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Save "Behar-Bechukotai: to have or not to have, that’s the question
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Behar-Bechukotai: to have or not to have, that’s the question
(טו) בְּמִסְפַּ֤ר שָׁנִים֙ אַחַ֣ר הַיּוֹבֵ֔ל תִּקְנֶ֖ה מֵאֵ֣ת עֲמִיתֶ֑ךָ בְּמִסְפַּ֥ר שְׁנֵֽי־תְבוּאֹ֖ת יִמְכָּר־לָֽךְ׃ (טז) לְפִ֣י ׀ רֹ֣ב הַשָּׁנִ֗ים תַּרְבֶּה֙ מִקְנָת֔וֹ וּלְפִי֙ מְעֹ֣ט הַשָּׁנִ֔ים תַּמְעִ֖יט מִקְנָת֑וֹ כִּ֚י מִסְפַּ֣ר תְּבוּאֹ֔ת ה֥וּא מֹכֵ֖ר לָֽךְ׃ (יז) וְלֹ֤א תוֹנוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־עֲמִית֔וֹ וְיָרֵ֖אתָ מֵֽאֱלֹקֶ֑יךָ כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י ה' אֱלֹקֵיכֶֽם׃ (יח) וַעֲשִׂיתֶם֙ אֶת־חֻקֹּתַ֔י וְאֶת־מִשְׁפָּטַ֥י תִּשְׁמְר֖וּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֣ם אֹתָ֑ם וִֽישַׁבְתֶּ֥ם עַל־הָאָ֖רֶץ לָבֶֽטַח׃ (יט) וְנָתְנָ֤ה הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ פִּרְיָ֔הּ וַאֲכַלְתֶּ֖ם לָשֹׂ֑בַע וִֽישַׁבְתֶּ֥ם לָבֶ֖טַח עָלֶֽיהָ׃ (כ) וְכִ֣י תֹאמְר֔וּ מַה־נֹּאכַ֤֖ל בַּשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשְּׁבִיעִ֑ת הֵ֚ן לֹ֣א נִזְרָ֔ע וְלֹ֥א נֶאֱסֹ֖ף אֶת־תְּבוּאָתֵֽנוּ׃ (כא) וְצִוִּ֤יתִי אֶת־בִּרְכָתִי֙ לָכֶ֔ם בַּשָּׁנָ֖ה הַשִּׁשִּׁ֑ית וְעָשָׂת֙ אֶת־הַתְּבוּאָ֔ה לִשְׁלֹ֖שׁ הַשָּׁנִֽים׃ (כב) וּזְרַעְתֶּ֗ם אֵ֚ת הַשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשְּׁמִינִ֔ת וַאֲכַלְתֶּ֖ם מִן־הַתְּבוּאָ֣ה יָשָׁ֑ן עַ֣ד ׀ הַשָּׁנָ֣ה הַתְּשִׁיעִ֗ת עַד־בּוֹא֙ תְּב֣וּאָתָ֔הּ תֹּאכְל֖וּ יָשָֽׁן׃ (כג) וְהָאָ֗רֶץ לֹ֤א תִמָּכֵר֙ לִצְמִתֻ֔ת כִּי־לִ֖י הָאָ֑רֶץ כִּֽי־גֵרִ֧ים וְתוֹשָׁבִ֛ים אַתֶּ֖ם עִמָּדִֽי׃ (כד) וּבְכֹ֖ל אֶ֣רֶץ אֲחֻזַּתְכֶ֑ם גְּאֻלָּ֖ה תִּתְּנ֥וּ לָאָֽרֶץ׃ (ס)
(15) In buying from your neighbor, you shall deduct only for the number of years since the jubilee; and in selling to you, he shall charge you only for the remaining crop years: (16) the more such years, the higher the price you pay; the fewer such years, the lower the price; for what he is selling you is a number of harvests. (17) Do not wrong one another, but fear your God; for I the LORD am your God. (18) You shall observe My laws and faithfully keep My rules, that you may live upon the land in security; (19) the land shall yield its fruit and you shall eat your fill, and you shall live upon it in security. (20) And should you ask, “What are we to eat in the seventh year, if we may neither sow nor gather in our crops?” (21) I will ordain My blessing for you in the sixth year, so that it shall yield a crop sufficient for three years. (22) When you sow in the eighth year, you will still be eating old grain of that crop; you will be eating the old until the ninth year, until its crops come in. (23) But the land must not be sold beyond reclaim, for the land is Mine; you are but strangers resident with Me. (24) Throughout the land that you hold, you must provide for the redemption of the land.
(לט) וְכִֽי־יָמ֥וּךְ אָחִ֛יךָ עִמָּ֖ךְ וְנִמְכַּר־לָ֑ךְ לֹא־תַעֲבֹ֥ד בּ֖וֹ עֲבֹ֥דַת עָֽבֶד׃ (מ) כְּשָׂכִ֥יר כְּתוֹשָׁ֖ב יִהְיֶ֣ה עִמָּ֑ךְ עַד־שְׁנַ֥ת הַיֹּבֵ֖ל יַעֲבֹ֥ד עִמָּֽךְ׃ (מא) וְיָצָא֙ מֵֽעִמָּ֔ךְ ה֖וּא וּבָנָ֣יו עִמּ֑וֹ וְשָׁב֙ אֶל־מִשְׁפַּחְתּ֔וֹ וְאֶל־אֲחֻזַּ֥ת אֲבֹתָ֖יו יָשֽׁוּב׃ (מב) כִּֽי־עֲבָדַ֣י הֵ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־הוֹצֵ֥אתִי אֹתָ֖ם מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם לֹ֥א יִמָּכְר֖וּ מִמְכֶּ֥רֶת עָֽבֶד׃
