Reeh 15:9 · unit 5

TT #302 · Parashas Reeh · Sixth Aliyah · Passuk 15:9

The Complete Passuk

הִשָּׁ֣מֶר לְךָ֡ פֶּן־יִהְיֶ֣ה דָבָר֩ עִם־לְבָבְךָ֨ בְלִיַּ֜עַל לֵאמֹ֗ר קָֽרְבָ֣ה שְׁנַֽת־הַשֶּׁ֘בַע֮ שְׁנַ֣ת הַשְּׁמִטָּה֒ וְרָעָ֣ה עֵֽינְךָ֗ בְּאָחִ֙יךָ֙ הָֽאֶבְי֔וֹן וְלֹ֥א תִתֵּ֖ן ל֑וֹ וְקָרָ֤א עָלֶ֙יךָ֙ אֶל־יְהֹוָ֔ה וְהָיָ֥ה בְךָ֖ חֵֽטְא׃

Beware lest there be a base thought in your heart, saying, "The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand," and your eye be evil against your needy brother and you give him nothing, and he cry out to Hashem against you, and it be sin in you.

Chabad.org — 15:9

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Kesubos.

Sefaria — Kesubos

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
וְהָיָה בְךָ חֵטְא – אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, בֹּאוּ וְנַחֲזִיק טוֹבָה לָרַמָּאִים, שֶׁאִלְמָלֵא הֵן הָיִינוּ חוֹטְאִים בְּכׇל יוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְקָרָא עָלֶיךָ אֶל ה' וְהָיָה בְךָ חֵטְא.

English: "And it be sin in you" — Rabbi Elazar said: Come, let us be grateful to the deceivers; were it not for them we would be sinning every day, as it is said "and he cry out to Hashem against you and it be sin in you."

On the daf / in context: Because many who solicit charity are not genuinely needy, the average person is spared constant liability; the verse is understood to apply only when the need is certain.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Kesubos) — gratitude to the unworthy poor for limiting liability.

What Is Learned

Were it not for the presence of unworthy solicitors, every refusal of a request would constitute the sin described in the verse.