Today's Laws and Customs:
Elul Observances
As the last month of the Jewish year, Elul is traditionaly a time of introspection and stocktaking -- a time to review one's deeds and spiritual progress over the past year and prepare for the upcoming "Days of Awe" of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur.
As the month of Divine Mercy and Forgiveness (see "Today in Jewish History" forElul 1) it is a most opportune time for teshuvah ("return" to G-d), prayer, charity, and increased Ahavat Yisrael (love for a fellow Jew) in the quest for self-improvement and coming closer to G-d. Chassidic master Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi likens the month of Elul to a time when "the king is in the field" and, in contrast to when he is in the royal palace, "everyone who so desires is permitted to meet him, and he receives them all with a cheerful countenance and shows a smiling face to them all."
Specific Elul customs include the daily sounding of the shofar (ram's horn) as a call to repentance. The Baal Shem Tov instituted the custom of reciting three additional chapters of Psalms each day, from the 1st of Elul until Yom Kippur (on Yom Kippur the remaining 36 chapters are recited, thereby completing the entire book of Psalms). Click below to view today's Psalms.
Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33
Psalms 31:1 (0) For the leader. A psalm of David:
2 (1) In you, Adonai, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
in your justice, save me!
3 (2) Turn your ear toward me,
come quickly to my rescue,
be for me a rock of strength,
a fortress to keep me safe.
4 (3) Since you are my rock and fortress,
lead me and guide me for your name’s sake.
5 (4) Free me from the net they have hidden to catch me,
because you are my strength.
6 (5) Into your hand I commit my spirit;
you will redeem me, Adonai, God of truth.
7 (6) I hate those who serve worthless idols;
as for me, I trust in Adonai.
8 (7) I will rejoice and be glad in your grace,
for you see my affliction,
you know how distressed I am.
9 (8) You did not hand me over to the enemy;
you set my feet where I can move freely.
10 (9) Show me favor, Adonai, for I am in trouble.
My eyes grow dim with anger,
my soul and body as well.
11 (10) For my life is worn out with sorrow
and my years with sighing;
my strength gives out under my guilt,
and my bones are wasting away.
12 (11) I am scorned by all my adversaries,
and even more by my neighbors;
even to acquaintances
I am an object of fear —
when they see me in the street,
they turn away from me.
13 (12) Like a dead man, I have passed from their minds;
I have become like a broken pot.
14 (13) All I hear is whispering,
terror is all around me;
they plot together against me,
scheming to take my life.
15 (14) But I, I trust in you, Adonai;
I say, “You are my God.”
16 (15) My times are in your hand;
rescue me from my enemies’ power,
from those who persecute me.
17 (16) Make your face shine on your servant;
in your grace, save me.
18 (17) Adonai, don’t let me be put to shame,
for I have called on you;
let the wicked be put to shame,
let them be silenced in Sh’ol.
19 (18) May lying lips be struck dumb,
that speak insolently against the righteous
with such pride and contempt.
20 (19) But oh, how great is your goodness,
which you have stored up for those who fear you,
which you do for those who take refuge in you,
before people’s very eyes!
21 (20) In the shelter of your presence
you hide them from human plots,
you conceal them in your shelter,
safe from contentious tongues.
22 (21) Blessed be Adonai!
For he has shown me his amazing grace
when I was in a city under siege.
23 (22) As for me, in my alarm I said,
“I have been cut off from your sight!”
Nevertheless, you heard my pleas
when I cried out to you.
24 (23) Love Adonai, you faithful of his.
Adonai preserves the loyal,
but the proud he repays in full.
25 (24) Be strong, and fill your hearts with courage,
all of you who hope in Adonai.
32:(0) By David. A maskil:
(1) How blessed are those whose offense is forgiven,
those whose sin is covered!
2 How blessed those to whom Adonai imputes no guilt,
in whose spirit is no deceit!
3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away
because of my groaning all day long;
4 day and night your hand was heavy on me;
the sap in me dried up as in a summer drought. (Selah)
5 When I acknowledged my sin to you,
when I stopped concealing my guilt,
and said, “I will confess my offenses to Adonai”;
then you, you forgave the guilt of my sin. (Selah)
6 This is what everyone faithful should pray
at a time when you can be found.
Then, when the floodwaters are raging,
they will not reach to him.
7 You are a hiding-place for me,
you will keep me from distress;
you will surround me
with songs of deliverance. (Selah)
8 “I will instruct and teach you
in this way that you are to go;
I will give you counsel;
my eyes will be watching you.”
9 Don’t be like a horse or mule
that has no understanding,
that has to be curbed with bit and bridle,
or else it won’t come near you.
10 Many are the torments of the wicked,
but grace surrounds those who trust in Adonai.
11 Be glad in Adonai; rejoice, you righteous!
Shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
33:1 Rejoice in Adonai, you righteous!
Praise is well-suited to the upright.
2 Give thanks to Adonai with the lyre,
sing praises to him with a ten-stringed harp.
3 Sing to him a new song,
make music at your best among shouts of joy.
4 For the word of Adonai is true,
and all his work is trustworthy.
5 He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the grace of Adonai.
6 By the word of Adonai the heavens were made,
and their whole host by a breath from his mouth.
7 He collects the sea waters together in a heap;
he puts the deeps in storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear Adonai!
Let all living in the world stand in awe of him.
9 For he spoke, and there it was;
he commanded, and there it stood.
10 Adonai brings to nothing the plans of nations,
he foils the plans of the peoples.
11 But the counsel of Adonai stands forever,
his heart’s plans are for all generations.
12 How blessed is the nation whose God is Adonai,
the people he chose as his heritage!
13 Adonai looks out from heaven;
he sees every human being;
14 from the place where he lives
he watches everyone living on earth,
15 he who fashioned the hearts of them all
and understands all they do.
16 A king is not saved by the size of his army,
a strong man not delivered by his great strength.
17 To rely on a horse for safety is vain,
nor does its great power assure escape.
18 But Adonai’s eyes watch over those who fear him,
over those who wait for his grace
19 to rescue them from death
and keep them alive in famine.
20 We are waiting for Adonai;
he is our help and shield.
21 For in him our hearts rejoice,
because we trust in his holy name.
22 May your mercy, Adonai, be over us,
because we put our hope in you.
Elul is also the time to have one's tefillin and mezuzot checked by an accredited scribe to ensure that they are in good condition and fit for use.
Links: More on Elul
Today in Jewish History:
Completion of Beit Yosef (1542)
In 1522, Rabbi Yosef Caro started writing the Beit Yosef, his famous commentary on the Arba Turim, Yaakov Ben Asher’s comprehensive Halachic code. He started writing this commentary in Adrianople, Turkey, and continued for the next twenty years, during which time he relocated to Safed, Israel. He completed the monumental work on the 11th of Elul. It took another ten years for the writings to be published.
Rashab's marriage (1875)
Marriage of the fifth Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, Rabbi Sholom DovBer Schneersohn ("Rashab", 1860-1920), to Rebbetzin Shterna Sarah Schneerson (1860-1942).
Daily Quote:
Marriage is giving it your all, and appreciating that you are but a half.[The Chassidic Masters]
Daily Study:
Chitas and Rambam for today:
Chumash: Parshat Ki Teitzei, 4th Portion (Deuteronomy 23:8-23:24) with Rashi
• Deuteronomy Chapter 23
8You shall not despise an Edomite, for he is your brother. You shall not despise an Egyptian, for you were a sojourner in his land. חלֹֽא־תְתַעֵ֣ב אֲדֹמִ֔י כִּ֥י אָחִ֖יךָ ה֑וּא לֹֽא־תְתַעֵ֣ב מִצְרִ֔י כִּי־גֵ֖ר הָיִ֥יתָ בְאַרְצֽוֹ:
You shall not despise an Edomite: Completely, [but only the first two generations,] even though it is appropriate for you to despise him, because he went forth against you with the sword (see Num. 20:18-21). לא תתעב אדומי: לגמרי ואף על פי שראוי לך לתעבו שיצא בחרב לקראתך:
You shall not despise an Egyptian: Absolutely, [but only the first two generations,] even though they cast your male [infants] into the Nile. What is the reason [that you may not despise them]? Because they hosted you in a time of dire need; therefore: לא תתעב מצרי: מכל וכל אף על פי שזרקו זכוריכם ליאור. מה טעם, שהיו לכם אכסניא בשעת הדחק. לפיכך:
9Children who are born to them [in] the third generation may enter the assembly of the Lord. טבָּנִ֛ים אֲשֶׁר־יִוָּֽלְד֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם דּ֣וֹר שְׁלִישִׁ֑י יָבֹ֥א לָהֶ֖ם בִּקְהַ֥ל יְהֹוָֽה:
Children who are born to them in the third generation: But other nations, are allowed [to marry Jews] immediately [after their conversion]. Thus, you learn from here that someone who causes a person to sin does worse to him than one who kills him, for one who kills him, kills him [only] in this world, whereas one who leads him to sin removes him from [both] this world and from the world-to-come. Therefore, Edom, who came forth against them with the sword was not [completely] despised. Similarly, Egypt, who drowned them. These, however, who caused them to sin, were [completely] despised. — [Sifrei 23:117] בנים אשר יולדו להם דור שלישי: ושאר האומות מותרין מיד. הא למדת שהמחטיא לאדם קשה לו מן ההורגו, שההורגו הורגו בעולם הזה, והמחטיאו מוציאו מן העולם הזה ומן העולם הבא, לפיכך אדום שקדמם בחרב לא נתעב וכן מצרים שטבעום, ואלו שהחטיאום נתעבו:
10When a camp goes out against your enemies, you shall beware of everything evil. יכִּֽי־תֵצֵ֥א מַֽחֲנֶ֖ה עַל־אֹֽיְבֶ֑יךָ וְנִ֨שְׁמַרְתָּ֔ מִכֹּ֖ל דָּבָ֥ר רָֽע:
When a camp goes forth [against your enemies], you shall beware:for Satan accuses in time of danger [thus extra care must be taken in time of war, when danger prevails]. — [Yerushalmi Shab. 2:6; Tanchuma, Vayiggash 1] כי תצא וגו' ונשמרת: שהשטן מקטרג בשעת הסכנה:
11If there is among you a man who is unclean because of a nocturnal emission, he shall go outside the camp. He shall not come within the camp. יאכִּי־יִֽהְיֶ֤ה בְךָ֙ אִ֔ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹא־יִֽהְיֶ֥ה טָה֖וֹר מִקְּרֵה־לָ֑יְלָה וְיָצָא֙ אֶל־מִח֣וּץ לַמַּֽחֲנֶ֔ה לֹ֥א יָבֹ֖א אֶל־תּ֥וֹךְ הַמַּֽחֲנֶֽה:
[If there is among you a man who is unclean] because of a nocturnal emission: Scripture is speaking here in terms of that which usually occurs. [Emissions usually occur at night. However, the law applies equally if it occurs during the day.]- [Sifrei 23: 120] מקרה לילה: דבר הכתוב בהווה:
he shall go outside the camp: This is a positive commandment; ויצא אל מחוץ למחנה: זו מצות עשה:
He shall not come within the camp: This is a negative commandment. He is forbidden to come within the camp of the Levites, and all the more so, to the camp of the Shechinah, [comprised by the Mishkan and its courtyard]. — [Sifrei 23:120, Pes. 68a] לא יבא אל תוך המחנה: זו מצות לא תעשה. ואסור ליכנס למחנה לויה, וכל שכן למחנה שכינה:
12And it shall be, towards evening, he shall bathe in water, and when the sun sets, he may come within the camp. יבוְהָיָ֥ה לִפְנֽוֹת־עֶ֖רֶב יִרְחַ֣ץ בַּמָּ֑יִם וּכְבֹ֣א הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ יָבֹ֖א אֶל־תּ֥וֹךְ הַמַּֽחֲנֶֽה:
And it will be, towards evening: He should immerse [in the mikvah] close to sunset, since he does not become clean without the sunset. — [Sifrei 23:121] והיה לפנות ערב: סמוך להערב שמשו יטבול, שאינו טהור בלא הערב שמש:
13And you shall have a designated place outside the camp, so that you can go out there [to use it as a privy]. יגוְיָד֙ תִּֽהְיֶ֣ה לְךָ֔ מִח֖וּץ לַמַּֽחֲנֶ֑ה וְיָצָ֥אתָ שָׁ֖מָּה חֽוּץ:
And you shall have a designated place: Heb. יָד, as the Targum [Onkelos] renders: [וַאֲתַר, a place], like“each man in his place (יָדוֹ)” (Num. 2:17). ויד תהיה לך: כתרגומו [ואתר], כמו (במדבר ב, יז) איש על ידו:
outside the camp: [I.e.,] outside the cloud [which surrounded the camp]. מחוץ למחנה: חוץ לענן:
