Commento su Deuteronomio 15:10

נתן תתן לו THOU SHALT SURELY GIVE HIM — even hundred times (Sifrei Devarim 117:6).

For because (biglal) of this thing, the Lord will bless you: The Rabbis, may their memory be blessed (Shabbat 151b), learned from the expression, biglal, that it is a cycle (galgal) that repeats itself in the world. But many wondered about the expression, since biglal is not [related to] galgal, as behold, a [letter], gimmel is lacking [in the former]. And I say that their intention, may their memory be blessed, was to understand biglal as related to the usage, "and they would roll (gallelu) the stone" (Genesis 29:3). And [by this], they wanted to say [that] when poverty goes around among people from this one to that one - as is customary - then "the Lord will bless you," and cause that it not roll over and fall upon (crush) you when it falls on people. And axiomatically, we learn that the thing goes around in the world like a cycle, such that everyone who gives will in the end [also] receive. As that is the trait of everything that exists in all three of the worlds, that everything that gives will come back to [also] take, in the way that we explained above in Parshat Bereshit on the verse, "the sixth day" (Kli Yakar on Genesis 1:31:5). As with everything that exists, the thing moves like a cycle, that each one of them gives and receives, except for God alone - He gives and does not receive.

נתון תתן לו, “You shall surely give him, etc.” The reason the Torah repeats the word נתן is to tell you that if you will give the poor in adequate measure, the Lord in turn will give you in adequate measure. Our sages interpreted the words to mean that even if you are called upon 100 times to support the same individual, do not refuse. The latter demand is based on your not having given the poor enough support the first time.
Concerning this subject Solomon said in Proverbs 21,26: “while the righteous man gives without stint.” Solomon means that the righteous does not allow any considerations to deflect him from giving charity. Another nuance included in the wording of the Torah נתון תתן is that one should give charity in a pleasant manner, not grudgingly. Neither should one do so in an arrogant manner. By following all these implications contained in the Torah’s wording, one may merit that one’s own wealth will endure. Concerning this Solomon said in Proverbs 13,8: “the poor never heard a reproof.” When does a man retain his own wealth? When he does not make the poor believe that his misfortune may be of his own doing, and one gives charity with a pleasant countenance. This is reflected in the story told by our sages about Rabbi Yannai who said to a wealthy man who publicly gave an alms to a poor man: “it would have been better if you had not given to this man at all instead of publicly embarrassing him” (Chagigah 5).

Even if you merely say that you would give, etc. Since the word הדבר (this thing) is written, they expounded it as being related to the word דיבור (speech). Likewise the verse (Bereishis 12:17), “Regarding the matter (דבר) of Sarah,” is expounded as, “Through Sarah’s speech.” Otherwise, why is the term, “this thing,” needed? Rather it should simply say, “Because of this, Adonoy will bless you.”

V. 10. בינך לבינו :לו ,אפי׳ מאה פעמים :נתון תתן, unter vier Augen (ספרי) dass kein anderer es sieht oder erfährt. ולא ירע לבבך בתתך לו, mit freudigem Herzen gib, wie denn überhaupt die Art und Weise des Gebens den Wert der Gabe unendlich erhöhen oder verringern kann. כל הנותן פרוטה לעני, wer einem Armen einen Groschen gibt, heißt es B. B. 9 b: מתברך בשש ברכות והמפייסו בדברים מתברך באחד עשר ברכות הנותן פרוטה לעני מתברך בו׳ ברות דבתיב הלא פרוס לרעב לחמך וגו׳ כי תראה ערום וכסיתו וגו׳ אז יבקע כשחר אורך וגו׳ אז תקרא וד׳ יענה וגו׳ והמפייסו בדברים ל מתברך באחד עשר ברכות שנאמר ותפק לרעב נפשך ונפש נענה תשביע וזרה בחשך אורך וגו׳ ונחך ד׳ תמיד וגו׳ וגו׳: wer einem Armen einen Groschen gibt wird mit sechs Segnungen gesegnet, denn es heißt (Jesaias 58, 7 f.): brichst du dem Hungrigen dein Brot, führst unglückliche Arme in dein Haus, siehst einen Nackten und bekleidest ihn und entziehst dich deinem Nächsten nicht: so wird wie der Morgen dein Licht durchbrechen, deine eigene Genesung rasch erblühen usw. usw. Wer ihm aber mit Worten zuredet, wird mit elf Segnungen gesegnet, denn es heißt (daselbst): bringst du aber dem Hungrigen deine Seele mit hinaus, verstehst die darbende Seele zu sättigen, dann geht im Dunkeln dein Licht auf usw. und es leitet Gott dich stets usw. usw.

