Supervising Agricultural Workers

If one hired laborers and told them to work early or to work late, he has no right to compel them to do so where the custom is not to work early or not to work late. In a place where the custom is to give them their food, he should give it to them, and where the custom is to provide them with sweet food, he must give it to them. Everything should follow local custom.

It once happened that R. Yoḥanan ben Mattia said to his son, “Go and hire laborers for us.” He went and struck a deal to provide them with food. When he came to his father, his father said to him, “My son, even if you make them a banquet like Solomon’s in his time you will not have fulfilled your obligation to them. For they are sons of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But, rather, before they begin to work go and say to them, ‘On condition that I am not bound to give you more than bread and beans only.’”

R. Simeon ben Gamaliel says: It was not necessary to speak thus, for everything should follow local use.

Adapted from the translation ofJoshua Kulp.