Behar, Aliyah 1 בהר, ראשון

בהר סיני. מָה עִנְיַן שְׁמִטָּה אֵצֶל הַר סִינַי? וַהֲלֹא כָל הַמִּצְוֹת נֶאֶמְרוּ מִסִּינַי? אֶלָּא מַה שְּׁמִטָּה נֶאֶמְרוּ כְלָלוֹתֶיהָ וּפְרָטוֹתֶיהָ וְדִקְדּוּקֶיהָ מִסִּינַי אַף כֻּלָּן נֶאֶמְרוּ כְלָלוֹתֵיהֶן וְדִקְדּוּקֵיהֶן מִסִּינַי, כָּךְ שְׁנוּיָה בְּתֹ"כֹּ; וְנִרְאֶה לִי שֶׁכָּךְ פֵּרוּשָׁהּ: לְפִי שֶׁלֹּא מָצִינוּ שְׁמִטַּת קַרְקָעוֹת שֶׁנִּשְׁנֵית בְּעַרְבוֹת מוֹאָב בְּמִשְׁנֵה תוֹרָה, לָמַדְנוּ שֶׁכְּלָלוֹתֶיהָ וּפְרָטוֹתֶיהָ כֻּלָּן נֶאֶמְרוּ מִסִּינַי, וּבָא הַכָּתוּב וְלִמֵּד כָּאן עַל כָּל דִּבּוּר שֶׁנִּדְבַּר לְמֹשֶׁה, שֶׁמִּסִּינַי הָיוּ כֻלָּם, כְּלָלוֹתֵיהֶן וְדִקְדּוּקֵיהֶן, וְחָזְרוּ וְנִשְׁנוּ בְּעַרְבוֹת מוֹאָב:

בהר סיני [AND THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES] ON THE MOUNT SINAI — What has the matter of the Sabbatical year to do with Mount Sinai that Scripture felt compelled to expressly state where it was commanded? Were not all commandments given on Sinai? But this statement is intended to suggest the following comparison: How is it in the case of the law of Shemittah? Its general rules, [its specific prescriptions] and minute details were ordained on Mount Sinai! So, also, were all commandments with their general rules and their minute details ordained on Mount Sinai. Thus is taught in Torath Cohanim (Sifra, Behar, Section 1 1). It seems to me that the following is the explanation of this: Since we do not find in Deuteronomy that the law concerning “the rest of the soil in the Sabbatical year” was repeated in “the fields of Moab” (cf. Deuteronomy 34:1; the place where Moses repeated many of the commandments contained in the other books of the Pentateuch), we may infer that all its general rules and specific prescriptions must have been promulgated on Sinai. The express mention of בהר סיני here appears therefore to be unnecessary but Scripture by mentioning it intends to teach regarding every Divine command (lit., Divine utterance) that was spoken to Moses that in every case they, their general rules and minute details originated at Sinai and that they were only repeated again in “the fields of Moab”.

שבת לה'. לְשֵׁם ה', כְּשֵׁם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּשַׁבַּת בְּרֵאשִׁית (עי' ספרא):

שבת לה׳ [THEN SHALL THE LAND KEEP) A REST ‎'לה‎ — This means a rest in honor of the Lord (not a rest for the Lord, as in v. 4: שבת שבתון יהיה לארץ, “there shall be a strict Sabbath for the land”, i. e. for the land to rest) in the same sense as these words are used in the case of the weekly Sabbath (lit., the Sabbath of Creation) (Exodus 20:10) where 'שבת לה‎ cannot mean “a day for God to rest” (Sifra, Behar, Chapter 1 2).

יהיה לארץ. לַשָּׂדוֹת וְלַכְּרָמִים:

יהיה לארץ [A SABBATH OF STRICT REST] SHALL BE UNTO THE LAND [or SOIL] — unto the fields and vineyards.

לא תזמר. שֶׁקּוֹצְצִין זְמוֹרוֹתֶיהָ, וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ לָא תִכְסָח, וְדוֹמֶה לוֹ "קוֹצִים כְּסוּחִים" (ישעיהו ל"ג), "שְֹרֻפָה בָאֵשׁ כְּסוּחָה" (תהילים פ'):

לא תזמר — The word is a denominative verb from זמורה, a branch, and denotes: to do something to the branches: it is used here because one lops off its (the vineyard’s) branches. Its translation in the Targum is thus: לא תכסח, “thou shall not cut off”, and this root has a similar meaning in the Hebrew (Isaiah 33:12) “as thorns cut off (כסוחים)”; (Psalms 80:17) “it is burnt with fire, it is cut down (כסוחה).

