Re'eh answers

Re’eh 5730
Alef.

1. R. Yitzchak Arama notices the juxtaposition of Ma’aser Sheini with Shemitat Kesafim and seeks to account for it.¹ In both cases, the commentator claims that human nature would not feel positively disposed to fulfilling these demands, i.e., to tithe one’s food in order to specifically bring it to Yerushalayim for consumption, to transfer the holiness of the food onto money in order to save it until one has the opportunity to go to Yerushalayim and purchase food there, or to release someone who borrowed money from his obligation to repay. If anything, Shemitat Kesafim is even more challenging and therefore the sequence could be understood as ascending in order of difficulty.

דברים פרק יד   מעשר שני

    ס כב) עַשֵּׂר תְּעַשֵּׂר אֵת כָּל תְּבוּאַת זַרְעֶךָ הַיֹּצֵא הַשָּׂדֶה שָׁנָה שָׁנָה:

(כג) וְאָכַלְתָּ לִפְנֵי יְקֹוָק אֱלֹקיךָ בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר לְשַׁכֵּן שְׁמוֹ שָׁם מַעְשַׂר דְּגָנְךָ תִּירֹשְׁךָ וְיִצְהָרֶךָ וּבְכֹרֹת בְּקָרְךָ וְצֹאנֶךָ לְמַעַן תִּלְמַד לְיִרְאָה אֶת יְקֹוָק אֱלֹקיךָ כָּל הַיָּמִים:

(כד) וְכִי יִרְבֶּה מִמְּךָ הַדֶּרֶךְ כִּי לֹא תוּכַל שְׂאֵתוֹ כִּי יִרְחַק מִמְּךָ הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר יְקֹוָק אֱלֹקיךָ לָשׂוּם שְׁמוֹ שָׁם כִּי יְבָרֶכְךָ יְקֹוָק אֱלֹקיךָ:

(כה) וְנָתַתָּה בַּכָּסֶף וְצַרְתָּ הַכֶּסֶף בְּיָדְךָ וְהָלַכְתָּ אֶל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר יְקֹוָק אֱלֹקיךָ בּוֹ:

(כו) וְנָתַתָּה הַכֶּסֶף בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר תְּאַוֶּה נַפְשְׁךָ בַּבָּקָר וּבַצֹּאן וּבַיַּיִן וּבַשֵּׁכָר וּבְכֹל אֲשֶׁר תִּשְׁאָלְךָ נַפְשֶׁךָ וְאָכַלְתָּ שָּׁם לִפְנֵי יְקֹוָק אֱלֹקיךָ וְשָׂמַחְתָּ אַתָּה וּבֵיתֶךָ:

 (כז) וְהַלֵּוִי אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ לֹא תַעַזְבֶנּוּ כִּי אֵין לוֹ חֵלֶק וְנַחֲלָה עִמָּךְ: ס

  (כח) מִקְצֵה שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים תּוֹצִיא אֶת כָּל מַעְשַׂר תְּבוּאָתְךָ בַּשָּׁנָה הַהִוא וְהִנַּחְתָּ בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ:

 (כט) וּבָא הַלֵּוִי כִּי אֵין לוֹ חֵלֶק וְנַחֲלָה עִמָּךְ וְהַגֵּר וְהַיָּתוֹם וְהָאַלְמָנָה אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ וְאָכְלוּ וְשָׂבֵעוּ לְמַעַן יְבָרֶכְךָ יְקֹוָק אֱלֹקיךָ בְּכָל מַעֲשֵׂה יָדְךָ אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה: ס (סוף פ' יד ולכן מעשר שני "סמוך" לשמיטת כספים)

דברים פרק טו שמיטת כספים

  (א) מִקֵּץ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים תַּעֲשֶׂה שְׁמִטָּה:

