Re'eh: Poor or No Poor?

(4) There shall be no needy among you—since Adonai your God will bless you in the land that Adonai your God is giving you as a hereditary portion—

(5) if only you heed Adonai your God and take care to keep all this Instruction that I enjoin upon you this day.

(7) If, however, there is a needy person among you, one of your kinsmen in any of your settlements in the land that Adonai your God is giving you, do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your needy kinsman. (8) Rather, you must open your hand and lend him sufficient for whatever he needs.

(9) Beware lest you harbor the base thought, “The seventh year, the year of remission, is approaching,” so that you are mean to your needy kinsman and give him nothing. They will cry out to Adonai against you, and you will incur guilt. (10) Give to him readily and have no regrets when you do so, for in return Adonai your God will bless you in all your efforts and in all your undertakings.

(1) אפס כי לא יהיה בך אביון HOWBEIT THERE SHALL BE NO NEEDY AMONG YOU — But further on (v. 11) it states, “For the needy shall never cease out of the land”! But the explanation is: When you do the will of God, the needy will be amongst the others (read gentiles) and not amongst you, if, however, you do not the will of God, the needy will be amongst you (Sifrei Devarim 114:1).

(1) However… The sense of this passage is: Know that there might be no need for that which I have commanded you concerning not pressing your brother for payment; for there will be no one among you in need of your lending to him if all (or the majority) of Israel hearkens unto the voice of God . Rather, you will all secure loans from many nations (meaning, that you will take their “security” — i.e., “collateral” — for the money that you will give them, which they need in order to engage in commerce).

(Sforno agrees with this sentiment)

(2) "Which is why I command you, saying": [means] I give you goodly counsel, for your benefit: "Open shall you open your hand...give shall you give."

(3) "to your brother, your poor one, and your pauper in your land.": Why are all of these mentioned? Scripture apprises us: One whom it befits to give a loaf, give a loaf; one whom it befits to give dough, give dough; one whom it befits to give money, give money; one whom it befits to be fed, feed him.

...When all the great tragedies came upon him, Job said before God: Did I not feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty? as it says (Job 31:17), “Did I ever eat my food alone, and not let orphan eat from it?” And did I not clothe the naked? as it says (Job 31:20), “He warmed himself from the shearings of my sheep.” And even so, these tragedies came upon me.

God said to Job: Job, you still have not gotten to [even half] the level of Abraham. You sit and wait in your house, and guests come in to you. And if it is someone’s custom is to eat wheat bread, you feed him wheat bread. And if someone’s custom is to eat meat, you feed him meat. And if someone’s custom is to drink wine, you pour him wine.

But Abraham did not do this. Rather, he sat and looked out at the world, and when he would see potential guests, he would go bring them into his house. And if someone was not accustomed to eating wheat bread, he would feed him wheat bread. And if someone was not accustomed to eating meat, he would feed him meat. And if someone was not accustomed to drinking wine, he would pour him wine. Not only that, but he built large booths out on the roads, where he would leave food and drink, and anyone who came by and entered would eat and drink and bless the heavens, and he would feel content. Anything that one could ask for was available in the house of Abraham.