(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) כִּֽי־יִהְיֶה֩ בְךָ֨ אֶבְי֜וֹן מֵאַחַ֤ד אַחֶ֙יךָ֙ בְּאַחַ֣ד שְׁעָרֶ֔יךָ בְּאַ֨רְצְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁר־יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֣ן לָ֑ךְ לֹ֧א תְאַמֵּ֣ץ אֶת־לְבָבְךָ֗ וְלֹ֤א תִקְפֹּץ֙ אֶת־יָ֣דְךָ֔ מֵאָחִ֖יךָ הָאֶבְיֽוֹן׃
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) כִּֽי־פָתֹ֧חַ תִּפְתַּ֛ח אֶת־יָדְךָ֖ ל֑וֹ וְהַעֲבֵט֙ תַּעֲבִיטֶ֔נּוּ דֵּ֚י מַחְסֹר֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יֶחְסַ֖ר לֽוֹ׃
Rather, you must open your hand and lend whatever is sufficient to meet the need.
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) כִּֽי־פָתֹ֧חַ תִּפְתַּ֛ח אֶת־יָדְךָ֖ ל֑וֹ וְהַעֲבֵט֙ תַּעֲבִיטֶ֔נּוּ דֵּ֚י מַחְסֹר֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יֶחְסַ֖ר לֽוֹ׃
Rather, you must open your hand and lend whatever is sufficient to meet the need.
פתח תפתח. אֲפִלּוּ כַמָּה פְעָמִים (שם):
פתח תפתח [BUT] THOU SHALT SURELY OPEN [THINE HAND] — even many times (Sifrei Devarim 116:13).
לֹא תְאַמֵּץ אֶת לְבָבְךָ וְלֹא תִקְפֹּץ אֶת יָדְךָ (דברים ט"ו:ז'). הֻזְהַרְנוּ בָּזֶה לְהָסִיר מִנַּפְשֵׁנוּ מִדַּת הָאַכְזָרִיּוּת. וְלִנְטוֹעַ בָּהּ נִטְעֵי נַעֲמָנִים, הֵם הָרַחֲמִים וְהַחֲסָדִים הַנֶּאֱמָנִים. כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (שם כה) וְהָלַכְתָּ בִּדְרָכָיו. וּבַעֲבוּר כִּי מִן הָאֶפְשָׁר שֶׁלֹּא יִקְפֹּץ אֶת יָדוֹ וְיָחֹן אֶת הֶעָנִי וְלֹא מִדֶּרֶךְ רַחְמָנוּת. כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי י"ב:י') וְרַחֲמֵי רְשָׁעִים אַכְזָרִי. עַל כֵּן כָּתוּב לֹא תְאַמֵּץ אֶת לְבָבְךָ. וְעֹנֶשׁ הָאַכְזָרִיּוּת רַע וָמָר. כַּאֲשֶׁר יִתְבָּאֵר בְּשַׁעַר הָאַכְזָרִיּוּת בְּעֶזְרַת הָאֵל. וְאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (שבת קנא:) וְנָתַן לְךָ רַחֲמִים וְרִחַמְךָ וְהִרְבֶּךָ. כָּל הַמְרַחֵם עַל הַבְּרִיּוֹת מְרַחֲמִין עָלָיו מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם וְכָל שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְרַחֵם עַל הַבְּרִיּוֹת אֵין מְרַחֲמִין עָלָיו מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם.
“Do not harden your heart and shut your hand” (Deuteronomy 15:7). We were warned with this to remove the trait of cruelty from our souls, and to plant delightful saplings in it - [namely] reliable mercy and kindnesses, as it is written (Deuteronomy 28:9), “and you shall walk in His ways.”...
And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Shabbat 151b), “‘And He will show you mercy and have compassion on you and multiply you’ (Deuteronomy 13:18) - anyone who has compassion for the creatures will receive compassion from Heaven, and anyone who does not have compassion for the creatures will not receive compassion from Heaven.”
And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Shabbat 151b), “‘And He will show you mercy and have compassion on you and multiply you’ (Deuteronomy 13:18) - anyone who has compassion for the creatures will receive compassion from Heaven, and anyone who does not have compassion for the creatures will not receive compassion from Heaven.”
(כב) וַיִּשָּׂ֨א אַהֲרֹ֧ן אֶת־יָדָ֛ו אֶל־הָעָ֖ם וַֽיְבָרְכֵ֑ם וַיֵּ֗רֶד מֵעֲשֹׂ֧ת הַֽחַטָּ֛את וְהָעֹלָ֖ה וְהַשְּׁלָמִֽים׃
(22) וַיִּשָּׂ֨א אַהֲרֹ֧ן אֶת־יָדָ֛ו אֶל־הָעָ֖ם וַֽיְבָרְכֵ֑ם וַיֵּ֗רֶד מֵעֲשֹׂ֧ת הַֽחַטָּ֛את וְהָעֹלָ֖ה וְהַשְּׁלָמִֽים׃
Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them; and he stepped down after offering the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the offering of well-being.
Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them; and he stepped down after offering the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the offering of well-being.
