Commentaire sur Le Deutéronome 15:9
הִשָּׁ֣מֶר לְךָ֡ פֶּן־יִהְיֶ֣ה דָבָר֩ עִם־לְבָבְךָ֨ בְלִיַּ֜עַל לֵאמֹ֗ר קָֽרְבָ֣ה שְׁנַֽת־הַשֶּׁבַע֮ שְׁנַ֣ת הַשְּׁמִטָּה֒ וְרָעָ֣ה עֵֽינְךָ֗ בְּאָחִ֙יךָ֙ הָֽאֶבְי֔וֹן וְלֹ֥א תִתֵּ֖ן ל֑וֹ וְקָרָ֤א עָלֶ֙יךָ֙ אֶל־יְהוָ֔ה וְהָיָ֥ה בְךָ֖ חֵֽטְא׃
Garde-toi de nourrir une pensée perverse en ton cœur, en te disant "que la septième année, l’année de rémission approche," et, sans pitié pour ton frère nécessiteux, de lui refuser ton secours: il se plaindrait de toi au Seigneur, et tu te rendrais coupable d’un péché,
Rashi on Deuteronomy
וקרא עליך AND HE CRY [UNTO THE LORD] AGAINST THEE — One might think this is a command (“he shall call against thee”). Scripture, however, states, (Deuteronomy 24:15) “[At his day thou shalt give him his hire … he is poor], so that he may not call against thee [unto the Lord]” (Sifrei Devarim 117:5).
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Rashbam on Deuteronomy
השמר לך פן יהיה עם לבבך דבר בליעל, meaning something evil, unworthy. We encounter this word also in Psalms 41,9 דבר בליעל יצוק בו “something baneful has settled in him,” there the meaning is similar to here, i.e. a good deed reluctantly performed, the donor not really believing that the recipient of his tithes is entitled to handouts.
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Siftei Chakhamim
Perhaps this is a mitzvah? The Torah therefore teaches, “So that he does not cry out.” That verse is written in Parshas Ki Seitzei (below 24:15). Even though that verse deals with a day laborer, and the verse here pertains to lending to the poor, nevertheless they both pertain to the poor. For it is written here, “Your destitute brother,” and it is written there, “For he is a poor man, etc.”
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