Tanach · Acharonim on Tanach · Or HaChaim · Torah
Or HaChaim on Leviticus 25:19/אור החיים על ויקרא כ״ה:י״ט
אוְנָתְנָה הָאָרֶץ פִּרְיָהּ. פֵּרוּשׁ פְּרִי הַקָּצוּב בְּכֹחָהּ לַעֲשׂוֹת, שֶׁהֲגַם שֶׁנִּרְאֶה פְּרִי הָאָרֶץ לֹא נְשַׁעֵר כִּי זֶה הוּא כֹּחַ הָאָרֶץ וְלֹא יוֹתֵר, שֶׁהֲלֹא תִּמְצָא (כתובות קיב.) שֶׁגָּעַר הֶחָכָם בָּאָרֶץ וְעָצְרָה כֹּחָהּ וְלֹא נָתְנָה פֵּרוֹתֶיהָ אַחַר כָּךְ כַּסֵּדֶר הָרִאשׁוֹן, וְהָרוֹאֶה פֵּרוֹתֶיהָ אַחַר גַּעֲרָתוֹ לֹא קוֹדֶם יַחְשׁוֹב כִּי הוּא זֶה כֹּחָהּ.
1 ונתנה הארץ פריה, "And the earth shall yield her fruit, etc." The meaning of "her fruit" is that which corresponds to the potential it has been endowed with. When we observe the earth producing fruit this does not prove that the amount of fruit we observe the earth produce is equivalent to the amount the earth is capable of producing. We find in Ketuvot 112 that a certain sage was angry at the earth and decreed that it be prevented from yielding its fruit. As a result of this curse the earth produced far less than previously. If someone had not seen the amount of fruit that piece of earth produced before the sage cursed it, he would have thought that the amount it produced subsequently was the maximum it was capable of producing.
בוַאֲכַלְתֶּם לָשֹׂבַע. אוּלַי כִּי לְצַד שֶׁאָמַר ״וְנָתְנָה הָאָרֶץ פִּרְיָהּ״ שֶׁהוּא בִּגְבוּל הָאַחֲרוֹן בְּשׁוֹמֶן הַפֵּרוֹת וְטַעַם הַפֵּרוֹת, לְצַד זֶה אֵין אָדָם יָכוֹל לֶאֱכוֹל מֵהֶם כְּדֵי שְׂבִיעָה, וְזֶה הוּא מִדְּבָרִים הַנִּרְגָּשִׁים כְּפִי הַטֶּבַע, לָזֶה הִבְטִיחָם ה׳ כִּי יִהְיוּ הַפֵּרוֹת בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁיֹּאכְלוּ מֵהֶם לָשֹׂבַע.
2ואכלתם לשבע, "and you will eat to your satisfaction, etc." Perhaps the Torah had to emphasise this as we could have thought that if the earth were to produce fruit according to its full potential the excess fat of the produce would be so filling that one could not eat one's fill, i.e. לשבע. The Torah therefore reassures us that we will be able to enjoy such fruit to the full.
גוִישַׁבְתֶּם לָבֶטַח וְגוֹ׳. וַהֲגַם שֶׁכְּבָר אָמַר בַּפָּסוּק שֶׁלִּפְנֵי זֶה ״וִישַׁבְתֶּם עַל הָאָרֶץ לָבֶטַח״, חָזַר לוֹמַר כֵּן, לְהַבְטִיחַ שֶׁלֹּא יְסוֹבֵב הַפְלָגַת שֶׁבַח הַפֵּרוֹת לָבֹא עֲלֵיהֶם שׁוֹדֵד. וְלָזֶה דִּקְדֵּק לוֹמַר בְּפָסוּק רִאשׁוֹן ״וִישַׁבְתֶּם עַל הָאָרֶץ״, לוֹמַר שֶׁהַבְטָחָה זוֹ הִיא עַל חִמּוּד הָאָרֶץ, וְהַבְטָחָה שְׁנִיָּה עַל חִמּוּד פֵּרוֹתֶיהָ, וּבָזֶה נִמְצְאוּ בְּטוּחִים עַל הָאָרֶץ וְעַל פֵּרוֹתֶיהָ.
3וישבתם לבטח עליה. "and you will dwell on it in safety." Although the Torah had already written in verse 18 that we would dwell in the land in safety as a result of performing G'd's comandments, the Torah repeats this promise to assure us that the excellence of the land's produce will not attract raiders bent on stealing our harvests. This verse contains G'd's promise that neighbouring countries would not attack us out of greed for our excellent land.