ועתה ארמוז ענין כף ופך. כי האותיות שוין, רק כף כ"ף כפופה, ופ"א פתוחה. ופך הוא להיפוך, פ"א כפופה, וכף פתוחה. וכף היא גריעותא כי כ"ף רומז לכף יד. ופ"א רומז לפה ומעלה גדולה היא שתהיה כף של אדם פתוחה לצדקה כמו שכתוב (דברים טו, ח) פתוח תפתח את ידך. ואח"כ מעלה גדולה שפה של אדם יהיה כפוף ולא פתוח, כי אין מעלה בעולם ממעלת השתיקה. ובכף שגגו השבטים, ויוסף בפה, (בראשית לז, ב) ויבא יוסף את דבתם הרעה אל אביהם. השבטים התאוו לכסף נמאס למכור את יוסף בעשרים כסף:
There is a deep significance in the fact that the two words כף and פך consist of the same letters. The only difference between them is that the letter כ in the word כף is כפופה, bent over, closed, whereas the same latter in the word פך is open. The former shape is an inferior one, as it alludes to a closed palm, someone who is tight-fisted. The letter פ alludes to the mouth above. When the letter ך is open, it reminds us of open-handed charity, i.e. פתח את ידך, "open your hand." Having opened one's hand, it is important to keep one's mouth closed as indicated by the shape of the letter פ, when it is כפופה, closed. There is no greater virtue than silence (Avot 1,17). Thus the combination of an open ך, and a closed פ, is an excellent one. Both Joseph and the brothers committed an error. Joseph talked too much by bringing evil gossip about his brothers to his father (37,2). The brothers erred by being greedy for money and stooped low enough to sell their brother Joseph for twenty pieces of silver.
(כב) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יהוה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (כג) דַּבֵּ֤ר אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן֙ וְאֶל־בָּנָ֣יו לֵאמֹ֔ר כֹּ֥ה תְבָרְכ֖וּ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אָמ֖וֹר לָהֶֽם׃ {ס}(כד) יְבָרֶכְךָ֥ יהוה וְיִשְׁמְרֶֽךָ׃ {ס}(כה) יָאֵ֨ר יהוה ׀ פָּנָ֛יו אֵלֶ֖יךָ וִֽיחֻנֶּֽךָּ׃ {ס}(כו) יִשָּׂ֨א יהוה ׀ פָּנָיו֙ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְיָשֵׂ֥ם לְךָ֖ שָׁלֽוֹם׃ {ס}
ופושטים ידיהם וחולקין אצבעותיהם על פי המדרש מצין מן החרכים ששכינה למעלה מראשיהם ומציץ מבין חרכי אצבעותיהם ומכוונים לעשות יהוה אוירים בין ב' אצבעות לב' אצבעות אויר א' ובין אצבע לגודל ובין גודל לגודל לקיים מציץ מן החרכים:
And they extend their hands and separate their [middle] fingers based on the Midrash: "He peers between the openings" — the divine presence is above their fingers, and He peers through the openings of their fingers. And they attempt to make five spaces: Between the two fingers and the two fingers [of each hand], there is a space, and between the fingers and the thumb [of each hand], there is a space, and between the two thumbs. [This is] to fulfill, "between the openings" [hacharakim, which can also be read as five openings].
Diann Neu
Blessed be the works of Your hands, O Holy One.
Blessed be these hands that have touched life.
Blessed be these hands that have nurtured creativity.
Blessed be these hands that have held pain.
Blessed be these hands that have embraced with passion.
Blessed be these hands that have tended gardens.
Blessed be these hands that have closed in anger.
Blessed be these hands that have planted new seeds.
Blessed be these hands that have cleaned, washed, mopped, scrubbed.
Blessed be these hands that are wrinkled and scarred from doing justice.
Blessed be these hands that have reached out and been received.
Blessed be these hands that hold the promise of the future.
Blessed be the works of Your hands, O Holy One..
Margaret Renkl, The Comfort of Crows. An insect, its name lost among those orders of creatures who number in the millions, has somehow fond its way into the kitchen sink. This is not an indoor bug, not one of the ordinaty housemates who dwell in the corners of kitchen cabinets, beneath unmade beds. How easy it would be to wash this bug out with the past water in the pot that has been soaking overnight, but please hold back. Surely the world harbors death enough already. It's too easy to choose ease, too convenient to choose convenience, but try to take the harder path, for the harder path is not very hard. The creature scurries into the corner of teh sink and tries to climb the slick walls. Reach toward it. When it climbs into your palm, gently close your fingers around it. Be careful to hold your thumb to the side. If you never close your thumb around your fingers, you will make of your hand a sanctuary. You will make of your hand safe passage to the world.
Blessed be the works of Your hands, O Holy One.
Blessed be these hands that have touched life.
Blessed be these hands that have nurtured creativity.
Blessed be these hands that have held pain.
Blessed be these hands that have embraced with passion.
Blessed be these hands that have tended gardens.
Blessed be these hands that have closed in anger.
Blessed be these hands that have planted new seeds.
Blessed be these hands that have cleaned, washed, mopped, scrubbed.
Blessed be these hands that are wrinkled and scarred from doing justice.
Blessed be these hands that have reached out and been received.
Blessed be these hands that hold the promise of the future.
Blessed be the works of Your hands, O Holy One..
Margaret Renkl, The Comfort of Crows. An insect, its name lost among those orders of creatures who number in the millions, has somehow fond its way into the kitchen sink. This is not an indoor bug, not one of the ordinaty housemates who dwell in the corners of kitchen cabinets, beneath unmade beds. How easy it would be to wash this bug out with the past water in the pot that has been soaking overnight, but please hold back. Surely the world harbors death enough already. It's too easy to choose ease, too convenient to choose convenience, but try to take the harder path, for the harder path is not very hard. The creature scurries into the corner of teh sink and tries to climb the slick walls. Reach toward it. When it climbs into your palm, gently close your fingers around it. Be careful to hold your thumb to the side. If you never close your thumb around your fingers, you will make of your hand a sanctuary. You will make of your hand safe passage to the world.