Devarim 15 דברים ט״ו

מקץ שבע שנים. יָכוֹל שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים לְכָל מִלְוָה וּמִלְוָה, תַּ"לֹ "קָרְבָה שְׁנַת הַשֶּׁבַע", וְאִם אַתָּה אוֹמֵר שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים לְכָל מִלְוָה וּמִלְוָה, לְהַלְוָאוֹת כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד, הֵיאַךְ הִיא קְרֵבָה? הָא לָמַדְתָּ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים לְמִנְיַן הַשְּׁמִטָּה (ספרי):

At the end of seven years. Perhaps seven years for each and every loan? The Torah therefore teaches, “The seventh year is approaching.” If you say that there are seven years for each and every loan? for everyone’s loan, how is it that it is approaching? This teaches that the seven years follow the count of the shemitah cycle.

שמוט כל בעל משה ידו. שָׁמוֹט אֶת יָדוֹ שֶׁל כָּל בַּעַל מַשֶּׁה:

Suspend every creditor’s hand. Suspend the hand of every creditor.

את הנכרי תגש. זוֹ מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה (שם):

You should demand payment from the stranger. This is a positive commandment.

אפס כי לא יהיה בך אביון. וּלְהַלָּן הוּא אוֹמֵר "כִּי לֹא יֶחְדַּל אֶבְיוֹן"? אֶלָּא בִּזְמַן שֶׁאַתֶּם עוֹשִׂים רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם אֶבְיוֹנִים בַּאֲחֵרִים וְלֹא בָכֶם, וּכְשֶׁאֵין אַתֶּם עוֹשִׂים רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם אֶבְיוֹנִים בָּכֶם:

End it [poverty], so that there will be no one destitute among you. Yet elsewhere it is said, “For the destitute will never cease.” But, whenever you fulfill the will of God, there will be destitute among others, but not among you; whenever you fail to fulfill the will of God, there will be destitute among you.

אביון. דַּל מֵעָנִי, וּלְשׁוֹן אֶבְיוֹן שֶׁהוּא תָּאֵב לְכָל דָּבָר (עי' ויקרא רבה ל"ד):

Destitute. [This refers to someone] poorer than עָנִי, “indigent.” The word אֶבְיוֹן denotes someone desirous of everything.

רק אם שמוע תשמע. אָז לא יהיה בך אביון:

Only if you listen. Then, there will be no one destitute among you.

שמוע תשמע. שָׁמַע קִמְעָא מַשְׁמִיעִין אוֹתוֹ הַרְבֵּה (ספרי):

You listen [lit., “listen you listen”]. Listen a little, and you will be given the opportunity to listen much.

כאשר דבר לך. וְהֵיכָן דִּבֵּר? (דברים כ"ח) בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה בָּעִיר (ספרי):

Just as He told you. Where did He tell you? “You are blessed in the city.”

והעבטת. כָּל לְשׁוֹן הַלְוָאָה כְּשֶׁנּוֹפֵל עַל הַמַּלְוֶה נוֹפֵל בִּלְשׁוֹן מַפְעִיל, כְּגוֹן וְהִלְוִיתָ, וְהַעֲבַטְתָּ. וְאִם הָיָה אוֹמֵר וְעָבַטְתָּ הָיָה נוֹפֵל עַל הַלֹּוֶה, כְּמוֹ וְלָוִיתָ:

You will grant loans. Whenever a word denoting lending is used in reference to the lender, the usage is causative, “you will grant loans.” But if it had said וְעָבַעְתָּ, then it would refer to the borrower, as in “you will borrow.”

והעבטת גוים. יָכוֹל שֶׁתְּהֵא לֹוֶה מִזֶּה וּמַלְוֶה לָזֶה, תַּ"לֹ "וְאַתָּה לֹא תַעֲבֹט":

You will grant loans to nations. Perhaps you will borrow from one and lend to another? The Torah therefore teaches, “but you will not borrow.”

ומשלת בגוים רבים. יָכוֹל גוֹיִם אֲחֵרִים מוֹשְׁלִים עָלֶיךָ, תַּ"לֹ "וּבְךָ לֹא יִמְשֹׁלוּ" (שם):

You will rule over many nations. Perhaps other nations will rule over you? The Torah therefore teaches, “but they will not rule over you.”

