Chidushim on Parashat Re’eh by Rabbi Eliezer Berland Shlit”a

CHIDUSHIM ON PARASHAT RE’EH FROM MOREINU HARAV ELIEZER BERLAND SHLIT”A:

“AND LET YOUR HEART NOT FEEL BAD WHEN YOU GIVE TO HIM”

A person who makes a vow to give to the poor must fulfill the vow, as it is written, “And let your heart not feel bad when you give to him” (Devarim 15:10). A person thinks, “How can I give Tzedaka?” “How can I?” “I will be lacking?” “How can I give a loan? They won’t repay me.” Then this is called a bliya’al (lawless) thought. A person saying “they won’t repay me” is a bliya’al statement. A person must lend; this is the way that Hashem runs the world. If the money won’t [back] come to me, then new money will come. So this is a bliya’al thought. Now it’s the sixth year – already the end of the sixth year. Someone asks for 100,000 shekels; if within a year, he does not return it, it is lost, because the Sabbatical year cancels debts. If the lender does not forgive the debt, then the Torah says, “Beware, lest there be a lawless thought in your heart” (Devarim 15:9). A person must lend. If you have 100,000 shekels that you now received as an inheritance [or] you sold an apartment, and you don’t need the money right now, only in a year, then you must lend it. If not, you are a “lawless thing.” He needs to marry off a child, he has debts, they are coming to take his house from him, you must lend to him. And what will happen? How will he return it? You need to provide for the needy “whatever is lacking him” (Devarim 15:8), even a horse. “Whatever is lacking him,” “You shall not harden your heart or close your hand” (ibid. 15:7). If a person closes his hand from giving Tzedaka, he creates a “fist of wickedness” (Yeshayahu 58:4). One makes a fist of wickedness. If he doesn’t want to give, then a “fist of wickedness” is formed – this is 3,000, says Rabbi Shimshon from Ostropoli [in the letter that is read on Erev Pesach] – 3,280. Every time that he does not give Tzedaka, he creates 3,280 destroying angels, Nazis, terrorists. Suddenly, a hundred million Nazis come along, and [no one] knows from where these hundred million came from – this is all because a person closes his hand. There is a prohibition – “You shall not harden your heart or close your hand” – explicit prohibitions.

“Beware, lest there be a lawless (bliya’al) thought in your heart” (ibid. 15:9). What is a bliya’al? That one doesn’t want to lend, doesn’t perform Tzedaka. One is continuously afraid and thinks, “Maybe I will be lacking,” “Maybe this one won’t repay me,” but know that these are bliya’al thoughts, because in the end, they will repay you. At the most, it will be delayed another day, another hour, another minute. So beware of saying, “This one won’t repay me; I put the money on a gazelle’s horn; the money is lost.” Hashem will not consent to forgiving this thought – “Beware, lest there be a lawless thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year is approaching.’” And now there will be the Sabbatical year; in the Sabbatical year, it doesn’t belong to you, because there is the cancellation of debts.

It is written in the Mishnah: “There was an incident with a man who took a basket of figs and consecrated five women with it” (Kiddushin 50b). You can consecrate a woman with a fig. If a man consecrates a woman with a fig, it is a sign that he rectified the sin of the fig; this is the complete rectification. “Basket of figs” (=936); this is the numerical value of gaviya (גביע goblet) – י"ג=13 times ע"ב=72 (=936). 13 alludes to the Thirteen Aspects of Mercy, that a person receives such bounty that he can lend to the entire world – “You will lend to many nations, and you will not borrow” (ibid. 28:12). Hashem promises that we will lend to them, and they will not lend to us. Beware, lest there be the Sabbatical year now, and you will have an evil eye, not wanting to lend. “And you will not look malevolently upon your destitute brother and refuse to give to him.” If you don’t give to him, oy vavoy. The curse of “and your wives will be widows and your children orphans” (Shemot 22:23) will be fulfilled, God forbid. If someone requests Tzedaka or a loan, and they don’t give to him, and he will cry out to Hashem, “Hashem, see what they’re doing to me. They’re not lending me, not bringing me Tzedaka” – “and you will have sin in you.” “You shall surely give to him” – always give, even a hundred times. Do not become exhausted. Even a horse, even a Mercedes. If one would travel in a Mercedes and was used to travelling in a Mercedes, and he became destitute, and he doesn’t have a Mercedes, you need to buy him a Mercedes. Take out all the money that you have in the bank, or under your clothes, pillow, and sheets, and give it to him, even a horse to ride upon. Even a horse. He wants a horse, then you must give [it to him]. Therefore, Rashi says even a horse. He wants a horse, you have money in the bank, you have 100,000 shekels, and he says: Buy me a horse, or a chariot with four horses, you need to give him everything, even four horses. “You shall surely give to him” whatever he asks for, four horses. He asks for a yacht, buy him a yacht. He asks for a private airplane, buy him a private airplane. Always give the money, and see that you will have a million times, a billion times, a trillion times. You shall surely give to him. Do not become exhausted. More and more, however much he asks for. “And let your heart not feel bad when you give him, for in return for this matter, Hashem your God, will bless you in all your deeds and in your every undertaking.” Hashem will see that you opened up your hand for him, He will also open up His hand for you. If you start calculating, He will also calculate. If a person starts making calculations, Hashem will also make calculations. Give to him without calculation, even if he asks you for a horse to ride on. He wants a horse, he wants a Mercedes, he wants a yacht, tell him, “What you want, I will give you.” Hashem will also give to you. He will make you fly in the air, will give you eagle’s wings, you’ll make it to Uman with the explicit Name. “You shall surely give to him” – even a hundred times. You no longer have the strength for him? “And let your heart not feel bad” – do not have a bad heart when you give to him, “for in return for this matter, Hashem your God will bless you.” Hashem will bless you, open up for you all the gates.

