Chapter 24

אכי מצא בה ערות דבר. מִצְוָה עָלָיו לְגָרְשָׁהּ, שֶׁלֹּא תִמְצָא חֵן בְּעֵינָיו (גיט' צ'):

1כי מצא בה ערות דבר [WHEN A MAN HATH TAKEN A WIFE, AND MARRIED HER, AND IT COMES TO PASS THAT SHE FINDS NO FAVOUR IN HIS EYES.] BECAUSE HE HATH FOUND SOME SCANDALOUS THING IN HER; [THEN LET HIM WRITE A BILL OF DIVORCEMENT … AND SEND HER AWAY …] — it is his duty to divorce her because she should not find favour in his eyes (cf. Gittin 90b).

אלאיש אחר. אֵין זֶה בֶּן זוּגוֹ שֶׁל רִאשׁוֹן, הוּא הוֹצִיא רְשָׁעָה מִתּוֹךְ בֵּיתוֹ וְזֶה הִכְנִיסָהּ (שם):

1לאיש אחר [AND WHEN SHE IS GONE OUT OF HIS HOUSE, AND HATH GONE AND BECOME] “ANOTHER” MAN’S WIFE — He is “another” (a different) man, not one of a pair with the first: he turned the wicked woman out of his house, whilst this man hath taken her into his house (Gittin 90b).

אושנאה האיש האחרון. הַכָּתוּב מְבַשְּׂרוֹ שֶׁסּוֹפוֹ לִשְׂנֹאתָהּ, וְאִם לָאו קוֹבַרְתּוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר או כי ימות (ספרי):

1ושנאה האיש האחרון AND IF THE LATTER HUSBAND HATE HER — (these words lit. mean: and the other will hate her): Scripture tells you that in the end he will hate her and divorce her, and if not, she will bury him (be the cause of his death) as it states “or if the latter husband die” (Sifrei Devarim 270:4-5).

אאחרי אשר הטמאה. לְרַבּוֹת סוֹטָה שֶׁנִּסְתְּרָה (ספרי; יבמות י"א):

1אחרי אשר הטמאה [HER FIRST HUSBAND … MAY NOT TAKE HER AGAIN TO BE HIS WIFE] AFTER THAT SHE IS DEFILED — these words are intended to include in the prohibition a faithless wife (סוטה) who had been in seclusion with another man (Sifrei Devarim 270:10; Yevamot 11b).

אאשה חדשה. שֶׁהִיא חֲדָשָׁה לוֹ וַאֲפִלּוּ אַלְמָנָה, פְּרָט לְמַחֲזִיר גְּרוּשָׁתוֹ (ספרי; סוטה מ"ד):

1אשה חדשה [WHEN A MAN HATH TAKEN] A NEW WIFE [HE SHALL NOT GO OUT TO THE HOST] — i.e., one that is new to him, even though she be a widow; but it excludes the case of one who re-marries his divorced wife (Sifrei Devarim 271:1; Sotah 44a; cf., however, Targum Jonathan).

בולא יעבור עליו. דְּבַר הַצָּבָא:

2ולא יעבר lit., NEITHER SHALL PASS UPON HIM (i.e., be obligatory upon him) any army matter,

גלכל דבר שֶׁהוּא צֹרֶךְ הַצָּבָא, לֹא לְסַפֵּק מַיִם וּמָזוֹן וְלֹא לְתַקֵּן הַדְּרָכִים, אֲבָל הַחוֹזְרִים מֵעוֹרְכֵי הַמִּלְחָמָה עַל פִּי כֹהֵן, כְּגוֹן בָּנָה בַיִת וְלֹא חֲנָכוֹ אוֹ אֵרַשׂ אִשָּׁה וְלֹא לְקָחָהּ, מַסְפִּיקִין מַיִם וּמָזוֹן וּמְתַקְּנִין אֶת הַדְּרָכִים (שם):

3לכל דבר AS REGARDS ANYTHING that is a requirement of the army: not to supply water and food, nor to repair the roads, whilst those who returned from the battle array at the bidding of the priest, e.g., one who had built a new house and had not yet dedicated it, or one who had betrothed a woman and had not yet taken her to wife (Deuteronomy 20:5—7), are bound to supply water and food and to repair roads (Sifrei Devarim 271:2; Sotah 44a).