14And you shall keep a stake in addition to your weapons; and it shall be, when you sit down outside [to relieve yourself], you shall dig with it, and you shall return and cover your excrement. ידוְיָתֵ֛ד תִּֽהְיֶ֥ה לְךָ֖ עַל־אֲזֵנֶ֑ךָ וְהָיָה֙ בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֣ ח֔וּץ וְחָֽפַרְתָּ֣ה בָ֔הּ וְשַׁבְתָּ֖ וְכִסִּ֥יתָ אֶת־צֵֽאָתֶֽךָ:
in addition to your weapons: Heb. עַל-אֲזֵנֶךָ. [I.e.,] besides your other items of equipment. על אזנך: לבד משאר כלי תשמישך:
your weapons: Heb. אֲזֵנֶךָ, like כְּלֵי זַיְנְךָ, your weapons. אזנך: כמו כלי זיינך:
15For the Lord, your God, goes along in the midst of your camp, to rescue you and to deliver your enemies before you. [Therefore,] your camp shall be holy, so that He should not see anything unseemly among you and would turn away from you. טוכִּי֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ מִתְהַלֵּ֣ךְ | בְּקֶ֣רֶב מַֽחֲנֶ֗ךָ לְהַצִּֽילְךָ֙ וְלָתֵ֤ת אֹֽיְבֶ֨יךָ֙ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ וְהָיָ֥ה מַחֲנֶ֖יךָ קָד֑וֹשׁ וְלֹֽא־יִרְאֶ֤ה בְךָ֙ עֶרְוַ֣ת דָּבָ֔ר וְשָׁ֖ב מֵאַֽחֲרֶֽיךָ:
so that He will not see: [That is,] the Holy One, Blessed is He, [will not see] anything unseemly. ולא יראה בך: הקב"ה ערות דבר:
16You shall not deliver a slave to his master if he seeks refuge with you from his master. טזלֹֽא־תַסְגִּ֥יר עֶ֖בֶד אֶל־אֲדֹנָ֑יו אֲשֶׁר־יִנָּצֵ֥ל אֵלֶ֖יךָ מֵעִ֥ם אֲדֹנָֽיו:
You shall not deliver a slave: As the Targum [Onkelos] renders it [עֲבַד עַמְמִין, a Jewish servant who had been sold to a gentile] (Gittin 45a). Another explanation: even a Canaanite servant of an Israelite who fled from outside the land to the Land of Israel. — [Gittin 45a] לא תסגיר עבד: כתרגומו. דבר אחר אפילו עבד כנעני של ישראל שברח מחוצה לארץ לארץ ישראל:
17[Rather,] he shall [be allowed to] reside among you, wherever he chooses within any of your cities, where it is good for him. You shall not oppress him. יזעִמְּךָ֞ יֵשֵׁ֣ב בְּקִרְבְּךָ֗ בַּמָּק֧וֹם אֲשֶׁר־יִבְחַ֛ר בְּאַחַ֥ד שְׁעָרֶ֖יךָ בַּטּ֣וֹב ל֑וֹ לֹ֖א תּוֹנֶֽנּוּ:
18There shall not be a prostitute of the daughters of Israel, and there shall not be a male prostitute of the sons of Israel. יחלֹא־תִֽהְיֶ֥ה קְדֵשָׁ֖ה מִבְּנ֣וֹת יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְלֹא־יִֽהְיֶ֥ה קָדֵ֖שׁ מִבְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל:
There shall not be a prostitute: Heb. קְדֵשָׁה, one who is unbridled, prepared (מְקֻדֶּשֶׁת), and ready for prostitution. לא תהיה קדשה: מופקרת, מקודשת ומזומנת לזנות:
and there shall not be a male prostitute: Heb. קָדֵשׁ, one [i.e., a male] ready for homosexual relations. - [Kid. 68b] Onkelos , however, renders: “A woman of the daughters of Israel shall not become a wife to a slave.” [Nevertheless, Onkelos 's explanation does not contradict that given above, for] such [a woman] is also susceptible to illicit relations, since this sort of marriage [between a Jewess and a slave] is not legally binding. For [slaves] are compared to donkeys, as it says,“Stay here with the donkey (עִם-הַחֲמוֹר)” (Gen. 22:5). [The choice of the word] עִם [rather אֶת [denotes] those compared to a donkey. - [Kid. 68a] [Abraham said this to his lads when he left them to take Isaac to offer him as a sacrifice. The lads were both slaves, both Eliezer and Ishmael, the son of his handmaid, Hagar. Similarly, the second half of the verse is rendered by Onkelos as follows:]“And no Israelite man shall take a maidservant as a wife,” since he too, becomes a קָדֵשׁ [“one reserved for illicit relations”] through her, because every time he cohabits with her, it is considered prostitution, since his marriage to her is not binding. — [See Pes. 88b] ולא יהיה קדש: מזומן למשכב זכר. ואונקלוס תרגם לא תהא אתתא מבנת ישראל לגבר עבדא, שאף זו מופקרת לבעילת זנות היא, מאחר שאין קדושין תופסין לו בה, שהרי הוקשו לחמור, שנאמר (בראשית כב, ה) שבו לכם פה עם החמור, עם הדומה לחמור. ולא יסב גברא מבני ישראל אתתא אמא, שאף הוא נעשה קדש על ידה, שכל בעילותיו בעילות זנות שאין קדושין תופסין לו בה:
19You shall not bring a prostitute's fee or the price of a dog, to the House of the Lord, your God, for any vow, because both of them are an abomination to the Lord, your God. יטלֹֽא־תָבִיא֩ אֶתְנַ֨ן זוֹנָ֜ה וּמְחִ֣יר כֶּ֗לֶב בֵּ֛ית יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ לְכָל־נֶ֑דֶר כִּ֧י תֽוֹעֲבַ֛ת יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ גַּם־שְׁנֵיהֶֽם:
a prostitute’s fee: [For example,] if one gave her a lamb as her fee, it is unfit to be offered up as a sacrifice. — [Sifrei 23:127] אתנן זונה: נתן לה טלה באתננה פסול להקרבה:
the price of a dog: If one exchanged a dog for a lamb [this lamb is unfit for a sacrifice]. — [Sifrei 23:127; Temurah 29a] ומחיר כלב: החליף שה בכלב:
because both of them [are an abomination to the Lord, your God]:Heb. גַּם הֵם. [The extra word גַּם, lit.“also,” comes] to include [a prostitute’s fee or the price of a dog, which has been] converted [to another form]. For example, wheat, which he (sic) made into flour. — [Temurah 30b] [Sefer Yereim ch. 207 reads: which she made into flour.] גם שניהם: לרבות שינוייהם, כגון חטים ועשאן סלת:
20You shall not give interest to your brother, [whether it be] interest on money, interest on food or interest on any [other] item for which interest is [normally] taken. כלֹֽא־תַשִּׁ֣יךְ לְאָחִ֔יךָ נֶ֥שֶׁךְ כֶּ֖סֶף נֶ֣שֶׁךְ אֹ֑כֶל נֶ֕שֶׁךְ כָּל־דָּבָ֖ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִשָּֽׁךְ:
You shall not give interest: Heb. לֹא-תַשִּׁיךְ. This is an admonition to the borrower that he should not pay interest to the lender. Afterwards is the admonition to the lender, [in the verse:] “You shall not give him your money with interest” (Lev. 25:37). - [See Sifrei 23:128] [In some editions, the word “afterwards,” is omitted, because that verse does not appear after this one, but in Leviticus (Leket Bahir). לא תשיך: אזהרה ללוה שלא יתן רבית למלוה, ואחר כך אזהרה למלוה (ויקרא כה לז) את כספך לא תתן לו בנשך:
21You may [however,] give interest to a gentile, but to your brother you shall not give interest, in order that the Lord, your God, shall bless you in every one of your endeavors on the land to which you are coming to possess. כאלַנָּכְרִ֣י תַשִּׁ֔יךְ וּלְאָחִ֖יךָ לֹ֣א תַשִּׁ֑יךְ לְמַ֨עַן יְבָֽרֶכְךָ֜ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ בְּכֹל֙ מִשְׁלַ֣ח יָדֶ֔ךָ עַל־הָאָ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֥ה בָא־שָׁ֖מָּה לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ:
You may [however,] give interest to a gentile: But not to your brother. A negative commandment that is derived by inference from a positive commandment [such as this,] is considered a positive commandment. [Thus, in this passage we have the positive commandment (born out of the inference: “to a gentile,” i.e., but not to your brother, plus two negative commandments: 1) “You shall not give interest to your brother” (verse 20), and 2) “but to your brother you shall not give interest” (verse 21). Hence, one who borrows from a Jew with interest] transgresses two negative commandments and one positive commandment. — [B.M. 70b] לנכרי תשיך: ולא לאחיך. לאו הבא מכלל עשה, עשה, לעבור עליו בשני לאוין ועשה:
22When you make a vow to the Lord, your God, you shall not delay in paying it, for the Lord, your God, will demand it of you, and it will be [counted as] a sin for you. כבכִּֽי־תִדֹּ֥ר נֶ֨דֶר֙ לַֽיהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ לֹ֥א תְאַחֵ֖ר לְשַׁלְּמ֑וֹ כִּֽי־דָר֨שׁ יִדְרְשֶׁ֜נּוּ יְהֹוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָ֙ מֵֽעִמָּ֔ךְ וְהָיָ֥ה בְךָ֖ חֵֽטְא:
[When you make a vow…] you shall not delay in paying it: for three Festivals. Our Rabbis learned this from a Scriptural verse [see Deut. 16:16]. — [R.H. 4b] לא תאחר לשלמו: שלשה רגלים. ולמדוהו רבותינו מן המקרא:
23But if you shall refrain from making vows, you will have no sin. כגוְכִ֥י תֶחְדַּ֖ל לִנְדֹּ֑ר לֹא־יִֽהְיֶ֥ה בְךָ֖ חֵֽטְא:
24Observe and do what is emitted from your lips just as you have pledged to the Lord, your God, as a donation, which you have spoken with your mouth. כדמוֹצָ֥א שְׂפָתֶ֖יךָ תִּשְׁמֹ֣ר וְעָשִׂ֑יתָ כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֨ר נָדַ֜רְתָּ לַֽיהֹוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָ֙ נְדָבָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתָּ בְּפִֽיךָ:
Observe [and do] what is emitted from your lips: This adds a positive commandment [i.e., to pay one’s vows in time,] to the [aforementioned] negative commandment [expressed in verse 22, namely,“you shall not delay in paying it”]. מוצא שפתיך תשמר ועשית: ליתן עשה על לא תעשה:
Daily Tehillim: Psalms Chapters 60-65
• Special Custom for the Month of Elul and High Holidays
The Baal Shem Tov instituted a custom of reciting three additional chapters of Psalms each day, from the 1st of Elul until Yom Kippur (on Yom Kippur the remaining 36 chapters are recited, thereby completing the entire book of Psalms).
See below for today's additional chapters.
Chapter 60
This psalm tells of when Joab, David's general, came to Aram Naharayim for war and was asked by the people: "Are you not from the children of Jacob? What of the pact he made with Laban?" Not knowing what to answer, Joab asked the Sanhedrin. The psalm includes David's prayer for success in this war.
1. For the Conductor, on the shushan eidut. A michtam by David, to instruct,
2. when he battled with Aram Naharayim and Aram Tzovah, and Joab returned and smote Edom in the Valley of Salt, twelve thousand [men].
3. O God, You forsook us, You have breached us! You grew furious-restore us!
4. You made the earth quake, You split it apart-heal its fragments, for it totters!
5. You showed Your nation harshness, You gave us benumbing wine to drink.
6. [Now] give those who fear You a banner to raise themselves, for the sake of truth, Selah.
7. That Your beloved ones may be delivered, help with Your right hand and answer me.
8. God said with His Holy [Spirit] that I would exult; I would divide Shechem, and measure out the Valley of Succot.
9. Mine is Gilead, mine is Menasseh, and Ephraim is the stronghold of my head; Judah is my prince.
10. Moab is my washbasin, and upon Edom I will cast my shoe; for me, Philistia will sound a blast [of coronation].
11. Who will bring me into the fortified city? Who will lead me unto Edom?
12. Is it not You, God, Who has [until now] forsaken us, and did not go forth with our legions?
13. Grant us relief from the oppressor; futile is the salvation of man.
14. With God we will do valiantly, and He will trample our oppressors.
Chapter 61
David composed this prayer while fleeing from Saul. The object of all his thoughts and his entreaty is that God grant him long life-not for the sake of pursuing the pleasures of the world, but rather to serve God in awe, all of his days.
1. For the Conductor, on the neginat, by David.
2. Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer.
3. From the end of the earth I call to You, when my heart is faint [with trouble]: Lead me upon the rock that surpasses me!
4. For You have been a refuge for me, a tower of strength in the face of the enemy.
5. I will dwell in Your tent forever; I will take refuge in the shelter of Your wings, Selah.
6. For You, God, heard my vows; You granted the inheritance of those who fear Your Name.
7. Add days to the days of the king; may his years equal those of every generation.
8. May he sit always before God; appoint kindness and truth to preserve him.
9. Thus will I sing the praise of Your Name forever, as I fulfill my vows each day.
Chapter 62
David prays for the downfall of his enemies. He also exhorts his generation that their faith should not rest in riches, telling them that the accumulation of wealth is utter futility.
1. For the Conductor, on the yedutun,1 a psalm by David.
2. To God alone does my soul hope; my salvation is from Him.
3. He alone is my rock and salvation, my stronghold; I shall not falter greatly.
4. Until when will you plot disaster for man? May you all be killed-like a leaning wall, a toppled fence.
5. Out of their arrogance alone they scheme to topple me, they favor falsehood; with their mouths they bless, and in their hearts they curse, Selah.
6. To God alone does my soul hope, for my hope is from Him.
7. He alone is my rock and salvation, my stronghold; I shall not falter.
8. My salvation and honor is upon God; the rock of my strength-my refuge is in God.
9. Trust in Him at all times, O nation, pour out your hearts before Him; God is a refuge for us forever.
10. Men are but vanity; people [but] transients. Were they to be raised upon the scale, they would be lighter than vanity.
