## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 118

###### Sifrei Devarim 118:1
[Sifrei Devarim 118:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/118:1)

(דברים טו יא) **כִּי לֹא יֶחְדַּל אֶבְיוֹן מִקֶּרֶב הָאָרֶץ**, וּלְהַלָּן הוּא אוֹמֵר (דברים טו ד) ״אֶפֶס כִּי לֹא יִהְיֶה בְּךָ אֶבְיוֹן״. כֵּיצַד נִתְקַיְּמוּ שְׁנֵי כְתוּבִים הַלָּלוּ? בִּזְמַן שֶׁאַתֶּם עוֹשִׂים רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם – אֶבְיוֹנִים בַּאֲחֵרִים, וּכְשֶׁאֵין אַתֶּם עוֹשִׂים רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם – אֶבְיוֹנִים בָּכֶם.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**Pisqa’ 118**³⁴⁰
1. **“For the pauper *will never* be gone from the midst of the Land” (Dt. 15:11).**
**But elsewhere, He says:**
**“Surely, there *shall be no pauper* among you” (Dt. 15:4).**
**Now, how can these two verses be reconciled?**
**The point is that when you fulfill the will**
**of the All-Present,**
**the pauper will be found among the *others*,**
**but when you do not fulfill the will**
**of the All-Present,**
**the pauper will be found among *you*.**³⁴¹ 114.1 for the same point.

footnotes:
³⁴⁰ H:163-164;JN1:295-297.
³⁴¹ Cf. Pisqa’


###### Sifrei Devarim 118:2
[Sifrei Devarim 118:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/118:2)

**עַל כֵּן אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ לֵאמֹר**, ״עַל כֵּן״ – מִפְּנֵי כֵן. **אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ לֵאמֹר** – עֵצָה טוֹבָה אֲנִי נוֹתֵן לְךָ מִטּוֹבָתְךָ.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“*Therefore* I am commanding you, saying” (Dt. 15:11)—
*therefore* implies “for this reason.”
“I am commanding you, saying”—
I’m giving you sound advice for your own good!


###### Sifrei Devarim 118:3
[Sifrei Devarim 118:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/118:3)

**פָּתוֹחַ תִּפְתַּח אֶת יָדְךָ לְאָחִיךָ לַעֲנִיֶּךָ וּלְאֶבְיוֹנְךָ**, לָמָּה נֶאֶמְרוּ כֻלָּם? הָרָאוּי לִתֵּן לוֹ פַּת – נוֹתְנִים לוֹ פַּת. עִיסָּה – נוֹתְנִים לוֹ עִיסָּה. מָעָה – נוֹתְנִים לוֹ מָעָה. לְהַאֲכִילוֹ בְּתוֹךְ פִּיו – מַאֲכִילִים אוֹתוֹ בְּתוֹךְ פִּיו.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“Open your hand wide to your *brother*, your *pauper* who is *needy*” (Dt. 15:11)—
why are all these mentioned?
**Does he need bread? Give him bread!**
**Dough? Give him dough!**
**Money? Give him money!**
**Someone to place food in his mouth?**
**Place food in his mouth!**³⁴²

footnotes:
³⁴² //T. Pe’ah 4:10.


###### Sifrei Devarim 118:4
[Sifrei Devarim 118:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/118:4)

(דברים טו יב) **כִּי יִמָּכֵר לְךָ**, מִנַּיִן כְּשֶׁאַתָּה קוֹנֶה לֹא תְּהֵא קוֹנֶה אֶלָּא עֶבֶד עִבְרִי? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (שמות כא ב): ״כִּי תִקְנֶה עֶבֶד עִבְרִי״. מִנַּיִן כְּשֶׁהוּא נִמְכָּר, אֵינוֹ נִמְכָּר אֶלָּא לְךָ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (ויקרא כה לט): ״וְנִמְכַּר לָךְ״. מִנַּיִן כְּשֶׁבֵּית דִּין מוֹכְרִים אוֹתוֹ, אֵין מוֹכְרִים אוֹתוֹ אֶלָּא לְךָ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **כִּי יִמָּכֵר לְךָ**.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
2. “If your *Hebrew* brother . . . is sold to you” (Dt. 15:12).
How do I know that
when you acquire a slave,
you should only acquire a Hebrew slave?
The Teaching states:
“When you acquire a *Hebrew* slave” (Ex. 21:2)
**How do I know that**
**when he is sold,**
**he should be sold only to *you?***
**The Teaching states:**
**“When your brother *among you* falls upon hard times, and he is sold *to you*” (Lv. 25:39).**
**How do I know that**
**if the court sells him, they can only sell him to you?**
**The Teaching states:**
**“If . . . he is *sold*—*to you*”** (Dt. 15:12).³⁴³ per. 7:1.