(39) If your kinsman under you continues in straits and must give himself over to you, do not subject him to the treatment of a slave. (40) He shall remain with you as a hired or bound laborer; he shall serve with you only until the jubilee year. (41) Then he and his children with him shall be free of your authority; he shall go back to his family and return to his ancestral holding.— (42) For they are My servants, whom I freed from the land of Egypt; they may not give themselves over into servitude.—
(מז) וְכִ֣י תַשִּׂ֗יג יַ֣ד גֵּ֤ר וְתוֹשָׁב֙ עִמָּ֔ךְ וּמָ֥ךְ אָחִ֖יךָ עִמּ֑וֹ וְנִמְכַּ֗ר לְגֵ֤ר תּוֹשָׁב֙ עִמָּ֔ךְ א֥וֹ לְעֵ֖קֶר מִשְׁפַּ֥חַת גֵּֽר׃ (מח) אַחֲרֵ֣י נִמְכַּ֔ר גְּאֻלָּ֖ה תִּהְיֶה־לּ֑וֹ אֶחָ֥ד מֵאֶחָ֖יו יִגְאָלֶֽנּוּ׃ (מט) אוֹ־דֹד֞וֹ א֤וֹ בֶן־דֹּדוֹ֙ יִגְאָלֶ֔נּוּ אֽוֹ־מִשְּׁאֵ֧ר בְּשָׂר֛וֹ מִמִּשְׁפַּחְתּ֖וֹ יִגְאָלֶ֑נּוּ אֽוֹ־הִשִּׂ֥יגָה יָד֖וֹ וְנִגְאָֽל׃ (נ) וְחִשַּׁב֙ עִם־קֹנֵ֔הוּ מִשְּׁנַת֙ הִמָּ֣כְרוֹ ל֔וֹ עַ֖ד שְׁנַ֣ת הַיֹּבֵ֑ל וְהָיָ֞ה כֶּ֤סֶף מִמְכָּרוֹ֙ בְּמִסְפַּ֣ר שָׁנִ֔ים כִּימֵ֥י שָׂכִ֖יר יִהְיֶ֥ה עִמּֽוֹ׃ (נא) אִם־ע֥וֹד רַבּ֖וֹת בַּשָּׁנִ֑ים לְפִיהֶן֙ יָשִׁ֣יב גְּאֻלָּת֔וֹ מִכֶּ֖סֶף מִקְנָתֽוֹ׃ (נב) וְאִם־מְעַ֞ט נִשְׁאַ֧ר בַּשָּׁנִ֛ים עַד־שְׁנַ֥ת הַיֹּבֵ֖ל וְחִשַּׁב־ל֑וֹ כְּפִ֣י שָׁנָ֔יו יָשִׁ֖יב אֶת־גְּאֻלָּתֽוֹ׃ (נג) כִּשְׂכִ֥יר שָׁנָ֛ה בְּשָׁנָ֖ה יִהְיֶ֣ה עִמּ֑וֹ לֹֽא־יִרְדֶּ֥נּֽוּ בְּפֶ֖רֶךְ לְעֵינֶֽיךָ׃ (נד) וְאִם־לֹ֥א יִגָּאֵ֖ל בְּאֵ֑לֶּה וְיָצָא֙ בִּשְׁנַ֣ת הַיֹּבֵ֔ל ה֖וּא וּבָנָ֥יו עִמּֽוֹ׃ (נה) כִּֽי־לִ֤י בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ עֲבָדִ֔ים עֲבָדַ֣י הֵ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־הוֹצֵ֥אתִי אוֹתָ֖ם מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲנִ֖י ה' אֱלֹקֵיכֶֽם׃
(47) If a resident alien among you has prospered, and your kinsman being in straits, comes under his authority and gives himself over to the resident alien among you, or to an offshoot of an alien’s family, (48) he shall have the right of redemption even after he has given himself over. One of his kinsmen shall redeem him, (49) or his uncle or his uncle’s son shall redeem him, or anyone of his family who is of his own flesh shall redeem him; or, if he prospers, he may redeem himself. (50) He shall compute with his purchaser the total from the year he gave himself over to him until the jubilee year; the price of his sale shall be applied to the number of years, as though it were for a term as a hired laborer under the other’s authority. (51) If many years remain, he shall pay back for his redemption in proportion to his purchase price; (52) and if few years remain until the jubilee year, he shall so compute: he shall make payment for his redemption according to the years involved. (53) He shall be under his authority as a laborer hired by the year; he shall not rule ruthlessly over him in your sight. (54) If he has not been redeemed in any of those ways, he and his children with him shall go free in the jubilee year. (55) For it is to Me that the Israelites are servants: they are My servants, whom I freed from the land of Egypt, I the LORD your God.

