RICHARD RHEINS

a) compensation for“time and trouble” b) tax exemptions

c) business advantages

d) salaries from communal funds.

Below, we will examine each of these areas of rabbinic support. A) Compensation for"time and trouble”

While payment for the performance of a mitzvah is technically prohibited,” the Talmud does establish the foundation for rabbinic compensation through the principles of sekhar batalah and tirha.

Sekhar batalah and sekhar tirha[also referred to by its Aramaic equivalent, agar batalah] is compensation for the loss of time. In theory, a rabbi would“normally” earn a living by means of a secular occupation. Whenever he took time off from his occupation in order to perform some rabbinic function, the rabbi would suffer a loss of wages. The principle of sekhar batalah and sekhar tirhah empowered the rabbi to demand just compensation for his lost wages. A good example of this is found in the following:

"Karna used to take one istira from the innocent party and one istira from the guilty party. But how could he act in such a manner? Is it not written in Scripture, And thou shall take no gift...”"* But this applies only where he[the judge] takes[the gift] as a bribe, but Karna took[the money] as a fee(agra). Butis it permissible[for a judge to take money] as a fee? Have we not in fact learned that the legal decisions of one who takes a fee for acting as judge are null and void?" This applies only to a fee for pronouncing judgement, while Karna was only taking compensation for loss of work(agar bateilah)."*

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