jubilee year, he shall so compute: he shall make payment for his redemption according to the years involved.