(א) מִקֵּ֥ץ שֶֽׁבַע־שָׁנִ֖ים תַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה שְׁמִטָּֽה׃ (ב) וְזֶה֮ דְּבַ֣ר הַשְּׁמִטָּה֒ שָׁמ֗וֹט כׇּל־בַּ֙עַל֙ מַשֵּׁ֣ה יָד֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַשֶּׁ֖ה בְּרֵעֵ֑הוּ לֹֽא־יִגֹּ֤שׂ אֶת־רֵעֵ֙הוּ֙ וְאֶת־אָחִ֔יו כִּֽי־קָרָ֥א שְׁמִטָּ֖ה לַיהוה׃ (ג) אֶת־הַנׇּכְרִ֖י תִּגֹּ֑שׂ וַאֲשֶׁ֨ר יִהְיֶ֥ה לְךָ֛ אֶת־אָחִ֖יךָ תַּשְׁמֵ֥ט יָדֶֽךָ׃
(1) Every seventh year you shall practice remission of debts. (2) This shall be the nature of the remission: all creditors shall remit the due that they claim from their fellow [Israelites]; they shall not dun their fellow [Israelites] or kin, for the remission proclaimed is of יהוה. (3) You may dun the foreigner; but you must remit whatever is due you from your kin.
(א)את הנכרי תגש. זוֹ מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה (שם):
(1) את הנכרי תגוש OF ANY ALIEN THOU MAYEST EXACT IT AGAIN — This implies a positive command (Sifrei Devarim 113:1).
(א)את הנכרי תגוש. רשות:
(1) OF A FOREIGNER THOU MAYEST EXACT IT. It is optional.
(א)אֶת הַנָּכְרִי תִּגֹּשׂ, זוֹ מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על דברים ט"ו:ג') מִסִּפְרֵי (ראה קל). וּפֵרוּשׁוֹ מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה בְּאָחִיךָ, הַנָּכְרִי תִּגֹּשׂ וְלֹא אָחִיךָ, וְלָאו שֶׁבָּא מִכְּלַל עֲשֵׂה עֲשֵׂה. וּלְפִי שֶׁשָּׁנִינוּ שָׁם (ספרי קכט) לֹא יִגֹּשׂ, לִתֵּן עָלָיו לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה, חָזְרוּ וְשָׁנוּ אֶת הַנָּכְרִי תִּגֹּשׂ, זוֹ מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה, לוֹמַר שֶׁעוֹבֵר עָלָיו בַּעֲשֵׂה וְלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה. וְכָךְ אָמְרוּ שָׁם (ספרי תצא קכט) לַנָּכְרִי תַשִּׁיךְ (דברים כ"ג:כ"א), מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה. וּלְאָחִיךְ לֹא תַשִּׁיךְ, זוֹ מִצְוַת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה. וְהוּא כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁנוּ, מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה בְּאָחִיךָ. וְכָךְ פֵּרֵשׁ שָׁם רַשִׁ"י, לֹא שֶׁיִּהְיֶה מִצְוָה לְהַלְווֹת לַנָּכְרִי בְּרִבִּית כְּלָל. וְכֵן מוּכָח בַּגְּמָרָא בְּפֶרֶק אֵיזֶהוּ נֶשֶׁךְ (ב"מ ע). וְהָרַב רַבִּי מֹשֶׁה (הל' מלוה ולוה פ"א ה"ב ושם פ"ה ה"א) עֲשָׂאָן שְׁתֵּיהֶן מִצְוֹת מַמָּשׁ, לִנְגֹּשׂ אֶת הַנָּכְרִי וּלְהַלְווֹתוֹ בְּרִבִּית. טָעָה בַּלָּשׁוֹן הַזֶּה הַשָּׁנוּי בְּסִפְרֵי, וְשָׁם הוּא מֻרְגָּל בִּמְקוֹמוֹת רַבִּים, כָּל עוֹף טָהוֹר תֹּאכֵלוּ - מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה, כֹּל שֶׁרֶץ הָעוֹף - מִצְוַת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה. וְכֵן הִזְכִּירוּ בַּסִּפְרָא (שמיני פרשה ג א) וּבַסִּפְרֵי (ראה צו), זֹאת הַבְּהֵמָה אֲשֶׁר תֹּאכֵלוּ - מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה. וְדָבָר בָּרוּר הוּא:
(1) OF AN ALIEN ‘TIGOS’ (THOU MAYEST EXACT IT). “This constitutes a positive commandment.” Thus is Rashi’s language quoting the Sifre. The meaning thereof is that there is a positive commandment with respect to your brother [that you are not to exact the debt from him after it was cancelled by the Sabbatical year, the reasoning being as follows]: of an ‘alien’ thou mayest exact it, but not from your brother, and a negative commandment derived from a positive commandment carries the force of a positive commandment. And because we have been taught there [in the Sifre]: “He shall not exact it [of his neighbor and his brother] — it is a negative commandment upon him,” therefore the Rabbis again taught: “Of