דיהיה לביתו. אַף בִּשְׁבִיל בֵּיתוֹ, אִם בָּנָה בַיִת וַחֲנָכוֹ וְאִם נָטַע כֶּרֶם וְחִלְּלוֹ אֵינוֹ זָז מִבֵּיתוֹ בִּשְׁבִיל צָרְכֵי הַמִּלְחָמָה:

4יהיה לביתו [HE SHALL BE FREE] AT HOME (or, as it may be literally translated: [FREE] FOR HIS HOUSE) — i.e., also on account of his new house (not only on account of his recent marriage, as stated in the text): if he has built a new house and only just dedicated it (not lived in it a full year), and similarly, if he has planted a vineyard and has only just begun to eat of its fruits (not enjoyed its produce the full fourth year), he need not leave his house for the requirements of war. This Halacha is derived from the text as follows:

היהיה. לְרַבּוֹת אֶת כַּרְמוֹ:

5יהיה HE SHALL BE — This is intended to include the vineyard (Sifrei Devarim 271:4),

ולביתו. זֶה בֵיתוֹ:

6לביתו This is the mention of “his house” (Sifrei Devarim 271:3).

זושמח. יְשַׂמֵּחַ אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ, וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ "וְיַחְדֵי יָת אִתְּתֵהּ", וְהַמְתַרְגֵּם וְיֶחְדֵּי עִם אִתְּתֵהּ טוֹעֶה הוּא, שֶׁאֵין זֶה תַּרְגּוּם שֶׁל וְשִׂמַּח אֶלָּא שֶׁל וְשָׂמַח:

7ושמח means HE SHALL GLADDEN [HIS WIFE], its correct Targum rendering therefore is: וְיַחְדֵי יַת אִיתְּתֵהּ which expresses this; One who reads in the Targum וְיַחְדֵי עִם אִיתְּתֵהּ “he shall rejoice with his wife” is in error, for this is not the Targum equivalent of וְשִׂמַּח (Piel) but of וְשָׂמַח (Kal).

אלא יחבל. אִם בָּא לְמַשְׁכְּנוֹ עַל חוֹבוֹ בְּבֵית דִּין, לֹא יְמַשְׁכְּנֶנּוּ בִּדְבָרִים שֶׁעוֹשִׂים בָּהֶן אֹכֶל נֶפֶשׁ (ב"מ קי"ג):

1לא יחבל NO MAN SHALL TAKE [THE LOWER OR THE UPPER MILLSTONE] AS PLEDGE — i.e. if one comes to demand a pledge through the court for his debt he should not take as a pledge anything by which food is prepared (Bava Metzia 113b, 115a).

ברחים. הִיא הַתַּחְתּוֹנָה:

2רחים is the lower,

גורכב. הִיא הָעֶלְיוֹנָה:

3ורכב is the upper millstone.

אכי ימצא. בְּעֵדִים וְהַתְרָאָה, וְכֵן כָּל "יִמָּצֵא" שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה:

1כי ימצא IF [A MAN] BE FOUND [STEALING …] — Found when doing so by witnesses and after legal warning. This, too, is the meaning in all cases where a form of the verb מצא is used in the Torah, under similar circumstances (Mekhilta; Sifrei Devarim 273:1).

בוהתעמר בו. אֵינוֹ חַיָּב עַד שֶׁיִּשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בּוֹ:

2והתעמר בו AND TREATS HIM AS A SLAVE — he is not liable to the death penalty until he uses him as a slave (cf. Sifrei Devarim 273:5; Sanhedrin 85b).

