## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 117

###### Sifrei Devarim 117:1
[Sifrei Devarim 117:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/117:1)

(דברים טו ט) **הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ**, הֱוֵי זָהִיר שֶׁלֹּא תִּמְנַע רַחֲמִים, שֶׁכָּל הַמּוֹנֵעַ רַחֲמִים מֻקָּשׁ לְעוֹבְרֵי עֲבֵרוֹת וּפוֹרֵק עוֹל שָׁמַיִם מֵעָלָיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר **בְלִיַּעַל** – בְּלִי עוֹל.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**Pisqa’ 117**³³⁰
1. “Take care” (Dt. 15:9)—
beware of withholding compassion,
for whoever withholds compassion
is comparable to a transgressor,
having removed from himself
the yoke of Heaven,
for it is said:
“Rebellion” (*bli`al:* Dt. 15:9)—
this means without the yoke (*bli `ol*).³³¹ see *Pisqa’* 93.1.

footnotes:
³³⁰ H:162-153; JN1:292-294.
³³¹ F:176, n. 1 regards this passage as an interpolation. For a similar midrashic comment on bli`al,


###### Sifrei Devarim 117:2
[Sifrei Devarim 117:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/117:2)

דָּבָר אַחֵר: **הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ**, **הִשָּׁמֶר** בְּלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה, **פֶּן** בְּלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
Another word:
**“*Take care lest* there be” (Dt. 15:9)—**
***Take care* is a proscription.**


###### Sifrei Devarim 117:3
[Sifrei Devarim 117:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/117:3)

**פֶּן יִהְיֶה דָבָר עִם לְבָבְךָ בְלִיַּעַל לֵאמֹר**, זֶה שֶׁקָּרוּי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. נֶאֱמַר כָּאן **בְלִיַּעַל** וְנֶאֱמַר לְהַלָּן (דברים יג יד) ״יָצְאוּ אֲנָשִׁים בְּנֵי בְלִיַּעַל״, מַה בְּנֵי בְלִיַּעַל הָאָמוּר לְהַלָּן – עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, אַף בְּנֵי בְלִיַּעַל הָאָמוּר כָּאן – עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
***Lest* is also a proscription.**³³² 70.1.
**“Take care lest there be an *element* of *rebellion* in your heart, saying” (Dt. 15:9)—**
**this is what is called [serving] a foreign cult.**
**Here, *rebellion* is specified (Dt. 15:9),**
**and elsewhere, *rebellion* is specified:**
**“Some *rebellious men* have emerged from among you” (Dt. 13:4).**
**Just as the term, *rebellious men* mentioned elsewhere (Dt. 13:4)**
**[are servants of] a foreign cult,**
**so, too, the term *rebellion* mentioned here (Dt. 15:9)**
**refers to [servants of] a foreign cult.**³³³

footnotes:
³³² For the distinction between “take care” and “lest,” see Pisqa’
³³³ =T. Pe’ah 4:20.


###### Sifrei Devarim 117:4
[Sifrei Devarim 117:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/117:4)

**קָרְבָה שְׁנַת הַשֶּׁבַע שְׁנַת הַשְּׁמִטָּה**, זוֹ הִיא שֶׁאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַגְּלִילִי (לעיל פיסקא קיא): אִם שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד הֵיאַךְ הִיא קְרוֹבָה? אֱמֹר מֵעַתָּה שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים לְכָל הָעוֹלָם.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
2. “The Seventh year is drawing near—the Release-year!” (Dt. 15:9).
This is what R. Yose the Galilean said
in reference to this verse:
**if seven years are calculated separately for each individual,**
**how can [the Seventh year] draw near for all at once?**
**From this you may conclude that**
**[the Seventh year] is calculated for the entire world**
**on the same seven year schedule**
**[concluding with the Seventh year of each cycle]!**³³⁴ 111.4.

footnotes:
³³⁴ Cf. Pisqa’


