Mishpatim Answers

Mishpatim 5718

שמות פרק כב

(כ) וְגֵר לֹא תוֹנֶה וְלֹא תִלְחָצֶנּוּ כִּי גֵרִים הֱיִיתֶם בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם:

(כא) כָּל אַלְמָנָה וְיָתוֹם לֹא תְעַנּוּן:

(כב) אִם עַנֵּה תְעַנֶּה אֹתוֹ כִּי אִם צָעֹק יִצְעַק אֵלַי שָׁמֹעַ אֶשְׁמַע צַעֲקָתוֹ:

(כג) וְחָרָה אַפִּי וְהָרַגְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בֶּחָרֶב וְהָיוּ נְשֵׁיכֶם אַלְמָנוֹת וּבְנֵיכֶם יְתֹמִים: פ

(כד) אִם כֶּסֶף תַּלְוֶה אֶת עַמִּי אֶת הֶעָנִי עִמָּךְ לֹא תִהְיֶה לוֹ כְּנֹשֶׁה לֹא תְשִׂימוּן עָלָיו נֶשֶׁךְ:

(כה) אִם חָבֹל תַּחְבֹּל שַׂלְמַת רֵעֶךָ עַד בֹּא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ תְּשִׁיבֶנּוּ לוֹ:

(כו) כִּי הִוא כְסוּתוֹ לְבַדָּהּ הִוא שִׂמְלָתוֹ לְעֹרוֹ בַּמֶּה יִשְׁכָּב וְהָיָה כִּי יִצְעַק אֵלַי וְשָׁמַעְתִּי כִּי חַנּוּן אָנִי: ס

Alef.

דברים פרק טו

(א) מִקֵּץ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים תַּעֲשֶׂה שְׁמִטָּה:

(ב) וְזֶה דְּבַר הַשְּׁמִטָּה שָׁמוֹט כָּל בַּעַל מַשֵּׁה יָדוֹ אֲשֶׁר יַשֶּׁה בְּרֵעֵהוּ לֹא יִגֹּשׂ אֶת רֵעֵהוּ וְאֶת אָחִיו כִּיקָרָא 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 נַחֲלָהלְרִשְׁתָּהּ:

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

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

(ז) כִּי יִהְיֶה בְךָ אֶבְיוֹן מֵאַחַד אַחֶיךָ בְּאַחַד שְׁעָרֶיךָ בְּאַרְצְךָ אֲשֶׁר יְקֹוָק אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ לֹא תְאַמֵּץאֶת 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 וְרָעָהעֵינְךָ 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 אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל מַעֲשֶׂךָוּבְכֹל מִשְׁלַח יָדֶךָ:

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

In Devarim, two possibilities are presented: either a time will come when the Jews comply with God’s Mitzvot and there will no longer be impoverished Jews among them, or there will be poor Jews in need of assistance. In Shemot, the text appears to take for granted that there are poor Jews who one should help by providing loans. Why is there no mention of the possibility that there will not be poor Jews? Sephorno simply answers that the verses in Shemot are assuming the second scenario, not that the first scenario is impossible, but rather it just has not happened as yet. (Of course, a more cynical view might maintain that the first scenario can never happen. Devarim 19:8-9 discusses how under the right conditions of observing Commandments the land inherited by the Jews will include land formerly held by ten rather seven Canaanite nations, as was promised to Avraham in Beraishit 15:19-21; but do we think that this is going to happen in the foreseeable future? With regard to the famous Derasha [Yeshayahu 60:22] the redemption will come at the fail-safe point, not before, despite that being a possibility. When R. Yochanan in Shabbat 118b says that were the Jews to keep two Shabbatot  in a row, they would be redeemed immediately, how likely is that? Etc. Then the text in Mishpatim is simply being“realistic”.)

Beit.

1. 

שמות פרק כב

(כה) אִם חָבֹל תַּחְבֹּל שַׂלְמַת רֵעֶךָ עַד בֹּא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ תְּשִׁיבֶנּוּ לוֹ:

(כו) כִּי הִוא כְסוּתוֹ לְבַדָּהּ הִוא שִׂמְלָתוֹ לְעֹרוֹ בַּמֶּה יִשְׁכָּב וְהָיָה כִּי יִצְעַק אֵלַי וְשָׁמַעְתִּי כִּי חַנּוּן אָנִי: ס

דברים פרק כד

(י) כִּי תַשֶּׁה בְרֵעֲךָ מַשַּׁאת מְאוּמָה לֹא תָבֹא אֶל בֵּיתוֹ לַעֲבֹט עֲבֹטוֹ:

(יא) בַּחוּץ תַּעֲמֹד וְהָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה נֹשֶׁה בוֹ יוֹצִיא אֵלֶיךָ אֶת הַעֲבוֹט הַחוּצָה:

(יב) וְאִם אִישׁ עָנִי הוּא לֹא תִשְׁכַּב בַּעֲבֹטוֹ:

(יג) הָשֵׁב תָּשִׁיב לוֹ אֶת הַעֲבוֹט כְּבוֹא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְשָׁכַב בְּשַׂלְמָתוֹ וּבֵרֲכֶךָּ וּלְךָ תִּהְיֶה צְדָקָה לִפְנֵי יְקֹוָקאֱלֹקיךָ: ס

RaMBaM understands “עד בא השמש” as sometime before the sun sets, since during that time, i.e., the day, the borrower will have use for it, in contrast to “כבוא השמש” which he understands as from the time that the sun sets, where the borrower only needs the pledge at night when he sleeps.

