## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 112

###### Sifrei Devarim 112:1
[Sifrei Devarim 112:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/112:1)

(דברים טו ב) **וְזֶה דְּבַר הַשְּׁמִטָּה**, מִכָּן אָמְרוּ (שביעית פ״י מ״ח): הַמַּחֲזִיר חוֹב בַּשְּׁבִיעִית יֹאמַר לָהֶם ׳מְשַׁמֵּט אֲנִי׳, וְאִם אָמַר לוֹ ׳אַף עַל פִּי כֵן׳ – יְקַבֵּל מִמֶּנּוּ, מִשּׁוּם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: **וְזֶה דְּבַר הַשְּׁמִטָּה**.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**Pisqa’ 112**³⁰⁷
1. “Now, this is the procedure for the release:
every creditor shall release the debt owed him by his kinsman or brother” (Dt. 15:2).
**On this basis they taught:**
**[A debtor] who returns a debt in the Seventh year—**
**[the creditor] should reply to him:**
**I release it!**
**But if [the debtor] says:**
**Nevertheless [I prefer to repay the debt]!—**
**[the creditor] accepts it from him,**
**for it is said:**
**“This is the procedure (*davar*)**³⁰⁸, for example, an oral declaration satisfies the creditor’s obligation to cancel the debt (see M. Shev.10:1-6 on *prozbul*). **for the release” (Dt. 15:2)—**
**[the creditor’s declaration of release is sufficient to meet his obligation].** ³⁰⁹

footnotes:
³⁰⁷ H:159-160; JN1:284-285.
³⁰⁸ Literally, “word.” The point is that, unlike a written document like the prozbul
³⁰⁹ =M. Shev. 10:8.


###### Sifrei Devarim 112:2
[Sifrei Devarim 112:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/112:2)

**[וְזֶה דְּבַר הַשְּׁמִטָּה]**, שְׁמִטָּה מְשַׁמֶּטֶת מִלְוָה וְאֵין יוֹבֵל מְשַׁמֵּט מִלְוָה.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
2. **The Release-year releases a loan,**
**but the Jubilee-year does not release a loan.**


###### Sifrei Devarim 112:3
[Sifrei Devarim 112:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/112:3)

שֶׁהָיָה בַּדִּין: מָה שְׁמִטָּה, שֶׁאֵין מוֹצִיאָה עֲבָדִים, מְשַׁמֶּטֶת מִלְוָה, יוֹבֵל, שֶׁמּוֹצִיא עֲבָדִים, אֵינוֹ דִין שֶׁיְּשַׁמֵּט מִלְוָה? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **וְזֶה דְּבַר הַשְּׁמִטָּה** – שְׁמִטָּה מְשַׁמֶּטֶת מִלְוָה וְאֵין יוֹבֵל מְשַׁמֵּט מִלְוָה.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**Now, one might have reasoned otherwise:**
**Just as the Release-year,**
**which does *not* liberate slaves**
**[with fewer than seven years’ service], does release a loan,**
**so, too, the Jubilee year,**
**which *does* liberate slaves (Lv. 25:40)—**
**isn’t it only logical that**
**it *should* release a loan?**
**The Teaching states:**
**“Now, this is the procedure for the release:**
**every creditor shall release the debt” (Dt. 15:2)—**
**[therefore,] the Release-year releases a loan,**
**while the Jubilee year does not release a loan.**