11. Put not your trust in exploitation, nor place futile hope in robbery. If [corrupt] wealth flourishes, pay it no heed.
12. God spoke one thing, from which I perceived two: That strength belongs to God;
13. and that Yours, my Lord, is kindness. For You repay each man according to his deeds.
FOOTNOTES
1.A musical instrument (Metzudot).
Chapter 63
Hiding from Saul, and yearning to approach the place of the Holy Ark like one thirsting for water, David composed this prayer on his behalf and against his enemy.
1. A psalm by David, when he was in the Judean desert.
2. O God, You are my Almighty, I seek You! My soul thirsts for You, my flesh longs for You; [like one] in a desolate and dry land, without water,
3. so [I thirst] to see You in the Sanctuary, to behold Your might and glory.
4. For Your kindness is better than life; my lips shall praise You.
5. Thus will I bless you all my life, in Your Name I will raise my hands [in prayer].
6. As with fat and abundance my soul is sated, when my mouth offers praise with expressions of joy.
7. Indeed, I remember You upon my bed; during the watches of the night I meditate upon You.
8. For You were a help for me; I sing in the shadow of Your wings.
9. My soul cleaved to You; Your right hand supported me.
10. But they seek desolation for my soul; they will enter the depths of the earth.
11. They will drag them by the sword; they will be the portion of foxes.
12. And the king will rejoice in God, and all who swear by Him will take pride, when the mouths of liars are blocked up.
Chapter 64
The masters of homiletics interpret this psalm as alluding to Daniel, who was thrown into the lion's den. With divine inspiration, David foresaw the event and prayed for him. Daniel was a descendant of David, as can be inferred from God's statement to Hezekiah (himself of Davidic lineage), "And from your children, who will issue forth from you, they will take, and they (referring to, amongst others, Daniel) will be ministers in the palace of the king of Babylon."
1. For the Conductor, a psalm by David.
2. Hear my voice, O God, as I recount [my woes]; preserve my life from the terror of the enemy.
3. Shelter me from the schemes of the wicked, from the conspiracy of evildoers,
4. who have sharpened their tongue like the sword, aimed their arrow-a bitter word-
5. to shoot at the innocent from hidden places; suddenly they shoot at him, they are not afraid.
6. They encourage themselves in an evil thing, they speak of laying traps; they say: "Who will see them?”
7. They sought pretexts; [and when] they completed a diligent search, each man [kept the plot] inside, deep in the heart.
8. But God shot at them; [like] a sudden arrow were their blows.
9. Their own tongues caused them to stumble; all who see them shake their heads [derisively].
10. Then all men feared, and recounted the work of God; they perceived His deed.
11. Let the righteous one rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in Him, and let them take pride-all upright of heart.
Chapter 65
This psalm contains awe-inspiring and glorious praises to God, as well as entreaties and prayers concerning our sins. It declares it impossible to recount God's greatness, for who can recount His mighty acts? Hence, silence is His praise.
1. For the Conductor, a psalm by David, a song.
2. Silence is praise for You, O God [Who dwells in] Zion; and to You vows will be paid.
3. O Heeder of prayer, to You does all flesh come.
4. Matters of sin overwhelm me; You will pardon our transgressions.
5. Fortunate is [the nation] whom You choose and draw near, to dwell in Your courtyards; may we be sated with the goodness of Your House, with the holiness of Your Sanctuary.
6. Answer us with awesome deeds as befits Your righteousness, O God of our salvation, the security of all [who inhabit] the ends of the earth and distant seas.
7. With His strength He prepares [rain for] the mountains; He is girded with might.
8. He quiets the roar of the seas, the roar of their waves and the tumult of nations.
9. Those who inhabit the ends [of the earth] fear [You] because of Your signs; the emergences of morning and evening cause [man] to sing praise.
10. You remember the earth and water it, you enrich it abundantly [from] God's stream filled with water. You prepare their grain, for so do You prepare it.
11. You saturate its furrows, gratifying its legions; with showers You soften it and bless its growth.
12. You crown the year of Your goodness [with rain], and Your clouds drip abundance.
13. They drip on pastures of wilderness, and the hills gird themselves with joy.
14. The meadows don sheep, and the valleys cloak themselves with grain; they sound blasts, indeed they sing.
Additional Three Chapters
The Baal Shem Tov instituted a custom of reciting three additional chapters of Psalms each day, from the 1st of Elul until Yom Kippur (on Yom Kippur the remaining 36 chapters are recited, thereby completing the entire book of Psalms).
Today's Chapters are 31, 32 and 33.
Chapter 31
Composed by a destitute and oppressed David, running from Saul while placing his trust in God, this psalm instructs man to put his trust in God alone.
1. For the Conductor, a psalm by David.
2. In You I have taken shelter, O Lord, I shall never be shamed; rescue me in Your righteousness.
3. Turn Your ear to me, save me quickly; be to me a rock of refuge, a fortress to deliver me.
4. For You are my rock and my fortress; for the sake of Your Name, direct me and lead me.
5. Remove me from the net they planted for me, for You are my stronghold.
6. I entrust my spirit into Your hand; You will redeem me, Lord, God of truth.
7. I despise those who anticipate worthless vanities; but I trust in the Lord.
8. I will rejoice and delight in Your kindness, for You have seen my affliction; You know the troubles of my soul.
9. You have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet on spacious ground.
10. Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye wastes away from vexation-my soul and my stomach.
11. For my life is spent in sorrow, my years in sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones are wasted away.
12. Because of my adversaries I have become a disgrace-exceedingly to my neighbors, and a dread to my friends; those who see me outside flee from me.
13. Like a dead man, I was forgotten from the heart; I became like a lost vessel.
14. For I have heard the slander of many, terror on every side, when they assembled together against me and plotted to take my life.
15. But I trusted in You, O Lord; I said, "You are my God.”
16. My times are in Your hand; save me from the hands of my enemies and pursuers.
17. Shine Your countenance upon Your servant; deliver me in Your kindness.
18. O Lord, let me not be ashamed, for I have called You; let the wicked be shamed, let them be silent to the grave.
19. Let the lips of falsehood-which speak insolently against the righteous, with arrogance and contempt-be struck dumb.
20. How abundant is Your good that You have hidden for those who fear You; in the presence of man, You have acted for those who take refuge in You.
21. Conceal them from the haughtiness of man, in the shelter of Your countenance; hide them in a shelter from the strife of tongues.
22. Blessed is the Lord, for He has been wondrous in His kindness to me in a besieged city.
23. I said in my panic, "I am cut off from before Your eyes!" But in truth, You heard the voice of my pleas when I cried to You.
24. Love the Lord, all His pious ones! The Lord preserves the faithful, and repays with exactness those who act haughtily.
25. Be strong and fortify your hearts, all who put their hope in the Lord!
Chapter 32
This psalm speaks of forgiveness of sin, and of the good fortune of one who repents and confesses to God wholeheartedly.
1. By David, a maskil.1Fortunate is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
2. Fortunate is the man to whom the Lord does not reckon his sin, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3. When I was silent, my limbs wore away through my wailing all day long.
4. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my marrow became [dry] as the droughts of summer, Selah.
5. My sin I made known to You, my iniquity I did not cover. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord," and You have forgiven the iniquity of my transgression forever.
6. For this let every pious man pray to You, at a time when You may be found; indeed, the flood of many waters will not reach him.
7. You are a refuge to me; protect me from distress; surround me with songs of deliverance forever.
8. I will enlighten you and educate you in the path you should go; I will advise you with what I have seen.
9. Be not like a horse, like a mule, senseless, that must be muzzled with bit and bridle when being adorned, so that it not come near you.
10. Many are the agonies of the wicked, but he who trusts in the Lord is surrounded by kindness.
11. Rejoice in the Lord and exult, you righteous ones! Sing joyously, all you upright of heart!
Chapter 33
This psalm teaches the righteous and upright to praise God. For the more one knows of the Torah's wisdom, the more should he praise God, for he knows and understands His greatness.
1. Sing joyously to the Lord, you righteous ones; it is fitting for the upright to offer praise.
2. Extol the Lord with a harp; sing to Him with a ten-stringed lyre.
3. Sing to Him a new song; play well with sounds of jubilation.
4. For the word of the Lord is just; all His deeds are done in faithfulness.
5. He loves righteousness and justice; the kindness of the Lord fills the earth.
6. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their hosts.
7. He gathers the waters of the sea like a mound; He places the deep waters in vaults.
8. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world tremble before Him.
9. For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it endured.
10. The Lord has annulled the counsel of nations; He has foiled the schemes of peoples.
11. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the thoughts of His heart throughout all generations.
12. Fortunate is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose as a heritage for Himself.
13. The Lord looks down from heaven; He beholds all mankind.
14. From His dwelling-place He looks intently upon all the inhabitants of the earth.
15. It is He Who fashions the hearts of them all, Who perceives all their actions.
16. The king is not saved by a great army, nor a warrior rescued by great might.
17. The horse is a false guarantee for victory; with all its great strength it offers no escape.
18. But the eye of the Lord is directed toward those who fear Him, toward those who hope for His kindness,
19. to save their soul from death and to sustain them during famine.
20. Our soul yearns for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.
21. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, for we have put our trust in His Holy Name.
22. May Your kindness, Lord, be upon us, as we have placed our hope in You.
Tanya: Iggeret HaKodesh, Epistle 13
• Lessons in Tanya
• Today's Tanya Lesson
• Wednesday, 11 Elul, 5776 · 14 September 2016
• Iggeret HaKodesh, Epistle 13
• מה רב טובך אשר צפנת ליראיך וגו׳
• Rambam: Sefer Hamitzvos:
“How abundant is Your goodness which You have hidden away for those who fear You, [which You have wrought for those who trust in You before man].”1
Now the first part of the verse states that the reward is “hidden away,” while its conclusion implies that it is revealed to the sight of man.
The Alter Rebbe will now explain that corresponding to these two forms of reward, the Jew’s spiritual service (that leads to the reward) likewise assumes two forms: there is both a concealed and a revealed form of divine service.
הנה בכלל עובדי ה׳, יש ב׳ בחינות ומדרגות חלוקות
Among those who serve G‑d by fulfilling the Torah and its mitzvot, there are two distinct kinds and levels,
מצד שורש נשמתם למעלה, מבחינת ימין ושמאל
depending on the root of their souls above, in the categories of the “right” (Chesed) and the “left” (Gevurah).
דהיינו, שבחינת שמאל היא מדת הצמצום וההסתר בעבודת ה׳
In terms of the effect of the soul’s root, this means that the “left” is characterized by contraction and concealment in one’s divine service.
כמו שכתוב: והצנע לכת גו׳
Thus, with regard to this manner of service, it is written,2 “...and to walk covertly [with the L‑rd your G‑d]”;
במסתרים תבכה גו׳
[and in another verse we find],3 “in secret places weeps [my soul]...”;
כל העוסק בתורה בסתר כו׳
[and, in the words of our Sages],4 “Whoever engages in the study of the Torah in secret....”
The three above-mentioned quotations refer to the three general modes of divine service: With regard to mitzvot — “to walk covertly”; regarding prayer — “my soul weeps”; and with regard to Torah — “engages in the study of the Torah in secret.”
All the above approaches to divine service result from one of the the traits that characterizes Gevurah, viz., concealment. The Alter Rebbe now goes on to speak of the other dominant trait that characterizes the attribute of Gevurah, viz., contraction.
והנה ממדה זו נמשכה גם כן בחינת הצמצום והגבול בעבודת ה׳
From this attribute derives also the element of contraction and limitation in the service of G‑d;
כמו בצדקה, להיות נידון בהשג יד
for example, having one’s disbursements to charity adjudged according to one’s means,5
והמבזבז, אל יבזבז יותר מחומש
and [setting one’s limits in the spirit of the teaching],6 “He who gives lavishly, should not expend more than one fifth.”
וכהאי גונא בתלמוד תורה ושארי מצות, די לו שיוצא ידי חובתו מחיוב מפורש שחייבתו התורה בפירוש
Likewise, as regards the study of Torah and the other commandments, such a person is satisfied if he discharges his definite duty which the Torah explicitly obligates him to do,
לקבוע עתים כו׳
such as to set aside certain times [for Torah study].
Thus, the soul’s root in the Supernal “left”, in the attribute of Gevurah, will lead one to act in a manner consistent with its character trait of limitation: so that he will give only as much tzedakah, study only as much Torah, and perform the mitzvot only to the degree that he is obligated.
וממנה נמשך גם כן מה שאמרו רז״ל: זרוק מרה בתלמידים כו׳
אך בחינת ימין היא מדת החסד וההתפשטות בעבודת ה׳
By contrast, the characteristic of the “right” is the attribute of Chesedand expansiveness — serving G‑d
בהתרחבות, בלי צמצום והסתר כלל
with amplitude, without any contraction or concealment whatever,
כמו שכתוב: ואתהלכה ברחבה כו׳
as it is written,9 “And I will walk about expansively...,”
וגם בלי צמצום וגבול כלל
and without any contraction or limitation whatever. I.e., with such an individual, not only the approach to divine service but also its execution is characterized by a broad sweep.
ואין מעצור לרוח נדבתו, בין בצדקה ובין בתלמוד תורה ושאר מצות
There is no restraint to the spirit of his generosity, whether it be with respect to charity, the study of Torah, or other commandments.
ולא די לו לצאת ידי חובתו בלבד, אלא עד בלי די כו׳
He is not satisfied with merely discharging his obligation, but [continues]10 “to the extent of never [saying] ‘Enough!’...”