footnotes:
³⁴³ // Sifra, behar,


###### Sifrei Devarim 118:5
[Sifrei Devarim 118:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/118:5)

**אָחִיךָ הָעִבְרִי אוֹ הָעִבְרִיָּה**, יֵשׁ בָּעִבְרִי מַה שֶּׁאֵין בָּעִבְרִיָּה וּבָעִבְרִיָּה מַה שֶּׁאֵין בָּעִבְרִי. עִבְרִי יוֹצֵא בְּשָׁנִים וּבְיוֹבֵל וּבְגֵרְעוֹן כֶּסֶף, מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בָּעִבְרִיָּה. עִבְרִיָּה יוֹצְאָה בְּסִימָנִים, וְאֵינָהּ נִמְכֶּרֶת וְנִשְׁנֵית, וּמַפְדִּים אוֹתָהּ עַל כָּרְחָהּ, מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בָּעִבְרִי. הָא לְפִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּעִבְרִי מַה שֶּׁאֵין בָּעִבְרִיָּה, וּבָעִבְרִיָּה מַה שֶּׁאֵין בָּעִבְרִי צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר בָּעִבְרִי וְצָרִיךְ לוֹמַר בָּעִבְרִיָּה.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
3. “Your *Hebrew* brother or *Hebrew* woman” (Dt. 15:12)—
in some ways,
[the rule for] a male Hebrew slave differs
from [the rule for] a female Hebrew slave,
and [the rule for]a female Hebrew slave differs
from [the rule for] a male Hebrew slave.
**A male Hebrew is liberated**
**upon completion [of six] years of service,**
**or at the Jubilee year,**
**or by a pro-rated monetary payment—**
**none of which applies to a female Hebrew slave.**
**Yet a female Hebrew slave**
**is liberated at [the onset of] signs of sexual maturity,**
**and cannot be re-sold to another owner [upon the death of the first],**
**and they may buy her freedom against her will—**
**none of which applies to a male Hebrew slave**.³⁴⁴
**Indeed, since in some ways**
**[the rule for] a male Hebrew slave differs**
**From [the rule for] a female Hebrew slave,**
**and [the rule for] a female Hebrew slave differs**
**from [the rule for] a male Hebrew slave,**
**[Scripture] must discuss a male Hebrew slave,**
**and then must discuss a female Hebrew slave.**³⁴⁵ 138.2,

footnotes:
³⁴⁴ Cf. M. Qid.1:2.
³⁴⁵ The rhetoric of comparison is identical to that of Pisqa’


###### Sifrei Devarim 118:6
[Sifrei Devarim 118:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/118:6)

**וַעֲבָדְךָ שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים** – אַף אֶת הַבֵּן. יָכוֹל אַף אֶת הַיּוֹרֵשׁ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (שמות כא ב): ״שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים יַעֲבֹד״ – מִי לְחָשְׁךָ לְהָבִיא אֶת הַבֵּן וּלְהוֹצִיא אֶת הַיּוֹרֵשׁ? מֵבִיא אֲנִי אֶת הַבֵּן, שֶׁכֵּן קָם תַּחַת אָבִיו לִיעִידָה וְלִשְׂדֵה אֲחֻזָּה, וּמוֹצִיא אֲנִי אֶת הַיּוֹרֵשׁ, שֶׁלֹּא קָם תַּחַת הָאָב לִיעִידָה וְלִשְׂדֵה אֲחֻזָּה.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
4. “Then he *shall serve you* for six years” (Dt. 15:12)—
[this applies] even to the [deceased owner’s] son.
**Is it possible to say that**
**[*shall serve you* applies even to the owner’s *heir*?**
**The Teaching states elsewhere:**
**“Six years *he* must serve” (Ex. 21:2)—**
**[excluding the deceased owner’s heir].**
**Now, who inspired you**
**to include the son, but to exclude the heir?**
**I can include the son,**
**for, indeed, he takes his [deceased] father’s place**
**in exercising the right of [setting aside**
**a slave-girl for] concubinage,**
**and [in exercising the right] to redeem**
**an ancestral field from its current owners.**
**[It follows, therefore, that**
**the Hebrew slave shall serve his deceased owner’s son as well].**
**Similarly, I can exclude the owner’s heir,**
**for, indeed, he may *not* [as an heir]**
**exercise the right of concubinage [like a son]**
**or redeem an ancestral field [like a son].**
**[Therefore, the heir he has no rights to inherited the Hebrew slave].**³⁴⁶, par. 3.

footnotes:
³⁴⁶ Cf. Mechilta Ishmael, neziqin


###### Sifrei Devarim 118:7
[Sifrei Devarim 118:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/118:7)

בָּרַח וְחָזַר, מִנַּיִן שֶׁמְּשַׁלֵּם לוֹ שָׁנָיו? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים יַעֲבֹד״. חָלָה וְנִתְרַפֵּא, יָכוֹל יַחֲזִיר לוֹ שְׂכַר בַּטָּלָתוֹ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (שמות כא ב): ״יֵצֵא לַחָפְשִׁי חִנָּם״.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
5. **If the Hebrew slave fled and returned—**
**how do we know that**
**he must complete the remainder**
**of his [six-year] term**
**[by compensating his owner for the time he was idle]?**
**The Teaching states:**
**“Six years he must *serve*” (Ex. 21:2).**
**If he became ill and recovered** —
**is it possible to say that**
**the slave must return to the owner**
**the price of his idleness?**
**The Teaching states:**
**“He shall be set free, without encumbrance”** ³⁴⁷ par. 2. **(Ex. 21:2)**.

footnotes:
³⁴⁷ Cf. Mechilta Ishmael, neziqin,