Reeh 15:7 · unit 4

TT #290 · Parashas Reeh · Sixth Aliyah · Passuk 15:7

The Complete Passuk

כִּֽי־יִהְיֶה֩ בְךָ֨ אֶבְי֜וֹן מֵאַחַ֤ד אַחֶ֙יךָ֙ בְּאַחַ֣ד שְׁעָרֶ֔יךָ בְּאַ֨רְצְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁר־יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֣ן לָ֑ךְ לֹ֧א תְאַמֵּ֣ץ אֶת־לְבָבְךָ֗ וְלֹ֤א תִקְפֹּץ֙ אֶת־יָ֣דְךָ֔ מֵאָחִ֖יךָ הָאֶבְיֽוֹן׃

If there be among you a needy person, one of your brothers, within any of your gates in your land that Hashem your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart and you shall not shut your hand from your needy brother.

Chabad.org — 15:7

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Sifrei.

Sefaria — Sifrei

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
בְּאַחַד שְׁעָרֶיךָ – מְלַמֵּד שֶׁיּוֹשְׁבֵי עִירְךָ קוֹדְמִים לְיוֹשְׁבֵי עִיר אַחֶרֶת, וּמְלַמֵּד שֶׁאִם הָיָה מַחְזִיר עַל הַפְּתָחִים אִי אַתָּה זָקוּק לוֹ.

English: "Within any of your gates" — this teaches that the residents of your own city take precedence over the residents of another city, and that if a person is already going from door to door you are not obligated to him.

On the daf / in context: Local poor have priority; a professional beggar who systematically collects is not the primary responsibility of any single householder.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Sifrei) — local poor take priority; door-to-door collectors are secondary.

What Is Learned

The poor of one’s own city take precedence over the poor of another city; one is not primarily obligated to a person who systematically collects from door to door.