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Home -> Behar -> 5775

ולא תונו איש את עמיתו ויראת מאלקיך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5775, Behar

Each of you shall not aggrieve his fellow, and you shall fear your G-d. (25:17)

Hurting another Jew is an egregious sin. What makes it most serious is the fact that one does not always observe the damage that he has wrought. Embarrassing someone, reminding him of an inappropriate episode in his life, can cause grave emotional trauma, which is concealed beneath the surface of the man’s demeanor. It hurts no less; since it is covert, the pain may be even greater. Talking about something that bothers a person is in itself a form of therapy. Onaah, aggrieving, applies to cheating in commerce, while onaas devarim refers to aggrieving with words, such as reminding people…

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Home -> Behar -> 5775

וכי ימוך אחיך ומטה ידו עמך והחזקת בו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5775, Behar

If your brother becomes impoverished and his hand falters in your proximity. (25:35)

Concerning this pasuk, which enjoins us to reach out to our fellow man who has sadly fallen on hard times, David Hamelech says in Tehillim 41:2, Ashrei maskil el dal, b’yom raah yimalteihu Hashem, “Praiseworthy is he who contemplates the needy; on the day of evil, Hashem will liberate him.” Why is this pasuk specifically selected by Chazal as the paradigm for giving tzedakah, charity? Can something special, a unique lesson/message regarding charitable giving, be derived herein? Simply, we are being enjoined to add some seichal, common sense, to our emotion upon giving the poor man a check. We should…

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Home -> Behar -> 5774

וכי ימוך אחיך ומטה ידו עמך והחזקת בו גר ותושב וחי עמך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5774, Behar

If your brother becomes impoverished and his means falter in your proximity, you shall strengthen him – proselyte or resident – so that he can live with you. (25:35)

In Avos D’Rav Nassan 2:43, we are taught that a poor man has eight names, eight frames of reference based upon his sad state of affairs. They are: ani; evyon; miskein; rash; dal; dach; mach; and holech. An ani is the standard name for implying his impoverished state. Evyon is derived from taavah, desire; a poor man wants everything, because he has nothing. Miskein means unfortunate, miserable, for he is humiliated due to his wretched state. Rash, destitute, means he has been left bereft of his possessions. Dal refers to being poor, meager. Dach is dejected and distressed. Mach means…

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Home -> Behar -> 5774

וכי ימוך אחיך... והחזקת בו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5774, Behar

If your brother becomes impoverished… you shall strengthen him. (25:35)

It is not always about money. Some of the wealthiest people are depressed, and, conversely, some of the poorest people are filled with joy. A person’s attitude reflects his needs. V’chi yamuch achicha, ‘If your brother becomes impoverished,” is not necessarily about money. He might need a shoulder to cry on; a hand to pat his back; a smile to brighten his day; a compliment to make him feel relevant. Emotional depression is worse than financial woe. People cover up their feelings. They smile, laugh, joke, all while they are crying bitterly from within. A number of years ago, a…

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Home -> Behar -> 5774

ולא תונו איש את עמיתו ויראת מאלקיך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5774, Behar

Each of you shall not aggrieve his fellow, and you shall fear your G-d. (25:17)

Chazal teach that, unlike the previous pasuk (14), “Do not aggrieve one another,” which refers to business conduct, this pasuk addresses the prohibition of onoas devarim, hurting people with words. Regrettably, too many ways exist in which we knowingly and unknowingly transgress this sin. Who does not know the meaning of the term shtoch, sticking a needle into a person? Sadly, a needle comprised of words is ultimately more painful, and the pain endurance longer, than a needle of steel. Reminding people of their earlier infractions or other embarrassing events in their past, be it their own or that of…

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Home -> Behar -> 5774

וכי ימוך אחיך ומטה ידו עמך והחזקת בו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5774, Behar

If your brother becomes impoverished, and his means falter in your proximity, you shall strengthen him. (25:35)

Rashi explains vehechezakta bo, “you shall strengthen him,” to mean that, if one sees a decline in his fellow’s business, if he sees that the money does not flow in his home as it once used to, he should step in and slow the descent, helping him to regain his financial footing. It is that much more difficult once the fall has gone too far. Rashi compares this to a donkey who is struggling with a heavy load. As long as the donkey is erect, albeit struggling, one person can support him. Once the donkey has fallen to the ground,…

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Home -> Behar -> 5773

וכי תמכרו ממכר לעמיתך או קנה מיד עמיתך אל תונו איש את אחיו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5773, Behar

If you sell anything to your neighbor, or buy anything from your neighbor, you should not defraud one another. (25:14)

The Talmud Bava Basra 87b details a number of fraudulent practices which were employed by less-than-honest businessmen who would cheat their customers. Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai hesitated publicizing these practices, explaining that he was confronted with a moral dilemma. If he would lecture, it was quite possible that some of the listeners who were themselves dishonest might learn new methods for defrauding others. On the other hand, if he did not lecture, the cheaters would posit that the scholars were naïve to the ways of the world and unaware of the various ploys for cheating others. One wonders why it…

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Home -> Behar -> 5773

והארץ לא תימכר לצמיתות כי לי הארץ כי גרים ותושבים אתם עמדי

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5773, Behar

The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is Mine; For you are sojourners and residents with Me. (25:23)

One who delves into the mitzvos of Shemittah and Yoveil will infer that their motif is to teach man that he lacks ownership of the land – and, for that matter, of anything. Man is temporary; life is as fleeting as the moment. We are here by the grace of G-d, and we had better live our lives like that. The Torah wants us to acknowledge that L’Hashem ha’aretz u’meloah, teival v’yoshvei vah, “To Hashem (belongs) the earth and its fullness, the inhabited land and those who dwell in it” (Tehillim 24:1). Man walks the earth thinking that it is…

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Home -> Behar -> 5773

וכי ימוך אחיך ומטה ידו עמך והחזקת בו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5773, Behar

If your brother becomes impoverished and his means falter in your proximity, you shall strengthen him. (25:35)

Tzedakah, which is generally translated as charity, means much more than exhibiting one’s generosity towards his fellowman. It is not simply the means for imparting a favor; it is justice, derived from the word tzedek. In other words, “I” have, so, therefore, “you” must also have. The world was created with tzedek, justice, so that all are equal. The fact that some have more than others behooves them to share with others. After all, it is only right. The value which the benefactor accrues far exceeds his contribution, so great is the reward for giving the tzedakah. Tzedakah does not…

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Home -> Behar -> 5772

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5772, Behar

“Do not harass one another.” (25:17)

Rashi interprets the pasuk as an enjoinment against onoaas devarim, verbal harassment. Ridiculing someone can have an enduring effect upon his personality development. The humiliation and scorn one is subject to at the hands of others can damage his psyche, impairing his self-esteem and his ability to relate to others. Humiliation does not only result from words; it can also be the consequence of an intentional snub. There is nothing as demeaning as being ignored by others, so that one feels as if he does not exist in their eyes. While the individual should not be obsessed with his ego,…

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