Reeh 15:8 · unit 3

TT #294 · Parashas Reeh · Sixth Aliyah · Passuk 15:8

The Complete Passuk

כִּֽי־פָתֹ֧חַ תִּפְתַּ֛ח אֶת־יָדְךָ֖ ל֑וֹ וְהַעֲבֵט֙ תַּעֲבִיטֶ֔נּוּ דֵּ֚י מַחְסֹר֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יֶחְסַ֖ר לֽוֹ׃

But you shall surely open your hand to him, and you shall surely lend him sufficient for his need that he lacks.

Chabad.org — 15:8

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Sifrei / Bava Metzia.

Sefaria — Sifrei / Bava Metzia

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
וְהַעֲבֵט תַּעֲבִיטֶנּוּ – תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן, הַעֲבֵט – זֶה שֶׁאֵין לוֹ וְאֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה לְהִתְפַּרְנֵס מִן הַצְּדָקָה שֶׁנּוֹתְנִין לוֹ לְשֵׁם הַלְוָאָה וְחוֹזְרִין וְנוֹתְנִין לוֹ לְשֵׁם מַתָּנָה; הַעֲבִיטֶנּוּ – דִּבְּרָה תּוֹרָה כִּלְשׁוֹן בְּנֵי אָדָם.

English: "You shall surely lend him" — The Sages taught: "lend" refers to one who has nothing and does not wish to be supported from charity—one gives him the money as a loan and afterward converts it into a gift; "you shall lend him" is simply the Torah speaking in ordinary human language.

On the daf / in context: The doubled language accommodates both the proud poor who will accept only a loan and the ordinary linguistic style of the Torah.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Sifrei) — lending as a dignified form of charity.

What Is Learned

One may give charity in the form of a loan to a person who is too proud to accept an outright gift, and the Torah’s doubled language includes this practice.