These, then, are the two types of divine service that result from the soul’s being rooted either in the “right” or the “left”.
* * *
והנה כל איש ישראל צריך להיות כלול מב׳ בחינות אלו
Now, every Jew needs to comprise both these traits: a Jew whose soul derives from Chesed must also incorporate the thrust of Gevurah, and vice versa,
ואין לך דבר שאין לו מקום
for11 “There is no thing that has not its place.”
Both Chesed and Gevurah are essential to one’s service; at times he must use one attribute, at times — the other.
ולכן מצינו כמה דברים מקולי בית שמאי ומחומרי בית הלל
Thus we find various matters that exemplify the leniencies of Beit Shammai and the stringencies of Beit Hillel.12
ללמדנו, שאף בית שמאי, ששרש נשמתם מבחינת שמאל העליון, ולכן היו דנין להחמיר תמיד בכל איסורי התורה
This comes to teach us that even Beit Shammai, whose soul was rooted in the Supernal “left”,13 (which is why they always decided stringently as regards all the prohibitions of the Torah,
For stringencies stem from Gevurah, inasmuch as they prevent an object from being used and thereby elevated.
ובית הלל, שהיו מבחינת ימין העליון, היו מלמדין זכות להקל ולהתיר איסורי בית שמאי
whereas Beit Hillel, who derived from the Supernal “right”, would find arguments for leniency in order to render permissible the things prohibited by Beit Shammai,
שיהיו מותרים מאיסורם, ויוכלו לעלות למעלה
so that these should become released from their prohibitive bonds and be able to ascend), —
The word אסור means “bound” (i.e., to the sitra achra) and hence “prohibited”. Its opposite (מותר) means “released” and hence “permitted”. Declaring an object permissible thus unfetters it from the bonds of the sitra achra, thereby allowing it to ascend, as explained in Tanya, Part I, ch. 7.
אף על פי כן, בכמה דברים היו בית שמאי מקילין
nevertheless, in numerous matters, [even] Beit Shammai were lenient.
מפני התכללות שרש נשמתם, שהוא כלול גם מימין
[This is so] because of the inclusiveness of their soul’s root, which is compounded of the “right” (Chesed) as well.
וכן שורש נשמת בית הלל כלול גם משמאל
And, likewise, the root of Beit Hillel’s soul was also compounded of the “left” (Gevurah).
כידוע דרך ומדות קדש העליון
For, as is known of the mode and the attributes14 (i.e., the manner) of Supernal Holiness,
דלית תמן קיצוץ ופירוד, חס ושלום
“there is no cleavage or division there,”15 heaven forfend;
וכל המדות כלולות זו מזו
rather, all the traits that derive from Supernal Holiness incorporate each other — Chesed incorporates an aspect of Gevurah; Gevurah of Chesed; and so on.
ולכן הן מיוחדות זו בזו, כידוע ליודעי חן
They are therefore in union with each other, as is known to those who study the Kabbalah (lit., “the scholars of the Hidden Wisdom”).
Although Chesed and Gevurah are opposites, nonetheless, since they are also compounded of each other, they are able to work together.
וכדכתיב באברהם, שהוא מדת החסד והאהבה: עתה ידעתי כי ירא אלקים אתה
Thus it is written of Abraham,16 who personifies the attribute of Chesedand love, “Now I know that you stand in awe of G‑d,”
על ידי שלבש מדת הגבורה, ויעקוד את יצחק בנו, ויקח את המאכלת גו׳
— for he had garbed himself in the attribute of Gevurah, which was not of his essence,17 “And bound Isaac his son...and took the knife [to slaughter his son].”
We thus see that Abraham, who is the very embodiment of Chesed, was able to respond as the occasion demanded with even this expression of severity, the very epitome of the attribute of Gevurah.
ומה שאמר הכתוב: אברהם אוהבי, ופחד יצחק
As for Scripture characterizing him as18 “Abraham who loved Me,” and [in another verse characterizing Isaac as]19 “the Dread of Isaac,” thereby indicating that Abraham’s service was an expression of Chesed and Isaac’s service an expression of Gevurah, which would seem to contradict the earlier statement that Abraham also revealed the attribute of Gevurah,
הנה ההפרש וההבדל הזה הוא בבחינת גילוי והעלם
this difference and distinction exists [only] on the scale of manifestation and concealment.
שבמדת יצחק, הפחד הוא בבחינת גילוי, והאהבה מסותרת בבחינת העלם והסתר
In Isaac’s mode of divine service, the fear is manifest, while the love is hidden, in a state of concealment and hiding.
וההיפך במדת אברהם אבינו, עליו השלום
The opposite is the case with the trait of our father Abraham, peace be to him — Chesed was manifest and Gevurah was concealed.
וזהו שאמר דוד המלך, עליו השלום, מה רב טובך וגו׳
And this is the meaning of what was said by King David, peace be to him,who was20 of the attribute of Gevurah, “How abundant is Your goodness [which You have hidden away for those who fear You].”
כלומר, שמדת הטוב והחסד, אשר היא בבחינת העלם והסתר אצל כל מי ששורש נשמתו מבחינת שמאל
That is to say that the attribute of goodness and Chesed, which is in a state of concealment and hiding within those whose soul-root derives from the “left”, i.e., from Gevurah,
הנקראים בשם יראיך
and who are referred to as “those who fear You,”
כמדת בית שמאי
resembling the [above-mentioned] trait of Beit Shammai, —
הנה, אף שהוא טוב הגנוז וצפון
though this is a concealed and hidden goodness, beneath a dominant surface of Gevurah,
אף על פי כן הוא רב וגדול מאד, כמו מדת הגדולה והחסד ממש, שמבחינת ימין
it is nevertheless truly as abundant and immense as the attribute ofGedulah21 and Chesed, which is of the “right”.
Although the element of Chesed within those described as “those that fear You” is concealed, for their soul-root derives essentially from Gevurah, it is latent within them just as abundantly as it is found within those who are essentially of the “right”.
ושתיהן הן מבחינת גילוי בלי גבול ומדה ושיעור
Moreover, both [degrees of Chesed] — that which is dominant in the souls deriving from the “right” as well as that incorporated in the souls deriving from the “left” — are manifest without limit, measure or dimension.
וזהו שכתוב: מה רב טובך
And this is the meaning of the phrase, “How abundant is Your goodness”;
כלומר, בלי גבול ומדה
i.e., [it applies in both cases] without limit and measure;
בין הטוב אשר צפנת ליראיך, ובין אשר פעלת לחוסים בך
whether it be the goodness “which You have hidden away for those who fear You,” or that which “You have wrought for those who trust in You,”
שהם בעלי הבטחון שמבחינת ימין
referring to the trusting ones who derive from the “right”,
A person trusts his beloved friend to act in his best interests. In the same way, those whose souls stem from the “right” and who serve G‑d with Chesed and love, place their trust in Him.
וחסדם וטובם הוא גם כן בבחינת גילוי והתפשטות נגד בני אדם
and whose kindness and goodness are also in a state of manifestation and expansiveness before [the sight of] man,
ולא בבחינת צמצום והסתר כלל
and by no means in a state of contraction and concealment.
We can now understand why the verse begins by saying “hidden away for those who fear You” and concludes with the manifest state of “before man”: The verse is alluding to two forms of Chesed — in its concealed state, as possessed by “those who fear You,” and in its revealed state, as possessed by “those who trust in You.”
ומה שכתוב: ליראיך, ולא ביראיך
(22The reason the verse says “for those who fear You,” which would seem to imply that the Chesed from above is granted to them as a reward, rather than “in those who fear You,”
היינו משום שכל מה שהוא בבחינת העלם בכל נשמה
is that whatever is in a state of concealment within any soul
הנה בחינה זו אינה מלובשת תוך הגוף, במוחו ולבו
is not vested within the body — in the individual’s mind and heart, for they are incapable of receiving it.
אלא היא בבחינת מקיף מלמעלה
Rather, it encompasses [the individual] from above, so to speak,
ומשם היא מאירה למוחו ולבו, לעתים הצריכים להתעוררות בחינה זו
and thence it radiates to his mind and heart at those times which require an arousal of the attribute in question,
שתתעורר ותאיר למוחו ולבו, כדי לבא לידי מעשה בפועל ממש
so that it will be aroused and will illumine his mind and heart in order to result in actual deeds.)
For example, a person whose charitable contributions are customarily limited will have revealed to him the concealed and infinite attribute of Chesed, which will prompt him to give tzedakah unstintingly.
ואמר על כן: אשר רב טוב לבית ישראל, הצפון והגלוי, הוא בבחינת בלי גבול ומדה לפי ערך נפשותם המלובשת בגוף
[King David] therefore said that whereas the “abundance of goodness” of the House of Israel, [both] that which is hidden and that which is manifest, is (so to speak) without limit and measure (relative to the category of their soul vested in the body),
The kindness of a finite creature is by definition limited. However, it may be termed infinite in relation to the soul vested in the body.
לכן גם אתה ה׳ תתנהג עמהם במדת חסדך הגדול, בלי גבול ותכלית, הנקרא רב חסד
therefore “You, too, O G‑d, relate to them with the attribute of Your unlimited and infinitely great Chesed, which is of the level known asGedulah, and which is called rav Chesed” — the Chesed of Arich Anpin that utterly transcends the lesser Chesed of Z’eir Anpin, from which the worlds evolve by means of the Seder Hishtalshelut.
דאית חסד ואית חסד
אית חסד עולם
There is Chesed olam (lit., “Chesed of the world”) — i.e., a worldlike (and hence finite) Chesed,
שיש כנגדו ולעומתו מדת הדין, חס ושלום
that has an opposite counterpart — the attribute of din, of severe justice,heaven forfend,
למעט ולצמצם חסדו וטובו
which would diminish and contract [G‑d’s] goodness.
אבל חסד עליון, הנקרא רב חסד
The superior form of Chesed, however, which is called rav Chesed,
אין כנגדו מדת הדין, למעט ולצמצם רוב חסדו, מלהתפשט בלי גבול ותכלית
does not have the attribute of din opposed to it, to diminish and contract the abundance of [G‑d’s] benevolence from extending without limit or end.
כי הוא נמשך מבחינת סובב כל עלמין, וטמירא דכל טמירין
For it derives from the level of [Divinity called] Sovev Kol Almin, which transcends (lit., “encompasses”) all worlds and limitations, and from [the level of Divinity called] Temira DeChol Temirin (lit., “that which is hidden [even] from all the hidden [worlds]),”
הנקרא כתר עליון
which is called Keter Elyon (lit., “the Supernal Crown”), i.e., the utterly transcendent level of Divinity known as Keter.
וזהו שכתוב: תסתירם בסתר פניך וגו׳, תצפנם בסוכה וגו׳
This, then, is the meaning of the verse which follows our opening quotation, and which continues to speak of “those who fear You” and “those who trust in You”: “Hide them in the concealment of Your innermost dimension...”(for, as explained above, פנים denotes both “countenance” and “inwardness”);“conceal them in a sukkah...” (i.e., in the sublime level of Chesed which, deriving from the above-mentioned level of Keter, transcends the Seder Hishtalshelut, and will encompass them like a sukkah).
Supplement by the Rebbe
The thrust of the above letter, which was delivered by an emissary who was to collect contributions for charity, is that even those who serve G‑d by means of their soul-root in the “left”, — even if, like Beit Shammai, they are totally righteous individuals (who need not give tzedakah [for the sake of atonement]; cf. “for we are not complete,” as explained above in Iggeret HaKodesh, Epistle 10), — nevertheless, they too possess “an abundant and immense” degree of Chesed. “At those times which require it,” moreover, “it results in actual deeds.”’
This is explicit in the concluding passage of the letter which was not printed “by the rabbis, long may they live, sons of the illustrious author of blessed memory, whose soul is in Eden,” and which reads as follows:24
ואחר הדברים האלה, נפשי בשאלתי
And after the above words, from the depths of my soul I seek
לעורר רב טוב הגנוז והצפון בלב כל אנשי שלומנו
to arouse the [infinite] abundance of benevolence that is concealed in the heart of every individual in the chassidic brotherhood,25
מן ההעלם אל הגילוי, לבא לידי מעשה
[so that it be manifested] from concealment to revelation and be translated into action,
למלאות ידם לה׳, ביד מלאה ורחבה
and so that you will all “fill your hands unto G‑d” by giving charity with a full and open hand
על ידי ציר נאמן, מוסר כתב זה כו׳, ודי למבין כמו שכתוב באגרת
through the trusted bearer of this message — and what is written [above] in the letter should suffice for the discerning.
ואין אני כותבו מחמת שלא נצרך, ודי למבין
I am not spelling it out, for this is not necessary; the above will suffice.
הכל דברי אוהב נפשם, דורש שלומם מלב ונפש חפיצה
These are the words of one who loves you with all his soul, and who seeks your welfare with heartfelt and soulful longing.
At this point the Alter Rebbe signs:
שניאור זלמן בן לאדוני אבי מורנו ורבנו הרב ר׳ ברוך
Shneur Zalman, the son of my master, my father, our mentor and Rebbe, Rabbi Baruch
The Rebbe adds: “The above passage [which makes it clear that the foregoing teachings were intended to find practical expression in the giving of tzedakah] enables us to understand the relevance here of the first part of this letter, which otherwise should seemingly have begun with והנה כל איש ישראל — ‘Now every Jew needs to comprise....”’
FOOTNOTES
1.
Tehillim 31:20.
2.
Michah 6:8.
3.
Yirmeyahu 13:17.
4.