כי יהיה בך אביון. הַתָּאֵב תָּאֵב קוֹדֵם:

If there should be someone destitute in your midst. The neediest should be given preference.

מאחד אחיך. אָחִיךָ מֵאָבִיךָ קוֹדֵם לְאָחִיךָ מֵאִמְּךָ:

Among one of your brothers. Your paternal brother should be given preference over your maternal brother.

שעריך. עֲנִיֵּי עִירְךָ קוֹדְמִים לַעֲנִיֵּי עִיר אַחֶרֶת:

Your cities. The indgent of your city should be given preference over the indigent of a different city.

לא תאמץ. יֵשׁ לְךָ אָדָם שֶׁמִּצְטַעֵר אִם יִתֵּן אִם לֹא יִתֵּן, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר "לֹא תְאַמֵּץ". יֵשׁ לְךָ שֶׁפּוֹשֵׁט אֶת יָדוֹ וְקוֹפְצָהּ, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר "לֹא תִקְפֹּץ" (שם):

Do not harden. Some people agonize over whether to give or not; the Torah therefore says, “Do not harden.” Some people open the hand, then close it; the Torah therefore says, “Do not close.”

מאחיך האביון. אִם לֹא תִתֵּן לוֹ, סוֹפְךָ לִהְיוֹת אָחִיו שֶׁל אֶבְיוֹן (שם):

Against your destitute brother. If you do not give him, you will eventually become a brother of the destitute.

פתח תפתח. אֲפִלּוּ כַמָּה פְעָמִים (שם):

You must surely open. [lit. “Open, you must open] Even repeatedly.

כי פתח תפתח. הֲרֵי כִי מְשַׁמֵּשׁ בִּלְשׁוֹן אֶלָּא:

Rather, you must surely open. כִּי here is understood as “rather.”

והעבט תעביטנו. אִם לֹא רָצָה בְמַתָּנָה תֵּן לוֹ בְּהַלְוָאָה (עי' שם; כתובות ס"ז):

You must surely extend a loan to him. If he refuses charity, extend a loan to him.

די מחסרו. וְאִי אַתָּה מְצֻוֶּה לְהַעֲשִׁירוֹ:

To cover the wants. However, you are not required to make him wealthy.

אשר יחסר לו. אֲפִלּוּ סוּס לִרְכֹּב עָלָיו וְעֶבֶד לָרוּץ לְפָנָיו (שם):

Which he lacks. Even a horse to ride, or a servant to announce his arrival.

לו. זוֹ אִשָּׁה וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (בראשית ב') אֶעֱשֶׂה לּוֹ עֵזֶר כְּנֶגְדּוֹ (ספרי):

He [lit. “him.”] This refers to a wife. Similarly, it is said, “I shall make ‘him’ a helpmate alongside him.”

וקרא עליך. יָכוֹל מִצְוָה, תַּ"לֹ וְלֹא יִקְרָא:

And if he cries out, concerning you. Perhaps this is a mitzvah? The Torah therefore teaches “So that he does not cry out.”

והיה בך חטא. מִכָּל מָקוֹם, אֲפִלּוּ לֹא יִקְרָא. אִם כֵּן לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר "וְקָרָא עָלֶיךָ"? מְמַהֵר אֲנִי לִפָּרַע עַל יְדֵי הַקּוֹרֵא יוֹתֵר מִמִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ קוֹרֵא (שם):

You will be regarded as sinful. In any case, even if he does not cry out. Then why does it say, “And if he cries out concerning you”? I punish more swiftly with an outcry than without an outcry.

נתון תתן לו. אֲפִלּוּ מֵאָה פְעָמִים:

You must surely give him. Even a hundred times.

לו. בֵּינוֹ וּבֵינְךָ:

Him. Between you and him [in total privacy].

כי בגלל הדבר. אֲפִלּוּ אָמַרְתָּ לִתֵּן, אַתָּה נוֹטֵל שְׂכַר הָאֲמִירָה עִם שְׂכַר הַמַּעֲשֶׂה (שם):

For, as a consequence of this thing [lit. this word]. Even if you merely said that you would give. You will be rewarded for saying as well as for giving,

על כן. מִפְּנֵי כֵן:

Therefore. For this reason.

לאמר. עֵצָה לְטוֹבָתְךָ אֲנִי מַשִּׂיאֲךָ:

Saying. I am counselling you for your own good.

