Re'ei - 6th Portion

Join me as we learn Chumash for Friday the 6th or reading of Parshat Shmita, which is chapter 15 verse 1. Yesterday we learned about the special tithes that have to be given to the Levi and to the poor person. Today the Torah continues with the laws of the sabbatical year and charity. Chapter 15 verse 1. Miketz sheva shanim tashemetah. At the end of 7 years you must conduct something called the sabbatical year. Shmita, the word Shmita means to release at the sabbatical year of 7 years. Let's see Rashi. Miketz sheva shanim. Yochal sheva shanim. I would think that I count 7 years a whole mill of a lever for any the borrower and lender. Each person gets their own a 7 years. Tam lo yimar. Therefore the Torah continues to say karva shnat shava the 7th year has come. Ve im atah omer sheva shanim kulam aval aval aval kulam beyachad. And if you're going to say that every person gets his own 7 years that he can extend the loan for, ki karva how can you say it's coming close? Halimada from here we learn sheva shanim liminyan hashmitah so when it comes to taking loans and releasing loans at 7 years the 7 years goes according to the sabbatical year count. Verse 2. Vezot dvar hashmitah. This is the way this is the type of release that you have to have when it comes to sabbatical year. Shomet kol ba'al mashe yado. You must release every creditor, meaning kol shomet kol ba'al mashe yado. Every creditor must relinquish asher yashiv bere'ehu whatever he lent his fellow. Lo yigosh et re'ehu. He may not exact repayment. He may not the creditor can no cannot ask him for payment. Et achiv and from his fellow or from his brother ki karah shmitah lashem because it is considered a release in the honor of God. Rashi. Shomet kol mashe yado. Shomet et yado shel kol ba'al mashe. Meaning the concept of release means you have to take your hand back and you cannot go and collect the money. Their power to collect is now diminished. However, this prohibition is only to a Jew. However, from the non-Jew, you may exact payment. But you must attach me to that. However, what your brother owes you, you must release and you cannot take from what he owes you. Rashi is a non-Jew. This is actually a positive commandment to go get back the money from the from the non-Jew. Verse four, "Efes." However, if you follow these rules, this will be irrelevant because there will be no destitute people amongst you. In the by safeguarding and doing the commandments in the as you can the land that God gives you as an inheritance by following the laws of the shmita, this will make sure that everybody has money and they won't even have to ask or to lend or to and to borrow money. Efes Later on he says that there will not be a poor person amongst you, meaning seemingly that there will always be poor people. When you're going to do what God says, where are the poor people going to be? Others, by the non-Jews. But when you don't do what God wants, then where are they going to lose our poor people What is the word poor? Over here sometimes we find the word "ani" and over here the word is "evyon." Evyon, a pauper. That's worse than a poor person. "Dal money." Because he's so poor, he'll take anything he can get. We know that, by the way, even though that the Torah tells us over here that the loans were released, we know that Hillel made something called a "pruzbul." A pruzbul is that all the loans are given over to the rabbinical court and therefore the court then collects the loans that have to be done. And that is because people would not lend money cuz a person will just delay payment until the sabbatical year and never get paid. So, it stop loans from being given to people that need it. And therefore, the rabbis enacted such a law so as the words of the Talmud "Latino Del Bafino Love" and not to close the door before those that need the money, those that are borrowing. Verse five. Rakin Shamaya Tishma Bakala Shamaya Kaha, but only if you would uh provided that you can hearken and listen to the voice of Hashem. Lish Mer to guard, last these to do as Kalamits as Mitzvah Shamaya Mitzvah Shamaya that I tell you today. Rakin Shamaya Tishma Ozli Makhavian they will have any poor people. Shamaya Tishma he says it twice. Sheem you listened a little bit, even you learned a little bit Mashmia I say "Harbe" they're going to be you merit that you'll learn a lot more. Verse six. Kasha Malakacha Vayacha God your God will bless you. Kasha Dibala like he told you Vayacha to go in Rabim and you will be able to um Vavata the go in Rabim and you will and you will uh and you'll learn lend to many nations. Va'at Al Shavat and you will not have to lend and you will not have to borrow. Um Mashal to go in Rabim and you will rule over many nations. Um Khol Mashal but they will not rule on you. Rashi, Kasha Dibala like he told you Vayacha Dibala when did he say this? This is later on as we're going to say as well. But the year you should be blessed and you be able to loan people money and so on. Vavata the Kol Ashna Kishna Flala Lo Shamaphel. Any time that there's a loan that's happening and it's going on the person who's lending the money, it's an active word of verb. Kiga in Vilvisa and you will loan. Vi Hava to and you'll be able to give them and you'll be able to uh g- collect. The Maya Vil Avata in Flala live if you use without the hey, that would mean that the borrower will have to lend will have to borrow money. Kama Vilvisa and you will borrow. Vavata to go in Rabim you will stay live and you You may think that he's telling you you're going to have to borrow from this one and lend to that one. You're never going to have to be the borrower. You'll be have so much you're going to be the one giving. You may think that others will be able to rule on you. They will not be able to rule over you. They will not be able to rule over you. Verse seven. Now we learn about the laws of charity. When you have amongst you a poor person, a pauper from amongst you. One of your