an alien thou shalt exact it — this is a positive commandment,” [not to exact the debt from a brother] meaning to say that he who exacts the debt from his brother violates both a positive commandment and a negative commandment. In the same way the Rabbis have said there: “Unto an alien ‘thashich’ (mayest thou lend upon interest) — it is a positive commandment. But unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon interest — this is a negative commandment.” This, too, is as we have explained [that the meaning of the Sifre is] that there is a positive commandment with respect to your brother not to lend him on interest, and so did Rashi explain there, but not that there is any commandment to lend an alien on interest. It is so indicated from the Gemara of the Chapter “What is usury?” Now Harav Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon made both of them actual commandments — to exact debts from an alien and to lend him upon interest. He erred regarding these texts taught in the Sifre. Such expressions are common there [in the Sifre] in many places, as for example; “Of all clean fowls ye may eat — it is a positive commandment. And all winged swarming things are unclean; they shall not be eaten — this is a negative commandment.” Similarly the Rabbis mentioned in the Sifra and in the Sifre: “These are the beasts which ye may eat — it is a positive commandment.” But the matter is clear [as I have explained it].
(ד) אֶ֕פֶס כִּ֛י לֹ֥א יִֽהְיֶה־בְּךָ֖ אֶבְי֑וֹן כִּֽי־בָרֵ֤ךְ יְבָֽרֶכְךָ֙ יהוה בָּאָ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֙ יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹֽתֵן־לְךָ֥ נַחֲלָ֖ה לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃ (ה) רַ֚ק אִם־שָׁמ֣וֹעַ תִּשְׁמַ֔ע בְּק֖וֹל יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ לִשְׁמֹ֤ר לַעֲשׂוֹת֙ אֶת־כׇּל־הַמִּצְוָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את אֲשֶׁ֛ר אָנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּֽוֹם׃ (ו) כִּֽי־יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ בֵּֽרַכְךָ֔ כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּבֶּר־לָ֑ךְ וְהַֽעֲבַטְתָּ֞ גּוֹיִ֣ם רַבִּ֗ים וְאַתָּה֙ לֹ֣א תַעֲבֹ֔ט וּמָֽשַׁלְתָּ֙ בְּגוֹיִ֣ם רַבִּ֔ים וּבְךָ֖ לֹ֥א יִמְשֹֽׁלוּ׃ {ס}
(4) There shall be no needy among you—since your God יהוה will bless you in the land that your God יהוה is giving you as a hereditary portion— (5) if only you heed your God יהוה and take care to keep all this Instruction that I enjoin upon you this day. (6) For your God יהוה will bless you as promised: you will extend loans to many nations, but require none yourself; you will dominate many nations, but they will not dominate you.
אפס כי לא יהיה בך אביון. וּלְהַלָּן הוּא אוֹמֵר "כִּי לֹא יֶחְדַּל אֶבְיוֹן"? אֶלָּא בִּזְמַן שֶׁאַתֶּם עוֹשִׂים רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם אֶבְיוֹנִים בַּאֲחֵרִים וְלֹא בָכֶם, וּכְשֶׁאֵין אַתֶּם עוֹשִׂים רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם אֶבְיוֹנִים בָּכֶם:
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 the Omnipresent the needy will be amongst the others and not amongst you, if, however, you do not the will of the Omnipresent, the needy will be amongst you (Sifrei Devarim 114:1).
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 the Omnipresent the needy will be amongst the others and not amongst you, if, however, you do not the will of the Omnipresent, the needy will be amongst you (Sifrei Devarim 114:1).