אהשמר בנגע הצרעת. שֶׁלֹּא תִתְלֹשׁ סִימָנֵי טֻמְאָה וְלֹא תָקֹץ אֶת הַבַּהֶרֶת (מכות כ"ב):

1השמר בנגע צרעת TAKE HEED IN THE AFFLICTION OF LEPROSY — take heed that you pluck not out the symptoms of uncleanness (cf. Leviticus ch. XIII.), nor cut out the leprous spot (Makkot 22a).

בככל אשר יורו אתכם. אִם לְהַסְגִּיר אִם לְהַחֲלִיט אִם לְטַהֵר:

2ככל אשר יורו אתכם ACCORDING TO ALL THAT [THE PRIESTS …] SHALL TEACH YOU — whether to place the leper in quarantine, or to declare him definitely unclean or clean.

אזכור את אשר עשה ה' אלהיך למרים. אִם בָּאתָ לְהִזָּהֵר שֶׁלֹּא תִלְקֶה בְּצָרַעַת אַל תְּסַפֵּר לָשׁוֹן הָרָע, זְכֹר הֶעָשׂוּי לְמִרְיָם שֶׁדִּבְּרָה בְאָחִיהָ וְלָקְתָה בִנְגָעִים (עי' ספרי):

1זכור את אשר עשה ה' אלהיך למרים REMEMBER WHAT THE LORD THY GOD DID UNTO MIRIAM — if you wish to guard yourself against being stricken with leprosy, do not speak slander! Remember what was done unto Miriam who spoke slander against her brother and was stricken with a leprous plague! (cf. Sifrei Devarim 275:1).

אכי תשה ברעך. תָחֹב בַּחֲבֵרְךָ:

1כי תשה ברעך means, WHEN THOU EXACTEST A DEBT FROM THY FELLOW MAN;

במשאת מאומה. חוֹב שֶׁל כְּלוּם:

2משאת מאומה means, A DEBT OF ANYTHING (whatever it may be).

אלא תשכב בעבטו. לֹא תִשְׁכַּב וַעֲבוֹטוֹ אֶצְלְךָ (ספרי; בבא מציעא קי"ד):

1לא תשכב בעבטו THOU SHALT NOT SLEEP IN HIS PLEDGE — This means, thou shalt not go to sleep having his pledge with thee (Sifrei Devarim 277:2; Bava Metzia 111b).

אכבוא השמש. אִם כְּסוּת לַיְלָה הוּא, וְאִם כְּסוּת יוֹם — הַחֲזִירֵהוּ בַבֹּקֶר, וּכְבָר כָּתוּב בִּוְאֵלֶּה הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים (כ"ב) "עַד בֹּא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ תְּשִׁיבֶנּוּ לוֹ" — כָּל הַיּוֹם תְּשִׁיבֶנּוּ לוֹ, וּכְבֹא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ תִּקָּחֶנּוּ:

1כבוא השמש [THOU SHALT RESTORE HIM THE PLEDGE] WHEN THE SUN GOETH DOWN — if it be a night garment; whilst if it be a garment worn during the day restore it to him in the morning. This, indeed, has already been written in the section beginning with the words ואלה המשפטים (Exodus 22:25) “Restore it unto him till the going down of the sun” which means: restore it unto him for the whole day and at nightfall you may take it again [till the daybreak of the next morning] (Bava Metzia 114b; cf. Rashi on Exodus 22.25.2 and Note thereon).

בוברכך. וְאִם אֵינוֹ מְבָרֶכְךָ, מִכָּל מָקוֹם ולך תהיה צדקה (ספרי):

2וברכך AND HE WILL BLESS THEE — and even if he will not bless thee, in any case, ולך תהיה צדקה IT SHALL BE RIGHTEOUSNESS UNTO THEE [BEFORE THE LORD THY GOD] (Sifrei Devarim 277:4).

