Re'eh Questions and Answers

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Re’eh 5713

Alef.

דברים פרק יד

(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

Ma’aser Sheini.

(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

Bi’ur Ma’asrot.

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 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

Shemitat Kesafim.

(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

Loans and gifts to the poor.

The common denominator in all four sections is that concern to the poor is being shown, even as the individual who has prospered is expected to restrain his material success.

Ma’aser Sheini. Even as you enjoy the fruits of your labors in Yerushalayim, don’t forget the Levi who does not have land and therefore is not in a position to fulfill the Mitzva of Ma’aser Sheini.

Bi’ur Ma’asrot. When a person lives at a distance from Yerushalayim, he can transfer the holiness to money. The money cannot accumulate beyond three years. Not only is this important for the tither, but those who will benefit from charitable donations will also welcome the regular distribution of the Ma’aser Sheini funds. In this case, in addition to the Levi, there is mention also of the convert, the orphan and the widow. Whereas the Levi has his status of landlessness imposed upon him by the Tora in the sense that he is to be dedicated to working in the Tabernacle/Temple, the categories of   Yatom and Almana have not consciously chosen to be dependent upon charity; circumstances beyond their control have placed them in that position. While the convert did choose to become Jewish, s/he did not do so in order to be impoverished, although burning your bridges in terms of your family and society in a xenophobic context might very well create such a situation. The example of Ruth, who goes from a Moabite princess to just another gleaner with the rest of the poor is an abject case in point.

Shmitat Kesafim. This Mitzva is primarily focused upon the debtor, in contrast to the Mitzvot having to do with Ma’aser where there is a benefit to the farmer by virtue of his demonstrating that he realizes that essentially his produce does not belong to him. Although I suppose that if we wished to look at an indiviual’s monetary resources as also what he has accumulated with God’s Help, then this too does not belong to him outright, but there is an expectation that he will use at least a portion of what he has earned in order to help those less fortunate. However, the cycle of poverty if left unchecked could plunge the poor into ever-deeper debt. Consequently, the institution of Shemitat Kesafim is intended to prevent an individual from eternally being in debt by rescinding debts every few years. In contrast to the verses dealing with Ma’aser Sheini and Bi’ur Ma’asrot, these verses speak about one’s friend, brother, and simply a poor person, as opposed to some particular status or situation.

Loans and gifts to the poor. The most direct and intense support is when not only loans are made, but outright gifts are given in order to totally meet the needs of the poor. Ma’aser and loans usually have upper limits. But in this last section the principle is established that we should try to meet all of the needs of the poor. While this might be an unrealistic expectation, particularly if resources are limited and the poor are numerous, nevertheless it is the ideal to which we should aspire.

Beit.

1.  Ibn Ezra: If in fact all Jews will comply with Halacha, there in fact will be no poor among them. However, it is inevitable that there will be generations in which not everyone will behave properly.

RaMBaN: The Tora never says with absolute certainty that people will act sinfully. Therefore if dealing with the poor is mentioned in the Tora, it’s only considering a possibility rather than stating the situation’sinevitability.

Abrabanel: From a statistical point of view, regardless of how blessed the situation of the Jews may be, there will always be at least one poor person, and therefore an absolute statement to the effect that there will not be any poor simply can’t be made realistically.

2.  Abrabanel understands “Efes” as “nevertheless there will always be an exception”, and therefore in this context, “nevertheless there will always be an exception to the idea that there will no longer be any poor people in the population.

Gimel.

1.  If I read v. 7 literally, the universe of poor to whom I am obligated to help is extremely limited, i.e., someone who is my relative living in my gates in my country. So many qualifiers serve to eliminate the overwhelming majority of individuals who might require help. What happens if a poor person lives outside of Israel, or has no relatives? Is he simply ignored?

2.  The order in Bava Metzia allows for the greatest number of candidates. Not only members of your family, community, and land, but anyone who is Jewish is to be considered for help. The list also implies that if for some reason there are no Jewish poor, that does not mean that one ought not to help non-Jewish poor; it’s just that there is a prioritization that initially operates  until it is determined that those closest to you are not in need.

Daled.

1. The difficulty in the verse is the assumption that the natural tendency of a person will be not to give to those in need, and therefore special effort must be exerted against hardening one’s heart which is to be expected.

2.  HaEmek Davar would understand “Te’ametz” as “do not allow your natural tendency (to protect and hoard your monetary resources) overwhelm” the competing natural tendency to be merciful and kind.