On Rosh Chodesh, all the gates are opened, all the gates of heaven are opened. All the bounty is opened up on Rosh Chodesh. We say, “Ya’aleh V’Yavo – May it ascend, come, reach, appear, be desired, be heard, be reckoned, be remembered, our remembrance and our reckoning, and the remembrance of our forefathers, and the remembrance of Mashiach ben David Your servant, and the remembrance of Jerusalem, Your holy city, and the remembrance of all Your people, the House of Israel, before You for salvation, for goodness, for grace, for kindness, and for mercy, for good life and peace on this Rosh Chodesh day,” which will be tomorrow night, Amen.

Even when Mashiach comes, there will still be destitute people, “For destitute people will not cease to exist within the Land.” What is the trait that [causes] Hashem to have mercy on a person? That he has mercy on the poor. A person doesn’t deserve any mercy, [because of] so many transgressions, sins, but if he has mercy on a poor person, Hashem will have mercy on him. Therefore, there are always poor people, because Hashem is testing us [to see] if we have mercy on the poor, and that we don’t say to him, “You’re poor, go work.” After this, you’ll be told to go work. Have mercy on the poor person, and then Hashem will send to you, “for destitute people will not cease to exist within the Land… you shall surely open [your hand],” another time, like “you shall surely give.”

Do not shut your hand – “You shall not close your hand.” If a person closes his hand, you have created an atomic bomb. “To strike with a fist of wickedness” (Yeshayahu 58:4). This is 3,280 destroying angels. Every time that you do not give Tzedaka when you are asked, you create 3,280 destroying angels. These are the Nazis, Hamas, al-Qaida, ISIS. Every time that you don’t give Tzedaka and close your hand, and you transgress the prohibition of “You shall not harden your heart,” you harden your heart, close your heart, close your hand, from this, a fist of wickedness is formed, which are the Nazis. The entire existence of the Nazis is because you harden your fist – know this.

Therefore, Hashem says to free the slaves, “If your brother, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, will be sold to you.” A Hebrew woman is only until the age of twelve. After that, she is freed for life. It is forbidden to sell a girl after the age of twelve, but you can sell a boy until the age of thirteen. However, afterwards, you cannot sell him. He sells himself for the age of thirteen and up to the age of 120. “In the event he will say to you, ‘I will not leave you,’ for he loves you and your household, for it is good for him with you.” The slave doesn’t want to leave. He wants to be with the master. “I have food, I have a bed, I have a table, I have a room. With the master, life is great. It’s the greatest pleasure. I don’t want to give up this pleasure of having a master.” He says, “I’m not leaving. ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children’” (Shemot 21:5). Then they pierce his ear – they make a hole in his ear, put onto him some earing of slaves, and he must remain a slave until the Jubilee year. In the Jubilee year, he must leave. He cannot be an eternal slave. The only eternal slave is a slave to Hashem Yitbarach.

The shiur underwent editing. If an error is found, it should be attributed to the writer, and not, God forbid, to Moreinu HaRav shlit”a.

ARTWORK COURTESY OF R’ YEHOSHUA WISEMAN:

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