אלא תעשק שכיר. וַהֲלֹא כְבָר כָּתוּב? אֶלָּא לַעֲבֹר עַל הָאֶבְיוֹן בִּשְׁנֵי לָאוין, "לֹא תַעֲשֹׁק שְׂכַר שָׂכִיר" שֶׁהוּא עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן, וְעַל הֶעָשִׁיר כְּבָר הֻזְהַר (ויקרא י"ט) "לֹא תַעֲשֹׁק אֶת רֵעֲךָ" (ב"מ ס"א):

1לא תעשק שכיר THOU SHALT NOT WRONG ANY HIRED SERVANT — But has not this already been stated in Leviticus 19:13? But it is repeated here to make one transgress in respect of the hired, servant who is poor (i.e., if he wrongs such a person) two negative commands, for the meaning of the text here is: thou shalt not suppress the wages of an hired servant who is poor and needy. (The meaning is not: thou shalt not wrong a hired servant, the poor and the needy). As to the well-to-do hired servant one has already been prohibited to wrong him (Leviticus 19:13): “thou shalt not wrong thy neighbour” (Bava Metzia 61a).

באביון. הַתָּאֵב לְכָל דָּבָר:

2אביון is one who longs for everything, (lacks all the necessities of life; cf. Rashi on Deuteronomy 15:4).

גמגרך. זֶה גֵּר צֶדֶק:

3מגרך [WHETHER HE BE OF THY BRETHREN, OR] OF ANY STRANGERS — this refers to a “proselyte of righteousness” (who embraces the entire Jewish Faith out of conviction) (Sifrei Devarim 278:4),

דבשעריך. זֶה גֵּר תּוֹשָׁב הָאוֹכֵל נְבֵלוֹת:

4בשערך [STRANGERS THAT ARE] WITHIN THY GATES — this refers to a stranger [who has undertaken not to worship idols] but eats carrion (who may reside in the land of Israel) (Sifrei Devarim 278:5),

האשר בארצך. לְרַבּוֹת שְׂכַר בְּהֵמָה וְכֵלִים (בבא מציעא קי"א):

5אשר בארצך [OF ANY STRANGERS] THAT ARE IN THY LAND — this is intended to include in the prohibition of withholding what is due to one’s neighbor the payment for using his animals or utensils (Sifrei Devarim 278:5; Bava Metzia 111b).

אואליו הוא נשא את נפשו. אֶל הַשָּׂכָר הַזֶּה הוּא נוֹשֵׂא אֶת נַפְשׁוֹ לָמוּת, עָלָה בַכֶּבֶשׁ וְנִתְלָה בְאִילָן (ספרי; ב"מ קי"ב):

1ואליו הוא נשא את נפשו means, for the sake of this hire he exposes his life even unto death: he climbs up a steep staircase or hangs on to a high tree to do his work (Sifrei Devarim 279:3; Bava Metzia 112a).

בוהיה בך חטא. מִכָּל מָקוֹם, אֶלָּא שֶׁמְּמַהֲרִין לִפָּרֵעַ עַל יְדֵי הַקּוֹרֵא (ספרי):

2והיה בך חטא [LEST HE CALL AGAINST THEE UNTO THE LORD,] AND IT BE SIN UNTO THEE — under any circumstances, even if he does not call against thee to the Lord, but greater haste is made to punish thee because of him who cries (Sifrei Devarim 279:4; cf. Rashi on Deuteronomy 15:9).

אלא יומתו אבות על בנים. בְּעֵדוּת בָּנִים, וְאִם תֹּאמַר בַּעֲוֹן בָּנִים, כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר איש בחטאו יומתו (ספרי; סנהדרין כ"ז):

1לא יומתו אבות על בנים FATHERS SHALL NOT BE PUT TO DEATH על בנים — i.e. by the evidence of their children. But if you say it means “for the sin of their children”, then it would be redundant for it goes on to state “every man shall be put to death for his own sin” (Sifrei Devarim 280:1; Sanhedrin 27b).

