משנה: אָֽמְרוּ לוֹ מַעֲשֶׂה בִּבְנֵי לֵוִי שֶׁהָֽלְכוּ לְצוֹעַר עִיר הַתְּמָרִים וְחָלָה אֶחָד מֵהֶם בַּדֶּרֶךְ וְהִנִּיחוּהוּ בַפּוּנְדָּק וּבַחֲזָרָתָם אָֽמְרוּ לַפּוּנדָקִית אַיּוֹ חֲבֵירֵינוּ נוֹמַת לָהֶם מֵת וּקְבַרְתִּיו וְהִשִּׂיאוּ אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ. אָֽמְרוּ לוֹ וְלֹא תְהֵא כֹהֶנֶת כַּפּוּנְדָקִית. אָמַר לָהֶן לִכְשֶׁתְּהֵא הַפּוּנדָקִית נֶאֱמֶנֶת. וְהַפּוּנדָקִית הוֹצִיאָה לָהֶן מַקְלֹו וְתַרְמִילוֹ וְסֵפֶר תּוֹרָה שֶׁהָיָה בְיָדוֹ. MISHNAH: They said to him159The other Sages to R. Aqiba., it happened that Levites went to Zoar the town of date palms when one one them fell ill and they left him at an inn On their return they asked the women innkeeper160Gentile woman who most probably kept slave girls to act as prostitutes for her guests.,where is our colleague? She told them, he died and I buried him161Since they asked, her answer is testimony which according to Mishnah 5 should not be accepted.; and they let his widow remarry. They said to him159The other Sages to R. Aqiba., should not the wife of a Cohen162She is the paradigm of a decent Jewish woman. How can R. Aqiba accept the testimony of a Gentile woman of ill repute and refuse that of a Jewish woman in good standing? be like a women innkeeper? He retorted, if she is in the position of the women innkeeper.
For the women innkeeper delivered to them his stick, his back pack and the Torah scroll that had been in his hand163Any woman who can deliver concrete proof of her words is accepted..
הלכה: הַפּוּנדָקִית הוֹצִיאָה לָהֶן מַקְלוֹ וּמַנְעָלָיו וַאֲפוּנדָתוֹ וְסֵפֶר תּוֹרָה שֶׁהָיָה בְיָדוֹ. רִבִּי אָחָא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי חיננא. עָשׂוּ אוֹתָהּ כִּי חַיָּה שֶׁהִיא נֶאֱמֶנֶת עַל אָתָר. אָמַר רִבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר סוֹסַרְטָא. עָשׂוּ אוֹתָהּ כְגוֹי מְסִיחַ לְתוּמּוֹ. חַד אֲרִיסְטוֹן בָּעֵי קוֹמֵי רִבִּי מָנָא. לֵית הָדָא פְלִיג עַל רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ. דְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ אָמַר. כָּל־שֶׁשּׁוֹאֲלִין אוֹתוֹ וְהוּא מֵשִִׁיב. לֵית כָּן כְּהַהִיא דְאָמַר רִבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר סוֹסַרְטָא. אִית כָּן כְּהַהִיא דָמַר רִבִּי חֲנִינָה. עָשׂוּ אוֹתָהּ כְּחַיָּה שֶׁהִיא נֶאֱמֶנֶת עַל אָתָר. HALAKHAH: “For the woman innkeeper delivered to them his stick, his shoes, his money belt, and the Torah scroll that had been in his hand.”. Rebbi Aḥa in the name of Rebbi Ḥanina164This is the correct name, as given at the end of the paragraph. R. Aḥa is reported frequently to quote R. Ḥanina but not R. Ḥinena.: They treated her like a midwife who is trusted on the spot165If a midwife testifies immediately at the birth which one of twin boys was born first, her testimony is accepted with all the consequences it has in matters of inheritance (Qiddušin Yerushalmi 4:2 fol. 65d; Babli 73b).. Rebbi Samuel bar Sosarta said, they treated her like a Gentile speaking simplemindedly. A gentleman asked before Rebbi Mana, does that not contradict Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish, for Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said, anybody one asks and he responds166Cf. Note 106. This is R. Simeon ben Laqish’s definition of intentional answer which disqualifies the statement of a Gentile. The Babli, 122b, explains the problem away by proposing that the innkeeper started to cry when she saw the Levites coming and informed them of the death when they inquired why she was crying.! The statement of Rebbi Samuel bar Sosarta is impossible; one has the statement of Rebbi Ḥanina: They treated her like a midwife who is trusted on the spot.