(ב) וְזֶה דְּבַר הַשְּׁמִטָּה שָׁמוֹט כָּל בַּעַל מַשֵּׁה יָדוֹ אֲשֶׁר יַשֶּׁה בְּרֵעֵהוּ לֹא יִגֹּשׂ אֶת רֵעֵהוּ וְאֶת אָחִיו כִּי קָרָא שְׁמִטָּה לַיקֹוָק:

(ג) אֶת הַנָּכְרִי תִּגֹּשׂ וַאֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה לְךָ אֶת אָחִיךָ תַּשְׁמֵט יָדֶךָ:

(ד) אֶפֶס כִּי לֹא יִהְיֶה בְּךָ אֶבְיוֹן כִּי בָרֵךְ יְבָרֶכְךָ יְקֹוָק בָּאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יְקֹוָק אֱלֹקיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ:

(ה) רַק אִם שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמַע בְּקוֹל יְקֹוָק אֱלֹקיךָ לִשְׁמֹר לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת כָּל הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם:

(ו) כִּי יְקֹוָק אֱלֹקיךָ בֵּרַכְךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לָךְ וְהַעֲבַטְתָּ גּוֹיִם רַבִּים וְאַתָּה לֹא תַעֲבֹט וּמָשַׁלְתָּ בְּגוֹיִם רַבִּים וּבְךָ לֹא יִמְשֹׁלוּ: ס

 (ז) כִּי יִהְיֶה בְךָ אֶבְיוֹן מֵאַחַד אַחֶיךָ בְּאַחַד שְׁעָרֶיךָ בְּאַרְצְךָ אֲשֶׁר יְקֹוָק אֱלֹקיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ לֹא תְאַמֵּץ אֶת לְבָבְךָ וְלֹא תִקְפֹּץ אֶת יָדְךָ מֵאָחִיךָ הָאֶבְיוֹן:

(ח) כִּי פָתֹחַ תִּפְתַּח אֶת יָדְךָ לוֹ וְהַעֲבֵט תַּעֲבִיטֶנּוּ דֵּי מַחְסֹרוֹ אֲשֶׁר יֶחְסַר לוֹ:

(ט) הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ פֶּן יִהְיֶה דָבָר עִם לְבָבְךָ בְלִיַּעַל לֵאמֹר קָרְבָה שְׁנַת הַשֶּׁבַע שְׁנַת הַשְּׁמִטָּה וְרָעָה עֵינְךָ בְּאָחִיךָ הָאֶבְיוֹן וְלֹא תִתֵּן לוֹ וְקָרָא עָלֶיךָ אֶל יְקֹוָק וְהָיָה בְךָ חֵטְא:

(י) נָתוֹן תִּתֵּן לוֹ וְלֹא יֵרַע לְבָבְךָ בְּתִתְּךָ לוֹ כִּי בִּגְלַל הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה יְבָרֶכְךָ יְקֹוָק אֱלֹקיךָ בְּכָל מַעֲשֶׂךָ וּבְכֹל מִשְׁלַח יָדֶךָ:

 (יא) כִּי לֹא יֶחְדַּל אֶבְיוֹן מִקֶּרֶב הָאָרֶץ עַל כֵּן אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ לֵאמֹר פָּתֹחַ תִּפְתַּח אֶת יָדְךָ לְאָחִיךָ לַעֲנִיֶּךָ וּלְאֶבְיֹנְךָ בְּאַרְצֶךָ: ס

           14:22-27

(22-3) The easiest aspect of the process is to tithe food and immediately go to Yerushalayim in order to consume it. While it is somewhat inconvenient, if the food last until you get to Yerushalayim, this is an indication that you live relatively close by and therefore there isn’t all that much delayed gratification involved.

(24-7) It is more difficult to take the value of the tithe and transfer it to money so that when you eventually reach Yerushalayim—if it’s not this year, then perhaps the next or the one after that—you have to keep track of the money and then use it to buy food for yourself as well as share it with the poor.