Translated from the German by ChatGPT:
"The situation presupposes that someone has become indebted to another and has not been able to fulfill his obligations on time, so that he would have to be legally compelled to do so—a state of indebtedness that the Shemittah institution is intended to address. Our verse refers to this situation and notes: 'אביון' (needy). 'However, there shall be no needy among you' from 'אבה,' meaning to submit to another's will, specifically describes the state of social dependency in which the impoverished debtor finds himself in relation to his creditor. The creditor holds his future in his hands, can assert his rights against him at any moment, and the debtor loses all independence in relation to him, 'must be willing in everything' to retain his favor. This is the same unfortunate relationship that has undermined the welfare of many states in other circles. This is the difference between 'אביון' and 'עני.' 'עני,' from 'ענה,' denotes the dependency of existence, while 'אביון' signifies the resulting dependency of the will. The destitute worker can earn his daily bread through labor and thus maintain his full masculine independence. Even when receiving alms, this independence remains largely intact and truly disappears only with unresolved obligations. Such poverty, leading to dependence and subservience, should, it is said here, not arise in the Jewish state, flourishing under God's guidance and blessing. 'Every man under his vine and under his fig tree' (Micah 4:4) is indeed the ideal that one day will beckon to all humanity, but which was first meant to be realized in the Jewish state under God's leadership. However, the attainment of this ideal is tied to the full realization of divine law, particularly these Shemittah and Jubilee laws, and the Zedakah law that follows them, which God set as the condition for His continual Jubilee regeneration of the Jewish national body (see Leviticus 25:10-11). The realization of this ideal is what 'the entire commandment that I command you today' has in view."
"The situation presupposes that someone has become indebted to another and has not been able to fulfill his obligations on time, so that he would have to be legally compelled to do so—a state of indebtedness that the Shemittah institution is intended to address. Our verse refers to this situation and notes: 'אביון' (needy). 'However, there shall be no needy among you' from 'אבה,' meaning to submit to another's will, specifically describes the state of social dependency in which the impoverished debtor finds himself in relation to his creditor. The creditor holds his future in his hands, can assert his rights against him at any moment, and the debtor loses all independence in relation to him, 'must be willing in everything' to retain his favor. This is the same unfortunate relationship that has undermined the welfare of many states in other circles. This is the difference between 'אביון' and 'עני.' 'עני,' from 'ענה,' denotes the dependency of existence, while 'אביון' signifies the resulting dependency of the will. The destitute worker can earn his daily bread through labor and thus maintain his full masculine independence. Even when receiving alms, this independence remains largely intact and truly disappears only with unresolved obligations. Such poverty, leading to dependence and subservience, should, it is said here, not arise in the Jewish state, flourishing under God's guidance and blessing. 'Every man under his vine and under his fig tree' (Micah 4:4) is indeed the ideal that one day will beckon to all humanity, but which was first meant to be realized in the Jewish state under God's leadership. However, the attainment of this ideal is tied to the full realization of divine law, particularly these Shemittah and Jubilee laws, and the Zedakah law that follows them, which God set as the condition for His continual Jubilee regeneration of the Jewish national body (see Leviticus 25:10-11). The realization of this ideal is what 'the entire commandment that I command you today' has in view."
(ז) כִּֽי־יִהְיֶה֩ בְךָ֨ אֶבְי֜וֹן מֵאַחַ֤ד אַחֶ֙יךָ֙ בְּאַחַ֣ד שְׁעָרֶ֔יךָ בְּאַ֨רְצְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁר־יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֣ן לָ֑ךְ לֹ֧א תְאַמֵּ֣ץ אֶת־לְבָבְךָ֗ וְלֹ֤א תִקְפֹּץ֙ אֶת־יָ֣דְךָ֔ מֵאָחִ֖יךָ הָאֶבְיֽוֹן׃ (ח) כִּֽי־פָתֹ֧חַ תִּפְתַּ֛ח אֶת־יָדְךָ֖ ל֑וֹ וְהַעֲבֵט֙ תַּעֲבִיטֶ֔נּוּ דֵּ֚י מַחְסֹר֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יֶחְסַ֖ר לֽוֹ׃
(7) If, however, there is a needy person among you, one of your kin in any of your settlements in the land that your God יהוה is giving you, do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your needy kin. (8) Rather, you must open your hand and lend whatever is sufficient to meet the need.