###### Sifrei Devarim 112:4
[Sifrei Devarim 112:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/112:4)

קַל וָחוֹמֶר לַשְּׁמִטָּה שֶׁתּוֹצִיא עֲבָדִים: וּמַה יּוֹבֵל, שֶׁאֵין מְשַׁמֵּט מִלְוָה, מוֹצִיא עֲבָדִים שְׁבִיעִית, שֶׁמְּשַׁמֶּטֶת מִלְוָה, אֵינוֹ דִין שֶׁתּוֹצִיא עֲבָדִים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (ויקרא כה יג): ״בִּשְׁנַת הַיּוֹבֵל הַזֹּאת״ – שְׁבִיעִית מְשַׁמֶּטֶת מִלְוָה וְיוֹבֵל מוֹצִיא עֲבָדִים.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**Here is a logical argument proving that**
**the Release-year should liberate slaves:**
**Just as the Jubilee year,**
**which does *not* release a loan,**
**nevertheless liberates slaves (Lv. 25:40)—**
**isn’t it only logical that**
**the Seventh year,**
**which *does* release a loan,**
**should also liberate slaves?**
**The Teaching states:**
**“In *this* year of the Jubilee, shall a man return to his property” (Lv. 25:13)—**
**[with no mention of the release of debts, therefore]:**
**the Seventh year releases a loan,**
**while the Jubilee year liberates slaves.**³¹⁰ per. 3:6.

footnotes:
³¹⁰ =Sifra, bahar,


###### Sifrei Devarim 112:5
[Sifrei Devarim 112:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/112:5)

**שָׁמוֹט כָּל בַּעַל**, יָכוֹל אַף בִּגְזֵלָה וּבְפִקָּדוֹן? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **מַשֵּׁה יָדוֹ**.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
3. “Every creditor shall release the *debt* owed him by his kinsman (Dt. 15:2).
Is it possible to say that
even stolen property or collateral [must be released]?
The Teaching states:
“the *debt* owed him” (Dt. 15:2)—
[this excludes obligation to release stolen or pledged objects].


###### Sifrei Devarim 112:6
[Sifrei Devarim 112:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/112:6)

אוֹ **מַשֵּׁה יָדוֹ**, יָכוֹל שְׂכַר שָׂכִיר וְהַקָּפַת הַחֲנוּת? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **אֲשֶׁר יַשֶּׁה בְּרֵעֵהוּ**.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
Or [we might reason as follows]:
“The *debt* owed him” (Dt. 15:2)—
**is it possible to say that**
**[an employer must release] a worker’s back-pay**
**or a shop-keeper [must release] an extension of credit?**
**The Teaching states:**
**“*Owed him* by his kinsman” (Dt. 15:2).**


###### Sifrei Devarim 112:7
[Sifrei Devarim 112:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/112:7)

אִם סוֹפֵנוּ לְרַבּוֹת כֻּלָּם, מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר **מַשֵּׁה יָדוֹ**? מַה מַשֵּׁה יָדוֹ בְּזָקוּף, אַף כֻּלָּם זְקוּפִים.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**Now, if we are ultimately going to include all of these**
**[under the rule of the Release-year],**³¹¹
what does the Teaching mean by:
“*Owed* him” (Dt. 15:2)?
Just as *owed him* [implies that the debtor has]
a standing obligation [to pay the creditor],
so, too, all of these are standing obligations [rather than loans].

footnotes:
³¹¹ Cf. M. Shev.10:1; T. Shev.8:3.


###### Sifrei Devarim 112:8
[Sifrei Devarim 112:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/112:8)

**לֹא יִגֹּשׂ** – לִתֵּן עָלָיו בְּלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“He *shall not* dun” (Dt. 15:2)—
this verse places [a dunning creditor] in violation of a proscription.


###### Sifrei Devarim 112:9
[Sifrei Devarim 112:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/112:9)

**אֶת רֵעֵהוּ** – פְּרָט לַאֲחֵרִים.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“His *kinsman*” (Dt. 15:2)—
excluding outsiders [from protection from dunning].


###### Sifrei Devarim 112:10
[Sifrei Devarim 112:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/112:10)

**וְאֶת אָחִיו** – פְּרָט לְגֵר תּוֹשָׁב.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“Or his *brother*” (Dt. 15:2)—
excluding the resident alien [from protection from dunning]


###### Sifrei Devarim 112:11
[Sifrei Devarim 112:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/112:11)

**כִּי קָרָא שְׁמִטָּה לַה׳** – בֵּין בָּאָרֶץ בֵּין בְּחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“For *you* have declared a Release-year from HASHEM” (Dt. 15:2)—
[the release of debts may be declared wherever you may be,] whether in the Land or beyond the Land.