Derasha 2 on Behar 25:13

Parashas Behar · Aliyah 1 · Passuk 25:13

The Complete Passuk

בִּשְׁנַ֥ת הַיּוֹבֵ֖ל הַזֹּ֑את תָּשֻׁ֕בוּ אִ֖ישׁ אֶל־אֲחֻזָּתֽוֹ׃

Chabad.org — English translation + Rashi

Source Citation

Torah Temimah cites Sifra (Torat Kohanim).

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text — Sifra
בִּשְׁנַת הַיּוֹבֵל הַזֹּאת. תַּנְיָא, אֵין הָעֲבָדִים יוֹצְאִים לְחֵרוּת בַּשְּׁבִיעִית, מַאי טַעְמָא — דַּאֲמַר קְרָא בִּשְׁנַת הַיּוֹבֵל הַזֹּאת תָּשֻׁבוּ אִישׁ אֶל אֲחֻזָּתוֹ, זֹאת מוֹצִיאָה עֲבָדִים לְחֵרוּת וְאֵין הַשְּׁבִיעִית מוֹצִיאָה עֲבָדִים לְחֵרוּת.

English: “In this Yovel year.” It was taught: Slaves do not go free in the ordinary Shemittah year. What is the reason? Because the verse says “in this Yovel year you shall return, each man to his holding” — this [year] releases slaves to freedom, and the ordinary Shemittah does not release slaves to freedom.

Type of Learning

Classical derasha (Sifra).

What Is Learned

Slaves go free only in the Yovel year, not in an ordinary Shemittah year; the word “this” restricts the release to Yovel.