~ Can you find a common theme for these three passages?

~ What seems to be the refrain?

How to know a person
אמר רבי אילעאי בשלשה דברים אדם ניכר בכוסו ובכיסו ובכעסו ואמרי ליה אף בשחקו:

Rabbi Elai said: In three matters a person’s true character is ascertained; in his cup, in his pocket, and in his anger. And some say: A person also reveals his real nature in his laughter.

~ How do those three aspects help us to know a person?

~ What are they symbols of?

~ What does laughter add to the conversation?

אָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בַּר פָּפָּא: כׇּל הַנֶּהֱנֶה מִן הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה בְּלֹא בְּרָכָה כְּאִילּוּ גּוֹזֵל לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״גּוֹזֵל אָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ וְאוֹמֵר אֵין פָּשַׁע חָבֵר הוּא לְאִישׁ מַשְׁחִית״. וְאֵין ״אָבִיו״ אֶלָּא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״הֲלֹא הוּא אָבִיךְ קָּנֶךָ״, וְאֵין ״אִמּוֹ״ אֶלָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״שְׁמַע בְּנִי מוּסַר אָבִיךָ וְאַל תִּטּוֹשׁ תּוֹרַת אִמֶּךָ״.

Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa said: Anyone who derives benefit from this world without a blessing, it is as if he stole from God and the community of Israel, as it is stated: “Whoever robs his father and his mother and says: It is no transgression, he is the companion of a destroyer” (Proverbs 28:24). The phrase, his father, refers to none other than God, as it is stated: “Is He not your Father Who created you, Who made you and established you” (Deuteronomy 32:6). The phrase his mother refers to none other than the community of Israel, as it is stated: “Hear, my son, the discipline of your father, and do not forsake the Torah of your mother” (Proverbs 1:8).

גוזל להקב"ה – את ברכתו:

He robs the Holy One - [by stealing] the blessing that is His.