ולא ירע לבבך בתתך לו, “not only are you not torefuse a loan but you must not extend a loan reluctantly;” the Torah warns you not to think that you will suffer economic hardship for having been goodhearted. G-d promises that He will bless your for your good heartedness.

לו implies between him and you (privately) (Sifrei Devarim 117:7.)

And it appears that the reason for the thing is that God did not want man to establish himself on the land - he and his seed - forever, in the way that it stated (Leviticus 25:23), "And the land may not be sold forever, as the land is Mine." And if a man would never come to this trait - not he and not his seed - he would establish himself on the land forever, and forget that 'to God is the land (earth).' Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, causes that every man come to this trait, either he or his seed; to know and make known that they are all like strangers upon the land, and [that] to God is the universe and its fullness. And that which it is written after [this] verse to give a reason why it goes around upon people, "Since a destitute person will never be lacking from within the land"(Deuteronomy 15:11), is because [being] within the land necessitates this matter, as mentioned. "Therefore, I command you: open your hand to your poor," so that they will also give to you or to your seed. But not to both of them, as it is stated (Psalms 37:25), "and I have never seen a righteous man abandoned, and his seed seeking bread" - meaning to say he and his seed, but rather [it can only be] either he or his seed. And with this, this verse does not contradict that which the Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Shabbat 151b) [that] either he or his seed come to be included in this trait. And some say that the lack of a gimmel in the word, biglal, is to say that it follows from the iniquity of refraining from acts of loving-kindness. As the [letter combination] gimmel-dalet [as expounded by] the Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, [means] to give to the poor (gomel dalim) and the lack of a gimmel (which represents giving) to the poor, moves the cycle [forward].

As a consequence of this thing. That you give generously, and as a result the poor person will bless you, which has a great effect, as explained in Midrash Rus, that more than the rich person gives to the poor, the poor does for the rich, meaning that he blesses him.

כי בגלל הדבר הזה “for on account of this matter, etc.” Our sages in Shabbat 151 said that the reason the Torah did not use the word למען but בגלל is an allusion to the גלגל, “the wheel of fortune,” i.e. horoscopic influences which govern the way money travels from one person to another. G’d is threatening here that “if you do not share your wealth with the poor by giving charity generously, I will give the wheel of fortune a spin so that the wealth which devolved upon you up until now will devolve upon someone else. We have a verse in Scripture on this subject in Psalms 75,8: “for G’d it is Who gives judgment, He brings down one man and He lifts up another.” Our sages on the above mentioned folio of Shabbat say that a man should pray especially concerning this attribute of G’d, [that he should not be made to suffer from it. Ed.] for even if he himself may not suffer from it his son or grandson may be made to suffer from it.

כי בגלל הדבר הזה BECAUSE THAT FOR THIS THING [THE LORD THY GOD SHALL BLESS THEE] — (the word is taken in its literal sense of “word”, for it would have sufficed to state כי בגלל זה suggesting): even if you only say (intend) to give but are later unable to do so you will receive a reward for the mere saying (intention) together with the reward for the action (Sifrei Devarim 117:8).

In all your work. Whether in the field, or in creative activity.

And in all your commerce. In all your business dealings.