Commento su Deuteronomio 15:14

הענק תעניק THOU SHALT FURNISH HIM LIBERALLY — The noun from the root ענק denotes an ornament worn high up on the body which thus easily comes within sight of the eye (i.e. is conspicuous), (cf. ענק, a giant, someone who towers on high) — i.e. you shall furnish him with something that will make it patent that you have been kind to him. There are some who explain the word הענק to mean loading on his (the servant’s) neck.

הענק תעניק לו, ”make generous provisions for him, etc.” The word הענקה describes “something beautiful.” The idea is that the released servant’s new status should be visible to all so that he will enjoy a standing in the community. The word appears in the sense of jewelry in Proverbs 1,9. Alternatively, the word is related to ענקים, giants, and the meaning would be to give him great gifts.

The literal meaning of this is “adornment.” In other words: The master should adorn his slave lavishly, and this will indicate to the slave that his master treated him benevolently.

V. 14. ענק .העניק (siehe Bereschit S. 212). — לו, aber nicht dem מוכר עצמו (Wajikra 25, 39; Kiduschin 15 a). העניק וגו׳ מצאנך וגו׳ אשר ברכך וגו׳ ist כלל ופרט וכלל und gibt den Gesamtbegriff: vermehrungsfähige Naturalien aus dem Tier- und Pflanzenreiche, כל שישנן בכלל ברכה, nicht aber z. B. Geld (Kiduschin 17 a), und wird (daselbst) das Minimum zu einem Gesamtwerte von 30 Schekel, dem Normalsatze bei der Tötung eines עבד durch ein Tier (Schmot 21, 32) entsprechend, bestimmt.

מצאנך, מגרנך, ומיקבך, “from your flocks, your threshingfloor or your winepress.” These terms are short for “bread, wine, and meat.” The verse discusses a thief who has been sold by the court as he did not have the means to repay his victim for what he had stolen from him. Seeing that he is penniless, how could he establish an economic footing and not begin to steal again unless you provided him with these essentials? (B’chor shor)

מצאנך מגרנך ומיקבך [THOU SHALT FURNISH HIM LIBERALLY] OUT OF THY FLOCK, AND OUT OF THY FLOOR, AND OUT OF THY WINE PRESS — One might think I have this duty in respect to these things only! Scripture, however, states “that wherewith the Lord thy God hath blessed thee [shalt thou give him]” implying, of all with which thy Creator hath blessed thee. Why, then, are these alone specifically mentioned? To teach you the following: How is it with these things? They have the characteristic that they come under the term of “blessing”, (i.e. they possess the power of propagating) so, too, you are obliged to furnish him only with such things that come under the term “blessing”, thus excluding mules, (because they are sterile) (Sifrei Devarim 119:3; Kiddushin 17a). — Our Rabbis have derived in Treatise Kiddushin 17a by reasoning from the analogous expressions found in certain texts (גז"ש) what quantities one must give him of all the different kinds here mentioned.

Just as these are distinguished by their blessed status, etc. Flocks are [blessed because they] bear offspring and multiply. So, too, whatever grows from the earth. However, this excludes mules, since they do not bear offspring and multiply.

Also, the Rabbis derive in tractate Kiddushin through the gezeirah-shava comparison principle etc. I.e., the verse here says, “Do not send him away empty-handed,” and in Parshas Ki Sisa regarding a first-born son it says, “Do not appear before Me empty-handed (Shmos 34:20).” Just as regarding a first-born son the amount is twenty silver pieces, here too the amount is twenty silver pieces. From where do we know the amount regarding the first-born? [We know] from Yoseif, the first-born son of Rochel, who was sold to Egypt for twenty silver pieces.