את ספיח קצירך. אֲפִלּוּ לֹא זְרַעְתָּהּ וְהִיא צָמְחָה מִן הַזֶּרַע שֶׁנָּפַל בָּהּ בְּעֵת הַקָּצִיר וְהוּא קָרוּי סָפִיחַ:

את ספיח קצירך THAT WHICH GROW OF ITS OWN ACCORD OF THY HARVEST — i. e. even if you have not sown it but it grew from the seed which fell into it (into the ground) at the time of the last harvest — and that is what the term ספיח denotes.

לא תקצור. לִהְיוֹת מַחֲזִיק בּוֹ כִּשְׁאָר קָצִיר, אֶלָּא הֶפְקֵר יִהְיֶה לַכֹּל:

לא תקצור THOU SHALT NOT REAP [IT] — to take it as your exclusive property as you do with other harvests (with the harvest in another year) but it shall be free (הפקר) to all and then thou also may reap of it.

נזירך. שֶׁהִנְזַרְתָּ וְהִפְרַשְׁתָּ בְנֵי אָדָם מֵהֶם וְלֹא הִפְקַרְתָּם:

נזירך [AND THE GRAPES OF THY VINE] WHICH ARE נזירים — i. e. those from which you barred people (שהנזרת) and from which you have kept them away, not having declared them free to everybody.

לא תבצר. אוֹתָם אֵינְךָ בוֹצֵר, אֶלָּא מִן הַמֻּפְקָר:

לא תבצר THOU SHALT NOT GATHER — them thou must not gather, but you may gather from that which has been declared free to everybody (Sifra, Behar, Chapter 1 3).

והיתה שבת הארץ וגו'. אַעַ"פִּ שֶׁאֲסַרְתִּים עָלֶיךָ, לֹא בַאֲכִילָה וְלֹא בַּהֲנָאָה אֲסַרְתִּים, אֶלָּא שֶׁלֹּא תִנְהֹג בָהֶם כְּבַעַל הַבַּיִת, אֶלָּא הַכֹּל יִהְיוּ שָׁוִים בָּהּ, אַתָּה וּשְׂכִירְךָ וְתוֹשָׁבְךָ:

'והיתה שבת הארץ וגו‎‎‎‎ AND THE SABBATH OF THE LAND SHALL BE [FOOD FOR YOU] — Although I have forbidden them (the fruits of the sabbatical year) to you by stating “thou shalt not harvest etc.”, I do not mean to forbid them to you as food or to be used for any other beneficial purpose but what I meant was that you should not comport yourself in respect of them as the exclusive owner but all must be equal as regards it (the Sabbatical year’s produce) — you and your hired servant and your sojourner.

שבת הארץ לכם לאכלה. מִן הַשָּׁבוּת אַתָּה אוֹכֵל, וְאִי אַתָּה אוֹכֵל מִן הַשָּׁמוּר (ספרא):

שבת הארץ לכם לאכלה THE שבת OF THE LAND [SHALL BE] FOR FOOD FOR YOU — Since Scripture does not state והיתה תבואת הארץ לכם לאכלה‏ but‎‎ והיתה שבת הארץ לכם לאכלה it intimates: Only that which has been treated according to the Sabbatical law (שבות) and been declared free to all may you eat, but not that which has been kept by you (Sifra, Behar, Chapter 1 5).

לך ולעבדך ולאמתך. לְפִי שֶׁנֶאֱמַר וְאָכְלוּ אֶבְיֹנֵי עַמֶּךָ (שמות כ"ג), יָכוֹל יִהְיוּ אֲסוּרִים בַּאֲכִילָה לָעֲשִׁירִים, תַּ"לֹ לְךָ וּלְעַבְדְּךָ וְלַאֲמָתֶךָ, הֲרֵי בְעָלִים וַעֲבָדִים וּשְׁפָחוֹת אֲמוּרִים כָּאן (ספרא):

לך ולעבדך ולאמתך [AND THE SABBATH OF THE LAND SHALL BE FOOD FOR YOU]; FOR THEE, FOR THY SERVANT, AND FOR THY MAID SERVANT — Because it states (Exodus 23:11) “[but in the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still]; that the needy of thy people may eat”, one might think that they (the fruits of the Sabbatical year) are forbidden as food for the rich (and thus also for the owner of the field and his household), Scripture therefore states here: “[it shall be for food for thee,] for thy servant, and for thy maid servant” — thus you have the mention of the owners (the rich) here as well as of the servants and the maid servants — the poor (Sifra, Behar, Chapter 1 6).