(28-9) Another level of personal challenge is established by the requirement that once in three years, whether you are prepared to or not, you must make the pilgrimage to Yerushalayim bringing with you all of the monies upon which you have transferred Ma’aser Sheini holiness. One cannot defer this obligation indefinitely, but at the outside extreme, can do so only until the third year, when all monies must be gathered, brought to Yerushalayim, food purchased and at least a percentage has to be distributed to the poor.

(15:1-11)

The progression in upwards difficulty is then culminated, at least according to R. Yitzchak Arama’s approach, by having to forgive loans made to fellow Jews. In order to assure that there would not be a permanent debtor class, debts were supposed to be forgiven once every seven years. (This parallels the restoration of lands to their original owners with the advent of the Jubilee Year.) Furthermore, the Tora specifically notes the human tendency to become increasingly reticent to give loans as the Shemitta year approaches due to the fear that it becomes more and more likely that the debt will not be repaid. The Tora warns against such thinking, but apparently the warning did not deter this from happening, necessitating Hillel’s creation of Pruzbul whereby the debts are transferred to the “corporate” Beit Din who upon the conclusion of the Shemitta year, duly returns the IOU’s to their original holders. The reality that there will always be poor among the Jewish people, demands that those with resources at the very least lend (lending is considered more dignified than giving them out-and-out gifts) to those without.

At the end of the day, these Mitzvot are abject lessons in taking care of the poor and unfortunate, and if Akeidat Yitzchak’s premise is accepted, this Is not something that comes naturally to the average person who sees as his priority his own needs and concerns

Beit.

One hint to which R. D.Z. Hoffmann could point is the interaction between Malkitzedek and Avraham.

בראשית פרק יד

(יח) וּמַלְכִּי צֶדֶק מֶלֶךְ שָׁלֵם הוֹצִיא לֶחֶם וָיָיִן וְהוּא כֹהֵן לְקל עֶלְיוֹן:

(יט) וַיְבָרְכֵהוּ וַיֹּאמַר בָּרוּךְ אַבְרָם לְקל עֶלְיוֹן קֹנֵה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ:

(כ) וּבָרוּךְ קל עֶלְיוֹן אֲשֶׁר מִגֵּן צָרֶיךָ בְּיָדֶךָ וַיִּתֶּן לוֹ מַעֲשֵׂר מִכֹּל:

And blessed be God the Most High, who hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand.' And he gave him a tenth of all.

While it isn’t clear who gave a tenth to whom—did Malkitzedek give a tithe to Avraham or was it the reverse?—nevertheless, the principle is the same. If it is assumed that Ma’aser Sheini was at least in part intended to cause those who have to support those who have not, on the one hand Malkitzedek being a priest probably depended upon the largesse of others (as is the case of the Kohanim in the Tora who depend upon Matnot Kehuna) and therefore Avraham was supporting him. On the other hand, it was Avraham who was far from home, who very clearly indicated to the King of Sodom that he did not want any part of the spoils of war, and therefore was  in need of material support which Malkitzedek may have given to him. Another approach, if we assume that Avraham gave the tithe to Malkitzedek, is that this symbolizes Avraham’s acknowledging that HaShem was responsible for his success in battle. This then becomes a segue and parallel to the second Beraishit manifestation of Ma’aser, i.e.,

the promise of Yaakov following his dream on the occasion of his fleeing from home due to Eisav murderous intentions and travelling to Charan in search of a wife.

בראשית פרק כח

(כב) וְהָאֶבֶן הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתִּי מַצֵּבָה יִהְיֶה בֵּית אֱלֹקים וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר תִּתֶּן לִי עַשֵּׂר אֲעַשְּׂרֶנּוּ לָךְ:

And this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house; and of all that Thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto Thee.'

Yaakov is essentially vowing to give a donation/make a sacrifice to God if he successfully navigates the considerable challenges to which  a life in exile will expose him.

Gimel.
Both RaShBaM and Sephorno agree that some aspect of the activities associated with the Tabernacle/Temple would inspire a sense of awe in God. However they disagree as to what in particular will engender such a sensibility. RaShBaM suggests that the sacrificial cult with its various roles and rituals will accomplish this end. Sephorno sees the sense of awe associated more with the activities of the Sanhedrin in terms of judging and teaching the Tora, a more intellectual and judicial appreciation than a ritualistic one.