Note of the Rebbe: “See Moed Katan16b מבפנים כו׳ בסתר.”
5.
Note of the Rebbe: “Tur and Shulchan Aruch, beginning of Hilchot Tzedakah.”
6.
Ketubbot 50a.
7.
Ibid. 103b.
8.
In the standard Hebrew text, this last sentence appears after the following one (i.e., after ברחבה כו׳ — “expansively”). A parenthetical comment there notes the consequent anomaly, and suggests that the sentence might in fact belong here, as in the present edition.
9.
Tehillim 119:45.
10.
Malachi 3:10.
11.
Avot 4:3.
12.
Note of the Rebbe: “Eduyot, chs. 4-5.”
13.
Note of the Rebbe: “See Zohar III, 245a.”
14.
Note of the Rebbe in He’arot VeTikkunim: “This expression requires some explanation.”
15.
Zohar III, 70a.
16.
Bereishit 22:12.
17.
Ibid., verses 9, 10.
18.
Yeshayahu 41:8.
19.
Bereishit 31:42.
20.
Zohar III, 204a.
21.
This term denotes the Divine attribute ofChesed; see Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah, ch. 4.
22.
Parentheses are in the original text.
23.
Note of the Rebbe: “Zohar III, 133b.”
24.
See Igrot Kodesh (Letters) of the Alter Rebbe (Kehot, N.Y., 5740), p. 47ff.
25.
In the Hebrew original, this phrase is abbreviated as אנ״ש.
•Wednesday, 11 Elul, 5776 · 14 September 2016
• Today's Mitzvah
A daily digest of Maimonides’ classic work "Sefer Hamitzvot"
Negative Commandment 236 (Digest)
Borrowing with Interest
"You shall not give interest to your brother"—Deuteronomy 23:20.
One may not take a loan – whether money or any other item – from a fellow Jew if it involves payment of interest. Had the Torah not specified this prohibition, we'd have thought that the prohibition against loaning with interest lies only with the lender, but that the borrower does not transgress (similar to the prohibition against defrauding, where only the defrauder transgresses, not the defrauded).
In addition to this prohibition, the borrower also transgresses the prohibition against "placing a stumbling block in the path of a blind person."
• Borrowing with Interest
The 236th prohibition is that the borrower is also forbidden from borrowing with interest.
If not for this prohibition on the borrower to borrow with interest, one might think that only the lender transgresses, since he is the wrongdoer; not the borrower, since he merely allows himself to be overcharged. This would be similar to ona'a,1 which applies only to the one who overcharges, not the one who pays. It was therefore necessary to have a separate prohibition that the borrower shall not borrow money with interest.
The source of this prohibition is G‑d's statement2 (exalted be He), "Do not deduct interest from your brother, whether it is interest for money, interest for food,..."
The Oral Torah explains [that this phrase should be read,] "Do not allow to be deducted from your brother..." [therefore applying to the borrower, not the lender]. Our Sages stated explicitly in tractate Bava Metzia: "A borrower transgresses 'Do not deduct' and3 'Do not place a stumbling block before the blind,' " as explained in our discussion of that mitzvah.4
Rabbi Berel Bell is a well-known educator, author and lecturer. He and his family reside in Montreal, Canada.
From "Sefer Hamitzvot in English," published by Sichos in English.
FOOTNOTES
1.N250.
2.Deut. 23:20.
3.Lev. 19:14.
4.N299.
• Rambam - 1 Chapter a Day Metamme'ey Mishkav uMoshav - Chapter 4
• Metamme'ey Mishkav uMoshav - Chapter 4
1
There are four women who are impure only from the time they discover uterine bleeding onward. They do not impart impurity retroactively. They are: a woman who is pregnant, one who is nursing, a maiden, or one who is elderly.
What is meant by a pregnant woman? A woman whose pregnancy has become obvious. If she was considered as pregnant and then experienced uterine bleeding and discharged a sack full of air or an entity that is not considered as a fetus, her status continues without and she is impure only from the time she discovers uterine bleeding onward. If she experienced uterine bleeding and directly afterwards, her pregnancy became obvious, she becomes impure retroactively like other women.
What is meant by a woman who is nursing? A woman within 24 months of childbirth, even if her child died within this time, she weaned him, or gave him to a nursemaid, she is impure only from the time bleeding is discovered. After 24 months, even if she continues to nurse, she becomes impure retroactively like other women.
What is meant by the term "a maiden"? A girl who has never menstruated, i.e., the intent is a maiden with regard to menstruation and not a maiden with regard to hymeneal bleeding. What is implied? Even if she was married and experienced uterine bleeding because of marriage or she gave birth and experienced uterine bleeding because of birth, she is still considered as a maiden with regard to the ruling that she is impure only from the time she discovers uterine bleeding onward.
What is meant by the term "elderly woman"? A woman who did not menstruate for three months as she approached advanced age. When is she considered elderly? When she is called an old woman by others in her presence and she does not protest. If three 30-day intervals pass and then she menstruates, another three 30-day intervals or more or less pass, and she menstruates, she is considered like other women and imparts impurity retroactively.
א
ארבע נשים דיין שעתן ואינן מטמאות למפרע ואלו הן מעוברת ומניקה ובתולה וזקנה אי זו היא מעוברת משיוכר עוברה היתה בחזקת מעוברת וראתה דם ואח"כ הפילה רוח או דבר שאינו ולד הרי זו בחזקתה ודיה שעתה ראתה דם ואחר כך הוכר עוברה הרי זו מטמאה למפרע ככל הנשים אי זו היא מניקה כל עשרים וארבעה חדש מיום הלידה אפילו מת בנה בתוך זמן זה או שגמלתהו או נתנתהו למניקה דיה שעתה אבל אחר כ"ד חדש אע"פ שהיא מניקה והולכת הרי זו טמאה למפרע ככל הנשים אי זו היא בתולה כל שלא ראתה דם מימיה בתולת דמים אמרו לא בתולת בתולים כיצד אפילו נשאת וראתה דם מחמת נישואין או ילדה וראתה דם מחמת לידה עדיין היא בתולה לעניין טומאה ודיה שעתה אי זו היא זקנה כל שעברו עליה שלשה חדשים סמוך לזקנותה ולא ראתה דם ואי זו היא סמוך לזקנותה כל שחברותיה קוראות לה זקנה בפניה ואינה מקפדת עברו עליה שלש עונות וראתה וחזרו ועברו עליה שלש עונות אחרות או פחות או יתר וראתה הרי היא ככל הנשים ומטמאה למפרע:
2
When a girl menstruates for the first time, even if her blood is flowing or dripping for all seven days, it is considered as if she experienced bleeding once. If she experienced bleeding, it stopped and then started again, it is considered as if she experienced bleeding twice.
ב
בתולה שראתה דם אפילו שופעת כל שבעה או דולפת הרי זה פעם אחת ראתה דם ופסקה וחזרה יראתה הרי זה שתי פעמים:
3
When a young girl who had not yet reached the age when she is expected to menstruate experiences uterine bleeding for the first and second times, she is impure only from the time she discovers uterine bleeding onward. If she experiences bleeding a third time, she imparts impurity retroactively. If three months then pass without her menstruating and then she menstruates, she is impure only from the time she discovers uterine bleeding onward. If three other months then pass without her menstruating and then she menstruates, she is impure only from the time she discovers uterine bleeding onward. If three other months then pass without her menstruating and then she menstruates, she is impure retroactively.
ג
תינוקת שלא הגיע זמנה לראות וראתה דם פעם ראשונה ושניה דיה שעתה ראתה פעם שלישית מטמאה למפרע [עברו עליה שלשה חדשים ואחר כך ראתה דיה שעתה] עברו עליה שלשה חדשים אחרים ואח"כ ראתה דיה שעתה עברו עליה ג' חדשים אחרים וראתה מטמאה למפרע:
4
When a young girl reaches the age when she can be expected to menstruate and experiences uterine bleeding for the first time, she is impure only from the time she discovers uterine bleeding onward. From the second occasion onward, she imparts impurity retroactively. If three months then pass without her menstruating and then she menstruates, she is impure only from the time she discovers uterine bleeding onward. If three other months then pass without her menstruating and then she menstruates, she is impure retroactively.
ד
תינוקת שהגיע זמנה לראות וראתה פעם ראשונה דיה שעתה שנייה מטמאה למפרע עברו עליה שלשה חדשים ואח"כ ראתה דיה שעתה עברו עליה שלשה חדשים אחרים ואחר כך ראתה מטמאה למפרע:
5
If a pregnant woman, one who is nursing or elderly, or a girl who has never menstruated, but has reached the age when that is likely experiences uterine bleeding once, she is impure only from the time she discovers uterine bleeding onward. If such a woman experiences bleeding a second time, she imparts impurity retroactively like all other women, as explained. If, however, the first time she experienced bleeding, it came because of external factors, she is impure only from the time she discovers uterine bleeding onward, even if she experiences bleeding a second time.
ה
מעוברת ומניקה וזקנה ובתולה שהגיע זמנם לראות שראו ראיה ראשונה דיין שעתן ראו פעם שניה מטמאו' למפרע ככל הנשים כמו שביארנו ואם ראו הראשונה באונס אף בשניה דיין שעתן:
6
When a pregnant or nursing woman experienced uterine bleeding and then a three month interval passed before she experienced bleeding again, she is impure only from the time she discovers uterine bleeding onward. If another three months pass without her menstruating and then she experiences uterine bleeding again, i.e., a third experience of bleeding when counting the first, she imparts impurity retroactively.
When a woman experiences uterine bleeding within 24 hours of experiencing "the bleeding of purity," she is impure only from the time she discovers uterine bleeding onward.
Any woman about whom it is said, "she is impure only from the time she discovers uterine bleeding onward," must continuously inspect herself even though she imparts impurity retroactively. All women who inspect themselves frequently are praiseworthy, with the exception of a woman in the nidah state and a woman who is granted "the bleeding of purity," for whom the inspections are of no consequence whatsoever.
ו
מעוברת או מניקה שראתה הדם ועברו עליה שלשה חדשים ואח"כ ראתה דיה שעתה עברו עליה שלשה חדשים אחרים וראתה פעם שניה שהיא שלישית לראייה ראשונה מטמאות למפרע הרואה דם אחר דם טוהר בתוך כ"ד שעות דיה שעתה וכל שדיה שעתה אף על פי שאינה מטמאה למפרע צריכה שתבדוק עצמה תמיד וכל אשה המרבת לבדוק משובחת חוץ מן הנדה ויושבת על דם טוהר שאין הבדיקה מועלת להן כלום:
7
The Sages ordained that Jewish women should inspect themselves every day in the morning because of the pure articles that they touched the previous evening and in the evening, because of the pure articles they touched in the morning. Whenever a woman partakes of terumah, she should inspect herself when she partakes of the terumah.
Every woman should inspect herself before she is intimate with her husband, because she also inspects herself for the sake of pure articles. If, however, she does not have to do with pure articles, she need not inspect herself for the sake of intimacy with her husband. For every woman who has a fixed time when she is expected to menstruate can operate on the presumption that at other times, she is pure with regard to relations with her husband, as we explained with regard to the laws of nidah.
ז
חכמים תקנו להן לבנות ישראל להיות בודקות עצמן בכל יום בשחרית מפני טהרות של ערבית ובערבית מפני טהרות של שחרית וכל אוכלת תרומה בודקת בשעה שאוכלת בתרומה וכל אשה בודקת בשעה שעוברת לשמש מטתה מפני הטהרות אבל אם לא היתה עוסקת בטהרות אינה צריכה בדיקה לבעלה שכל הנשים שיש להן וסת בחזקת טהרה לבעליהן כמו שביארנו בענין נדה:
8
Jewish young girls who have not reached puberty may operate under the assumption that they are pure. It is not necessary that women inspect them. Once they reach puberty, they must undergo an inspection and they should be inspected by mature women.
ח
חזקת בנות ישראל שלא הגיעו לפירקן בחזקת טהרה ואין הנשים בודקות אותן אבל משהגיעו לפירקן צריכות בדיקה ונשים בודקות אותן:
9
When a woman who is a deafmute, an intellectually or emotionally compromised woman, or one who lost control of her mental faculties due to sickness has an intellectually capable woman who cares for her, they may partake of terumah.
ט
החרשת והשוטה ומי שנטרפה דעתה בחולי אם יש להן פקחות מתקנות אותן הרי אלו אוכלות בתרומה:
10
Any garments stained with blood coming from Jewish homes are assumed to be impure. Those coming from gentile homes are considered to be pure. Those found in Jewish cities are considered to be pure. For Jews are not suspected of casting away their bloodstained garments. Instead, they are hidden away.
Accordingly, any bloodstained garments that are discovered are considered as pure with the exception of those in holes and around an impure room. In all instances, the impurity is only a decree, imposed because of doubt, as we explained.
י
כל הכתמים הבאים מבין ישראל בחזקת טומאה והבאים מבין העכו"ם בחזקת טהורין והנמצאים בערי ישראל טהורים שלא נחשדו ישראל להשליך כתמיהן אלא מצניעין אותם לפיכך כל הכתמין הנמצאים בכ"מ טהורין חוץ מן הנמצאים בחורים וסביבות בית הטומאה וכולן טומאתן בספק כמו שביארנו:
11
Whenever a bloodstained garment is found, it should be treated with seven detergent agents. Afterwards, whether or not the stain is purged, the garment is immersed in a mikvehand then is deemed pure.