ולשכירך ולתושבך. אַף הַגּוֹיִם (שם):

ולשכירך ולתושבך AND FOR THY HIRED SERVANT, AND FOR THY SOJOURNER — Even non-Jews (Sifra, Behar, Chapter 1 7).

ולבהמתך ולחיה. אִם חַיָּה אוֹכֶלֶת, בְּהֵמָה לֹא כָּל שֶׁכֵּן, שֶׁמְּזוֹנוֹתֶיהָ עָלֶיךָ, מַה תַּ"לֹ וְלִבְהֶמְתְּךָ? מַקִּישׁ בְּהֵמָה לַחַיָּה, כָּל זְמַן שֶׁחַיָּה אוֹכֶלֶת מִן הַשָּׂדֶה, הַאֲכֵל לִבְהֶמְתְּךָ מִן הַבַּיִת, כָּלָה לַחַיָּה מִן הַשָּׂדֶה, כַּלֵּה לִבְהֶמְתְּךָ מִן הַבַּיִת (שם; תענית ו'):

ולבהמתך ולחיה AND FOR THY BEAST, AND FOR THY CATTLE [… SHALL ALL THE INCREASE THEREOF BE FOOD] — If the wild beast may eat thereof how much the more is this the case with cattle to supply which with food is your duty! What, then, is intended by Scripture specially stating “and for thy cattle”? But by mentioning it, it intends to put on a level (to suggest equal treatment of) the cattle with the wild beast: so long as the wild beast has the opportunity of eating from the produce in the field, feed your cattle with what is stored in the house; as soon, however, as food has disappeared for the wild beast from out of the field, make it disappear for thy cattle from out of thy house [i. e. clear it out of thy house into the field and make it thus available to all animals alike] (Sifra, Behar, Chapter 1 8; Taanit 6b).

שבתת שנים. שְׁמִטּוֹת שָׁנִים, יָכוֹל יַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים רְצוּפוֹת שְׁמִטָּה וְיַעֲשֶׂה יוֹבֵל אַחֲרֵיהֶם, תַּ"לֹ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים שֶׁבַע פְּעָמִים, הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר כָּל שְׁמִטָּה וּשְׁמִטָּה בִּזְמַנָּהּ (ספרא):

שבתות שנים [AND THOU SHALT NUMBER] SEVEN SABBATHS OF YEARS [UNTO THEE] — seven Shemittah-periods of years (cf. Onkelos). One might think that one may keep seven successive years as “Shemittah” and keep the year immediately following them as the “Jubilee”, Scripture therefore states “seven years, seven times”, consequently you are bound to say that each of these seven years of release has to be kept in its proper time (i, e. at the end of six years of work) (Sifra, Behar, Section 1 1).

והיו לך ימי שבע וגו'. מַגִּיד לְךָ, שֶׁאַעַ"פִּ שֶׁלֹּא עָשִׂיתָ שְׁמִטּוֹת, עֲשֵׂה יוֹבֵל לְסוֹף מ"ט שָׁנָה; וּפְשׁוּטוֹ שֶׁל מִקְרָא: יַעֲלֶה לְךָ חֶשְׁבּוֹן שְׁנוֹת הַשְּׁמִטּוֹת לְמִסְפַּר מ"ט:

'והיו לך ימי שבע וגו‎‎ AND THE PERIOD OF SEVEN [SABBATHS OF YEARS] SHALL BE UNTO THEE [FORTY AND NINE YEARS] — This mention of the sum total tells you that even if you have not kept the years of “Shemittah” keep the “Jubilee” at the end of forty-nine years (Sifra, Behar, Section 1 2). (The translation according to this Midrashic explanation therefore is: When seven Sabbaths of years (i. e. the seven seven-year periods) will be unto thee forty-nine years, thou shalt cause the horn to be blown etc. — no matter whether you have kept the intervening שמיטות or not.) The plain sense of the verse, however, is: The sum total of the periods of which each ends in a “Shemittah” (or, the sum total of these Shemittah-periods) will give thee forty-nine years.

והעברת. לְשׁוֹן "וַיַּעֲבִירוּ קוֹל בַּמַּחֲנֶה" (שמות ל"ו), לְשׁוֹן הַכְרָזָה (ראש השנה ל"ד):

והעברת has the same meaning as the verb in (Exodus 36:6) “and they caused it to be proclaimed (ויעבירו קול) in the camp” — it is a term for proclamation (i. e. והעברת has not the literal meaning of causing a cornet to pass, i. e. to carry it about in the land as a symbol of freedom) (Rosh Hashanah 34a).