באיש בחטאו יומתו. אֲבָל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ אִישׁ מֵת בַּעֲוֹן אָבִיו, וְהַקְּטַנִּים מֵתִים בַּעֲוֹן אֲבוֹתָם בִּידֵי שָׁמַיִם (ספרי):

2איש בחטאו יומתו EVERY MAN SHALL BE PUT TO DEATH FOR HIS OWN SIN — This suggests: but one who is not yet an איש, a man, does sometimes die on account of his father’s sins: little children sometimes die at the hands of Heaven because of their parents’ sins (Sifrei Devarim 280:3).

אלא תטה משפט גר יתום. וְעַל הֶעָשִׁיר כְּבָר הֻזְהַר (דברים ט"ז) "לֹא תַטֶּה מִשְׁפָּט", וְשָׁנָה בֶעָנִי לַעֲבֹר עָלָיו בִּשְׁנֵי לָאוין, לְפִי שֶׁנָּקֵל לְהַטּוֹת מִשְׁפַּט עָנִי יוֹתֵר מִשֶּׁל עָשִׁיר, לְכָךְ הִזְהִיר וְשָׁנָה עָלָיו (ספרי):

1לא תטה משפט גר יתום THOU SHALT NOT PERVERT THE JUDGMENT OF THE STRANGER, OR OF THE FATHERLESS — and with regard to the well-to-do one has already been forbidden to do so (Deuteronomy 16:19): “Thou shalt not pervert judgment”, (which is a general prohibition including both poor and rich), but it (Scripture) repeats it regarding the poor in order to make one who perverts the judgment of the poor transgress two negative commands. Because it is easier to pervert the judgment of the defenseless poor than that of the rich, therefore Scripture lays down a prohibition regarding him a second time (Sifrei Devarim 281:1).

בולא תחבל. שֶׁלֹּא בִשְׁעַת הַלְוָאָה:

2ולא תחבל NOR TAKE [A WIDOW’S GARMENT] TO PLEDGE — The term חבל refers to taking a pledge not at the time when the loan is transacted (but when default is made in payment) (cf. Bava Metzia 115a; see also Rashi on Exodus 22:25).

אוזכרת. עַל מְנָת כֵּן פְּדִיתִיךָ, לִשְׁמֹר חֻקּוֹתַי אֲפִלּוּ יֵשׁ חֶסְרוֹן כִּיס בַּדָּבָר:

1וזכרת BUT THOU SHALT REMEMBER [THAT THOU WAST A SERVANT IN EGYPT AND THE LORD THY GOD RELEASED THEE THENCE] — I released you only with this condition — that you should observe my statutes even though there be monetary loss in the matter.

אושכחת עמר. וְלֹא גָדִישׁ, מִכָּאן אָמְרוּ, עֹמֶר שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ סָאתַיִם וּשְׁכָחוֹ אֵינוֹ שִׁכְחָה (פאה ו' מ"ב):

1ושכחת עמר [WHEN THOU REAPEST THY HARVEST IN THY FIELD] AND HAST FORGOT A SHEAF … [THOU SHALT NOT RETURN TO TAKE IT] — a sheaf, but not a stack of corn (Sifrei Devarim 283:1). Hence they (the Rabbis) said, “A sheaf that contains two Seahs of grain which one has forgotten in the field, does not come under the term of שכחה (a forgotten sheaf)” (Mishnah Peah 6:6).

בבשדה. לְרַבּוֹת שִׁכְחַת קָמָה שֶׁשָּׁכַח מִקְצָתָהּ מִלִּקְצֹר:

2בשדה [AND HAST FORGOT …] IN THE FIELD — This apparently redundant word (it has just stated בשדך) is intended to include under this law forgotten “standing corn” (קמה) — that one has forgotten to cut down part of it (Sifrei Devarim 283:2).

