An arrogant עשיר offended a רב, who then observed: “In מסכת עירובין, the גמרא relates that רבי would be מכבד עשירים. This is illustrated in a משנה in בבא קמא, where רבי says that there are three categories of people whom one is חייב for injuring but who are פטורים for injuring others. The three are חרש שוטה וקטן. Now, this is difficult. Why didn’t רבי include the עשיר in this list? Why he too can injure others but others are not permitted to injure him? This then is the כבוד that רבי gave the עשירים by not lumping them with the חרש שוטה וקטן.”
05/07/2020