ביום הכפרים. מִמַּשְׁמָע שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים, אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁהוּא בֶּעָשׂוֹר לַחֹדֶשׁ? אִם כֵּן לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר בעשור לחדש? אֶלָּא לוֹמַר לְךָ, תְּקִיעַה בֶּעָשׂוֹר לַחֹדֶשׁ דּוֹחָה שַׁבָּת בְּכָל אַרְצְכֶם, וְאֵין תְּקִיעַת רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה דּוֹחָה שַׁבָּת בְּכָל אַרְצְכֶם אֶלָּא בְּבֵית דִּין בִּלְבָד (ספרא):

ביום הכפורים [ON THE TENTH DAY OF THE SEVENTH MONTH] ON THE DAY OF EXPIATION [SHALL YE CAUSE THE CORNET TO SOUND] — Since Scripture states “on the day of expiation” do I not know that it is “on the tenth day of the seventh month”? Why, then, does Scripture add “on the tenth day of the month”? But it adds these words in order to tell you: the blowing Of the שופר on the tenth day of the month sets aside the Sabbath (supersedes the Sabbath Law) throughout all your land (בכל ארצכם); whilst the blowing of the Shofar on the New Year, the first day of that month, does not supersede the Sabbath Law “throughout all your land”, but only at the law-court (בי"ד) alone (Sifra, Behar, Section 1 5; Rosh Hashanah 29b).

וקדשתם. בִּכְנִיסָתָהּ מְקַדְּשִׁין אוֹתָהּ בְּבֵית דִּין, וְאוֹמְרִים מְקֻדֶּשֶׁת הַשָּׁנָה (ראש השנה כ"ד):

וקדשתם AND YE SHALL SANCTIFY [THE FIFTIETH YEAR] — when it begins they declare it holy in the court by saying: “The year is holy!” (Sifra, Behar, Chapter 2 1; Rosh Hashanah 8b and Rosh Hashanah 24a).

וקראתם דרור. לָעֲבָדִים, בֵּין נִרְצַע בֵּין שֶׁלֹּא כָלוּ לוֹ שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים מִשֶּׁנִּמְכַּר: אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה מַהוּ לְשׁוֹן דְּרוֹר? כִּמְדַיַּר בֵּי דַיְרָא וְכוּ' — שֶׁדָּר בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁהוּא רוֹצֶה וְאֵינוֹ בִרְשׁוּת אֲחֵרִים (ספרא; ראש השנה ט'):

וקראתם דרור AND YE SHALL PROCLAIM LIBERTY unto slaves, both to him whose ear has been pierced (and whose period of servitude has thus been prolonged until the Jubilee; cf. Exodus 21:6) and to him whose six years of servitude (the period prescribed for an ordinary Hebrew servant; Exodus 21:6 Exodus 21:2), reckoning from the time when he was sold, have not yet ended. R. Jehuda said, “What is the etymology of the term דרור, freedom? A free man is like a person who may dwell (דור) at an inn — meaning that he may reside in any place he pleases, and is not under the control of others. (דרור therefore implies liberty of residence) (Rosh Hashanah 9b).

יובל הוא. שָׁנָה זֹאת מֻבְדֶּלֶת מִשְּׁאָר שָׁנִים בִּנְקִיבַת שֵׁם לָהּ לְבַדָּהּ, וּמַה שְּׁמָהּ? יוֹבֵל שְׁמָהּ, עַל שֵׁם תְּקִיעַת שׁוֹפָר:

יובל הוא IT SHALL BE A JUBILEE [UNTO YOU] — This year shall be distinguished from all other years by it alone being given a special name for itself. And what is its name? “Jobel” is its name — with reference to the “sounding of the Shofar” (the ram’s horn which is called יובל; cf. Exodus 19:13).

ושבתם איש אל אחזתו. שֶׁהַשָּׂדוֹת חוֹזְרוֹת לְבַעְלֵיהֶן:

ושבתם איש אל אחזתו AND YE SHALL RETURN EVERY MAN UNTO HIS POSSESSION — This means that the fields return to their owners. (Not that each man actually goes back to his land — just as it goes on to state that the slave actually returns to his family).

ואיש אל משפחתו תשבו. לְרַבּוֹת אֶת הַנִּרְצָע (קידושין ט"ו):

ואיש אל משפחתו תשבו AND YE SHALL RETURN EVERY MAN UNTO HIS FAMILY — This verse is intended to include in the law of setting the slaves free also the slave whose ear has been pierced (cf. Sifra, Behar, Chapter 2 5; Kiddushin 15a).

