Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 15/אבן עזרא על דברים ט״ו

אוטעם מקץ שבע שנים תעשה שמטה. בתחלת השנה כאשר פירשתי והעד הקהל את העם ונדבקה זאת הפרשה בעבור שאמר כי מעשר עני הוא ללוי ולגר וליתום ולאלמנה אמר וכן דבר השמטה והטעם כמו שמטוה והניחו' ותפול:

1AT THE END OF¹. EVERY SEVEN YEARS.] Its meaning, as I have explained, is, at the beginning of the year.² means either at the end of or at the beginning of. Here it means at the beginning. Thus our clause reads, At the beginning of the seventh year. See I.E. on Deut. 9:11. Assemble the people (Deut. 31:12) is proof of this.³ (mikketz) every seven years (Deut. 31:10). According to I.E. the latter should be rendered: At the beginning of the seventh year. We thus see that mikketz can be rendered, at the beginning of. This section follows⁴ because Scripture states that the poor tithe⁵ belongs to the Levite, the stranger, the orphan, and the widow.⁶ Scripture now says that the same applies to the remission of debts (shemittah).⁷ The word shemittah is similar to shimtuha (throw her down) (II Kings 98:33), the meaning of which is, release her and she will fall.⁸ is, a release.

אמשה. במשקל מטה והוא שם לפי דעתי ולפי דעת רבים הוא פועל ובעל כמו והחכמה תחיה בעליה את נפש בעליו יקח והטעם מי שהדבר ברשותו:

1CREDITOR. The word masheh (loan) follows the paradigm of matteh (rod) (Ex. 4:4).⁹ can be taken as a verb. Hence I.E.’s comment that it is a noun and follows the vocalization of nouns like matteh. I believe that masheh is a noun.¹⁰ However, many believe that masheh is a verb.¹¹ The word ba’al (creditor) is similar to be’aleha (him that hath it) in wisdom preserveth the life of him that hath it (Eccles. 7:12) and be’alav (the owners thereof) in It taketh away the life of the owners thereof (Prov. 1:19). It means the one who has the matter¹² in his power.

בישה. פועל יוצא והלוקח יקרא נושה בו:

2THAT WHICH HE HATH LENT. Yasheh (that which he hath lent) is a transitive verb. The one who borrows is called a nosheh bo (a borrower) (Is. 24:2).¹³

גיגוש. ילחץ כמו וכל עצביכם תנגושו והנה נראה הנו״‎ן בפעלי העתיד מבעלי הנו״‎ן:

3HE SHALL NOT EXACT IT. The word yiggos (exact) means to press. Compare, tingosu (exact) in and exact all your labors (Is. 58:3). Look, the nun is visible in the imperfect in a word whose stem begins with a nun.¹⁴ is present in tingosu (exact), which is an imperfect whose stem begins with a nun. The nun is usually dropped in such instances. Hence I.E.’s comment.

דשמטה לה'. לכבוד השם שנתן לו הממון וטעם הסמך המל' לשם בעבור שבת היא לה':

4THE LORD’S RELEASE.¹⁵. Literally, a remission to the Lord. In honor of God,¹⁶ who has bestowed wealth upon him. The name of God is connected to the word release because the year of release is called a Sabbath unto the Lord (Lev. 25:2,4).¹⁷

אאת הנכרי תגוש. רשות:

1OF A FOREIGNER THOU MAYEST EXACT IT. It is optional.

אאפס. הטעם דע כי זה שצויתיך שלא תגוש את אחיך אין צורך אם היו כל ישראל או רובם שומעים בקול השם אז לא יהיה בך אביון שהוא צריך להיותך מלוה אותו רק כלכם תעבטו גוים רבים והטעם תקחו עבוטו שהוא משכון בעבור ממון שתתן לו שהוא צריך אליו לסחור בו:

1HOWBEIT. This means that you shall take note that that which I commanded you, not to exact interest from your brother, will be unnecessary if all of Israel or most of them will listen to God’s voice. In this case, there will be no poor among you who need you to lend to them. On the contrary, all of you shall lend to many nations (v. 6). The meaning of ve-ha’avateta (and thou shalt lend) (v. 6) is, you shall take his pledge (avot), that is, his pawn, for the money that you shall give him, which he needs to do business.