One's pocket
אמר רבי אילעא אמר ריש לקיש משום רבי יהודה בר חנינא באושא התקינו שיהא אדם זן את בניו ואת בנותיו כשהן קטנים איבעיא להו הלכתא כוותיה או אין הלכתא כוותיה תא שמע כי הוה אתו לקמיה דרב יהודה אמר להו יארוד ילדה ואבני מתא שדיא כי הוה אתו לקמיה דרב חסדא אמר להו כפו ליה אסיתא בצבורא וליקום ולימא עורבא בעי בניה וההוא גברא לא בעי בניה ועורבא בעי בניה והכתיב (תהלים קמז, ט) לבני עורב אשר יקראו לא קשיא הא בחיורי הא באוכמי כי הוה אתי לקמיה דרבא אמר ליה ניחא לך דמיתזני בניך מצדקה ולא אמרן אלא דלא אמיד אבל אמיד כפינן ליה על כרחיה כי הא דרבא כפייה לרב נתן בר אמי ואפיק מיניה ד' מאה זוזי לצדקה
§ Rabbi Ile’a said that Reish Lakish said in the name of Rabbi Yehuda bar Ḥanina: In Usha the Sages instituted that a man should sustain his sons and daughters when they are minors. A dilemma was raised before the Sages: Is the halakha in accordance with his opinion or is the halakha not in accordance with his opinion? Must a man feed his young children in practice or not? The Gemara answers: Come and hear: When they would come before Rav Yehuda to complain about a father who refused to sustain his children, he would say to them: The jackal [yarod] bears offspring and casts the obligation to feed them on the residents of the town? Even a jackal feeds its young, and it is certainly proper for a father to support his children. When they would come before Rav Ḥisda to register a similar complaint, he would say to them: Turn over a mortar for him in public, as a raised platform, and let that father stand up and say about himself: The raven wants to care for its sons, and yet this man does not want to support his sons. The Gemara questions this statement: And does the raven want to feed its sons? But isn’t it written: “He gives to the beast its food, to the young ravens that cry” (Psalms 147:9)? This verse indicates that the parents of young ravens do not feed them. The Gemara responds: This is not difficult, as in this case it is referring to white ones, and in that case it is referring to black ones. There are different types of ravens, some of which feed their young while others do not. The Gemara further relates: When an incident of this kind would come before Rava, he would say to the father: Is it satisfactory to you that your sons are sustained through charity? All these incidents prove that the halakha is not in accordance with the enactment of Usha; although these Sages stated forcefully that it is proper for a father to support his children, they did not force him to do so by the authority of the court. The Gemara adds: And we said this halakha only when he is not wealthy and must toil hard to provide food for his children, but if he is wealthy we coerce him against his will to sustain them. Like this case of Rava, who coerced Rav Natan bar Ami, who was a wealthy man, to donate to charity, and collected from him four hundred dinars for charity. This shows that even in the absence of a particular obligation, the court will compel a person to give charity if he can afford it. The same reasoning certainly applies to a man’s own children.

תוספות מסכת כתובות דף מט עמוד ב

אכפייה רבא כו' - וא"ת היאך כפה אותו בשביל צדקה והכתיב מתן שכרה בצדה דכתיב (למען) יברכך ואמרי' בפ' כל הבשר (חולין קי: ושם) כל מצות עשה שמתן שכרה בצדה אין בית דין של מטה מוזהרין עליה ויש לומר דאכפייה בדברים א"נ קצבו ביניהן בני העיר לתת כך וכך לחדש הלכך אכפייה כדאמרינן בפרק קמא דבבא בתרא (דף ח: ושם) דרשאין בני העיר להסיע על קיצתן ועוד דבצדקה איכא תרתי לאוי לא תאמץ ולא תקפוץ (דברים טו).

Tosafot Ketubot 49b

Rava compelled … - But if you say: How can he compel him to give charity when its reward is written by its side, as it is written: "[Because for this thing] He will bless you …", and we said in chapter Kol Basar (B.Hullin 110b): "Any positive commandment in which its reward [is written] by its side, the earthly court is not commanded regarding it [to compel its fulfillment]"? It is possible to say that it is talking about verbal compulsion. Alternatively, [one could explain] that [it is referring to a case in which] all of the residents of the city budgeted between them to give a certain amount monthly, and that is why they could compel him, as we say in the first chapter of Baba Batra (8b) that the residents of a city are permitted to enforce allocations that they have set. In addition, [one could say that] charity has two negative commandments: "You shall not harden your heart" and "You shall not shut your hand." (Deuteronomy 15)

חידושי הרשב"א מסכת כתובות דף מט עמוד ב

אמיד מכפינן ליה בעל כרחו. כלומר מדין צדקה, מיהו לא נחתינן לנכסיה.

Rashba Ketubot 49b

If one is able to pay, we coerce him to do so against his will - in other words, on the basis of tzedaka. However, we do not descend into his possessions.