לאחיך לעניך. לְאֵיזֶה אָח? לֶעָנִי:

To your brother, to your indigent. To which brother? To the indigent.

לעניך. בְּיוֹ"ד אֶחָד — לְשׁוֹן עָנִי אֶחָד הוּא, אֲבָל עֲנִיֶּיךָ בִשְׁנֵי יוֹדִי"ן — שְׁנֵי עֲנִיִּים:

To your indigent. With one yud meaning a single indigent. However, “your indigent” with two yuds refers to two of the indigents.

כי ימכר לך. עַל יְדֵי אֲחֵרִים, בִּמְכָרוּהוּ בֵּית דִּין בִּגְנֵבָתוֹ הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר; וַהֲרֵי כְבָר נֶאֱמַר "כִּי תִקְנֶה עֶבֶד עִבְרִי" וּבִמְכָרוּהוּ בֵית דִּין הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר? אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי שְׁנֵי דְבָרִים שֶׁנִּתְחַדְּשׁוּ כָּאן, אֶחָד שֶׁכָּתוּב או העבריה אַף הִיא תֵצֵא בְּשֵׁשׁ. וְלֹא שֶׁמְּכָרוּהָ בֵית דִּין, שֶׁאֵין הָאִשָּׁה נִמְכֶּרֶת בִּגְנֵבָתָהּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "בִּגְנֵבָתוֹ" וְלֹא "בִגְנֵבָתָהּ" – אֶלָּא בִקְטַנָּה שֶׁמְּכָרָהּ אָבִיהָ, וְלִמֵּד כָּאן שֶׁאִם יָצְאוּ שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים קֹדֶם שֶׁתָּבִיא סִימָנִין תֵּצֵא, וְעוֹד חִדֵּשׁ כָּאן העניק תעניק:

If . . . is sold to you. Through others. When the courts sold him for his larceny, is Scripture’s subject here. But it is already said, “If you purchase a Hebrew slave,” and Scripture there refers to a sale by the courts. Rather, because of two novel teachings here. One, it is written “Or a Hebrew woman” — she must also be liberated after six years. But not a woman sold by the courts, since women are not sold for larceny, as it is said, “For ‘his’ larceny” — not for her larceny. Rather, a minor sold by her father. This teaches that if six years elapsed before she reached puberty, she must be liberated. Another novel teaching here is “you must surely present him with a severance bonus.”

העניק תעניק. לְשׁוֹן עֲדִי בַּגֹּבַהּ וּבְמַרְאִית הָעַיִן, דָּבָר שֶׁיְּהֵא נִכָּר שֶׁהֱטִיבוֹתָ לוֹ; וְיֵשׁ מְפָרְשִׁים לְשׁוֹן הַטְעָנָה עַל צַוָּארוֹ:

You must surely present him with a severance bonus. The literal meaning of this is “adornment,” to be held high and viewed. An object which indicates that you treated him benevolently. Some explain that the word refers to a necklace worn around the throat.

מצאנך ומגרנך ומיקבך. יָכוֹל אֵין לִי אֶלָּא אֵלּוּ בִּלְבַד, תַּ"לֹ אשר ברכך – מִכָּל מַה שֶּׁבֵּרַכְךָ בּוֹרַאֲךָ. וְלָמָּה נֶאֶמְרוּ אֵלּוּ? מָה אֵלּוּ מְיֻחָדִים שֶׁהֵם בִּכְלַל בְּרָכָה אַף כָּל שֶׁהוּא בִּכְלַל בְּרָכָה, יָצְאוּ פְּרָדוֹת; וְלָמְדוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ בְמַסֶּכֶת קִדּוּשִׁין (דף י"ז) בִּגְזֵרָה שָׁוָה כַּמָּה נוֹתֵן לוֹ מִכָּל מִין וָמִין:

From your flocks, your threshing area, and your wine cellar. Perhaps only from these alone? The Torah therefore teaches, “with which . . . blessed you.” From everything with which your Creator blessed you. Why are [only] these mentioned? Just as these are distinguished by their blessed status, so do we include everything categorized as blessed. This excludes mules. Also, the Rabbis derive in tractate Kidushin, through the gezerah shava-word comparison principle, the amount which must be given to him from each species.