The rationale is that if it is not purged at all, it was a tint. If it was purged or its color faded, it is assumed to be a bloodstain. Since it was treated with these seven detergents, the blood has already been nullified even though a trace of it is still apparent. Even when a stain definitely came from nidah bleeding, once it was treated with these seven detergent agents, the blood is considered as nullified. The garment may be immersed and then used in connection with ritually pure entities.
יא
כל הכתמים הטמאין מעבירין עליהן שבעה סממנין ואחר כך בין עבר הכתם בין לא עבר מטבילו וטהור שאם לא עבר כלל הרי הוא צבע ואם עבר או כהה ה"ז כתם ומאחר שעברו עליו הסממנין כבר בטל אע"פ שרישומו ניכר ואפילו כתם של דם נדות ודאי כיון שהעביר עליו ז' סממנים בטל ומטבילו ועושה טהרות על גביו:
12
When a bloodstain on a garment is no longer detectable, the entire garment should be treated with the seven detergent agents and then immersed.
The following laws apply when semen is no longer detectable on a garment: If it the garment was new, it should be checked with a needle. If the garment was worn, it should be inspected in the sun.
יב
בגד שאבד בו כתם מעבירין על כל הבגד שבעה סממנים ומטבילו אבדה בו שכבת זרע אם היה חדש בודקו במחט ואם היה שחוק בודקו בחמה:
13
The following laws apply when a garment that was stained was immersed in the mikveh and then brought into contact with ritually pure articles. If afterwards it was treated with the seven detergent agents and was not purged, it is a tint. The ritually pure articles with which it came into contact remain ritually pure and there is no need to immerse it again. If the stain was purged or faded, it is a bloodstain. The pure articles are impure, because the person was concerned with the stain as evidenced by his removal of it. The garment must be immersed a second time to purify it.
יג
בגד שהיה עליו כתם והטבילו ועשה על גביו טהרות ואחר כך העביר על הכתם שבעה הסממנים ולא עבר ה"ז צבע והטהרות שעשה טהורות וא"צ להטבילו פעם אחרת ואם עבר הכתם או כהה עינו ה"ז כתם והטהרות טמאות שהרי הקפיד על הכתם להסירו וצריך להטבילו פעם שניה לטהרו:
14
When a stain was treated with six of the seven detergent agents and it was not purged and then it was treated with soap and it was purged, the pure articles with which it came into contact contract impurity. Although soap removes tints as well, since the garment was not treated with all seven detergent agents, it is presumed that it was a bloodstain and that, had the seventh agent been used, it would have been purged.
If one treated a stained garment with all seven detergent agents and the stain was not purged and then treated it with them again and it was purged, but a trace remained, all of the pure articles with which it came into contact between the first washing and the second washing are pure. All of the pure articles with which it came into contact after the second washing are impure. The rationale is that since he showed his intent that he objects to any trace of the stain and desires to remove all remnants of it, the garment is impure until all remnants are nullified and it is immersed in amikveh.
In Hilchot Issurei Bi'ah, we already explained the seven detergent agents with which a stain is treated and how it is treated with them.
יד
כתם שהעביר עליו ששה סממנים ולא עבר ואח"כ העביר עליו צפון ועבר הרי הטהרות שנעשו על גביו טמאות אף על פי שהצפון מעביר הצבע הואיל ולא העביר עליו שבעה הסממנין הרי זה בחזקת כתם ושמא אילו העביר השביעי היה עובר העביר עליו ז' הסממנים ולא עבר וחזר והעבירן עליו פעם שנייה ועבר כל הטהרות שנעשו על גביו בין תכבוסת ראשונה לשניה טהורות וכל הטהרות שנעשו על גביו אחר תכבוסת שניה טמאות הואיל וגילה דעתו שהוא מקפיד עליו ורוצה להוציא רשומו הרי זה טמא עד שיבטלו ויטבילו כבר ביארנו בהלכות איסורי ביאה שבעה הסממנין שמעבירין על הכתם מה הן והיאך מעבירין אותן:
15
When a woman dies and afterwards menstrual blood flows from her body, it imparts impurity to garments it stains. The rationale is that the uterus is an impure place. Hence, even though the blood flowed out after she died and the laws of nidah no longer apply, since it emerged from an impure place, it imparts nidahimpurity to garments it stains. If it comprises a revi'it, it imparts impurity to everything under the same shelter and it imparts impurity to garments it stains.
טו
האשה שמתה ויצאה ממנה דם מטמא משום כתם שהמקור מקומו טמא אף ע"פ שיצא הדם אחר שמתה ואין כאן נדה הואיל וממקום טמא יצא מטמא טומאת כתמים ואם היה בו רביעית מטמא באהל ומטמא משום כתם:
• Malveh veLoveh - Chapter 19
1
When the court attaches the property of a borrower to expropriate it, they should expropriate only land of intermediate quality for a lender.
According to Scriptural Law, a creditor should receive only the property of inferior quality, as implied by Deuteronomy 24:11: "You shall stand outside and the person who owes you the money shall bring the security out to you." What is the tendency of a person to bring out? The least valuable of his utensils. Our Sages, however, ordained that a creditor could expropriate property of intermediate quality, so that people would not refuse to give loans.
When does the above apply? When the lender comes to collect from the borrower himself. If, however, the borrower dies, and the lender comes to collect from his heirs - whether they are below or above the age of majority -he may collect only property of inferior value.
א
כשיורדין בית דין לנכסי הלוה לגבות מהן לא יגבו לבעל חוב אלא מן הבינונית שבקרקעותיו, ודין תורה שיגבה בעל חוב מן הזיבורית שנאמר בחוץ תעמוד והאיש אשר אתה נושה בו יוציא וגו' מה דרכו של אדם להוציא פחות שבכליו אבל תקנו חכמים בבינוניות כדי שלא תנעול דלת בפני לווין, במה דברים אמורים בבא ליפרע מן הלוה עצמו אבל הבא ליפרע מן היורשין בין קטנים בין גדולים לא יפרע אלא מן הזיבורית.
2
We do not collect payment from property that has been sold, when the debtor owns property that is still in his possession. [This applies even if the property in his possession is of inferior quality, and the property that has been sold is of intermediate or superior quality, and whether the property was sold or given away as presents.
If the property that has not been sold is flooded, the creditor may collect the property that has been sold. The rationale is that since it has been devastated, it is as if it no longer exists.
ב
אין נפרעים מנכסים משועבדין במקום שיש נכסים בני חורין ואפילו היו בני חורין זיבורית והמשועבדים בינונית או עידית בין שמכרם בין שנתנם, נשתדפו בני חורין ה"ז טורף מן המשועבדין שכיון שנשחתו כאילו אינם.
3
The creditor is given the upper hand in the following situation. Reuven sold all his fields to Shimon, and Shimon sold one of his fields to Levi. If one of Reuven's creditors comes to expropriate property in payment for his debt, he may expropriate property from either Shimon or Levi.
When does the above apply? When Levi purchased property of intermediate value. If, however, he purchased property that was of superior or inferior value, the creditor cannot expropriate property from Levi. For Levi will tell him: "I purposely took the trouble of purchasing a field that you have no right to expropriate, so that you would not have a claim against me." Similarly, if Levi purchased a field of intermediate worth and left Shimon a field of intermediate worth similar to the one of intermediate worth that he expropriated, the creditor cannot expropriate the field from Levi, for he will tell the creditor: "I left you property to expropriate as payment for your debt."
ג
ראובן שמכר כל שדותיו לשמעון וחזר שמעון ומכר שדה אחת מהן ללוי ובא ב"ח של ראובן לטרוף רצה מזה גובה רצה מזה גובה, בד"א כשלקח לוי בינונית, אבל אם לקח עידית או זיבורית אינו טורף מלוי שהרי זה אומר לו מפני זה טרחתי ולקחתי שדה שאין דינך לגבות ממנו, וכן אם לקח לוי בינונית והניח אצל שמעון בינונית כמו הבינונית שלקח אינו טורף מלוי שהרי זה אומר לו הנחתי לך מקום לגבות ממנו.
4
We have already explained that payment for damages should be expropriated from property of superior value, a lender should expropriate property of intermediate value, and the money due a woman by virtue of her ketubah should be expropriated from property of inferior value.
When a person owns only property of superior value and property of inferior value, damages should be expropriated from the property of superior value, and a lender and a woman collecting the money due her by virtue of her ketubah should expropriate the property of inferior value.
If he owns only property of superior value and property of intermediate value, damages should be expropriated from the property of superior value, and a lender and a woman collecting the money due her by virtue of her ketubah should expropriate the property of intermediate value.
If he owns only property of inferior value and property of intermediate value, damages and payment for a loan should be expropriated from the property of intermediate value, and a woman collecting the money due her by virtue of her ketubah should expropriate the property of inferior value.
ד
כבר ביארנו שהנזקין שמין להן בעידית ובעל חוב בבינונית וכתובת אשה בזיבורית, היו לו עידית וזיבורית ניזקין בעידית בעל חוב [וכתובת אשה] בזיבורית, היו לו עידית ובינונית ניזקין בעידית ובעל חוב וכתובת אשה בבינונית, היו לו זיבורית ובינונית בלבד ניזקין ובעל חוב בבינונית וכתובת אשה בזיבורית.
5
When a person owns three fields and he sells them to three people at the same time, they all take the place of the previous owner. Thus, payment for damages should be expropriated from property of superior value, a lender should expropriate property of intermediate value and the money due a woman by virtue of herketubah should be expropriated from property of inferior value.
If he sold them one after the other, they should all expropriate their due from the last purchaser. If the worth of that property was not sufficient, they should expropriate from the property purchased before it. If the worth of that property was also not sufficient, they should expropriate from the property purchased first.
This applies even if the last purchaser acquired the property of inferior quality. For the purchaser who preceded him can tell the person who seeks to expropriate property: "I left you property from which you could collect your debt."
ה
מכרן לשלשה בני אדם בבת אחת הרי כולן נכנסו תחת הבעלים והניזקין טורפין מן העידית ובעל חוב טורף מן הבינונית וכתובת אשה טורפת מן הזיבורית, מכרן לזה אחר זה כולן טורפין מן האחרון לא הספיק טורפין משלפניו לא הספיק טורפין משלפני פניו, אפילו היה האחרון הוא שלקח הזיבורית שהרי הלוקח הקודם אומר לטורף הנחתי לך מקום לגבות ממנו.
6
When a debtor sells all of his properties to one person, one after the other, that person takes the place of the original owner.
When does the above apply? When he purchased the property of superior quality last. When, however, he purchased the property of inferior quality last, all the creditors must collect their due from that property. For when a person comes to expropriate property, the purchaser will tell him: "I left you property from which you can collect your debt."
Why does the purchaser not tell this to a person who seeks to expropriate the property when he purchased the property of superior value first, and thus a woman collecting the money due her by virtue of her ketubah and a lender would also expropriate their due from the property of superior value? Because this possibility is an ordinance instituted for the sake of the purchaser. And he will tell them: "I cannot accept this ordinance." Instead, each type of creditor will collect from the property fit for him.
ו
מכרן לאחד זו אחר זו הרי הלוקח נכנס תחת הבעלים, בד"א שלקח עידית באחרונה אבל לקח זיבורית באחרונה כולן גובין מן הזיבורית שהרי אומר לטורף כשיבא לגבות מן השדה שלקח תחלה הרי הנחתי לך מקום לגבות ממנו, ולמה אינו אומר לו הטורף כך אם לקח עידית באחרונה ותגבה האשה ובעל חוב מן העידית שלקח באחרונה, שזו תקנה היא ללוקח והרי אומר לוקח להן אי אפשי בתקנה זו אלא כל אחד מכם יגבה מן הראוי לו.
7
Similarly, the following laws apply when the debtor sold all his properties to one person, one after the other, selling him the property of superior value last, and that purchaser sold the property of inferior and intermediate value to a third party and retained the property of superior value for himself. All the debtors collect their due from the property of superior value, for the purchaser does not have any property from the original debtor to divert them to.
When the purchaser sold the property of superior value and retained the properties of inferior and intermediate value, payment for damages should be expropriated from property of superior value in the possession of the second purchaser. The debt owed a lender and the money due a woman by virtue of her ketubahshould be expropriated from the property of intermediate and inferior value that the first purchaser retained.
ז
מכרן לאחד זו אחר זו ומכר לו עידית באחרונה וחזר הלוקח ומכר זיבורית ובינונית ושייר עידית לפניו כולן גובין מן העידית שהרי אין לו במה ידחה אותם, מכר עידית והניח בינונית וזיבורית הניזקין טורפין מן העידית שביד לוקח השני ובעל חוב וכתובת אשה גובין מבינונית וזיבורית ששייר לפניו.
8
As reflected in the following situation, when a person limits his power to expropriate property, his waiver may extend beyond his original intent: One person borrowed money from a colleague. Afterwards, the borrower sold his property to two people each person purchasing a portion for himself, one after the other. The creditor wrote to the second purchaser, pledging that he would not expropriate the property as payment for the debt and affirmed his commitment with a kinyan. Our Sages ruled that he is also not able to expropriate the property sold to the first purchaser. For that purchaser will say to the creditor: "I left you the opportunity of collecting the money owed you from the debtor by expropriating the property that the second purchaser bought after I did. You caused yourself a loss by removing your lien on it."
Similar laws apply with regard to a woman who seeks to collect the money due her by virtue of her ketubah. If she writes such a waiver to the second purchaser, she loses the right to the money due her by virtue of her ketubah and cannot expropriate property. If, however, such persons write such a waiver to the first purchaser, they may expropriate the property from the second purchaser.
