(ה) וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֤ם אֶת־חֻקֹּתַי֙ וְאֶת־מִשְׁפָּטַ֔י אֲשֶׁ֨ר יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה אֹתָ֛ם הָאָדָ֖ם וָחַ֣י בָּהֶ֑ם אֲנִ֖י ה' (ס)
(5) You shall keep My laws and My rules, by the pursuit of which man shall live: I am the LORD.
אשר יעשון זו לפנים משורת הדין דאמר ר' יוחנן לא חרבה ירושלים אלא על שדנו בה דין תורה אלא דיני דמגיזתא לדיינו אלא אימא שהעמידו דיניהם על דין תורה ולא עבדו לפנים משורת הדין:
It was taught in the baraita: “That they must perform”; that is referring to acting beyond the letter of the law, as Rabbi Yoḥanan says: Jerusalem was destroyed only for the fact that they adjudicated cases on the basis of Torah law in the city. The Gemara asks: Rather, what else should they have done? Should they rather have adjudicated cases on the basis of arbitrary decisions [demagizeta]? Rather, say: That they established their rulings on the basis of Torah law and did not go beyond the letter of the law.
גמ׳ מנא הני מילי אמר רב יהודה אמר רב אמר קרא (דברים טו, ד) אפס כי לא יהיה בך אביון שלך קודם לשל כל אדם ואמר רב יהודה אמר רב כל המקיים בעצמו כך סוף בא לידי כך:
GEMARA: With regard to precedence in the return of lost items, the Gemara asks: From where are these matters derived? Rav Yehuda says that Rav says that the verse states: “Only so that there shall be no needy among you” (Deuteronomy 15:4). This verse can be understood as a command, indicating that it is incumbent upon each individual to ensure that he will not become needy. Therefore, your property takes precedence over the property of any other person. And Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: Although that is the halakha, anyone who fastidiously fulfills this principle with regard to his property at the expense of others’ property ultimately comes to experience that fate. He will become impoverished, and others will prioritize their interests at his expense.
גמ' מנא הני מילי - דשלו קודם:
Gemara: From where are these things derived? - that [one should return] their own [objects] first.
לא יהיה בך אביון - הזהר מן עניות:
There shall be no needy among you - be careful from poverty.
כל המקיים בעצמו כך - אף על פי שלא הטילו עליו הכתוב יש לאדם ליכנס לפנים משורת הדין ולא לדקדק שלי קודם אם לא בהפסד מוכיח ואם תמיד מדקדק. פורק מעליו עול ג"ח וצדקה וסוף שיצטרך לבריות:
Anyone who fulfills this for themselves - Even though the Torah does not place upon him [this obligation], a person has to go beyond the letter of the law and not be fastidious with their own things first, if it is not a case of a proven loss and they are always fastidious. [This person] breaks the yoke of doing kindness and tzedaka from upon themselves and in the end will find themselves in need of others.
מאי מצלי אמר רב זוטרא בר טוביה אמר רב יה"ר מלפני שיכבשו רחמי את כעסי ויגולו רחמי על מדותי ואתנהג עם בני במדת רחמים ואכנס להם לפנים משורת הדין.
The Gemara asks: What does God pray? To whom does God pray? Rav Zutra bar Tovia said that Rav said:God says: May it be My will that My mercy will overcome My anger towards Israel for their transgressions, and may My mercy prevail over My other attributes through which Israel is punished, and may I conduct myself toward My children, Israel, with the attribute of mercy, and may I enter before them beyond the letter of the law.