The Weekly Shtikle - Re'eih

This week's parsha presents the contradiction of the following two pesukim. First we are told (15:4) that with the proper fulfillment of the laws of shemitah as they pertain to loans "there will not be any needy among you." In the very same perek we are told (pasuk 11) "For the needy shall never cease from within the land." Rashi explains homiletically from the Midrash (Sifrei Piska 114) that when we are performing HaShem's will, the needy will be among others and not among us. But when we are not performing HaShem's will, there will be needy among us.

On a simpler level, however, perhaps the contradiction may be reconciled as follows: The first pasuk is indeed giving us an assurance that with the proper performance of the laws of shemitah, poverty will be wiped out from the community. The second pasuk, however, is stated regarding the mitzvah of tzedakah. It is not a prediction of the future. Rather, the Torah is stating a practical fact as a reason why charity is always necessary. You should never say, "someone else will take care of him, he'll make it somehow." The Torah is teaching us a lesson that the poor will never just cease to be. In order to tackle poverty, you must take the initiative and give tzedakah and never rely on someone else to do the job.

 

 

On a related note, an observation I recently made: There are a number of instances in the Torah where the word tzedakah is used. In some cases, the commentaries discuss how the word tzedakah is appropriate in this specific case. For example, when HaShem promises Avraham that he will have a son (Bereishis 15:6) and Avraham trusts HaShem's word. Additionally, in the parsha from two weeks ago, (6:22) we are told that it will be for us as a tzedakah when we take heed to do the mitzvos.

In this week's parsha we have the actual passages directing us to "give a little tzedakah – for the poor and needy" in the pesukim discussed above (15:7-11). Interestingly, there is no use of the word tzedakah or any derivative thereof. The root of the word actually means truth and justice. I am unsure – but would be intrigued to learn – how the word became synonymous with compassionate acts of charity.

Have a good Shabbos.

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

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