Sifra
Behar, Chapter 4
Behar, Chapter 4
1) (Vayikra 25:17) ("And you shall not wrong, one man his fellow, and you shall fear your G d; for I am the L–rd your G d.") This refers to wronging with words. I might think that it refers to wronging with money but "you shall not wrong, one man, his fellow" (Vayikra 25:14) already refers to wronging with money. How, then, am I to understand "And you shall not wrong, one man his fellow"? As referring to wronging with words.
2) How so? If he were a penitent, he should not be told "Remember what your former deeds were like." If he was the descendent of proselytes, he should not be told "Remember what the deeds of your ancestors were like." If he were beset with illnesses or afflictions or buried his children, he should not be told, as Iyyov was told by his friends (Iyyov 4:6-7) "Is not your piety your foolishness — your hope and the innocence of your ways? Remember, now, which innocent man ever went lost, and where have the upright been destroyed?" If one saw ass drivers seeking grain or wine, he should not tell them "Go to so and so," knowing that he never sold grain in his life. R. Yehudah says: He should also not eye merchandise and ask (the seller) what the price is when he has no intention of buying. And if you would say: "I am giving him good advice, such things are relegated to the heart, and concerning this it is written "and you shall fear your G d" — Whatever is relegated to the heart, of such things it is written "and you shall fear your G-d" (who probes the heart).
3) (Vayikra 25:18) "And you shall do My statues, and My judgments you shall heed and you shall do them": This assigns heeding and doing to statutes, and heeding and doing to judgments. (Vayikra 25:18) "And you shall dwell on the land": and not be exiled. "securely": without fear.
4) (Vayikra 25:19) "And the land will give its fruit and you will eat to satiety": One will eat (as much as needed) to be sated (and will not be anxious about the next day). These are the words of R. Yehudah. R. Shimon says: This, too, is not a sign of blessing, (for why should he have to eat much?) If so, why is it stated? (The intent is that) he will eat and not feel bloated. Variantly: "and you will eat to satiety": There will be nothing that he desires lacking from his table. "and you will dwell securely": and not scattered and not afraid. "upon it": and not in exile.
5) "And when you say" — You are destined to say this — "What shall we eat in the seventh year if we cannot sow nor gather in our crops!" — If we do not sow, what can we gather in? (i.e., the last phrase is superfluous). R. Akiva said: From here the sages supported (their view) that the after-growths (of the previous crop) are forbidden on shevi'ith. And the sages say: The after-growths are forbidden not by the words of Torah but by the words of the scribes. If so, what is the intent of "we cannot sow nor gather in our crops"? You said to us "You shall not sow," and what we gather in and bring in (to our houses) we cannot leave there permanently, for You said to us "Remove it" (when its like is "ended" in the field). What, then, can we eat from the removal on?
6) (Vayikra 25:21) ("I shall command My blessing for you in the sixth year, and it shall produce its crop for three years.") (so that you will have a surplus to store away). This tells me (that there will be a surplus) only in the sixth year. Whence do I derive (the same for) the fifth, the fourth, the third, and the second? (that they will provide a surplus for the succeeding year?) From (the superfluous) "the (sixth) year" "and it shall produce its crop for three years": for the sixth, (i.e., for the time from Pesach [when the harvest begins]), for the seventh (shevi'ith), and for the end of the seventh year (until the new harvest on Pesach, on the eighth year). Variantly: "for three years": for the seventh, and Yovel, and the end of Yovel.
7) (Vayikra 25:22) ("And you shall sow the eighth year, and you shall eat of the crop 'old.' Until the ninth year, until its crop comes, shall you eat 'old.'") "And you shall sow the eighth year": This is the eighth year after shemitah. "the (eighth) year." This (i.e., the superfluous "year") is the ninth year after the Yovel after shemitah. "and you shall eat of the crop 'old'": without preservatives. "Until the ninth year": This is the ninth year after the eighth year after shemitah. "the (superfluous) year": This is the tenth year after the ninth year after the Yovel after shemitah. "shall you eat 'old.'": This is the tenth year after the shemitah, which is the eleventh year after Yovel after shemitah.
8) (Vayikra 25:23) ("And the land shall not be sold litzmituth, for Mine is the land; for strangers and settlers are you with Me.") "litzmituth": in perpetuity. "for Mine is the land": Do not take it amiss, then, (that I forbid this to you). "for strangers and settlers are you": Do not make yourselves foremost. And thus is it written (I Chronicles 29:15) "For we are strangers with You and sojourners, as all of our fathers." And thus did David say (Tehillim 39:13) "For a stranger am I with You, a sojourner, as all of my fathers." "are you with Me": It suffices the servant that he emulate his master. "When you are Mine, it (Eretz Yisrael) will be yours.
9) (Vayikra 25:24) ("And in all the land of your holding, redemption shall you grant to the land.") (If it were written "And in all, redemption shall you grant," I would think (he could redeem even [Canaanite] bondsmen and writs and movable objects; it is, therefore, written "the land of your holding." If so, why is it written "And in all"? To include (the redemption of) houses and Hebrew bondsmen.