The following situation can occur when a borrower sells a field to a purchaser and then the purchaser sells it to a second purchaser. The lender writes to the first purchaser, pledging that he would not expropriate the property as payment for the debt and affirms his commitment with a kinyan. The creditor may expropriate the property from the second purchaser. The first purchaser may expropriate the property from the creditor, because he pledged that he would not expropriate the property, and he did. The second purchaser can then expropriate the property from the first purchaser, because he sold it to him. The creditor may then expropriate the property again from the second purchaser, and the cycle continues until they arrange a compromise.
Similar laws apply with regard to a woman who seeks to collect the money due her by virtue of her ketubah and makes a pledge to the person who purchased her husband's property.
ח
מי שלוה מאחד ואחר כך מכר הלוה נכסיו לשנים וכתב בעל חוב ללוקח שני דין ודברים אין לי עמך וקנו מידו אינו יכול לטרוף מלוקח ראשון שהרי אומר לו הנחתי לך מקום לגבות ממנו אצל בעל חובך מן הנכסים שקנה לוקח שני אחרי ואתה הפסדת על עצמך שהרי סלקת עצמך מהן, והוא הדין לאשה בכתובתה אם כתבה לשני, אבדה כתובתה ואינה יכולה לטרוף, אבל אם כתבו לראשון טורפין מן השני, מכר הלוה שדה ללוקח ומכרה לוקח ראשון ללוקח שני וכתב המלוה ללוקח ראשון דין ודברים אין לי עמך וקנו מידו הרי ב"ח טורף מלוקח שני אותה השדה ולוקח ראשון טורף אותה מב"ח שהרי כתב לו ולוקח שני טורף אותה מלוקח ראשון שהרי הוא מכרה לו וב"ח חוזר וטורף משני וחוזרין הלילה /חלילה/ עד שיעשו פשרה ביניהן וכן האשה בכתובתה. 1
FOOTNOTES
1.
מכר הלוה שדה ללוקח וכו' עד וכן האשה בכתובתה. א"א זה הפירוש למה שאמרו וכן ב"ח ושני לקוחות ובחיי ראשי לא ראיתי בכל ספריו טעות גדולה כזו מכמה תשובות האחד שאין זו החלילה אלא כשמכר הלוקח ראשון לשני באחריות ומשנתנו אין בו הפלגה וקאמר וכן ב"ח, והב' משנתנו הפשרה מתחלה לשלשתן וכאן אין הפשרה אלא לשני ב"ח וא' מן הלקוחות שהרי אחד מן הלקוחות קיבל מעותיו, והג' שאף לב' אין כאן פשרה כי כשיטרוף ב"ח השדה מלוקח שני הלך אצל לוקח ראשון ולקח מעותיו כשיבא לוקח ראשון ויוציא השדה מב"ח אותו ב"ח על מי יחזור והלוקח שני כבר לקח מעותיו והלך לו נמצא הוא לבדו מפסיד, והרביעית שאף לכתחלה אין ב"ח יכול לטרוף מלוקח שני משום דאמר ליה אי שתקת שתקת ואי לא מהדרנא שטרא למריה וכן הדין למי שאבדה לו דרך שדהו, ועל זה הדרך חולקין אפילו הן מאה כשיצאו לגבות כאחת עכ"ל.
Malveh veLoveh - Chapter 20
1
When a person owes many debts, the person whose debt was made first has the right to expropriate property first - from the borrower himself and from his creditors. If a later creditor expropriated property before the first creditor, the first creditor may expropriate it from him. For the person whose debt was established first acquires the property.
To what does the above apply? To landed property that the borrower possessed at the time that he took the loan. When, however, he purchased landed property after borrowing from many creditors, no one is granted precedence over the others, even if the borrower wrote to each one in the promissory note: "The property that I will purchase in the future is on lien to you." Instead, all are equal, and whoever comes first and expropriates the property acquires it, even if he was the last to make the loan.
א
מי שיש לו חובות הרבה כל שקדם חובו גובה תחלה בין מן הלוה עצמו בין מן הלקוחות, ואם קדם האחרון וגבה מוציאים מידו שכל שקדם חובו זכה, בד"א בקרקעות שהיו לו בעת שלוה אבל הקרקעות שקנה אחר שלוה מבעלי חובות הרבה אע"פ שכתב לכל אחד מהן מה שאני עתיד לקנות משועבד לך אין בהן דין קדימה אלא כולן שוין וכל שקדם וגבה זכה אע"פ שהוא אחרון.
2
When a borrower writes in the promissory note: "What I will acquire in the future is on lien to you," afterwards purchases a field and then borrows from another person, the field is on lien to the first lender. He has the right to expropriate it first. Similar principles apply even if there are 100 creditors.
There is no concept of precedence with regard to the expropriation of movable property. Instead, whoever comes first and expropriates it acquires it, even if he was the last to make the loan.
If another person came and seized possession of movable property belonging to this debtor in order to acquire the property on behalf of one of the creditors, that person does not acquire the property. The rationale is that a person who seizes property on behalf of a creditor in a situation where a loss is caused to another person does not acquire it. If, however, seizing it would not cause a loss to other people, he does acquire it for him. Similarly, if the borrower tells him: "Acquire this article on behalf of so-and-so," he acquires it for him. None of the other creditors can expropriate this movable property, because another person has already acquired it.
ב
לוה וכתב לו שאני עתיד לקנות משועבד לך ואחר כך קנה שדה וחזר ולוה מאחר הרי השדה משועבד לראשון והוא קודם לגבות, וכן אפילו היו מאה אין דין קדימה במטלטלין אלא כל שקדם וגבה מהן זכה אע"פ שהוא אחרון, קידם אחד משאר אדם ותפס מן המטלטלין של זה כדי לזכות לאחד מבעלי חובות לא זכה שכל התופס לבעל חוב במקום שיש עליו חוב לאחרים לא קנה, אבל אין עליו חוב לאחרים קנה לו, וכן אם אמר לו הלוה זכה בחפץ זה לפלוני זכה לו ואין אחד מבעלי חובות יכולין לגבות מאלו המטלטלין שכבר זכה בהן אחר.
3
When promissory notes are all dated on the same date - or at the same hour, in a place where the hours are mentioned - whichever creditor comes first and expropriates property, whether landed property or movable property, acquires it.
ג
שטרות שזמן כולן יום אחד או שעה אחת במקום שכותבין שעות כל שקדם מהן וגבה בין קרקע בין מטלטלין זכה. 1
4
The ensuing laws apply when creditors whose promissory notes are dated on the same date all come to expropriate property together, or when creditors whose promissory notes were dated before one another come to expropriate movable property, for there is no concept of precedence with regard to movable property, or creditors come to expropriate property that the borrower purchased after taking the loan dated last, and the property the borrower possesses is not sufficient to enable each one to collect the debt that is owed to them.
How is the property divided? If when the property is divided in equal portions according to the number of creditors, the person owed the least will receive the amount owed him or less, the property is divided into that number of equal portions.
If dividing the property into equal portions would give the person owed the least more than he is owed, this is what should be done: We divide the sum equally among the creditors so that the person owed the least will receive the money that he is owed. He then withdraws. The remaining creditors then divide the balance of the debtor's resources in the following manner.
What is implied? A person owed three debts: one of a maneh, one for 200 and one for 300. If all the resources of the debtor total 300zuz, they are divided 100 for each. Similarly, if his resources are less than 300, they should be divided equally among the three.
If his resources total more than 300 zuz, the 300 should be divided equally and then the person owed 100 should withdraw. The remaining money should be divided equally in this same manner.
What is implied? If the debtor's resources total 500 or less, the 300 should be divided equally, and then the person owed 100 should withdraw. The balance of 200 or less should then be divided equally among the remaining creditors, and then the second one withdraws.
If the debtor's resources total 600, the 300 should be divided equally, and then the person owed 100 should withdraw. They then divide 200 between the two equally, and then the second one withdraws. The 100 that remain should then be given to the person owed 300; he thus receives only 300. The debtor's resources should be divided according to this pattern even if there are 100 creditors, if they come to divide the resources at the same time. There are, however, Geonim who rule that the resources should be divided in proportion to the amount owed each creditor.
ד
באו כולן ביחד לגבות, וכן בעלי חובות שכל אחד מהן קודם לזמן חבירו שבאו לגבות מן המטלטלין שהרי אין בהן דין קדימה, או שבאו לגבות מקרקע שקנה הלוה לאחר שלוה מן האחרון שבהן ואין בנכסים כדי שיגבה כל אחד מהן את חובו מחלקין ביניהן, כיצד חולקין אם כשיתחלק הממון הנמצא על מנינם יגיע לפחות שבהן כשיעור חובו או פחות חולקים לפי מנינם בשוה, ואם יגיע לפחות שבהם יותר על חובו חולקים מכל הממון ביניהם כדי שיגיע לפחות שבהם כשיעור חובו וחוזרין הנשארים מבעלי חובות וחולקין היתר ביניהן כדרך הזאת, כיצד היו ג' חובות של זה מנה ושל זה מאתים ושל זה ג' מאות אם היה כל הנמצא ג' מאות נוטלין מאה מאה, וכן אם נמצא שם פחות מג' מאות חולקין בשוה, נמצא שם יתר על ג' מאות חולקין ג' מאות בשוה ויסתלק בעל המאה ושאר הממון חולקין אותו השנים על אותה הדרך, כיצד נמצאו שם ה' מאות או פחות חולקין ג' מאות בשוה ויסתלק האחד וחוזרין וחולקין המאתים או הפחות בשוה ויסתלק השני, נמצא שם שש מאות חולקין שלש מאות בשוה ויסתלק בעל המנה וחוזרין וחולקין המאתים בין השנים בשוה ויסתלק בעל המאתים, ונותנין המאה הנשארים לבעל השלש מאות ונמצא בידו שלש מאות בלבד, ועל דרך זו חולקין אפילו הן מאה כשיבאו לגבות כאחת, ויש מן הגאונים שהורו שחולקין לפי ממונם. 2
5
The fact that a promissory note is not dated correctly creates difficulties for its bearer. For example, Reuven and Shimon each possess a promissory note, stating that Levi owes them money. The promissory note possessed by Reuven is dated Nissan 5, and that possessed by Shimon is dated Nissan, without specifying a day. Levi possesses only one field that is not equal in value to the debts owed them both. Reuven is allowed to take possession of the field, for perhaps the promissory note owed Shimon was signed at the end of Nissan.
Similarly, Shimon cannot expropriate a field that was sold by Levi from lyyar or afterwards. For the purchaser will tell him: "Perhaps the date of your promissory note is the first of Nissan. There is a field that was not sold at that time in the possession of Reuven. Expropriate it and then let Reuven, whose promissory note is dated after yours, come and expropriate the field from me." Therefore, if Reuven and Shimon write each other a document granting power of attorney, they may expropriate a field that was sold after lyyar using both vantage points.
Similar laws apply if Levi sold one field twice, composing separate deeds of sale for Reuven and for Shimon, with one dated on the first of Nissan and one Nissan, without specifying a day.
ה
ראובן ושמעון לכל אחד משניהם שטר חוב על לוי ראובן שטרו בה' בניסן ושמעון שטרו בניסן סתם והרי יש ללוי שדה שאינה כדי חוב של שניהם מורידין לתוכה ראובן שמא שטרו של שמעון בסוף ניסן היה, וכן אין שמעון יכול לטרוף מאייר ואילך שהרי הלוקח אומר לו שמא באחד בניסן הוא זמנו של שטרך והרי שדה בת חורין ביד ראובן שתגבה אותה ויבא ראובן שהוא אחר זמנך והוא שיש לו לטרוף ממנו, לפיכך אם כתבו הרשאה זה לזה טורפין מאייר ואילך מכל צד, והוא הדין בראובן ושמעון שמכר להן לוי שדה אחת בשני שטרות שטרו של זה בחמשה בניסן ושטרו של זה בניסן סתם.
Malveh veLoveh - Chapter 21
1
When a creditor expropriates a field, he may also expropriate the increase in value that the purchaser brings about within the field. This applies whether the field increases in value because of an investment, or it increases in value as a matter of course.
There is, however, a difference between the two instances. If it increases in value as a matter of course, the creditor may expropriate the entire increase in value. If it increased in value because of an investment, the creditor may expropriate only half the increase.
What is implied? Reuven was owed a debt of 200 zuz by Shimon. Shimon sold a field to Levi for a maneh. Levi made an investment in the field and caused its value to increase and it is now worth 200. When Reuven expropriates it from Levi, he expropriates it from him for 100 and also the 50 that constitutes half the increase of value. If it increased in value on its own accord - e.g., the price rose or trees grew - he can expropriate the entire amount.
Great sages issued a ruling stating that a purchaser should not have lesser legal power than a person who occupies a field belonging to a colleague without permission, in which instance the increase in the field's value is appraised, and the squatter is given the weaker position. Therefore, if the field increased 100 zuz in value and Levi spent 50, Levi should receive all of his expenses and half of the increase in value beyond the expenses. The other half of the increase in value, and the principal, should be expropriated by the creditor. These are words of logic, and it is appropriate to rule accordingly. The purchaser then returns and expropriates the principal from Shimon's property, including even property that he sold or gave away after the time he sold this field to Levi. The increase in value that the creditor expropriated from Levi, the purchaser - whether half the increase in value or the entire increase - Levi may then expropriate only from property in the possession of Shimon. For it is an enactment instituted for the sake of society not to expropriate a property's increase in value, nor produce eaten by a thief, nor the sustenance given a widow and the deceased's daughters from property that has been sold. The rationale is that these are matters that have no limit. And it is one of the leniencies associated with a ketubah that a woman is not granted the opportunity of expropriating the money due her by virtue of her ketubah from a property's increase in value.
