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Friday

י"ט אדר ב’ התשפ"ד

Friday
י"ט אדר ב’ התשפ"ד

חיפוש בארכיון

Mitzvah 480) Not to refrain from lending money to the poor because of the shmitta.

Parshas Re’eh

“Guard yourself lest there be an unworthy word in your heart saying “The seventh year, the year of release, is approaching” and your eye looks badly at your needy brother.” (Devarim 15,9)

It is a positive commandment not to refrain from lending to a poor person because of shmitta, which will annul the debt.  About this it says “Guard yourself lest there be an unworthy word in your heart saying “The seventh year, the year of release, is approaching” and your eye looks badly at your needy brother.”

Amongst the roots of the commandment: to strengthen and to secure in our hearts the character trait of generosity, and to distance the character trait of tight-fistedness to the farthest extent. There is no generous person in the world like the one who, knowing that the time when his money will be released is close and he will lose out from it, nevertheless loans his money, when he may not be able to demand his loan before the year of shmita.  Anyone who understands the ways of the Torah and tries to understand even a little of the beauty of its value, will know clearly that one who scatters his money to those who are in need will gain added money and one who refrains from using his money for worthwhile things, will lose his money.  For Hashem judges a man according to his deeds and will grant from His blessing according to his closeness to Him and the character trait of tightfistedness is a partition of iron between a man and blessing.  Generosity is one of the parts of blessing and one who behaves generously has already entered the realms of blessing, the wise person should listen and take a lesson.

This prohibition applies to men and to women, at every time and place for even nowadays when the release of money is not a scriptural commandment but rather a rabbinical one, nonetheless we are warned not to refrain from lending to the needy from fear of the year of Shmita.  One who refrains from lending money to the needy because of this, transgresses this negative commandment.

Don’t wonder about this command, for any man can make it a condition that the seventh year will not release at all, don’t allow this matter to alarm you for the Torah warns about things even though they are possible with regulations and conditions.