כי יהיה בך אביון. הַתָּאֵב תָּאֵב קוֹדֵם:
כי יהיה בך אביון IF THERE BE AMONG YOU A NEEDY MAN — The most needy has preference (Sifrei Devarim 116:4);
שעריך. עֲנִיֵּי עִירְךָ קוֹדְמִים לַעֲנִיֵּי עִיר אַחֶרֶת:
שעריך [WITHIN ANY OF] THY GATES — this implies that the poor of thine own city have preference over the poor of another city (Sifrei Devarim 116:6; cf. Rashi on Exodus 22:24).
לא תאמץ את לבבך. לדבר על לבו דברים טובים:
THOU SHALT NOT HARDEN THY HEART. By refraining from addressing comforting words to him.
כי יהיה בך אביון וגו'. אומרו בך, אולי שנתכוון לרמוז מאמרם ז"ל (ב"ב י'.) שאמרו כי טעם שבוחר יהוה ליסר לאדם בעוה"ז ביסורי העוני הוא כדי שבאמצעותו יזכה חברו המפרנסו, והוא מה שרמז במאמר בך אביון פירוש בסיבתך בא לו העוני הגדול, ואומרו מאחד אחיך, פירוש לא תחשוב בראותו אביון שהוא פחות דע שהוא מהמיוחדים שבאחיך ואין הוכחה מהעוני היותו שפל אחים, וטעם שסידר הדרגות אלו מאחד אחיך מארצך, הגם שרבותינו ז"ל אמרו (ב"מ עא.) שבא לומר ענייך ועניי עירך וגו':
כי יהיה בך אביון, "If there will be a destitute person amongst you, etc." Why does the Torah have to write בך, "amongst you," when it already wrote "amongst one of your brethren?" Perhaps Moses alluded to something we have learned in Baba Batra 10 where the Talmud said that the reason G'd chooses to afflict some people with economic hardship in this life is to afford their wealthier fellow Jews the opportunity to assist such a destitute person to support himself in dignity. The words בך אביון may be read together meaning: "on your account, i.e. for your sake," there will be a destitute person." The Torah writes מאחד אחיך, "amongst one of your brethren" to remind you not to evaluate people on the basis of their economic prosperity. The fact that he is destitute does not make him a lesser person, He is still your brother. This is quite independent of the explanation of our sages (Baba Metzia 71) that the reason the Torah mentions different levels of poverty is to teach you to attend first to the local poor before tending to those elsewhere.
(ט) הִשָּׁ֣מֶר לְךָ֡ פֶּן־יִהְיֶ֣ה דָבָר֩ עִם־לְבָבְךָ֨ בְלִיַּ֜עַל לֵאמֹ֗ר קָֽרְבָ֣ה שְׁנַֽת־הַשֶּׁ֘בַע֮ שְׁנַ֣ת הַשְּׁמִטָּה֒ וְרָעָ֣ה עֵֽינְךָ֗ בְּאָחִ֙יךָ֙ הָֽאֶבְי֔וֹן וְלֹ֥א תִתֵּ֖ן ל֑וֹ וְקָרָ֤א עָלֶ֙יךָ֙ אֶל־יהוה וְהָיָ֥ה בְךָ֖ חֵֽטְא׃ (י) נָת֤וֹן תִּתֵּן֙ ל֔וֹ וְלֹא־יֵרַ֥ע לְבָבְךָ֖ בְּתִתְּךָ֣ ל֑וֹ כִּ֞י בִּגְלַ֣ל ׀ הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֗ה יְבָרֶכְךָ֙ יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ בְּכׇֽל־מַעֲשֶׂ֔ךָ וּבְכֹ֖ל מִשְׁלַ֥ח יָדֶֽךָ׃ (יא) כִּ֛י לֹא־יֶחְדַּ֥ל אֶבְי֖וֹן מִקֶּ֣רֶב הָאָ֑רֶץ עַל־כֵּ֞ן אָנֹכִ֤י מְצַוְּךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר פָּ֠תֹ֠חַ תִּפְתַּ֨ח אֶת־יָדְךָ֜ לְאָחִ֧יךָ לַעֲנִיֶּ֛ךָ וּלְאֶבְיֹנְךָ֖ בְּאַרְצֶֽךָ׃ {ס}
(9) Beware lest you harbor the base thought, “The seventh year, the year of remission, is approaching,” so that you are mean and give nothing to your needy kin—who will cry out to יהוה against you, and you will incur guilt. (10) Give readily and have no regrets when you do so, for in return your God יהוה will bless you in all your efforts and in all your undertakings. (11) For there will never cease to be needy ones in your land, which is why I command you: open your hand to the poor and needy kin in your land.