חידושי הריטב"א מסכת ראש השנה דף ו עמוד א

ותימא האיך ממשכנין על הצדקה דהא מצות עשה שמתן שכרה בצידה ואין מוזהרין ב"ד עליה, ותירץ בירושלמי (ב"ב פ"ה ה"ה) אין ב"ד נענשין עליה כלומר מוזהרין הן לכוף אבל [אם] העלימו עיניהם ולא כפאוהו אין נענשין כמו שנענשין על שאר מ"ע אם לא כפאוהו, ואומר רבינו נר"ו דלגמרא דילן לית ליה האי סברא אלא כל מ"ע שמתן שכרה כתוב בצדה אין ב"ד מוזהרין כלל כדאמרינן במסכת חולין (ק"י ב') ההוא גברא דלא מוקר אבוה ואמיה א"ל לרב נחמן כפתיה וא"ל דלא בעי למכפייה דכל מ"ע שמתן שכרה בצידה אינן מוזהרין עליה, וא"כ האיך ממשכנין על הצדקה, ותירץ רבינו דשאני הכא דגלי ביה קרא דכתיב ועשית אזהרה לב"ד שיעשוך, ולא גמרינן מינה לעלמא משום דהכא לאו משום מצוה דרמיא עליה בלחוד כייפינן אלא מפני שחייב עצמו ונכסיו לגבוה או לעניים, וכשם שכופין אותו לפרוע מה שחייב להדיוט, שלא יהא כח הדיוט חמור מהקדש…

Hiddushei HaRitva, Rosh Hashanah 6a

You might ask: How can we force the giving of charity when it is positive commandment in which its reward [is written] by its side, and the earthly court is not commanded regarding it [to compel its fulfillment]? And the Jerusalem Talmud (Baba Batra 5:5) answers that the court is not punished for it – i.e. they are commanded to compel [its fulfillment], but if they ignored it and did not compel [compliance], they are not punished as they are punished for all other positive commandments in which they did not compel [compliance]. And our teacher says that our Gemara does not have this reasoning. Rather any positive commandment in which its reward [is written] by its side, the earthly court is not commanded at all regarding it [to compel its fulfillment], as we say in Masekhet Hullin (110b): A particular person who did not honor his mother and father – they said to Rav Nachman to compel him." And he responded that he did not have to compel him because "any positive commandment in which its reward [is written] by its side, the earthly court is not commanded regarding it [to compel its fulfillment]." If so, how can we force a person to give charity? And our teacher answered that it is different here because the Torah revealed as is written: "and you shall do" – it is a commandment to the court to cause him to do it. We do not deduce a general rule from this for here the compulsion is not because of a commandment that falls upon him, but because he obligated himself and his property to the Temple or to the poor. Just as we force a person to pay what he owes to an individual, the strength of the individual should not be greater than the Temple …

חידושי הריטב"א מסכת כתובות דף מט עמוד ב

אבל היכא דאמיד כייפינן ליה. פירוש מדין צדקה, ואף על גב דהוי מצות עשה שמתן שכרה בצדה וקיימא לן (חולין ק"י ב') דכל מצות עשה שמתן שכרה בצדה אין ב"ד מוזהרין עליה, התם הוא בשאר מצות כגון כבוד אב ואם וכיוצא בזה, אבל לענין צדקה כייפינן מפני מחסורם של עניים וכדכתב רחמנא ועשית אזהרה לב"ד שיעשוך, ואע"ג דההוא גבי נודר כתיב, גלי רחמנא בצדקה שהוציא בפיו והוא הדין לכל צדקה משום מחסורם של עניים. ובתוספות תירצו דשאני צדקה דכתיב בה לא תעשה גם כן דכתיב לא תאמץ את לבבך וגו'.

Hiddushei HaRitva, Ketubbot 49b

R. Yom Tov Asevilli

But in a case that he is rich, we compel him – i.e. regarding the law of charity. And even though it is a positive commandment in which its reward [is written] by its side, and we established (B.Hullin 110b) that any positive commandment in which its reward [is written] by its side, the earthly court is not commanded regarding it [to compel its fulfillment], there it is referring to all of the other precepts such as honoring one's father and mother, and the like. However, with regard to charity, we do compel him because of the poverty of the needy, as it is written in the Torah: "and you shall do"[2] – it is a commandment to the court to cause him to do it. Even though that is written with reference to oaths, the Torah reveals that [it is also the case] for charity in which he expresses [a commitment] verbally, and that it is also the case in all instances of charity because of the poverty of the needy. And in Tosafot they answered that charity is different because it also says "you shall not", as it is written: "You shall not harden your heart…"

In contrast to God’s supreme and eternal mastery of the universe, human dominance over our acquisitions is qualified, limited in time and restricted in scope… This recognition of absolute Divine ownership and of limited temporary human ownership is a basic principle in all social legislation of the Torah… Personal ownership is valid as long as it does not conflict with the welfare of society and with moral standards. [Edited for gender neutrality, Rabbi Simon Federbusch, 1892-1969]

