Ten Minutes of Torah

with

Rabbi Chaim Weiner

Behar Bechukotai - 5766

ויקרא כה:לט

(לט) וְכִי יָמוּךְ אָחִיךָ עִמָּךְ וְנִמְכַּר לָךְ לֹא תַעֲבֹד בּוֹ עֲבֹדַת עָבֶד::

Leviticus 25:39

If your kinsman under you continues in straits and must give himself over to you, do not subject him to the treatment of a slave. [Lev. 25:39]

Mechilta

From the verse "he shall serve six years" [Ex. 21:2] I might think that it was permissable to give him any work, whether humiliating or not. Therefore it says, "Do not subject him to the treatment of a slave". [Lev. 25:39] From here it was taught: He may not wash your feet, may not tie your shoes, may not carry your clothing to the bath house, push you up a hill or carry you - not on a chair or in a chariot - as is the way of slaves.

Rashi

Do not subject him to the treatment of a slave: Humiliating work, from which it is obvious that he is a slave; he may not carry your clothing to the bath house or tie your shoes.

QUESTIONS

Explain why Rashi brought only the two middle examples brought by the Mechilta. Why wasn't one example sufficient, and why did he reverse the order in he quoted them.

Answers to last week’s questions:

1. What is the basic difference between the three opinions quoted above?

Ibn Ezra says that the commandment is directed to the Kohanim, and is about the special commandments that apply only to them.

Ramban says the commandment is directed to the Children of Israel and is a general statement about all the commandments in the Torah.

Ha’emek Davar says that the commandment is directed to the Children of Israel, and is about the observance of the festivals.

2. Each opinion bases itself on the position of the verse in the parasha. How?

The Parasha starts with a list of commandments that are directed specifically to the Kohanim. It concludes with the regulations for the festivals. Our verse comes between the two main topics in the Parasha.

Ibn Ezra says that our verse concludes the section that comes before it, and therefore is directed at the Kohanim.

Ramban says that the verse stands by itself (with the verse that follows it). Therefore, it is a general statement about all of the commandments.

Ha’emek Davar says that this verse is the opening verse of the section that follows it. Therefore it is talking about the festivals.

3. Why does Rambam first quote the second half of the verse, and then the first part of it?

Rambam is codifying the law. He follows his usual format of first listing positive commandments and then negative commandments.

4. Prove that the explanation of Ha'emq Davar is not the objective meaning of the verse.

The arguments put forward by Ibn Ezra and Ramban show that these verses are not part of the subject that follows. Our section concludes with the remark: Who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God and the next section starts with: Speak to the Israelite people .

Clearly, a new section starts here.

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Ten Minutes of Torah was prepared by Rabbi Chaim Weiner, based on the methods of Prof. Nechama Leibowitz. Rabbi Weiner studied and corresponded with Prof. Leibowitz for several years.

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