השמר לך פן יהיה דבר עם לבבך - דבר בליעל כלומר, דבר שהוא של רֶשַׁע כמו: דבר בליעל יצוק בו. שפתרונו כך.
השמר לך פן יהיה עם לבבך דבר בליעל, meaning something evil, unworthy. We encounter this word also in Psalms 41,9 דבר בליעל יצוק בו “something baneful has settled in him,” there the meaning is similar to here, i.e. a good deed reluctantly performed, the donor not really believing that the recipient of his tithes is entitled to handouts.
קרבה שנת השבע שצויתיך שדך לא תזרע וכרמך לא תזמור ולפיכך ורעה עינך וגו'.
קרבה שנת השבע, “the seventh year of the sh’mittah is approaching; “I might not get paid back because of the law to remit outstanding debts.” Moreover, in the coming year this lender will not even be allowed to seed his field and harvest a crop from which to sustain himself. As a result of such considerations he does not wish to extend a loan to the needy.
הִלֵּל הִתְקִין פְּרוֹסְבּוּל וְכוּ׳: תְּנַן הָתָם, פְּרוֹסְבּוּל אֵינוֹ מְשַׁמֵּט. זֶה אֶחָד מִן הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁהִתְקִין הִלֵּל הַזָּקֵן; שֶׁרָאָה אֶת הָעָם שֶׁנִּמְנְעוּ מִלְּהַלְווֹת זֶה אֶת זֶה, וְעָבְרוּ עַל מַה שֶּׁכָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה ״הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ פֶּן יִהְיֶה דָבָר עִם לְבָבְךָ בְלִיַּעַל וְגוֹ׳״, עָמַד וְהִתְקִין פְּרוֹסְבּוּל.
§ The mishna taught that Hillel the Elder instituted a document that prevents the Sabbatical Year from abrogating an outstanding debt [prosbol]. We learned in a mishna there (Shevi’it 10:3): If one writes a prosbol, the Sabbatical Year does not abrogate debt. This is one of the matters that Hillel the Elder instituted because he saw that the people of the nation were refraining from lending to one another around the time of the Sabbatical Year, as they were concerned that the debtor would not repay the loan, and they violated that which is written in the Torah: “Beware that there be not a base thought in your heart, saying: The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and your eye be evil against your needy brother, and you give him nothing” (Deuteronomy 15:9). He arose and instituted the prosbol so that it would also be possible to collect those debts in order to ensure that people would continue to give loans.
Translated from the German by ChatGPT:
It does not say "from among you" or "from your land," but rather "from the land"—from the earth. It lies within the natural course of earthly matters that, when left to their own devices, the greatest disparities in wealth—poverty and abundance, deprivation and wealth—will appear side by side.... Every poor and needy person belongs to you, the community as a whole. And just as "a community does not die and does not become impoverished," so too, under a dutiful Jewish community, poverty and need should only temporarily affect individuals, and under the guidance of divine assistance, should be transformed into a dignified and happy existence on earth....
So, just as help and support are guaranteed to the needy under the regime of Jewish law, and just as Jewish charity does not shame the recipient who needs it, indeed, in the spirit of this law, the disabled and those without means who, out of misunderstood pride, shorten their lives and the lives of their families by not resorting to the charity due to them, bear great responsibility—"Anyone who needs to take but does not take is as if they shed blood" (Jerusalem Talmud, Peah)....
It does not say "from among you" or "from your land," but rather "from the land"—from the earth. It lies within the natural course of earthly matters that, when left to their own devices, the greatest disparities in wealth—poverty and abundance, deprivation and wealth—will appear side by side.... Every poor and needy person belongs to you, the community as a whole. And just as "a community does not die and does not become impoverished," so too, under a dutiful Jewish community, poverty and need should only temporarily affect individuals, and under the guidance of divine assistance, should be transformed into a dignified and happy existence on earth....
So, just as help and support are guaranteed to the needy under the regime of Jewish law, and just as Jewish charity does not shame the recipient who needs it, indeed, in the spirit of this law, the disabled and those without means who, out of misunderstood pride, shorten their lives and the lives of their families by not resorting to the charity due to them, bear great responsibility—"Anyone who needs to take but does not take is as if they shed blood" (Jerusalem Talmud, Peah)....