Pisqa’ 116321H:161-162; JN1:289-291. 1. “For HASHEM your God will bless you as He promised you” (Dt.15:6). Now, what did He promise you? “May you be blessed in the city, and blessed in the field” (Dt.28:3).322Mechilta Ishmael, paskha’, par.12.
“And you shall extend credit to many nations” (Dt.15:6). Is it possible to say that you shall borrow a sela from one nation and lend a sheqel to another as do the others ? The Teaching states: “Yet you will require no credit” (Dt.15:6).
“And you will dominate many nations” (Dt.15:6)— is it possible to say that just as you shall [at times] dominate the others, the others shall [at times] dominate you, in accord with what is said: “And Adoni-bezek said: seventy kings . . . gathered food from among my table scraps. As I have done, so has God repaid me” (Jud.1:7). This is why it is stated: “But they will not [always] dominate you” (Dt.15:6).
“From one of your brothers” (Dt.15:7)— this refers to a patrilineal brother. When He states: “From one of your brothers” (Dt.15:7)— it teaches that the needs of your patrilineal brother precede the needs of your matrilineal brother.
“In your Land” (Dt.15:7)— the needs of the residents of the Land precede the needs of those beyond the Land.323// Mech.ISH, neziqin, par.19, s.v., yisra`’el vegoy When He states: “In one of your gates” (Dt,15:7)— does this imply that if a pauper lived in one place, you are commanded to support him [from local resources], but if he collected door-to-door, you haven’t any obligation toward him?324=T. Pe’ah 4:8.
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אֲשֶׁר ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ – בְּכָל מָקוֹם.
“Which HASHEM your God is giving you” (Dt.15:7)— [responsibility for the needy applies to] all circumstances.
“Against your needy brother” (Dt.15:8). If you don’t give him something now, your destiny is to take alms from him! How do we know that if you opened your hand to him once, you must open it to him even a hundred times?325Cf. Piska’ 117.3. The Teaching states: “Rather open your hand wide to him,
“And gladly extend him credit” (Dt.15:8) “Open your hand wide (patoakh tiftakh) to him”— first approach him (petakh lo) with words. And if he is embarrassed to be in need, say to him: Do you need a loan? On this basis they taught: alms should be extended like a loan.326// T. Pe’ah 4:12. F:175, n.8 regards the baraita as an interpolation.
“And gladly extend him credit” (Dt.15:8)— give him alms first, and then urge him to put up collateral for a loan: words of R. Judah. But sages say: instruct him to put up collateral in order to embolden him.327//T. Pe’ah 4:12.
The story is told: Hillel the Elder once gave to a pauper from a prominent family a horse for exercise and a slave to serve him. And another story: it once happened in the Upper Galilee that they served a guest a litra’ of meat every day.328//T. Pe’ah 4:10.
“For him” (Dt.15:8)— this implies that his wife [shares in his support]. This is in accord with what is said: “I will make a partner for him as his counterpart” (Gn.2:18)— [thus, a wife may benefit from his alms].329Cf. T. Ket.6:8.
(דברים טו ו) כִּי ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ בֵּרַכְךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לָךְ, וּמָה דִּבֶּר לָךְ? (דברים כח ג) ״בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה בָּעִיר״ וְגוֹ׳.
Pisqa’ 116321H:161-162; JN1:289-291.
1. “For HASHEM your God will bless you as He promised you” (Dt.15:6).
Now, what did He promise you?
“May you be blessed in the city, and blessed in the field” (Dt.28:3). 322Mechilta Ishmael, paskha’, par.12.
וְהַעֲבַטְתָּ גּוֹיִם רַבִּים, יָכוֹל תְּהֵא לוֹוֶה בְּסֶלַע וּמַלְוֶה בְּשֶׁקֶל, כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁאֲחֵרִים עוֹשִׂים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: וְאַתָּה לֹא תַעֲבֹט.
“And you shall extend credit to many nations” (Dt.15:6).
