Wyjścia 22:21 Komentarz: Rashi, Chizkuni, Ramban & Sforno

כל אלמנה ויתום לא תענון YOU SHALL NOT AFFLICT ANY WIDOW, OR FATHERLESS CHILD — That is also the law regarding any person, but Scripture is speaking of what usually happens and therefore mentions these in particular, for they are feeble in defensive power (i. e. they have no one to protect them) and it is a frequent occurrence for people to afflict them (Mekhilta).

כל אלמנה ויתום לא תענון, “Do not oppress any widow or orphan.” The word כל in this verse has to be understood as in Exodus 20,10: לא תעשה כל מלאכה, not as meaning: ”do not do all the work,” but as: “do not do any work.” [Compare also Exodus 20,4: תמונה, “do not make for yourself any likeness;” it does not mean that you are only forbidden to make for yourselves a likeness of all that is on heaven or earth.”] The Torah mentions the proselyte as he has no family in Israel and therefore no one who can advise him or protect him. He belongs to the weakest members of society. Next the Torah mentions widows and orphans, who though natural born Israelites either have lost their protectors or had never had any.

ANY WIDOW — even a rich one of quite considerable wealth — YE SHALL NOT AFFLICT, for her tears are frequent and her soul is depressed. He states, If thou afflict ‘otho’²⁹⁹Verse 22. [“him” in the singular], meaning any one [who is a widow or a fatherless child]. Therefore it is written after that, and your wives shall be widows,³⁰²Verse 23. in punishment for your causing the cry of the widow, and your children fatherless,³⁰²Verse 23. in punishment for the cry of the orphan.
This punishment [And My wrath shall glow, and I will kill you with the sword etc.]³⁰²Verse 23. is not counted by our Rabbis amongst those brought upon people who are liable to death by the hand of Heaven, as listed in the Beraitha,³⁰³See Seder Bo Note 209. “These are the people who are liable to death by the hand of Heaven” taught in Tractate Sanhedrin.³⁰⁴Sanhedrin 83a. The reason for this is that the death mentioned here is unlike the usual death of people by the hand of Heaven, of whom it is said, and they die therein, if they profane it;³⁰⁵Leviticus 22:9. and ye die not.³⁰⁶Numbers 18:32. But here the punishment is that they will die by the enemy’s sword, or he shall go down into battle, and be swept away³⁰⁷I Samuel 26:10. without anyone knowing it, and their wives will thus have to remain forever widows, and their children always be fatherless.