gates, meaning living with you. Do not harden your heart. Do not close your hand from your from your destitute brother. Rashi says that he meaning why doesn't use the word poor like he said before. Because he first talks about the person who is more needy first. Meaning he's telling you that this is somebody from amongst your brothers. That there's all different kinds. A brother from your father or a brother from your mother. A brother from your father comes first or a brother from your father comes first or a brother from your mother. Whoever's closest to you have to make sure in your gateways that means he lives amongst you. Teaching you. And you have to take care of the poor people of your city before the poor people of another place. Laisa amits. Shumit yeshlicha adam shumit. Stire. There are some people that there questioning should they shouldn't they give. Therefore it says laisa amits, don't make your heart hard. There are some people that after he gives the money and then he closes it. He wants to give but he says no, that's it. Therefore it says don't close your hand. Because if you you give him, the Torah reminds you you might end up being the brother of that pauper. You might be the pauper as well. Therefore, as the Torah continues, what should you do? Be generous. Verse 8. You must you must open your hand for him. You must lend him whatever he's needs. Enough of his needs whatever he's missing, whatever he's lacking. It comes back to you a few times. Keep in this case but what should you do? He doesn't want to take it as a gift. Give it to him as a loan. Give him whatever he needs. You are not commanded to make him wealthy. Whatever he's missing, even though it says if you already fill his need, but what are his needs? If his need is that he needs a horse and somebody to run before it because that's what he living style, the lifestyle that he was used to then you have to do that as well. To him, another thing is a wife. That part of the mitzvah is to find somebody um a wife. That finding a shidduch, making sure to give him what he needs. Not only that, or the money that he needs to be able to find a wife. I will connect that I will make for him a helper. So that is also a mitzvah of charity to help a person find their match. Verse 9. You shall not Be aware lest there be something with your heart saying something unfaithful with your heart saying. Call the shabbat. The seventh year is approaching. The year of all the release of the loans. And therefore you'll begrudge your brother who is destitute. You're not going to give him any money because you're afraid you're not going to get it back because you'll have to release the loan. He'll call out to God and this will be a sin against you. This will be a sin against you. This will be a sin against you. I would think mitzvah that it's commandment that the poor person should cry out to God. I would lay my not that he will call it a that if he will call out. Meaning that the poor person shouldn't be calling out and saying oh terrible person that he's not giving me money, but if he does then it'll be a sin. Even if the poor person does not call out to God and call my game and call my game and call my game even if he doesn't go and call my name why does the Torah say any will call upon God that if punish the one who the poor person called about quicker than the one who the poor person did not call about. Verse 10 so therefore what should he do? Nothing titely you must give him for the year do not feel bad about it. Don't grieve it when you giving him because it's for this exact reason you like God blessed you with all my second all your activities and all your endeavors and everything that you have. Verse 10 nothing to take give him a feeling even 100 times give him do it in a modest way that you don't embarrass him. Keep it even if you say I'll give but then something happened and you didn't give after because you said you're going to give God will count that you're going to give as well. Meaning you're going to take the very fact the reward of God saying with the reward of action that once you give it you will have that blessing that God gives you. Verse 11 for as long as you neglect to perform God's commandments there will always there will never cease to be a poor person amongst you okay for I command you today saying but say open up your hand to your brother to your poor person and to the what say that are in your land. La Higa, la niecha, la eiza ach, to which brother should he give? La ani to the one that's poor. The that means the first thing you have to give is to a Jew that's a poor person. La niecha be you achad with one youd, la shin ani achadun. A la niecha shnei youdin, shnei aniyim. When it says it with one youd, it means singular. Two youds means two, multiple poor people. Verse 12. Ki imacha laha achicha ivri, over here we're going to learn about now the laws pertaining Jewish slaves. Ki imacha laha achicha ivri ivria. With you, uh if your brother, a Jewish man, Hebrew man, the terminology, or a Jewish woman is sold to you, va avadcha shesh shanim, and they worked for you six years. Uva shana shvi'it tishlachenu chofshi me'imach, you should send them free from amongst you. Ki imacha laha Rashi, what does it mean? Al yedei acherim, he was sold by others. What happens for example? The macheru beis din begin of say that beis din the rabbinical court is selling him because he stole something and he doesn't have the money to pay it back. Akasuv bedavar, that's what the Torah is talking about. So the Gemara said the Rashi asked very an amuka shnei knavadi, if he hasn't already said in the book of Exodus about the laws pertaining in Jewish slave. Vemacheru beis din akasuv bedavar, and over there it was talking about in a case where a person was sold by the beis din. Ela over here the Torah repeats it again mipnei shnei dvarim she'nechachu kan, there were two new laws that we're going to learn in this law pertaining the Jewish slave. Echad shekasuv