Why is a creditor able to expropriate only half the increase of value that comes after the investment was made? Because the increase in value comes after Shimon, the original owner borrowed money from Reuven and sold the property to Levi. Thus, Reuven and Levi can be considered to be two creditors of Shimon's and the increase in the value of the field as an increase in the value of his property that came after he borrowed from both of them. In such an instance, they divide the increase equally, as we have explained. Accordingly, the following rules apply in the ensuing circumstance. Reuven borrowed a maneh from Shimon, and in the promissory note wrote that he is extending the lien to: "the property that I will acquire in the future." He then borrowed 200 zuz from Levi, and in the promissory note wrote that he is extending the lien to: "the property that I will acquire in the future." He then purchased a field and sold it to Yehudah for 150 zuz. Yehudah made an investment and caused its value to increase, and ultimately it was worth 300zuz. Shimon and Levi expropriate the principal and divide it equally. Thus, each receives 75 zuz.
The three - Shimon, Levi and Yehudah - then divide the 150 zuz of the field's increase in value according to the principles that we explained. Thus, Shimon expropriates the complete payment of themaneh owed him from this field. Levi expropriates 137 1/2, and Yehudah receives 62 1/2 from the field's increase in value. They should divide the increase in value in this manner. These principles apply even if there are 100 creditors.
א
בעל חוב גובה את השבח שהשביח הלוקח בין שהשביחו מחמת הוצאה בין ששבחו נכסים מאליהן, אלא שאם שבחו מאליהן טורף כל השבח ואם השביחו מחמת הוצאה גובה חצי השבח, כיצד ראובן שהיה לו חוב על שמעון מאתים ומכר שמעון ללוי שדה במנה והוציא עליה לוי הוצאות והשביחה והרי היא שוה מאתים, כשיבא ראובן לטרוף מלוי טורף ממנה במאה וחמשים של חצי השבח, ואם השביחה מחמת עצמה כגון שהוקרה בדמים או עלו בה אילנות גובה את כולה, הורו חכמים גדולים ואמרו לא יהא הלוקח רע כחו מהיורד לשדה חבירו שלא ברשות ששמין לו וידו על התחתונה לפיכך אם השביח מאה והוציא חמשים נוטל כל ההוצאה וחצי השבח היתר על ההוצאה והחצי עם עם הקרן טורף ב"ח [ודברים של טעם הם וכך ראוי לדון] וחוזר הלוקח וגובה את הקרן מנכסי שמעון אף מן המשועבדין שמכר או נתן מאחר זמן שמכר בו ללוי אבל השבח שטרף ממנו ב"ח בין בחציו בין בכולו אין לוי גובהו אלא מנכסים בני חורין של שמעון שתקנת עולם היא שלא יגבה השבח ולא הפירות שאכל הגזלן ולא מזון האשה והבנות מנכסים משועבדין שאלו דברים שאין להן קצבה, ומקולי כתובה שלא תטרוף אשה מן השבח כתובתה ולמה יטרוף בעל חוב חצי השבח בלבד הבאה מחמת הוצאה עצמה לפי שהשבח בא לאחר שלוה מראובן ולאחר שמכר ללוי ונמצא ראובן ולוי כשני בעלי חובות לשמעון והשבח בנכסים שבאו לו אחר שלוה משניהם שהן חולקין כאחד כמו שביארנו. לפיכך ראובן שלוה משמעון מנה וכתב לו שאני עתיד לקנות וחזר ולוה מלוי מאתים וכתב לו שאני עתיד לקנות וקנה אחר כך שדה ומכרה ליהודה במאה וחמשים והשביחה יהודה בהוצאתו והרי היא שוה שלש מאות טורף שמעון ולוי הקרן וחולקין אותו בשוה ונמצא ביד זה ע"ה וביד זה ע"ה, וחוזרין שמעון ולוי ויהודה שלשתן וחולקין מאה וחמשים של שבח על הדרך שפירשנו, נמצא שמעון טורף מנה שלו משדה זו ולוי טורף מאה ושלשים ושבעה ומחצה ויהודה נוטל מן השבח שנים וששים ומחצה, וכזה הן חולקין אפילו הן מאה.
2
All of the produce that the purchaser consumed, however, is not expropriated from him. The produce that is attached to the land, by contrast, including even the produce that no longer needs the nurture of the land - e.g., grapes that are ready to be harvested - may be expropriated by a creditor in the same way as he expropriates the property's increase in value.
ב
כל הפירות שאכל הלוקח אינן נטרפין ממנו, אבל הפירות המחוברין לקרקע אע"פ שאינן צריכין לקרקע כענבים שהגיעו להבצר הרי ב"ח גובה מהן כמו שגובה מן השבח.
3
When the recipient of a present invests in it and causes its value to increase, the creditor may not expropriate any of its increase in value. Instead, we evaluate its worth at the time the present was given and allow him to expropriate that amount. If, however, it increases in value as a matter of course, the creditor may expropriate the entire field. If the person giving the present accepts responsibility for it, the creditor may expropriate the increase in value from this field just as he would if it were in the possession of a purchaser.
Why is a creditor given the right to expropriate half of a property's increase in value from a purchaser, but not from a person who receives a present? Because the seller of the property wrote to the purchaser in the deed of sale: "I am obligated to you for the principal, the labor you invest in it, and the increase in value that you will bring to it. I take responsibility for everything." The purchaser accepted this stipulation. For the purchaser took possession of the field on the condition that if the increase in the value of the field was expropriated from him, he would seek recompense from the seller. Even if this stipulation was not written in the deed of sale, it is a matter of public knowledge that this is the law governing the seller's responsibility to the purchaser. With regard to a present, by contrast, this stipulation does not apply. Hence, a creditor may not expropriate any increase in value that the recipient of a present brought about through investment.
ג
מתנה ששבחה מחמת הוצאה אין בעל חוב גובה משבחה כלום אלא רואין כמה היתה שוה בשעת מתנה וגובה, ואם שבחה מאיליה ב"ח גובה את כולה, ואם קיבל הנותן אחריות המתנה הרי ב"ח גובה ממנה את השבח כדרך שגובין מן הלקוחות, ולמה יטרוף בעל חוב חצי השבח מן הלוקח ולא יטרוף ממקבל מתנה כלום מפני שהמוכר כותב ללוקח בשטר מכירה שאני מחוייב לך בקרן ובעמל שתעמול ובשבח שתשביח ועלי אחריות הכל ורצה הלוקח וקיבל דבר זה שהרי הלוקח ירד על תנאי זה שאם ילקח ממנו השבח יחזור על המוכר, ואפילו לא כתב כבר נודע שזה דין המוכר עם הלוקח, אבל המתנה שאין שם תנאי זה אינו גובה משבח שהשביחה בהוצאתו כלום. 1
4
Similarly, if orphans who inherit an estate increase its value, a creditor of their father may not expropriate any of its increase in value. If, however, the property increases in value as a matter of course, he may expropriate the entire increase.
ד
וכן יתומים שהשביחו הנכסים אין ב"ח גובה מן השבח כלום, אבל אם שבחו נכסים מאליהן גובה את השבח כולו. 2
5
The following laws apply when a creditor expropriates property for a debt owed him from a purchaser from the principal and half of the increase in the property's value. We then consider what remains of the landed property. If the land that remains would be of value to the purchaser - e.g., in a field, an area where nine kabbinof grain could be sown, in a garden, an area where half a kab of vegetables could be sown - the creditor and the purchaser should become partners with regard to the land. If the property is not large enough to be divided in a manner that the smaller portion of sufficient size would be referred to as a field or as a garden, the creditor should reimburse the purchaser financially for the increase in the value of the field, as is due him.
ה
ב"ח שטרף בחובו מיד הלוקח מה שראוי לו מן הקרן וחצי השבח רואין הנשאר מן הקרקע אם יש בו תעלה ללוקח כגון שנשאר לו בשדה בית תשעה קבין ובגנה בית חצי קב ישתתפו בה שניהם, ואם לא נשאר לו דבר שאילו יחלק יהיה שם כולו עליו נותן לו בעל חוב את דמיו.
6
The following rules apply when a field was designated as anipotiki. The creditor may expropriate the entire field. We consider the half of the field's increase in value which must be repaid to the purchaser. If half of the increase in value exceeds the purchaser's investment, he should collect the amount he invested from the creditor. He is given only this amount, because the creditor can tell him: "It is my field that increased in value." He should collect the remainder of the money due him from the field's increase in value from the seller.
If half of the field's increase in value is less than the purchaser's investment, the purchaser should be reimbursed by the person who expropriated the field for only half of the field's increase in value. He then collects from the seller the other half of the field's increase in value.
ו
היתה השדה אפותיקי בעל חוב נוטל את כולה ורואין חצי השבח הנשאר ללוקח אם היה חצי השבח יתר על ההוצאה נוטל ההוצאה מבעל חוב שהרי אומר לו בעל חוב שדי הוא שהשביחה והנשאר לו מן השבח נוטל מן המוכר ואם היה חצי השבח פחות מן ההוצאה אין לו מן הטורף אלא דמי חצי השבח וחוזר וגובה מן המוכר חצי השבח שנטרף בלבד. 3
7
When a creditor comes to expropriate property from heirs, and the heirs claim: "We caused the value of the property to increase," but the creditor claims: "Perhaps it was your father who caused the property to increase in value," the burden of proof is on the heirs.
If the heirs bring proof that they increased the value of the property, we evaluate the increase and their expenses. They receive the lesser of the two, and they are given this amount in money.
When does the above apply? When the field was designated anipotiki. If, however, it was not designated an ipotiki, if the heirs desire, they have the right to pay the creditor the debt he is owed and absolve his claim. Or if they desire, they may take a share of the land that is equivalent to the value of the increase they brought to the value of the property.
ז
בע"ח שבא לטרוף מן היתומין יתומים אומרים אנו השבחנו ובעל חוב אומר שמא אביכם השביח על היתומים להביא ראיה, הביאו ראיה שהם השביחו שמין להן את השבח ואת ההוצאה ונוטלין הפחות שבשניהן ומעלה אותן בדמים, בד"א בשעשה שדה זו אפותיקי אבל אם לא עשהו אפותיקי אם רצו היתומין לסלק בעל חוב בדמים מסלקין אותו ואם רצו נוטלין מן הקרקע שיעור שבח שלהן.
FOOTNOTES
1.
מתנה ששבחה מחמת וכו' עד גובה את כלה. א"א דעת יחיד הוא זה והרב ז"ל אמר כן במסתברא וראוי לסמוך עליו עכ"ל.
2.
וכן יתומים וכו' עד מן השבח כלום. א"א גם זו דעת יחיד היא ויש לנו דרך אחרת ביתומים אומרים אנו השבחנו עכ"ל.
3.
היתה השדה אפותיקי וכו' עד מן המוכר. א"א לא ידעתי מהו כי חצי השבח הראוי ללוקח ההוצאה ג"כ תהיה חצי ההוצאה משלו ואם ישאר חצי השבח לפניו והרי הכל שלו אין לו ליטול הוצאה מאדם ואם יטול ב"ח את הכל יפרע כל דמי חצי השבח ללוקח וההוצאה נכללת בו שהרי השבח יתר על ההוצאה וחצי השבח הראוי לב"ח נותן את חצי ההוצאה ללוקח ונוטל הלוקח מן המוכר ולא מבעל חוב דאמר ליה ארעא דידי אשבחא ואי אפשר בלא טעות סופר עכ"ל.
• Wednesday, 11 Elul, 5776 · 14 September 2016
• "Today's Day"
• Shabbat, Elul 11, 5703
Torah lessons: Chumash: Teitsei, Shevi'i with Rashi.
Tehillim: 60-65. Also 31-33.
Tanya: XIII. "How abundant (p. 457) ...in a pavilion..." (p. 461).
On Shabbat Teitsei 5603 (1843), at the Kiddush table by day, the Tzemach Tzedek said: "This world is a world of falsity, therefore even good is adulterated with chaff and must be purified 'from below upward' as well as from 'Above downward.' Olam haba (the Coming World) is the world of truth. In Torah there are discussions of matters which may appear negative, yet the same matters, as they are studied in gan eden1 - are actually positive qualities."
Then the Rebbe began to sing, and indicated with a motion of his hand that everyone join him. His sons began singing, then all the chassidim joined in; the singing enflamed and aroused all hearts. When the Tzemach Tzedek stopped singing, he said: "In This World the meaning of the passage (Sanhedrin 99b) 'He who studies Torah liprakim,' means one who studies Torah intermittently; in gan eden they interpret the passage to mean that he studies Torah and the Torah 'takes him apart',2 the words of Torah possess him."
Compiled and arranged by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of righteous memory, in 5703 (1943) from the talks and letters of the sixth Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, of righteous memory.
FOOTNOTES
1.Related to olam haba.
2.The word liprakim lends itself to both interpretations: peirek - intermittent, or - pareik - to take apart.
• Daily Thought:
Childish Demands
When a child feels something is missingthe child wants it,
demands it with all his heart and soul
and demands it now.
We are G‑d’s children.
The world is not the way it should be.
None of us are in our proper place.
We need to demand that He fix all this
We need to scream out from our hearts, as a small child would scream.
We need to plead that He fix it now.[13 Nissan 5741, sicha 46.]
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