Pisqa’ 118³⁴⁰

1. “For the pauper will never be gone from the midst of the Land” (Dt. 15:11).

“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’

“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!

“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.

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?

“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?

“If . . . he is sold—to you” (Dt. 15:12).³⁴³ per. 7:1.

footnotes: ³⁴³ // Sifra, behar,

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’

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?

“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

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]?

“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?

“He shall be set free, without encumbrance” ³⁴⁷ par. 2. (Ex. 21:2).

footnotes: ³⁴⁷ Cf. Mechilta Ishmael, neziqin,