אומשלת. ובהיותכם ישרים תהיו עוד מושלים על הנכרים רק המצוה כי יהיה בך אביון על כן אמר כי לא יחדל אביון כי יודע כי יבא דור שלא יהיה רובו זכאי:

1AND THOU SHALT RULE. Furthermore, being upright you will rule over nations. However, there is a commandment stating If there be among you a needy man (v. 7).¹⁸ (v. 4). Moses knew that a generation will arise that will not be mostly meritorious. He therefore said, For the poor shall never cease out of the land (v. 11).

אלא תאמץ את לבבך. לדבר על לבו דברים טובים:

1THOU SHALT NOT HARDEN THY HEART. By refraining from addressing comforting words to him.

בתקפוץ. תסגור וכן קפצה פיה קפץ באף יקפצו מלכים פיהם והוא פעל קל:

2SHUT. Tikpotz¹⁹. means you shall shut. Compare, kafetzah²⁰. (stoppeth) in kafetzah²¹. piha (stoppeth her mouth) (Ps. 107:42; Job 5:16); kafatz²². be-af (shut up His compassion) (Ps. 77:10); and yikpetzu²³. (shall shut) in Kings shall shut their mouths (Is. 52:15). Tikpotz is a verb in the kal.

גהאביון. י״‎א שהוא מגזרת ולא אבה כי הוא במשקל עליון וחביון והגיון שהשרש עלה חבה הגה והטעם שהוא מתאוה לכל דבר בעבוד חסרונו:

3NEEDY. Some say that the word evyon (needy) is related to the word avah²⁴. (would) in and he would not (Ex. 10:27), for evyon follows the paradigm elyon, chevy on, and hegyon, the roots of which are ayin, lamed, heh; chet, bet, heh; heh, gimel, heh. An evyon is so called because he desires everything because of his need.

אפתח תפתח. שם הפעל וכל מקום שאיננו כתוב הוא דרך קצרה גם הדרש יפה:

1BUT THOU SHALT SURELY OPEN THY HAND. Pato’ach (open) is an infinitive. Whenever Scripture omits the infinitive,²⁵. it is employing an abridged style. The midrashic interpretation is also beautiful.²⁶ (thou shalt surely open) indicates that one should open his hand to the poor even one hundred times. However, I.E. believes that the form pato’ach tiftach is the correct way to say you shall open.

באת ידך לו. לאשר אין לו כלום:

2OPEN THY HAND TO HIM. To the one who has nothing.

גוהעבט תעביטנו. תתן לו משלך על עבוטו והנה תעביטנו תקח עבוטו:

3AND SHALT SURELY LEND HIM. The meaning of veha’avet tavitennu (and shalt surely lend him) is, give him from yours by taking his pledge.²⁷ Tavitennu means take his pledge.

אבליעל. שם וי״‎א שהיא מלה מורכבת כגון תפלה שלא יעל ולא יגאל ולא יחיה:

1BASE. The word beliya’al (base) is a noun. Some say that beliya’al is a compound. It refers to a prayer that the vile person should not ascend, should not grow, and should not live.²⁸ is short for beli ya’aleh (without ascending). When one sees the wicked, one utters a curse to the effect that the wicked not ascend. The meaning of our verse is, may the wicked neither grow nor live.

בורעה עינך. כמו ושבה אל בית אביה והמלה מהשניים הנראים:

2AND THINE EYE BE EVIL. Ve-ra’ah (and thine eye be evil) is similar to ve-shavah (and is returned) in and is returned unto her father’s house (Lev. 22:13). The word comes from a root two of whose letters are pronounced.²⁹. Its root is resh, vav, ayin.

אבגלל. כמו סבה לבעבור סבב כי הכל הוא בחלקי' בחלקי הכל שהוא הגוף:

1THAT. Bi-gelal (that) means the same as sibbah (because of). Compare, sabbev (cause) in cause to change (II Sam. 14:20).³⁰. For the All³¹ is in the parts,³² that is, in the parts of the All, that is, the body.³³, N.Y., 1969, p. 99). In other words, the All is the nation, and the individual is a part of the nation. However, it should be noted that I.E. refers to God as the All. See I.E. on Gen. 1:26 (Vol. 1, p. 46), “God is one…He is all.” Also see I.E. on Gen. 18:21 (Vol. 1, p. 196) and Ex. 33:21 (Vol. 2, p. 695). The above-noted commentaries may have shied away from interpreting God as All here because of its pantheistic implications. It should be noted that when I.E. says that God is All, he does not intend to identify God with the world as the pantheists do. He means that God’s power and supervision hold the world together and give it continuous existence. Indeed, I.E. compares God’s relation to the world to that of speech to the speaker. As long as the speaker speaks, sounds are uttered. However, the speaker is not identified with the speech which he utters. On the other hand, I.E. was a contemporary of Rabbi Yehudah Ha-Levi and may be employing terminology similar to the one quoted above.