וזכרת כי עבד היית. וְהֶעֱנַקְתִּי וְשָׁנִיתִי לְךָ מִבִּזַּת מִצְרַיִם וּבִזַּת הַיָּם, אַף אַתָּה הַעֲנֵק וּשְׁנֵה לוֹ (ספרי):

Remember that you were a slave. And I bestowed a parting gift and repeated it with the spoils of Egypt and [then] the spoils of the sea. You, as well, should bestow a severance gift and then repeat it.

עבד עולם. יָכוֹל כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ, תַּ"לֹ "וְשַׁבְתֶּם אִישׁ אֶל אֲחֻזָּתוֹ וְאִישׁ אֶל מִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ תָּשֻׁבוּ" (ויקרא כ"ה), הָא לָמַדְתָּ שֶׁאֵין זֶה אֶלָּא עוֹלָמוֹ שֶׁל יוֹבֵל (מכילתא שמות כ"א):

Perpetual slave. Perhaps this follows the plain meaning? The Torah therefore teaches, “Return, everyone, to his ancestral property, everyone shall return to his family.” This teaches that the reference here is merely in the perpetuity of Yovel.

ואף לאמתך תעשה כן. הַעֲנֵק לָהּ; יָכוֹל אַף לִרְצִיעָה הִשְׁוָה הַכָּתוּב אוֹתָהּ, תַּ"לֹ (שמות כ"א) "וְאִם אָמֹר יֹאמַר הָעֶבֶד" – עֶבֶד נִרְצָע וְאֵין אָמָה נִרְצַעַת (ספרי):

Do the same to your maid-servant as well. Bestow the severance bonus upon her. Perhaps even with the piercing [of the ear] Scripture equates her? The Torah therefore teaches. “If the slave should say.” The slave undergoes the piercing, but not the maid-servant.

כי משנה שכר שכיר. מִכָּאן אָמְרוּ עֶבֶד עִבְרִי עוֹבֵד בֵּין בַּיּוֹם וּבֵין בַּלַּיְלָה, וְזֶהוּ כִפְלַיִם שֶׁבַּעֲבוֹדַת שְׂכִירֵי יוֹם. וּמַהוּ עֲבוֹדָתוֹ בַלַּיְלָה? רַבּוֹ מוֹסֵר לוֹ שִׁפְחָה כְנַעֲנִית וְהַוְּלָדוֹת לָאָדוֹן (ספרי):

For, double the profit produced by the wage earner. From here it is derived that a Hebrew slave works day and night, thus producing double the work of the wage earner hired on a daily basis. What work does he do at night? His master gives him a Gentile maid-servant, and the offspring are the property of the owner.

כל הבכור, תקדיש. וּבְמָקוֹם אַחֵר (ויקרא כ"ז) הוּא אוֹמֵר "לֹא יַקְדִּישׁ אִישׁ אֹתוֹ", הָא כֵיצַד? אֵינוֹ מַקְדִּישׁוֹ לְקָרְבָּן אַחֵר; וְכָאן לִמֵּד שֶׁמִּצְוָה לוֹמַר הֲרֵי אַתָּה קָדוֹשׁ לִבְכוֹרָה. דָּ"אַ — אִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר "תַּקְדִּישׁ", שֶׁכְּבָר נֶאֱמַר "לֹא יַקְדִּישׁ", וְאִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר "לֹא יַקְדִּישׁ", שֶׁהֲרֵי כְבָר נֶאֱמַר "תַּקְדִּישׁ", הָא כֵיצַד? מַקְדִּישׁוֹ אַתָּה הֶקְדֵּשׁ עִלּוּי וְנוֹתֵן לַהֶקְדֵּשׁ כְּפִי טוֹבַת הֲנָאָה שֶׁבּוֹ (ערכין כ"ט):

Every firstborn . . . you must consecrate. Elsewhere it is said that one should not consecrate him. How is this resolved? He may not consecrate him as a different sacrifice. Here, however, it teaches that it is a mitzvah to declare ‘You are hereby consecrated as a firstborn.’ Another interpretation. One cannot say “You must consecrate”! since it has already been said. “Do not consecrate”! And one cannot say “Do not consecrate”! since it has already been said, “You must consecrate”! How is this resolved? You may consecrate it whereby its monetary value becomes sacred, then donate, to the sacred hekdesh domain, the value of its beneficiary payment.