Daled.

Sefer HaChinuch sees the requirement of bringing Ma’aser Sheini to Yerushalayim as exposure that will influence the one who brings his tithe to stay and learn Tora or at least send one of his children to do so. This in turn will result in the presence of many scholars throughout the land of Israel (the assumption is that the students will eventually return to their home towns) and lives of Tora will become ubiquitous among the Jewish people.

HaEmek Davar suggests that the point of this Mitzva is that once someone brings Ma’aser Sheini to Yerushalayim, he will be hard pressed to personally consume all of the produce that he has brought. This will result in his remaining beyond the Chag and thereby influenced to study Tora during the time that he is in the holy city, or to distribute the food to the scholars who live in Yerushalayim permanently, thereby vicariously being responsible for the presence of Tora in the city due to his supporting those who study.

Heh.

As opposed to the previous views

      (Akeidat Yitzchak: train an individual to defy his instincts and support the poor.

       R. D.Z. Hoffmann: a custom of acknowledging God for the Favors that one has received.

Sefer HaChinuch: a means by which to inspire individuals coming to Yerushalayim to committing themselves to becoming Tora scholars.

HaEmek Davar: in order to finish all of the Ma’aser Sheini food people would have to remain in Yerushalayim to study Tora or the food would be distributed to other Tora scholars to support them in their endeavors.)

HaAlshich suggests that bringing the food to Yerushalayim would impress upon the individual that what he was eating really belonged to God Who Does him a favor by Permitting him to consume the food. In this manner, instead of thinking that he alone was responsible for creating the food, a fallacy that appears in in Devarim 8:17, having to take the food to a place where God’s Presence is clearly in evidence would lead him to adopt a different attitude, one that would entail the awe of the Divine.

Vav.

1. The two reasons that the text gives for why it is necessary to redeem the food rather than bring it to Yerushalayim seem to not be complementary but rather independent of one another. Being too far away is not a function of the quantity and weight of the food; being unable to carry the food is not a function of being too far away. These are independent variables.

2.  It would appear that “כי” is being used in this context in accordance with meaning #1, “if” since it is not inevitable but merely possible that a person find himself in such a situation. There is nothing to regret as in meaning #2; the verse is not coming to contradict something that had been previously stated as in meaning #3; and it is not providing a piece of crucial information for the topic as a whole as in #4.

רש"י בראשית פרק יח פסוק טו

(טו) כי יראה וגו' כי צחקת - הראשון משמש לשון דהא שנותן טעם לדבר ותכחש שרה לפי שיראה, והשני משמש בלשון אלא, ויאמר לא כדבריך הוא אלא צחקת,שאמרו רבותינו כי משמש בארבע לשונות 1) אי, 2) דילמא, 3) אלא, 4) דהא:

Zayin.

1. It would appear that with respect to the two cases in Shemot, although they are examples of Hekeish (when two different elements are discussed in a single verse), RashI does not feel the need to account for a connection between them. They are merely two Halachot that have to do with restrictions on certain types of food. However in Devarim, where the principle of Semichut HaParashiot is taken seriously by everyone (see fn. 1 above), RaShI cites the Midrash. Once he establishes that there is in fact a connection between Ma’aser and Lo Tevashel Gedi, he projects a similar connection between Bikurim and Lo Tevashel Gedi, i.e., that if the Halacha of Basar BeChalav is not followed, HaShem will Cause the Bikurim to be destroyed, just as He will Destroy the crops from which Ma’aser should be separated. Another difference is that in Shemot, there is essentially an undetailed listing of Halachot in contrast to Devarim which cites many details, if not for Basar BeChalav, then at least for Ma’aser. Consequently there is greater interest in providing a rationale for the juxtaposition of topics.