2.  The  מחרישה  could have been derived from the statement in Devarim 24:6 “No man shall take the mill or the upper millstone to pledge; for he taketh a man's life to pledge.” Perhaps whether such a derivation could be made directly or not would impact on whether this was a Torahitic or Rabbinic Halacha. But I would maintain that even if there would not have been an explicit reference to the millstones, the extension of the rule to  מחרישה could have been arrived at logically. The Rabbis are being דורש טעמי דקרא, i.e., they are not taking the Tora literally—the only thing that can be given as a pledge is clothing—but rather דברה תורה בהווה(the Tora is utilizing a typical example) and therefore the same rules apply to whatever it is that you are taking as a pledge from a poor person—keep it only during the time that he does not need it for his basic survival. (A similar discussion appears in Sanhedrin 21a re returning the pledge of a woman in such a way that it will cause “heads to turn”.)

Gimel.

1.  The Midrashim and RaShI look at the requirement to return a pledge that a poor person needs in order to survive as a basic requirement of humanity. This is not a matter of kindness; it is a matter of dignity and proper behavior.

ShaDaL suggests that according to a strict interpretation of the law, since the entire institution of taking pledges to guarantee repayment is designed for repayment, the lender is within his rights to cause discomfort to the borrower once the latter is in violation of the terms of the loan. The commentator claims that the return of the object is an act of abject kindness that the Tora is demanding from the borrower, despite the fact that it is not in his best long-term interests.

2.  RaShI might maintain that the phrases “היא שמלתו לעורו” and “במה ישכב” are superfluous once the text states that we are dealing with כסותו. Consequently he favors the Mechilta which accounts for the ostensibly superfluous phrases separately.

Daled.

שמות פרק כב

(כ) וְגֵר לֹא תוֹנֶה וְלֹא תִלְחָצֶנּוּ כִּי גֵרִים הֱיִיתֶם בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם:

(כא) כָּל אַלְמָנָה וְיָתוֹם לֹא תְעַנּוּן:

(כב) אִם עַנֵּה תְעַנֶּה אֹתוֹ כִּי אִם צָעֹק יִצְעַק אֵלַי שָׁמֹעַ אֶשְׁמַע צַעֲקָתוֹ:

(כג) וְחָרָה אַפִּי וְהָרַגְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בֶּחָרֶב וְהָיוּ נְשֵׁיכֶם אַלְמָנוֹת וּבְנֵיכֶם יְתֹמִים: פ

(כד) אִם כֶּסֶף תַּלְוֶה אֶת עַמִּי אֶת הֶעָנִי עִמָּךְ לֹא תִהְיֶה לוֹ כְּנֹשֶׁה לֹא תְשִׂימוּן עָלָיו נֶשֶׁךְ:

(כה) אִם חָבֹל תַּחְבֹּל שַׂלְמַת רֵעֶךָ עַד בֹּא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ תְּשִׁיבֶנּוּ לוֹ:

(כו) כִּי הִוא כְסוּתוֹ לְבַדָּהּ הִוא שִׂמְלָתוֹ לְעֹרוֹ בַּמֶּה יִשְׁכָּב וְהָיָה כִּי יִצְעַק אֵלַי וְשָׁמַעְתִּי כִּי חַנּוּן אָנִי: ס

In the case of ענוי, which is pure maliciousness, HaShem will apply the principle of מדה כנגד מדה, and while He might Be Compassionate towards the victim, He will not Act in such a manner towards the oppressor. In the case of a failure to pay back a loan, at least the lender acted kindly initially by lending the money in the first place. So the Response to his being unpleasant when the loan has not been paid back is mitigated, in the sense that there will still be Divine Compassion towards the borrower, but the lender will not necessarily be punished as severly as the מענה.

Heh

שמות כב

(כד) אִם כֶּסֶף תַּלְוֶה אֶת עַמִּי אֶת הֶעָנִי עִמָּךְ לֹא תִהְיֶה לוֹ כְּנֹשֶׁה לֹא תְשִׂימוּן עָלָיו נֶשֶׁךְ:

(כה) אִם חָבֹל תַּחְבֹּל שַׂלְמַת רֵעֶךָ עַד בֹּא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ תְּשִׁיבֶנּוּ לוֹ:

(כו) כִּי הִוא כְסוּתוֹ לְבַדָּהּ הִוא שִׂמְלָתוֹ לְעֹרוֹ בַּמֶּה יִשְׁכָּב וְהָיָה כִּי יִצְעַק אֵלַי וְשָׁמַעְתִּי כִּי חַנּוּן אָנִי:

דברים פרק כד

(יד) לֹא תַעֲשֹׁק שָׂכִיר עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן מֵאַחֶיךָ אוֹ מִגֵּרְךָ אֲשֶׁר בְּאַרְצְךָ בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ:

(טו) בְּיוֹמוֹ תִתֵּן שְׂכָרוֹ וְלֹא תָבוֹא עָלָיו הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ כִּי עָנִי הוּא וְאֵלָיו הוּא נֹשֵׂא אֶת נַפְשׁוֹ וְלֹא יִקְרָא עָלֶיךָאֶל יְקֹוָק וְהָיָה בְךָ חֵטְא: ס

In both cases, the person who is being put upon is someone who is poor. However, the borrower already got the benefit of the loan and is now having difficulty repaying. He is not entitled to a loan without repayment. If the lender in the end wishes to give him a gift and forego repayment, that is his prerogative, but not his obligation. The worker has expended his energy and talent, and has nothing to show for it. The person who employed him is the one indebted to him and has an obligation to repay him. It is as if the worker is in the role of the lender! (It is reminiscent of the situation described in Shabbat 127b where a person worked for another for three years and when it came time for payment, he was given nothing. In the end the Ba’al HaBayit gave him his wages, but the worker had to return to his home “בפחי נפש”.