Proclaim freedom!
(י) וְקִדַּשְׁתֶּ֗ם אֵ֣ת שְׁנַ֤ת הַחֲמִשִּׁים֙ שָׁנָ֔ה וּקְרָאתֶ֥ם דְּר֛וֹר בָּאָ֖רֶץ לְכָל־יֹשְׁבֶ֑יהָ יוֹבֵ֥ל הִוא֙ תִּהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֔ם וְשַׁבְתֶּ֗ם אִ֚ישׁ אֶל־אֲחֻזָּת֔וֹ וְאִ֥ישׁ אֶל־מִשְׁפַּחְתּ֖וֹ תָּשֻֽׁבוּ׃
(10) and you shall hallow the fiftieth year. You shall proclaim freedom[dror] throughout the land for all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you: each of you shall return to his holding and each of you shall return to his family.
....by which the rabbis mean free trade
דכולי עלמא דרור לשון חירות
מאי משמע? דתניא אין דרור אלא לשון חירות
א"ר יהודה מה לשון דרור כמדייר בי דיירא ומוביל סחורה בכל מדינה
Everyone agrees the term “dror” is a word meaning liberty.
From where may this be inferred? As it is taught [in a baraita]: The word dror is a term meaning only liberty.
Rabbi Yehuda said: What is the meaning of the word dror? It is like a man who dwells [medayyer] in any dwelling [dayyara] and moves merchandise around in any state [i.e., he can live and do business wherever he wants.]
A person who travels about selling goods, typically advertising them by shouting.
Origin: Early 16th century: probably from Low German or Dutch and related to huckster.
- from Oxford English Dictionary
- רוֹכֵל
- רְכִילוּת
- peddlar, hawker,
- gossip
But first let’s talk about a contagious (?) skin disease....
(ב) זֹ֤את תִּֽהְיֶה֙ תּוֹרַ֣ת הַמְּצֹרָ֔עבְּי֖וֹם טָהֳרָת֑וֹ וְהוּבָ֖א אֶל־הַכֹּהֵֽן׃
(2) This shall be the ritual for the metzorah at the time that he is to be cleansed. He shall be brought to the priest.
The rabbi and the hawker
(ב)... זֹאת תִּהְיֶה תּוֹרַת הַמְצֹרָע, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (תהלים לד, יג): מִי הָאִישׁ הֶחָפֵץ חַיִּים.
מַעֲשֶׂה בְּרוֹכֵל אֶחָד שֶׁהָיָה מַחֲזִיר בָּעֲיָרוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ סְמוּכוֹת לְצִפּוֹרִי וְהָיָה מַכְרִיז וְאוֹמֵר, מַאן בָּעֵי לְמִזְבַּן סַם חַיִּים,
אוֹדְקִין עֲלֵיהּ,
רַבִּי יַנַּאי הֲוָה יָתֵיב וּפָשֵׁיט בְּתוּרְקְלִינֵיהּ שָׁמְעֵיהּ דְּמַכְרִיז מַאן בָּעֵי סַם חַיִּים,
אֲמַר לֵיהּ תָּא סַק לְהָכָא זַבִּין לִי,
אֲמַר לֵיהּ לָאו אַנְתְּ צָרִיךְ לֵיהּ וְלָא דְכַוָּותָךְ,
אַטְרַח עֲלֵיהּ סָלֵיק לְגַבֵּיהּ
הוֹצִיא לוֹ סֵפֶר תְּהִלִּים הֶרְאָה לוֹ פָּסוּק: מִי הָאִישׁ הֶחָפֵץ חַיִּים,
מַה כְּתִיב בַּתְרֵיהּ (תהלים לד, יד טו): נְצֹר לְשׁוֹנְךָ מֵרָע, סוּר מֵרָע וַעֲשֵׂה טוֹב.
אָמַר רַבִּי יַנַּאי אַף שְׁלֹמֹה מַכְרִיז וְאוֹמֵר (משלי כא, כג): שֹׁמֵר פִּיו וּלְשׁוֹנוֹ שֹׁמֵר מִצָּרוֹת נַפְשׁוֹ.
אָמַר רַבִּי יַנַּאי כָּל יָמַי הָיִיתִי קוֹרֵא הַפָּסוּק הַזֶּה וְלֹא הָיִיתִי יוֹדֵעַ הֵיכָן הוּא פָּשׁוּט עַד שֶׁבָּא רוֹכֵל זֶה וְהוֹדִיעוֹ,
מִי הָאִישׁ הֶחָפֵץ חַיִּים,
לְפִיכָךְ משֶׁה מַזְהִיר אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאוֹמֵר לָהֶם: זֹאת תִּהְיֶה תּוֹרַת הַמְצֹרָע, תּוֹרַת הַמּוֹצִיא שֵׁם רָע.
(2) ... “This shall be the law for the metzorah”. This is what is written (Psalms 34:13), “Who is the man who desires life?”
There is a story of a peddler who would go around to towns that were close to Tzippori. He would shout out and say, “Who wants to buy the elixir of life?”
They [the townspeople] would cluster around him.
Rabbi Yannai was sitting and interpreting [texts] in his reception room [and] heard him shouting out, “Who wants to buy the elixir of life?”
[Rabbi Yannai] said, “Come down to here, sell [it] to me!”
He [the peddler] replied “You do not need it, and nor do those like you.”
[Nonetheless,] he [the peddlar] made the effort to go down to him [Rabbi Yannai].
He [Rabbi Yannai] took out a book of Psalms and showed him the verse, “Who is the man who desires life?”
[The peddler said,] “Look what is written next? It says ‘guard your tongue from evil.... turn away from evil and do good.’!” (Psalms 34:14-15).
Rabbi Yannai said, “Solomon also declared (Proverbs 21:23), ‘He who guards his mouth and his tongue, guards his soul from tzarot troubles.’”
Rabbi Yannai said “All my days I would read this verse and I never know how to interpret it until this peddler came and explained it!”
“Who is the man who desires life?”
Therefore, Moses warns Israel and says to them, “This shall be the law for the metsora” - the law of hamotsee shem ra -the one who puts out a bad name [ie. spreads rumours] about another.
Trade freely (but don’t speak freely)
(כג) שֹׁמֵ֣ר פִּ֭יו וּלְשׁוֹנ֑וֹ שֹׁמֵ֖רמִצָּר֣וֹת נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃
(23) He who guards his mouth and tongue guards himself fromtzarot [troubles].
(יג) מִֽי־הָ֭אִישׁ הֶחָפֵ֣ץ חַיִּ֑ים אֹהֵ֥ב יָ֝מִ֗ים לִרְא֥וֹת טֽוֹב׃
(יד)נְצֹ֣ר לְשׁוֹנְךָ֣ מֵרָ֑ע וּ֝שְׂפָתֶ֗יךָ מִדַּבֵּ֥ר מִרְמָֽה׃
(טו) ס֣וּר מֵ֭רָע וַעֲשֵׂה־ט֑וֹב בַּקֵּ֖שׁ שָׁל֣וֹם וְרָדְפֵֽהוּ׃
(13) Who is the man who desires life, who loves years of good fortune?
(14)Guard your tongue from evil, your lips from deceitful speech.
(15) Shun evil and do good, seek amity and pursue it.