Is it possible to say that
you shall borrow a sela from one nation
and lend a sheqel to another
as do the others ?
The Teaching states:
“Yet you will require no credit” (Dt.15:6).
וּמָשַׁלְתָּ בְּגוֹיִם רַבִּים, יָכוֹל תְּהֵא מוֹשֵׁל בַּאֲחֵרִים וַאֲחֵרִים מוֹשְׁלִים בְּךָ, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שופטים א ז): ״וַיֹּאמֶר אֲדֹנִי בֶזֶק שִׁבְעִים מְלָכִים...״? לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: וּבְךָ לֹא יִמְשֹׁלוּ.
“And you will dominate many nations” (Dt.15:6)—
is it possible to say that
just as you shall [at times] dominate the others,
the others shall [at times] dominate you,
in accord with what is said:
“And Adoni-bezek said:
seventy kings . . . gathered food from among my table scraps.
As I have done, so has God repaid me” (Jud.1:7).
This is why it is stated:
“But they will not [always] dominate you” (Dt.15:6).
(דברים טו ז) כִּי יִהְיֶה בְךָ – וְלֹא בַאֲחֵרִים.
2. “If there shall be among you” (Dt.15:7)—
but not among the others.
אֶבְיוֹן – תָּאֵב תָּאֵב קוֹדֵם.
“A pauper” (Dt.15:7)—
the hungriest of the hungry takes precedence.
אָחִיךָ – זֶה אָחִיךָ מֵאָבִיךָ; כְּשֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר מֵאַחַד אַחֶיךָ – מְלַמֵּד שֶׁאָחִיךָ מֵאָבִיךָ קוֹדֵם לְאָחִיךָ מֵאִמְּךָ.
“From one of your brothers” (Dt.15:7)—
this refers to a patrilineal brother.
When He states:
“From one of your brothers” (Dt.15:7)—
it teaches that the needs of your patrilineal brother
precede the needs of your matrilineal brother.
בְּאַחַד שְׁעָרֶיךָ – יוֹשְׁבֵי עִירְךָ קוֹדְמִים לְיוֹשְׁבֵי עִיר אַחֶרֶת.
“In one of your gates” (Dt.15:7)—
the needs of the residents of your city
precede the needs of the residents of another city.
בְּאַרְצְךָ – יוֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ קוֹדְמִים לְיוֹשְׁבֵי חוּצָה לָאָרֶץ. כְּשֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר בְּאַחַד שְׁעָרֶיךָ, הָיָה יוֹשֵׁב בְּמָקוֹם אֶחָד – אַתָּה מְצֻוֶּה לְפַרְנְסוֹ, הָיָה מְחַזֵּר עַל הַפְּתָחִים – אִי אַתָּה זָקוּק לוֹ לְכָל דָּבָר.
“In your Land” (Dt.15:7)—
the needs of the residents of the Land
precede the needs of those beyond the Land.323// Mech.ISH, neziqin, par.19, s.v., yisra`’el vegoy
When He states:
“In one of your gates” (Dt,15:7)—
does this imply that if a pauper lived in one place,
you are commanded to support him [from local resources],
but if he collected door-to-door,
you haven’t any obligation toward him?324=T. Pe’ah 4:8.
אֲשֶׁר ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ – בְּכָל מָקוֹם.
“Which HASHEM your God is giving you” (Dt.15:7)—
[responsibility for the needy applies to] all circumstances.
לֹא תְאַמֵּץ אֶת לְבָבְךָ, יֵשׁ בֶּן אָדָם שֶׁמִּצְטַעֵר אִם יִתֵּן – אִם לֹא יִתֵּן.
3. “Do not shut your heart” (Dt.15:8).
There are people who agonize—
to give or not to give?
וְלֹא תִקְפֹּץ אֶת יָדְךָ, יֵשׁ בֶּן אָדָם שֶׁפּוֹשֵׁט אֶת יָדוֹ וְחוֹזֵר וְקוֹפְצָהּ.
“Or close your hand” (Dt.15:8).