בנתון תתן. הטעם כי אם תתן לו יוסיף השם על ממונך:

2THOU SHALT SURELY GIVE HIM. It means that if you give him, then God will add to your wealth.

אכי לא יחדל אביון מקרב הארץ. כאשר פירשתי:

1FOR THE POOR SHALL NEVER CEASE OUT OF THE LAND. As I have explained.³⁴

בלאחיך. הקרוב אליך בתחלה:

2UNTO THY…BROTHER. First, the one who is close to you.³⁵

גולעניך. לעניי משפחתך ואביון ארצך קודם לאביון מקום אחר. וטעם הדבק כי ימכר לך אחיך העברי בעבור העניק תעניק לו:

3UNTO THY POOR. The poor of your family. The needy of your land come before the needy of another place. If thy brother, a Hebrew man (v. 12) follows³⁶ because of thou shalt furnish him liberally (v. 14).³⁷

אאחיך העברי. פירשתיו:

1THY BROTHER A HEBREW. I have explained this.³⁸

באו העבריה. והוא כי ימכור איש את בתו לאמה:

2OR A HEBREW WOMAN. The reference is to And if a man sell his daughter to be a maid-servant (Ex. 21:7).³⁹

אריקם. פירשתיו:

1EMPTY. I have explained this.⁴⁰

אהעניק תעניק לו. הטעם עשה לו תפארת מגזרת וענקים לגרגרותיך או יהיה פירוש המלה כפי המקום בלא אח:

1THOU SHALT FURNISH HIM LIBERALLY. Ha’anek ta’anik (thou shalt furnish him liberally) means treat him gloriously. Ta’anik (thou shalt furnish him) is related to the word anakim (chains)⁴¹ in And chains about thy neck (Prov. 1:9).⁴² (thou shalt furnish him liberally) literally means thou shalt put ornament on him. Hence I.E.’s interpretation. On the other hand, the meaning of ta’anik is to be derived from its context.⁴³ (thou shalt furnish him) is not related to the word anakim (chains) in And chains about thy neck (Prov. 1:9). In this case, the word has no brother.⁴⁴

אבאזנו ובדלת. פירשתיו וטעם להזכיר זה כי אתה חייב לתת לו בצאתו חפשי רק אם לא ירצה לצאת תרצע אזנו:

1THROUGH HIS EAR AND INTO THE DOOR. I have explained this.⁴⁵ Scripture mentions this⁴⁶ because it states⁴⁷ that you are obligated to furnish him liberally when he goes free. However, if the slave does not want to go free, then you shall pierce his ear through with an awl.

בואף לאמתך תעשה כן. דבק עם העניק תעניק לו ואם הוא רחוק כמו שלם ישלם אם אין לו ואם שלש אלה ורבים כן כי אין אשה נרצעת:

2AND ALSO UNTO THY BONDWOMAN THOU SHALT DO LIKEWISE. This is connected to⁴⁸ thou shalt furnish him liberally (v. 14), even though it is some distance from it, for a woman does not have her ear pierced. Compare, He shall make restitution; if he have nothing⁴⁹. (Ex. 22:2);⁵⁰ And if he do not these three unto her (Ex. 21:11),⁵¹ and many other instances.

