Jerusalem Talmud Sheviit 8.5

משנה: אֵין נוֹתְנִין לֹא לְבַיָיר וְלֹא לְבַלָּן וְלֹא לְסַפָּר וְלֹא לְסַפָּן. אֲבָל נוֹתֵן הוּא לְבַיָיר לִשְׁתּוֹת. וּלְכוּלָּן הוּא נוֹתֵן מַתְּנוֹת חִינָּם.

MISHNAH: One gives neither to the water drawer, nor to the bath attendant, nor to the barber, nor to the ship owner, but one may give to drink to the water drawer. And to all of these one may give free gifts.

הלכה: תַּנֵּי רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר אַף לֹא לַמְּבַיַיר. מִחְלְפָה שִׁיטָּתֵיהּ דְּרִבִּי יוֹסֵי. תַּמָּן הוּא אָמַר אֵין לוֹקְחִין הִימֶּינּוּ מַיִם וּמֶלַח. וְהָכָא הוּא אָמַר הָכֵן.

HALAKHAH: It was stated: “Rebbi Yose says, not even to the water drawer.” The opinions of Rebbi Yose are contradictory. There, he says: “One does not use them to buy water and salt,” and here he says so?

אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי מַה פְלִיגִין בְּשֶׁתַּשְׁמִשׁוֹ אֲבָל בִּשְׁתִיָיה אוּף רִבִּי יוֹסֵי מוֹדֵה הֲוֵי. מָאן תַּנָּא אֲבָל נוֹתֵן הוּא לְבַיָיר לִשְׁתּוֹת רִבִּי יוֹסֵי. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי דִּבְרֵי הַכֹּל הִיא כָאן לְאָדָם וְכָאן לִבְהֵמָה.

Rebbi Yose said, they disagree for general usage, but for drinking even Rebbi Yose would agree. Who is the Tanna of “but one may give to drink to the water drawer”? Rebbi Yose! Rebbi Yose said, it is the opinion of everybody; one statement refers to humans, the other to animals.

תַּנֵּי מַעֲיָין שֶׁל בְּנֵי הָעִיר הֵן וָאֲחֵרִים קוֹדְמִין הֵן לָאֲחֶרִים. אֲחֵרִים וּבְהֶמְתָּן אֲחֵרִים קוֹדְמִין לִבְהֶמְתָּן. כְּבִיסָתָן וְחַיֵּי אֲחֵרִים כְּבִיסָתָן קוֹדֶמֶת לְחַיֵּי אֲחֵרִים. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן מָאן תַּנָּא כְּבִיסָה חַיֵּי נֶפֶשׁ רִבִּי יוֹסֵי. דְּתַנֵי אֵין נוֹתְנִין מֵהֶן לֹא לְמִשְׁרָה וְלֹא לִכְבִיסָה. וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי מַתִּיר בִּכְבִיסָה. מִחְלְפָה שִׁיטָּתֵיהּ דְּרְבִּי יוֹסֵי. תַּמָּן הוּא אָמַר אֵין רְחִיצָה חַיֵּי נֶפֶשׁ. וָכָא הוּא אָמַר הַכְּבִיסָה חַיֵּי נֶפֶשׁ. אָמַר רִבִּי מָנָא אָדָם מְגַלְגֵּל בִּרְחִיצָה וְאֵין אָדָם מְגַלְגֵּל בִּכְבִיסָה.

It was stated: “A water source belonging to the townspeople, between them and outsiders, they have precedence over outsiders. Between outsiders and their animals, the outsiders have precedence. Their washing and the lives of outsiders, their washing has precedence over the lives of outsiders.” Rebbi Joḥanan said, who is the Tanna who saidthat washing is a necessity for survival? Rebbi Yose! As it was stated: “One may use it neither for steeping nor for washing. But Rebbi Yose permits it for washing.” The opinions of Rebbi Yose are contradictory. There he says, washing oneself is not a necessity of life. And here, he says washing one’s garments is a necessity of life. Rebbi Mana said, a person might put off washing himself but nobody puts off washing his clothes.

יְהוּדָה אִישׁ חוּצִי עֲבַד טְמִיר בִּמְעָרְתָא תְּלָתָא יוֹמִין בְּעֵי לְמֵיקָם עַל הָדֵין טַעֲמָא מְנַיִין שְׁחַיֵּי הָעִיר הַזּאת קוֹדְמִין לְחַיֵּי עִיר אֲחֶרֶת. אָתָא לְגַבֵּי רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר חֲלַפְתָּא אָמַר לֵיהּ הֵן הֲוֵיתָה. אָמַר לֵיהּ עַבְדִּת טְמִיר בִּמְעָרְתָא תְּלָתָא יוֹמִין בְּעִי לְמֵיקָם עַל הָדֵין טַעֲמָא מְנַיִין שְׁחַיֵּי הָעִיר הָזֹּאת קוֹדְמִין לְחַיֵּי עִיר אֲחֶרֶת. קָרָא לְרִבִּי אֱבִירוֹדֵימָס בְּרֵיהּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ אַגִּיב הָהֵן טַעֲמָא מְנַיִין שְׁחַיֵּי הָעִיר הַזֹּאת קוֹדְמִין לְחַיֵּי עִיר אֲחֶרֶת. אָמַר לֵיהּ תִּהְיֶינָּה הֶעָרִים הָאֵלֶּה תִּחְיֶינָּה עִיר וָעִיר וְאַחַר כָּךְ וּמִגְרְשֶׁיהָ סְבִיבוֹתֶיהָ. אָמַר לֵיהּ מָאן גָּרַם לָךְ דְּלֹא פָלְתָהּ עִם חֲבֵירֶיךָ.

Jehudah from Ḥuṣī hid himself in a cave for three days because he wanted to find the reason why the necessities of life of one’s town have precedence over the necessities of life of another town. He came to Rabbi Yose bar Ḥalaphta who asked him, where have you been? He said, I was hiding in a cave for three days because I wanted to find the reason why the necessities of life of one’s town have precedence over the necessities of life of another town. He called his son Rebbi Vardimos and said to him, answer, what is the reason why the necessities of life of one’s town have precedence over the necessities of life of another town. He said to him (Num. 35:15): “These [six] cities shall be”, each town shall live, and only afterwards their surroundings around them. He [R. Yose] said to him [Jehudah from Ḥuṣi], what did cause you [this embarassment]? That you did not search with your companions!