There are people who extend their hand,
and, then withdraw it and close it.
מֵאָחִיךָ הָאֶבְיוֹן – אִם אֵין אַתָּה נוֹתֵן לוֹ – סוֹפְךָ לִטּוֹל הֵימֶנּוּ. מִנַּיִן אִם פָּתַחְתָּ פַּעַם אַחַת פְּתַח אֲפִלּוּ מֵאָה פְעָמִים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (דברים טו ח): ״כִּי פָתֹחַ תִּפְתַּח אֶת יָדְךָ לוֹ״.
“Against your needy brother” (Dt.15:8).
If you don’t give him something now,
your destiny is to take alms from him!
How do we know that
if you opened your hand to him once,
you must open it to him even a hundred times?325Cf. Piska’ 117.3.
The Teaching states:
“Rather open your hand wide to him,
וְהַעֲבֵט תַּעֲבִיטֶנּוּ, פָּתֹחַ תִּפְתַּח – פְּתַח לוֹ בִּדְבָרִים, שֶׁאִם הָיָה בַּיְשָׁן אֱמוֹר לוֹ ׳אַתָּה צָרִיךְ לִלְווֹת׳! מִכָּן אָמְרוּ: צְדָקָה נִתֶּנֶת כְּמִלְוָה.
“And gladly extend him credit” (Dt.15:8)
“Open your hand wide (patoakh tiftakh) to him”—
first approach him (petakh lo) with words.
And if he is embarrassed to be in need,
say to him:
Do you need a loan?
On this basis they taught:
alms should be extended like a loan.326// T. Pe’ah 4:12. F:175, n.8 regards the baraita as an interpolation.
הַעֲבֵט תַּעֲבִיטֶנּוּ – נוֹתְנִים לוֹ וְחוֹזְרִים וּמְמַשְׁכְּנִים אוֹתוֹ, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים: אוֹמְרִים לוֹ הָבֵא מַשְׁכּוֹן, כְּדֵי לְהָגִיס אֶת דַּעְתּוֹ.
“And gladly extend him credit” (Dt.15:8)—
give him alms first,
and then urge him to put up collateral for a loan:
words of R. Judah.
But sages say:
instruct him to put up collateral
in order to embolden him.327//T. Pe’ah 4:12.
דֵּי מַחְסוֹרוֹ – אֵין אַתָּה מְצֻוֶּה לְעַשְּׁרוֹ.
4. “Sufficient for his needs” (Dt.15:8)—
you’re not commanded to make him rich!
אֲשֶׁר יֶחְסַר לוֹ – אֲפִלּוּ סוּס וַאֲפִלּוּ עֶבֶד.
“That are lacking for him” (Dt.15:8)—
even [if his needs are costly], like a horse or slave.
מַעֲשֶׂה בְּהִלֵּל הַזָּקֵן שֶׁנָּתַן לְעָנִי בֶּן טוֹבִים אֶחָד סוּס שֶׁהָיָה מִתְעַמֵּל בּוֹ וְעֶבֶד שֶׁהָיָה מְשַׁמְּשׁוֹ. שׁוּב מַעֲשֶׂה בַּגָּלִיל הָעֶלְיוֹן שֶׁהָיוּ מַעֲלִים לְאוֹרֵחַ לִיטְרָא בָּשָׂר בְּכָל יוֹם.
The story is told:
Hillel the Elder once gave
to a pauper from a prominent family
a horse for exercise
and a slave to serve him.
And another story:
it once happened in the Upper Galilee
that they served a guest
a litra’ of meat every day.328//T. Pe’ah 4:10.
לוֹ – זוֹ אִשָּׁה, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ב יח): ״אֶעֱשֶׂה לּוֹ עֵזֶר״.
“For him” (Dt.15:8)—
this implies that
his wife [shares in his support].
This is in accord with what is said:
“I will make a partner for him as his counterpart” (Gn.2:18)—
[thus, a wife may benefit from his alms].329Cf. T. Ket.6:8.