Commento su Deuteronomio 15:9

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).

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.

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.”

V. 9. פן יהיה דבר עם לבבך .השמר וגו׳ (siehe zu Kap. 8, 5). — בליעל (siehe zu Kap. 13, 14). ולא תתן לו als Darlehen. Man sieht, welchen Nachdruck das Gesetz auf die Pflicht des Darlehens legt und das ׳העבט וגו des V. 8 nicht nur von einer Form des Schenkens, sondern in erster Linie von wirklichem Leihen verstanden wissen will (siehe daselbst und Schmot 22, 24). Ketubot 68 a wird mit Hinweis auf die gleichen Ausdrücke בליעל, mit welchen hier und Kap. 13, 14 die Versagung der Wohltat und die Propaganda für Götzentum gekennzeichnet werden, gelehrt: כל המעלים עיניו מן הצדקה כאילו עובד עבודה זרה כתיב הכא השמר לך פן יהי׳ דבר עם לבבך בליעל וגו׳ וכתיב חתם יצאו אנשים בליעל וגו׳ מה להלן ע׳׳ז אף כאן ע׳׳ז. Es ist Gott, in dessen Namen eine jede Aufforderung zur Hilfe an uns ergeht. Und dieser Anforderung die gebührende Beachtung versagen, heißt: Gott verleugnen und Geld zu seinem Abgott machen.

קרבה שנת השבע, “the seventh year of the sh’mittah is approaching; “I might not get paid back because of the law to remit outstanding debts.” Moreover, in the coming year this lender will not even be allowed to seed his field and harvest a crop from which to sustain himself. As a result of such considerations he does not wish to extend a loan to the needy.

והיה בך חטא AND IT BE SIN UNTO THEE — under any circumstances, even if he does not cry against thee. But if this be so, to what end is it written “and he cry against thee”? It suggests that I will make greater haste to punish thee because of him who cries, than because of one who does not cry (Sifrei Devarim 117:5).