גלא תשוב לקחתו. מִכָּאן אָמְרוּ, שֶׁלְּאַחֲרָיו שִׁכְחָה, שֶׁלְּפָנָיו אֵינוֹ שִׁכְחָה, שֶׁאֵינוֹ בְּבַל תָּשׁוּב (פאה מ"ד; בבא מציעא י"א):

3לא תשוב לקחתו THOU SHALT NOT GO BACK TO TAKE IT — Hence they (the Rabbis) said: A sheaf that is behind him is considered as שכחה, that which is in front of him is not considered שכחה, for the expression “thou shalt not go back [to take it]” is not applicable to it (Mishnah Peah 6:4; Bava Metzia 11a).

דלמען יברכך. וְאַעַ"פִּ שֶׁבָּאת לְיָדוֹ שֶׁלֹּא בְמִתְכַּוֵּן, קַ"וָ לָעוֹשֶׂה בְמִתְכַּוֵּן. אֱמֹר מֵעַתָּה נָפְלָה סֶלַע מִיָּדוֹ וּמְצָאָהּ עָנִי וְנִתְפַּרְנֵס בָּהּ — הֲרֵי הוּא מִתְבָּרֵךְ עָלֶיהָ (ספרי):

4למען יברכך THAT [THE LORD THY GOD] BLESS THEE — although it came into his (the stranger’s or the orphan’s) hand without him (the owner) intending this; it follows logically that he will certainly receive a blessing if he does this intentionally! — You must therefore admit that if a Sela fell out of one’s hand and a poor man found it and supports himself by it, then he will surely be blessed on that account (Sifrei Devarim 283:6; cf. Rashi on Leviticus 5:17 end).

אלא תפאר. לֹא תִטֹּל תִּפְאַרְתּוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ (חולין קל"א), מִכָּאן שֶׁמַּנִּיחִין פֵּאָה לָאִילָן:

1לא תפאר — This means: thou shalt not entirely remove its (the olive tree’s) glory (תפארת) from it, i.e., its fruit (Chullin 131b). Hence they (the Rabbis) derived the law that one must leave פאה (some quantity of fruit) also on fruit-trees for the poor (cf. Mishnah Peah 4:1).

באחריך. זוֹ שִׁכְחָה:

2אחריך BEHIND THEE — This implies שכחה (forgotten fruit; that if he forgets to remove some fruit from the orchard, he must leave it for the poor).

אלא תעולל. אִם מָצָאתָ בוֹ עוֹלֵלוֹת, לֹא תִקָּחֶנָּה. וְאֵי זוֹ הִיא עוֹלֵלוֹת? כָּל שֶׁאֵין לָהּ לֹא כָּתֵף וְלֹא נָטֵף. יֵשׁ לָהּ אֶחָד מֵהֶם — הֲרֵי הִיא לְבַעַל הַבַּיִת (ספרא); וְרָאִיתִי בְתַלְמוּד יְרוּשַׁלְמִי אֵי זוֹ הִיא כָּתֵף? פְּסִיגִין זֶה עַל גַּב זֶה, נָטֵף — אֵלּוּ הַתְּלוּיוֹת בַּשִּׁדְרָה וְיוֹרְדוֹת:

1לא תעולל [WHEN THOU GATHEREST THE GRAPES OF THY VINEYARD] THOU SHALT NOT GLEAN IT — i.e., if you find tender grapes in it, thou shalt not take them away. And what are עוללות? Clusters which have neither כתף, “arms” nor נטף “drippings” If, however, they have one of these, then it belongs to the owner of the vineyard (not to the poor) (Mishnah Peah 7:4). (Cf. Rashi on Leviticus 19:10 and our translation and Note thereon). — I have seen the following in the Talmud Yerushalmi Peah 7:4: What is כתף? Where the branches lie one upon the other: whilst נטף are those which hang down directly from the central stem.

Sefaria: Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934 · Public domain · sefaria.org

Sefaria: Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934 · Public domain · sefaria.org