Tanach · Acharonim on Tanach · Or HaChaim · Torah

Or HaChaim on Leviticus 25:27/אור החיים על ויקרא כ״ה:כ״ז

אוְאָמְרוֹ וְחִשַּׁב וְגוֹ׳. הִנֵּה לְצַד שֶׁהַמֶּכֶר הוּא בַּעֲוֹנוֹתֵינוּ, כְּאָמְרוֹ (ישעיה נ:א) ״הֵן בַּעֲוֹנוֹתֵיכֶם נִמְכַּרְתֶּם״, וְהֶעָוֹן הוּא חוֹב עַל הָאָדָם, בִּשְׁעַת קְרִיעַת הַשְּׁטָר צָרִיךְ לַעֲשׂוֹת חֶשְׁבּוֹן הַחוֹב שֶׁעָלָיו וְלִפְרֹעַ הַנִּשְׁאָר, וְהוּא אָמְרוֹ וְחִשַּׁב אֶת שְׁנֵי מִמְכָּרוֹ הַשָּׁנִים שֶׁנִּשְׁאַר הַבַּיִת מָכוּר וְיִתְנַכֶּה לְפִי שִׁעוּר הַשָּׁנִים מֵעֲוֹנוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְהָעוֹדֵף יָשִׁיב, עַל דֶּרֶךְ אָמְרָם זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (יומא פו:) בְּמִשְׁפְּטֵי הַתְּשׁוּבָה וְתִקּוּנֶיהָ תְּשׁוּבַת הַמִּשְׁקָל, אִם אָדָם נֶהֱנָה מֵהֶעָוֹן יְסַגֵּף עַצְמוֹ כְּשִׁעוּר מַה שֶׁנֶּהֱנָה מֵהַחֵטְא וּבָזֶה יִפְרַע חוֹבוֹ. וּכְמוֹ כֵן יַעֲשֶׂה אֲדוֹן הָעוֹלָם כְּשֶׁיִּתְקָרֵב זְמַן הַגְּאֻלָּה, וְהוּא מַאֲמָרָם זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (סנהדרין צח:) שֶׁיִּהְיוּ חֶבְלֵי מָשִׁיחַ, וּבָזֶה וְשָׁב לַאֲחֻזָּתוֹ פֵּרוּשׁ, חוֹזֵר אֶל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא גַּם עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, עַל דֶּרֶךְ אָמְרוֹ (דברים ל:ג) ״וְשָׁב ה׳ אֶת שְׁבוּתְךָ״, וְאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (מגילה כט:) ״יָשִׁיב״ לֹא נֶאֱמַר אֶלָּא ״וְשָׁב״ וְגוֹ׳:
1 וחשב את שני ממכרו, "let him count the number of years of his sale," etc." The sale occurred due to our sins as mentioned by Isaiah 50,1: "here you have been sold due to your sins," and the sin is equivalent to a debt to be paid off. When the time comes to tear up the I.O.U. a careful accounting is made of any remaining indebtedness before the promissory note is torn up. The Torah speaks about the remaining years the Temple has been in foreign hands. The time it is redeemed depends on the quantity and severity of the collective sins of the people of Israel. We are told in Yuma 86 that if a person actually enjoyed the sins he committed, he has to flagellate himself in a measure which corresponds to the amount of pleasure he had when committing the sins he is guilty of. This is part of the rehabilitation of the sinner. In this manner he will repay his debt. G'd will deal with us in this manner at the time the redemption will be close at hand. This is also what the sages had in mind in Sanhedrin 98 when they refer to the חבלי משיח the birth-pangs to be endured as part of the coming of the Messiah. After that, ושב לאחוזתו, G'd will return to His heritage. The word ושב also refers to Israel. We have a parallel in Deut. 30,3 ושב ה׳ את שבותך "and G'd will return with your captive ones;" we would have expected the Torah to speak about והשיב i.e. "He will bring back" instead of "He will come back" (compare Megillah 29).