אלא יקשה בעיניך. מצאנו כתוב שלש שנים כימי שכיר וזו ראי' כי אין רשות לאדם שישכיר עצמו יותר משלש שנים ג״‎כ לשוכר אותו הנותן שכרו:

1IT SHALL NOT SEEM HARD UNTO THEE. We find it written in Scripture, three years, as the years of a hireling (Is. 16:14). The latter proves that a person has no right to hire himself out for more than three years. The law similarly applies to the one who hires him and pays his wages.⁵²

בוזה טעם משנה כמו כפל וכן והיה משנה הוא משנה למלך שם משנה למלך תאר השם גם הוא מגזרת שנים כאשר פירשתי והנה זה הכתוב יפרש כי ובשביעית יצא לחפשי חנם בתחלת השנה גם יש ראיה משנת השמטה גם מיום השבת:

2[DOUBLE.]⁵³. The following is the definition of mishneh. It means double. Similarly mishneh (twice) in ve-hayah mishneh (and it shall be twice as much) (Ex. 16:5). The word mishneh in the latter is a noun. However, mishneh (next) in mishneh la-melekh (next unto king) (Esth. 10:3) is an adjective.⁵⁴. 38. The Mikra’ot Gedolot reads: “The following is the definition of mishneh. It means double. Similarly mishneh (twice) in ve-hayah mishneh (and it shall be twice as much) (Ex. 16:5), the meaning of which is mishneh lamelekh (double unto the king). The word mishneh in the latter is a noun. However, mishneh (next) in mishneh la-melekh (next unto king) (Esth. 10:3) is an adjective.” The words “the meaning of which mishneh lamelekh (double unto the king)” appear to be a gloss. See Weiser and Krinsky. It⁵⁵ (next) in mishneh la-melekh. is also related, as I have explained,⁵⁶ to the word shenayin (two).⁵⁷, which means second to him” (Vol. 1, p. 382). Note, our verse explains that and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing (Ex. 21:2) refers to the beginning of the year.⁵⁸. If the slave did not go out at the start of the seventh year he would be serving seven not six years. There is also proof of this from the year of release (shemitttah)⁵⁹ as well as from the Sabbath day.⁶⁰

גוברכך. פועל עתיד ולא עבר כי אין הפרש ביניהם רק מטעם המקום:

3AND…WILL BLESS THEE. U-verakhekha (and will bless you) is an imperfect, not a perfect.⁶¹ There is no difference between the perfect and imperfect.⁶² The tense can only be determined by the context.

אכל הבכור. הזכירו בעבור לא תעבוד בבכור שורך:

1ALL THE FIRSTLINGS. This is mentioned⁶³ because of thou shalt do no work with the firstling of thine ox.⁶⁴

אתאכלנו. מי שהוא ראוי לאכלו כאשר פירשתי והזכיר זה פעם שנית לבאר משפט בעל מום:

1THOU SHALT EAT IT. The one who is fit to eat it, as I have previously explained.⁶⁵ Scripture mentions this a second time⁶⁶ in order to explain the law regarding a blemished firstling.

באתה וביתך. בית הכהן:

2THOU AND THY HOUSEHOLD. The household of the kohen.

אכל מום רע. הנזכרים:

1ANY ILL BLEMISH. That are mentioned.⁶⁷

אבשעריך תאכלנו. י״‎א הכהן יאכלנו חוץ למקדש וי״‎א אחר שיש בו מום הוא לישראל וזה רחוק בעיני:

1WITHIN THY GATES. Some say that this means that the kohen shall eat it outside of the sanctuary.⁶⁸ Others say, since the animal has a blemish it belongs to the Israelite. However, this appears far-fetched to me.

בהטמא והטהור. שב אל תאכלנו והטעם כמו קריאה אתה הטמא או הטהור והטעם בין שיהיה טמא או טהור הוא מותר לאוכלו בעבור כי בשר קודש אם אכלו טמא הוא בכרת ובעבור שהזכיר שנה בשנה הזכיר שלש פעמים ועוד בעבור הבכור שיאכל במקדש וכן הפסח יאכל במקדש ולא חוץ ממנו:

2THE UNCLEAN AND THE CLEAN. The reference is to may eat it.⁶⁹ prefaced to the Hebrew words for clean and unclean as a vocative heh. Thus ha-tame (the unclean) means you who are unclean, and ha-tahor (the clean) means you who are clean. The meaning of our clause thus is, you who are unclean and you who are clean shall eat of it. Our verse is to be understood as a call: you, the clean and the unclean. Its meaning is, one is permitted to eat it whether one is clean or unclean. Scripture states this because one who is unclean and eats holy meat is punished with karet (excision). Scripture reads three times in a year (Deut. 16:16) because it here (v. 20) states year by year.⁷⁰ Additionally,⁷¹ because the firstling is to be eaten in the sanctuary.⁷² The paschal offering⁷³ 5:8. is similarly to be eaten in the sanctuary, not outside it.