ivria, number one that it tells us whether male or female that they both go out after six years. Af sheteitzei chofshi beshesh, sheteitzei beshesh, that they also she also goes out free after six years. Velo shemacharu beis din she'eina ish nimkeres ben gava'asa. And it's not talking about a Jewish woman that was sold by beis din because the law is that beis din does not sell a female even if she stole something. She never began because the word in the book of Exodus tells us that man who is sold because he stole something. We're living in that when a female. Hello, what are we talking about over here? What kind of female is then a slave because a young child that her father sold that we spoke about also in the book of Exodus. Let's say the 6 years are up before she matures, then they say she will also go out free. Another mitzvah that is mentioned here pertaining the Jewish slave is about giving the gifts to the individual when it's time for him to leave as we'll read in the next verse. Verse 13, when you send him free after 6 years, make sure not to send him empty-handed. Verse 14, you must provide him a gift, a sizable gift. What we would call today at a pension would call um a gift that when the person leaves that he's able to have something as well. Where are you going to give it to him? From your sheep, from your grain, and from your vineyard. From your threshing floor, from from your flock, from your threshing floor, from your vat. From what God has given you, you should what you you should give him. Give him a a give him a gift which is noticeable. Something which you should see, something that you can see that you gave him a proper compensation. Something that people can identify and recognize that you were kind to this individual. Some people explain Russian hat on the outside. that he can carry like so many gifts that a person can carry on his shoulder, so it's noticeable that he got gifts when he left. Matan migar mikvecha ainly um ainly where we are. Yochal ainly elah elah v'at, I would think I only have to give him these things from the threshing floor, from the sheep or the flock. Talmud lom sh'vracha, anything that God blessed him with. Kol sh'vracha anything that your creator blessed you with, then you should give him as well. V'im lom ainly elah v'at, why does it say only these? Mah elah sh'vracha, just like these three things that they are part of the blessing that the God gives to you, that it's only because of God's blessing that you're able to have it. Af kol because sh'vracha, anything that is a blessing to you, you should give a person. Yotzei pradis, which excludes a mule, which is not something that a person is born in a person's flock, because since it's something that a person makes on his own, if you want to call it, puts the two animals together. V'lom d'rabi Shimon d'kedushin v'kamin min, and the rabbis have learned in the tractate of kedushin, out of two words that we learned both in both places, of how and how much a person is supposed to give to the contribution to the person who leaves his work, and how the gift should be given to that individual as a compensation or as a gift to the individual that leaves, to the slave that leaves at that time. Verse 15. V'zacharta you remember k'eved hayita b'eretz Mitzrayim that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, vayiftach Hashem Elokecha and God uh God redeemed you from there. Al ken anochi metzavcha et hadavar hazeh hayom, therefore I command you this today. V'zacharta k'eved hayita, you see you remember that when you were a slave, what happened when you were a slave? Hanakti marbeh v'nisim lach, I gave you many gifts when you left, and when you came to the sea again, you got more gifts. Mibizat Mitzrayim, from the spoils of Egypt to be the same from the spoils at the at the sea. Give your slave Give him gifts once and give him gifts again. Make sure to give him the proper gifts when he leaves your work and he's finished the 6 years. Verse 16. What happens if your slave says, "I do not want to leave. I love you. I love your home." He is very happy being with you. He's very happy being with you. Then verse 17, you must take the all and you put it through his ear and tell us the door of the element of beauty ways to leave until the next Jubilee year. The same thing will also be done for the maid servant as well. Ever daily doesn't mean for eternity. Come on, show me. Being that it says also in the verse of Leviticus that it says that a person will return back to his home and back to his family. From here we learn that when you talk about for eternity does not mean eternity, but it means the eternal until the Jubilee year. So to your maid servant, meaning that she also has to get the gifts when she leaves. After that it only happened that I'm only comparing the maid servant that she also has to get the hole in the ear. Therefore he says if the slave were to say "I have it near to me means the only one that actually gets the hole in the ear is the male slave. So then why does the Torah say also to your female you should do so?" Meaning that she also has to get gifts as well when leaving her his her master's home. Verse 18. You should not be troubled by the fact to let them go free. Because they worked for you and you they was a hired servant. I vote that you worked for you as a hired servant for six years and for six years. And God will bless you in all that you do. Rashi 18 From here we learn that a Jewish slave Jewish maid Jewish bondsman works for his master whether it may be by day or by night. And this is the double terminology that he uses when a person works by day. What does he have to work at night? What's the type of work that he does at night? Rabbi may shifcha can honest by blood is blood. That when he lives with the maid servant with a non-Jewish maid servant that the master gives him and he has children to the master. They can work for him at night as well. This concludes the sixth Torah reading of parshas Re'eh.