לא תעבד בבכור שורך ולא תגז וגו'. אַף הַחִלּוּף לָמְדוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁאָסוּר, אֶלָּא שֶׁדִּבֵּר הַכָּתוּב בַּהוֹוֶה (בכורות כ"ה):

You may not work with your first-born ox, or shear, etc. The converse, as well, is prohibited by Rabbinic derivation, but Scripture depicts what is commonly practiced.

לפני ה' אלהיך תאכלנו. לַכֹּהֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר, שֶׁכְּבָר מָצִינוּ שֶׁהוּא מִמַּתְּנוֹת כְּהֻנָּה אֶחָד תָּם וְאֶחָד בַּעַל מוּם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר י"ח) וּבְשָׂרָם יִהְיֶה לָּךְ וְגוֹ' (בכ' כ"ח):

Before Adonoy your God, you must eat it. This is addressed to the kohein, as we already find that this is one of the priestly gifts, whether sound or blemished, as it is said, “Their flesh shall be yours, etc.”

שנה בשנה. מִכָּאן שֶׁאֵין מַשְׁהִין אוֹתוֹ יוֹתֵר עַל שְׁנָתוֹ; יָכוֹל יְהֵא פָּסוּל מִשֶּׁעָבְרָה שְׁנָתוֹ, כְּבָר הֻקַּשׁ לְמַעֲשֵׂר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים י"ד) וְאָכַלְתָּ לִפְנֵי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ מַעְשַׂר דְּגָנְךָ תִּירֹשְׁךָ וְיִצְהָרֶךָ וּבְכֹרֹת בְּקָרְךָ וְצֹאנֶךָ, מַה מַּעֲשֵׂר שֵׁנִי אֵינוֹ נִפְסָל מִשָּׁנָה לַחֲבֶרְתָּהּ אַף בְּכוֹר אֵינוֹ נִפְסָל, אֶלָּא שֶׁמִּצְוָה תּוֹךְ שְׁנָתוֹ (בכ' כ"ז):

Each year. This teaches that it should not be detained for more than a year. Perhaps it becomes disqualified once the year had passed? It has already been compared to the tithe, as it is said, “You must eat, before Adonoy your God, etc., the tithe of your grain, wine, and oil, and the first-born of your cattle and flocks.” Just as the second tithe is not disqualified from one year to the next, so is the first-born not disqualified. Rather, it is a mitzvah within the year.

שנה בשנה. אִם שְׁחָטוֹ בְּסוֹף שְׁנָתוֹ אוֹכְלוֹ אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם וְיוֹם אֶחָד מִשָּׁנָה אַחֶרֶת, לִמֵּד שֶׁנֶּאֱכָל לִשְׁנֵי יָמִים וְלַיְלָה אֶחָד (שם):

Each year [lit. year by year]. If it was slaughtered at the end of the year, it may be eaten that day, and another day into the following year. This teaches that it may be eaten for two days and a night.

מום. כְּלָל:

A blemish. This is a general statement.

פסח או עור. פְּרָט:

If it is crippled or blind. This is specific.

כל מום רע. חָזַר וְכָלַל — מַה הַפְּרָט מְפֹרָשׁ מוּם הַגָּלוּי וְאֵינוֹ חוֹזֵר, אַף כָּל מוּם שֶׁבַּגָּלוּי וְאֵינוֹ חוֹזֵר (שם ל"ז):

Any severe blemish. This returns to the general. Just as the specific statement refers explicitly to a visible permanent blemish, so must every disqualifying blemish be visible and permanent.

רק את דמו לא תאכל. שֶׁלֹּא תֹאמַר הוֹאִיל וְכֻלּוֹ הֶתֵּר הַבָּא מִכְּלַל אִסּוּר הוּא, שֶׁהֲרֵי קָדוֹשׁ וְנִשְׁחָט בַּחוּץ בְּלֹא פִדְיוֹן וְנֶאֱכָל, יָכוֹל יְהֵא אַף הַדָּם מֻתָּר, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר רק את דמו לא תאכל:

Only, do not eat its blood. In order that you do not say that, as the entire animal is permitted by exemption from a generally prohibited category — since it is sacred, yet may be slaughtered outside the sanctuary without redemption and eaten — then perhaps even its blood is permitted. The Torah therefore teaches “Only do not eat its blood.”