###### Sifrei Devarim 117:5
[Sifrei Devarim 117:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/117:5)

**וְרָעָה עֵינְךָ בְּאָחִיךָ הָאֶבְיוֹן וְלֹא תִתֵּן לוֹ וְקָרָא עָלֶיךָ אֶל ה׳**, יָכוֹל מִצְוָה שֶׁלֹּא לִקְרוֹת? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **וְקָרָא**, יָכוֹל מִצְוָה לִקְרוֹת? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (דברים כד טו): ״וְלֹא יִקְרָא עָלֶיךָ״. יָכוֹל אִם קָרָא עָלֶיךָ יִהְיֶה בְּךָ חֵטְא, וְאִם לָאו לֹא יְהֵא בְּךָ חֵטְא? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **וְהָיָה בְךָ חֵטְא**, מִכָּל מָקוֹם. אִם כֵּן לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר **וְקָרָא עָלֶיךָ אֶל ה׳**? מְמַהֵר אֲנִי לִפָּרַע עַל יְדֵי קוֹרֵא יוֹתֵר מִמִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ קוֹרֵא.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“And you grow resentful³³⁵; literally, “you eye grows evil.” towards your needy brother,
so that you fail to aid him, and he *shall* call out to HASHEM on your account” (Dt. 15:9).
Is it possible to say that
the pauper is commanded *not* to call out?
The Teaching states:
“And he *shall* call out” (Dt. 15:9).
Is it possible to say that
he is *commanded* to call out?
The Teaching states:
“So that he will *not* call out to HASHEM *on your account*,
and sin be imputed to you” (Dt. 24:15).
**Is it possible to say that**
**if he calls out *because of you***
**sin will be imputed to you,**
**but if not,**
**sin will not be imputed to you?**
**The Teaching states:**
**“And sin be imputed *to you*” (Dt. 24:15)—**
**either way [sin will be imputed to you].**
**Well, if so, why is this stated:**
**“And he shall call out to HASHEM on *your account*” (Dt. 15:9)?**
**The point is that I will exact punishment**
**more quickly on behalf of one who calls out**
**than on behalf of one who doesn’t call out.**³³⁶ par. 18.

footnotes:
³³⁵ Heb: ra`ah `einekha
³³⁶ Cf. Mechilta Ishmael, neziqin,


###### Sifrei Devarim 117:6
[Sifrei Devarim 117:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/117:6)

מִנַּיִן אִם נָתַתָּ פַּעַם אַחַת תֵּן לוֹ אֲפִלּוּ מֵאָה פְּעָמִים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: (דברים טו י) ״נָתוֹן תִּתֵּן״.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
3. **How do I know that**
**if you opened your hand to him once,**
**you must open it to him even a hundred times**?³³⁷ 116.3
The Teaching states:
“You shall gladly give” (Dt. 15:10).

footnotes:
³³⁷ Cf. Pisqa’


###### Sifrei Devarim 117:7
[Sifrei Devarim 117:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/117:7)

**לוֹ**, בֵּינְךָ לְבֵינוֹ. מִכָּן אָמְרוּ (שקלים פ״ה מ״ו): לִשְׁכַּת חֲשָׁאִים הָיְתָה בִּירוּשָׁלִַם.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“To him” (Dt. 15:10)—
keep the fact of the loan between the two of you.
On this basis they taught:
**There was a Chamber of the Anonymous in Jerusalem**
**[from which alms were distributed in confidence].**³³⁸

footnotes:
³³⁸ Cf. M. Sheq. 5:6.


###### Sifrei Devarim 117:8
[Sifrei Devarim 117:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/117:8)

**כִּי בִּגְלַל הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה**, אִם אָמַר לִתֵּן וְנָתַן – נוֹתְנִים לוֹ שְׂכַר אֲמִירָה וּשְׂכַר מַעֲשֶׂה. אָמַר לִתֵּן וְלֹא הִסְפִּיק בְּיָדוֹ לִתֵּן – נוֹתְנִים לוֹ שְׂכַר אֲמִירָה כִּשְׂכַר מַעֲשֶׂה. לֹא אָמַר לִתֵּן, אֲבָל אָמַר לַאֲחֵרִים תְּנוּ – נוֹתְנִים לוֹ שָׂכָר עַל כָּךְ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״כִּי בִּגְלַל הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה״. לֹא אָמַר לִתֵּן, וְלֹא אָמַר לַאֲחֵרִים תְּנוּ, אֲבָל נוֹחַ לוֹ בִּדְבָרִים טוֹבִים, מִנַּיִן שֶׁנּוֹתְנִים לוֹ שָׂכָר עַל כָּךְ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״כִּי בִּגְלַל הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה יְבָרֶכְךָ ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל מַעֲשֶׂךָ״.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“*Because of this matter*, HASHEM your God will bless you in all your endeavors” (Dt. 15:10).
**If he promised to give, and he gave—**
**they give him a reward for the promise**
**and a reward for the deed.**
**If he promised to give,**
**but hadn’t a chance to give,**
**they give him a reward for the promise**
**equal to the reward for the deed.**
**If one made no promise to give,**
**but he urged others to give,**
**they give him a reward even for that,**
**for it is said:**
**“*Because of this matter*, HASHEM your God will bless you” (Dt. 15:10).**³³⁹
If he made no promise to give,
and did not urge others to give,
but comforted [the pauper] with kind words—
how do we know that
they ascribe to him a reward even for *that*?
The Teaching states:
“*Because of this matter*, HASHEM your God will bless you in all your endeavors” (Dt. 15:10).

footnotes:
³³⁹ = T. Pe’ah 4:17.