מְפַרְנְסִין וּמְכַסִּין עֲנִיֵּי עַכּוּ''ם עִם עֲנִיֵּי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִפְּנֵי דַּרְכֵי שָׁלוֹם. וְעָנִי הַמְחַזֵּר עַל הַפְּתָחִים אֵין נִזְקָקִין לוֹ לְמַתָּנָה מְרֻבָּה אֲבָל נוֹתְנִין לוֹ מַתָּנָה מֻעֶטֶת. וְאָסוּר לְהַחֲזִיר אֶת הֶעָנִי שֶׁשָּׁאַל רֵיקָם וַאֲפִלּוּ אַתָּה נוֹתֵן לוֹ גְּרוֹגֶרֶת אַחַת שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהילים עד כא) "אַל יָשֹׁב דַּךְ נִכְלָם":
They provide for and clothe the poor of Gentiles along with the poor of Israel for the sake of peaceful relations.135See Babylonian Talmud Gittin 61a and Bava Batra 9a. And if there is a poor person who goes door to door, they are not obligated to give him a large gift, but rather they give him a small gift. It is forbidden to turn away a poor person who asks empty handed, even if you give him a single dry fig, as it is said, (Psalms 74:21) Let not the downtrodden be turned away disappointed; [let the poor and needy praise Your name].

(י) אַרְבַּע מִדּוֹת בָּאָדָם.

הָאוֹמֵר שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלִּי וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלָּךְ, זוֹ מִדָּה בֵינוֹנִית. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים, זוֹ מִדַּת סְדוֹם.

שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלְּךָ וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלִּי, עַם הָאָרֶץ.

שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלְּךָ וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלָּךְ, חָסִיד.

שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלִּי וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלִּי, רָשָׁע:

(10) There are four types of character in human beings:

One that says: “mine is mine, and yours is yours”: this is a commonplace type; and some say this is the type of character of Sodom.

[One that says:] “mine is yours and yours is mine”: is an unlearned person (am haaretz);

[One that says:] “mine is yours and yours is yours” is a pious person.

[One that says:] “mine is mine, and yours is mine” is a wicked person.

וספרת לך שבע שבתת שנים שבע שנים וכו' והעברת שופר תרועה וכו' ושבתם איש אל אחזתו וכו' בשנת היובל הזאת תשבו איש אל אחזתו. ענין שמיטה ויובל הוא נגד המדות הנזכרות במס' אבות [פ"ה,מ"י] שלי שלך, שלך שלך. שמיטה, היא נגד מדות שלי שלך, היינו אף כי הארץ נתן לבני אדם שיש לאדם קנין בארץ שיוכל להוציא לו ממנה כל הטובות שבעולם, כי כל מיני טובות שבעולם נכללים בארץ כמ"ש (קהלת ג',כ') הכל היה מהעפר, ובשביעית יתן הארץ להש"י, כי הוא שובת ממלאכה ומעבודת הארץ של רשות על פי רצון ה' וישמור פקודותיו, וזה יקרא שלי שלך, היינו שהאדם מקנה להש"י כל קנינו בארץ. ויובל הוא נגד מדות שלך שלך שמצות יובל הוא שישוב איש אל אחוזתו ואיש אל משפחתו, כי באמת אלקים עשה את האדם ישר בארץ וחילק נחלה לכל אחד ואחד כפי מעלתו השייך לו בשורשו, וכן הציב איש על דגלו ואמר עליהם עבדי הם, אך מחמת שהם בקשו חשבונות רבים עד שזה יזכה לעלות ולהרחיב את גבולו ולקנות חבירו לעבוד בו, וזה ירד ולמכור מאחזתו עד שמוכר עצמו, אך ביען כי דבר ה' יקום לעד ולא ישתנה ח"ו ע"י מעשה בני אדם, אכן על משפטי ה' שיעברו על האדם לא יגיעו לעומק שורשו, כי ברא הש"י עת לכל דבר שישוב לאחזתו, ואת שנת היובל ברא בכדי שאז ישוב כל איש אל מקומו ואחזתו השייך לו מאת ה' כמו שנאמר שנת היובל קודש יהיה לכם....