דברים פרק יד

(כא) לֹא תֹאכְלוּ כָל נְבֵלָה לַגֵּר אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ תִּתְּנֶנָּה וַאֲכָלָהּ אוֹ מָכֹר לְנָכְרִי כִּי עַם קָדוֹשׁ אַתָּה לַיקֹוָק אֱלֹקיךָ לֹא תְבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ: פ

(כב) עַשֵּׂר תְּעַשֵּׂר אֵת כָּל תְּבוּאַת זַרְעֶךָ הַיֹּצֵא הַשָּׂדֶה שָׁנָה שָׁנָה:

(כג) וְאָכַלְתָּ לִפְנֵי יְקֹוָק אֱלֹקיךָ בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר לְשַׁכֵּן שְׁמוֹ שָׁם מַעְשַׂר דְּגָנְךָ תִּירֹשְׁךָ וְיִצְהָרֶךָ וּבְכֹרֹת בְּקָרְךָ וְצֹאנֶךָ לְמַעַן תִּלְמַד לְיִרְאָה אֶת יְקֹוָק אֱלֹקיךָ כָּל הַיָּמִים: 

שמות פרק כג

(יט) רֵאשִׁית בִּכּוּרֵי אַדְמָתְךָ תָּבִיא בֵּית יְקֹוָק אֱלֹקיךָ לֹא תְבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ: ס

רש"י שמות פרק כג

(יט) ראשית בכורי אדמתך - אף השביעית חייבת בבכורים, לכך נאמר אף כאן בכורי אדמתך. כיצד, אדם נכנס לתוך שדהו, ורואה תאנה שבכרה, כורך עליה גמי לסימן ומקדישה. ואין בכורים אלא משבעת המינין האמורין במקרא (דברים ח ח) ארץ חטה ושעורה וגו':

לא תבשל גדי - אף עגל וכבש בכלל גדי, שאין גדי אלא לשון ולד רך, ממה שאתה מוצא בכמה מקומות בתורה שכתוב גדי, והוצרך לפרש אחריו עזים, כגון (בראשית לח יז) אנכי אשלח גדי עזים, (שם שם כ) את גדי העזים, (שם כז ט) שני גדיי עזים, ללמדך, שכל מקום שנאמר גדי סתם, אף עגל וכבש במשמע. ובשלושה מקומות נכתב בתורה אחד לאיסור אכילה, ואחד לאיסור הנאה, ואחד לאיסור בישול: 

שמות פרק לד

(כו) רֵאשִׁית בִּכּוּרֵי אַדְמָתְךָ תָּבִיא בֵּית יְקֹוָק אֱלֹקיךָ לֹא תְבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ: פ

רש"י שמות פרק לד

(כו) ראשית בכורי אדמתך - משבעת המינין האמורים בשבח ארצך (דברים ח ח) ארץ חטה ושעורה וגפן ותאנה ורמון, ארץ זית שמן ודבש, הוא דבש תמרים:

לא תבשל גדי - אזהרה לבשר בחלב, ושלוש פעמים כתוב בתורה אחד לאכילה, ואחד להנאה, ואחד לאיסור בישול:

גדי - כל ולד רך במשמע ואף עגל וכבש. ממה שהוצרך לפרש בכמה מקומות (בראשית לח יז) גדי עזים, למדת שגדי סתם כל יונקים במשמע:

בחלב אמו - פרט לעוף שאין לו חלב אם, שאין איסורו מן התורה אלא מדברי סופרים:

2. א) If HaShem is Blessing you, why should you have trouble fulfilling the Mitzva of Ma’aser Sheini? Wouldn’t a true blessing entail being able to do Mitzvot?

     ב) Despite the fact that there is a possibility sometime in the future for the land of Israel to be expanded Halachically provided that the Jews fulfill the Divine Commandments—see Devarim 12:20—the Mitzva of Ma’aser Sheini appears to apply even before that point is reached. Furthermore, some perishable foods will not stay fresh should they have to be brought to Yerushalayim, even within the original borders of the land of Israel. Consequently, RaShI interprets the phrase in light of the common case rather than the exceptional one.