יובל הוא שנת החמשים שנה. מַה תַּ"לֹ? לְפִי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְקִדַּשְׁתֶּם וְגוֹ' כִּדְאִיתָא בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה (דף ח') וּבְתֹ"כֹּ:

יובל הוא שנת החמשים שנה IT IS A JUBILEE; THE FIFTIETH YEAR [SHALL BE UNTO YOU A PERIOD etc.] — Why is this statement made at all? Is it not identical with that made in v. 10? But because it is stated (v. 10) “and ye shall sanctify [the fiftieth year]” which implies that the year has to be sanctified at the beginning although the law of setting the slaves free applies only as from Yom Kippur, and consequently one might think that the holy character of the year is to be extended till the tenth of Tishri of the next year. Scripture therefore states here “a Jubilee is the fiftieth year” — but not any part of the fifty-first — just as is explained in Rosh Hashanah 8b and in Torat Cohanim (Sifra, Behar, Chapter 3 1).

את נזריה. אֶת הָעֲנָבִים הַמְשֻׁמָּרִים, אֲבָל בּוֹצֵר אַתָּה מִן הַמֻּפְקָרִים; כְּשֵׁם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בַּשְּׁבִיעִית כָּךְ נֶאֱמַר בַּיּוֹבֵל, נִמְצְאוּ שְׁתֵּי שָׁנִים קְדוֹשׁוֹת סְמוּכוֹת זוֹ לָזוֹ — שְׁנַת מ"ט שְׁמִטָּה, וּשְׁנַת הַחֲמִשִּׁים יוֹבֵל:

את נזריה [YE SHALL NOT GATHER THE GRAPES] THAT ARE נזירים — i. e. the grapes which have been kept by you (cf. Rashi on v. 6: לכם לאכלה‎ שבת הארץ), but you may gather from those that had been declared free to all (cf. Rashi on v. 5: ‎‎לא תבצר). Just as this is stated with reference to the Sabbatical year so, too, is it stated with regard to the Jubilee (Sifra, Behar, Chapter 3 2). Thus there are two holy years one after the other: the forty-ninth year שמיטה, and the fiftieth,יובל‎‎.

קדש תהיה לכם. תּוֹפֶסֶת דָּמֶיהָ כְּהֶקְדֵּשׁ, יָכוֹל תֵּצֵא הִיא לְחֻלִּין, תַּ"לֹ תהיה — בַּהֲוָיָתָהּ תְּהֵא (ספרא; סוכה מ'):

‎ קדש תהיה לכם IT SHALL BE HOLY UNTO YOU — The sacred character of the produce of that year attaches itself to its equivalent (i. e. to the articles given in exchange for it), just as is the case with Temple property (הקדש). One might think that after having been exchanged it (the fruit) leaves (loses) its sacred character and becomes חולין (ordinary produce), as is the case with many “holy” objects when they have thus been exchanged! Scripture, however, states תהיה “[holy] shall it be”, it shall always be in its original (holy) status (Sifra, Behar, Chapter 3 3; cf. Sukkah 40b).

מן השדה תאכלו. עַ"יְ הַשָּׂדֶה אַתָּה אוֹכֵל מִן הַבַּיִת, שֶׁאִם כָּלָה לַחַיָּה מִן הַשָּׂדֶה, אַתָּה צָרִיךְ לְבַעֵר מִן הַבַּיִת; כְּשֵׁם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בַּשְּׁבִיעִית כָּךְ נֶאֱמַר בַּיּוֹבֵל (ספרא):

מן השדה תאכלו את תבואתה YE SHALL EAT THE INCREASE THEREOF מן השדה — only by virtue of what is to be found in the field mayest thou eat of what is stored in the house; because if it (a particular fruit) has disappeared for food for the wild beasts in the field, you must clear it out of the house. Just as this is stated in reference to the produce of the Sabbatical year so is it slated also in reference to that of the Jubilee (Sifra, Behar, Chapter 3 4).

תשבו איש אל אחזתו. וַהֲרֵי כְבָר נֶאֱמַר וְשַׁבְתֶּם אִישׁ אֶל אֲחֻזָּתוֹ? אֶלָּא לְרַבּוֹת הַמּוֹכֵר שָׂדֵהוּ וְעָמַד בְּנוֹ וּגְאָלָהּ שֶׁחוֹזֶרֶת לְאָבִיו בַּיּוֹבֵל (שם):

תשבו איש אל אחזתו YE SHALL RETURN EVERY MAN UNTO HIS POSSESSION — But has it not already been stated: (v. 10) “and ye shall return every man unto his possession”? But this is repeated in order to include in this law also the case of one who sold his field and his son came forward and redeemed it, — that it also is to be returned to the father in the Jubilee (Sifra, Behar, Chapter 3 6).