The idea of the Shemita year and the Jubilee year corresponds to the characters mentioned in Avot (Avot 5:10) - what is mine is yours, what is yours is yours. That is, even if the land was given to human beings, to the point that there is such a thing as acquisition of the land, that one can take from the land all the good things in the world - you know, that all good things in the world come actually from the land, as it says "all came from the dust" (Kohelet/Eccl. 3:20). And in the seventh [year/day], [when] one gives the land to the Holy One of Blessing, since one stops from working and tilling the land because of God's desire, and one observes God's commandment, one is called "mine is Yours" - that is, a person acquires for the Holy One of Blessing all one's possessions in the land. And the Jubilee corresponds to "Y/yours is Y/yours" since the mitzvah of the Jubilee is that a person returns to their holding and to their family, because in truth E-lohim made humans be on the earth, and distributed to each human an inheritance that corresponds to one's soul-root, and set each under their banner, and said to them: you are My servants. But due to the many desires of making many accounts, until one comes to expand one's boundaries and even acquires one's friends as servants, and this [friend] goes down and sells [the friend's] inheritance to the point that eventually [the friend] sells their own person, it was [necessary to establish that] God's word will exist forever and that it wouldn't, God forbid, change because of the deeds of humans, therefore even though they transgressed the laws regarding humans, [the transgression] does not reach the soul-root, since the Holy One created times when everything returns to their holding, and the [laws of the] Jubilee year were created so that every person will return to their place and the inheritance that belongs to them.

~ How does the Mei Hashiloach understand the Yovel and the Sabbatical years? ~ Who do you think is the "yours" being referred to? Other people? God?

~ What are the reasons for returning a person to his/her inheritance?

וְיֵשׁ דֵּעוֹת שֶׁאָסוּר לוֹ לָאָדָם לִנְהֹג בָּהֶן בְּבֵינוֹנִית אֶלָּא יִתְרַחֵק מִן הַקָּצֶה הָאֶחָד עַד הַקָּצֶה הָאַחֵר. וְהוּא גֹּבַהּ לֵב. שֶׁאֵין דֶּרֶךְ הַטּוֹבָה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה אָדָם עָנָו בִּלְבַד אֶלָּא שֶׁיִּהְיֶה שְׁפַל רוּחַ וְתִהְיֶה רוּחוֹ נְמוּכָה לִמְאֹד. וּלְפִיכָךְ נֶאֱמַר בְּמשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ (במדבר יב ג) "עָנָו מְאֹד" וְלֹא נֶאֱמַר עָנָו בִּלְבַד. וּלְפִיכָךְ צִוּוּ חֲכָמִים מְאֹד מְאֹד הֱוֵי שְׁפַל רוּחַ. וְעוֹד אָמְרוּ שֶׁכָּל הַמַּגְבִּיהַּ לִבּוֹ כָּפַר בָּעִקָּר שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ח יד) "וְרָם לְבָבֶךָ וְשָׁכַחְתָּ אֶת ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ". וְעוֹד אָמְרוּ בְּשַׁמָּתָא מַאן דְּאִית בֵּיהּ גַּסּוּת הָרוּחַ וַאֲפִלּוּ מִקְצָתָהּ. וְכֵן הַכַּעַס מִדָּה רָעָה הִיא עַד לִמְאֹד וְרָאוּי לָאָדָם שֶׁיִּתְרַחֵק מִמֶּנָּה עַד הַקָּצֶה הָאַחֵר. וִילַמֵּד עַצְמוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יִכְעֹס וַאֲפִלּוּ עַל דָּבָר שֶׁרָאוּי לִכְעֹס עָלָיו. וְאִם רָצָה לְהַטִּיל אֵימָה עַל בָּנָיו וּבְנֵי בֵּיתוֹ אוֹ עַל הַצִּבּוּר אִם הָיָה פַּרְנָס וְרָצָה לִכְעֹס עֲלֵיהֶן כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּחְזְרוּ לַמּוּטָב יַרְאֶה עַצְמוֹ בִּפְנֵיהֶם שֶׁהוּא כּוֹעֵס כְּדֵי לְיַסְּרָם וְתִהְיֶה דַּעְתּוֹ מְיֻשֶּׁבֶת בֵּינוֹ לְבֵין עַצְמוֹ כְּאָדָם שֶׁהוּא מְדַמֶּה כּוֹעֵס בִּשְׁעַת כַּעֲסוֹ וְהוּא אֵינוֹ כּוֹעֵס. אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים כָּל הַכּוֹעֵס כְּאִלּוּ עוֹבֵד עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים. וְאָמְרוּ שֶׁכָּל הַכּוֹעֵס אִם חָכָם הוּא חָכְמָתוֹ מִסְתַּלֶּקֶת מִמֶּנּוּ וְאִם נָבִיא הוּא נְבוּאָתוֹ מִסְתַּלֶּקֶת מִמֶּנּוּ. וּבַעֲלֵי כַּעַס אֵין חַיֵּיהֶם חַיִּים. לְפִיכָךְ צִוּוּ לְהִתְרַחֵק מִן הַכַּעַס עַד שֶׁיַּנְהִיג עַצְמוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יַרְגִּישׁ אֲפִלּוּ לַדְּבָרִים הַמַּכְעִיסִים וְזוֹ הִיא הַדֶּרֶךְ הַטּוֹבָה. וְדֶרֶךְ הַצַּדִּיקִים הֵן עֲלוּבִין וְאֵינָן עוֹלְבִין שׁוֹמְעִים חֶרְפָּתָם וְאֵינָם מְשִׁיבִין עוֹשִׂין מֵאַהֲבָה וּשְׂמֵחִים בְּיִסּוּרִים. וַעֲלֵיהֶם הַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר (שופטים ה לא) "וְאֹהֲבָיו כְּצֵאת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בִּגְבֻרָתוֹ":
And, yet, there are certain tendencies which man is forbidden to follow in the middle-way, but must distance himself from extreme to extreme. The good way is not merely that man be meek, but that he should be humble-spirited, then his spirit will be extremely lowly. This is the reason why it is said of Moses that he was very meek (Num. 12.3) and not merely meek. This is also the reason why the sages commanded saying: "Be exceedingly humble of spirit" (Pir. Ab. 4.4). They, moreover, said: "He who is of a haughty heart denies the head principle" (Sotah, 4b), even as it is said: "Thine heart be then lifted up, and thou forget the Lord they God" (Deut. 8.14); and they also said: "Isolated be he in whom there is a haughty spirit, even a little thereof" (Sotah. 5a). So is anger an extremely evil tendency and it is proper for man to remove himself from it to the other extreme. One should teach himself not to get angry, even over a matter which befits anger. If one desires to engender awe in his children and his household, or in the public, if he be at the head of a community, even if he desire to get angry at them so as to bring them back to the good way, he should only act angry in their presence so as to reprove them, but his disposition must remain calm within himself, even as a man imitates, who is angry when the time calls forth anger but in reality he is not angry. The sages of yore said: "He who yields to anger is as if he worshiped idolatry".1See Nedarim, 22b. G. They also said: "Whosoever yields to anger, if he be a wise man his wisdom leaves him, and if he be a prophet his prophecy leaves him."2Pesahim, 66b. C. Verily the life of irritable persons is no life.3Pesahim, 113a. C. They have, therefore, commanded to be afar from anger, so that one will train himself not to mind even the things which do cause irritation, for such is the good way. The conduct of the just is to take insults but not give insults, hear themselves flouted but make no reply, do their duty as a work of love, and bear affliction cheerfully. Concerning them the Verse says: "But may those that love Him be as the rising of the sun in his might" (Judg. 5.31).

