Tanach
Devarim 15:7-11 דברים ט״ו:ז׳-י״א
Part of: Re'ehRe'eh, Aliyah 6Chapter 15
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
כִּֽי־יִהְיֶה בְךָ אֶבְיוֹן מֵאַחַד אַחֶיךָ בְּאַחַד שְׁעָרֶיךָ בְּאַרְצְךָ אֲשֶׁר־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ לֹא תְאַמֵּץ אֶת־לְבָבְךָ וְלֹא תִקְפֹּץ אֶת־יָדְךָ מֵאָחִיךָ הָאֶבְיֽוֹן׃
If there should be someone destitute in your midst among one of your brothers in one of your cities, in your land that Adonoy, your God, is giving you; do not harden your heart and do not close your hand against your destitute brother.
If there should be someone destitute in your midst among one of your brothers in one of your cities, in your land that Adonoy, your God, is giving you; do not harden your heart and do not close your hand against your destitute brother.
Rashi
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.
כִּֽי־פָתֹחַ תִּפְתַּח אֶת־יָדְךָ לוֹ וְהַעֲבֵט תַּעֲבִיטֶנּוּ דֵּי מַחְסֹרוֹ אֲשֶׁר יֶחְסַר לֽוֹ׃
Rather, you must surely open your hand generously to him, and you must surely extend a loan to him to cover the wants which he lacks.
Rather, you must surely open your hand generously to him, and you must surely extend a loan to him to cover the wants which he lacks.
Rashi
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.”
הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ פֶּן־יִהְיֶה דָבָר עִם־לְבָבְךָ בְלִיַּעַל לֵאמֹר קָֽרְבָה שְׁנַֽת־הַשֶּׁבַע שְׁנַת הַשְּׁמִטָּה וְרָעָה עֵֽינְךָ בְּאָחִיךָ הָֽאֶבְיוֹן וְלֹא תִתֵּן לוֹ וְקָרָא עָלֶיךָ אֶל־יְהֹוָה וְהָיָה בְךָ חֵֽטְא׃
Look out for yourself lest there be an evil thought in your mind, saying, ‘‘The seventh year is approaching, the shemitah year,’’ and you will look askance at your destitute brother and will not give him; and if he cries out concerning you to Adonoy, you will be regarded as sinful.
Look out for yourself lest there be an evil thought in your mind, saying, ‘‘The seventh year is approaching, the shemitah year,’’ and you will look askance at your destitute brother and will not give him; and if he cries out concerning you to Adonoy, you will be regarded as sinful.
Rashi
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.
נָתוֹן תִּתֵּן לוֹ וְלֹא־יֵרַע לְבָבְךָ בְּתִתְּךָ לוֹ כִּי בִּגְלַל ׀ הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכׇֽל־מַעֲשֶׂךָ וּבְכֹל מִשְׁלַח יָדֶֽךָ׃
You must surely give him, and let your heart not hurt when you give him; for, as a consequence of this thing, Adonoy, your God, will bless you in all your work and in all your commerce.
You must surely give him, and let your heart not hurt when you give him; for, as a consequence of this thing, Adonoy, your God, will bless you in all your work and in all your commerce.
Rashi
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,
כִּי לֹא־יֶחְדַּל אֶבְיוֹן מִקֶּרֶב הָאָרֶץ עַל־כֵּן אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ לֵאמֹר פָּתֹחַ תִּפְתַּח אֶת־יָדְךָ לְאָחִיךָ לַעֲנִיֶּךָ וּלְאֶבְיֹנְךָ בְּאַרְצֶֽךָ׃ {ס}
For the destitute will not cease to exist within the land; therefore I am commanding you saying, ‘‘Open your hand generously to your brother, to your indigent, and to your destitute in your land.’’
For the destitute will not cease to exist within the land; therefore I am commanding you saying, ‘‘Open your hand generously to your brother, to your indigent, and to your destitute in your land.’’
Rashi
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 יהיה בך אביון. הַתָּאֵב תָּאֵב קוֹדֵם:
If there should be someone destitute in your midst. The neediest should be given preference.