"Divine anger is not the antithesis of love, but its counterpart, a help to justice as demanded by true love"

- A. J. Heschel The Prophets

"Prayer is meaningless unless it is subversive, unless it seeks to overthrow and to ruin the pyramids of callousness, hatred, opportunism, falsehoods. The liturgical movement must become a revolutionary movement seeking to overthrow forces that destroy the promise, the hope, the vision."

- A. J. Heschel Moral Grandeur and Spiritual Audacity

כִּ֣י אִם־תַּעֲלוּ־לִ֥י עֹל֛וֹת וּמִנְחֹתֵיכֶ֖ם לֹ֣א אֶרְצֶ֑ה וְשֶׁ֥לֶם מְרִיאֵיכֶ֖ם לֹ֥א אַבִּֽיט׃ הָסֵ֥ר מֵעָלַ֖י הֲמ֣וֹן שִׁרֶ֑יךָ וְזִמְרַ֥ת נְבָלֶ֖יךָ לֹ֥א אֶשְׁמָֽע׃ וְיִגַּ֥ל כַּמַּ֖יִם מִשְׁפָּ֑ט וּצְדָקָ֖ה כְּנַ֥חַל אֵיתָֽן׃
If you offer Me burnt offerings—or your meal offerings— I will not accept them; I will pay no heed To your gifts of fatlings. Spare Me the sound of your hymns, And let Me not hear the music of your lutes. But let justice well up like water, Righteousness like an unfailing stream.
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