Every seventh year^aEvery seventh year Lit. “After a period of seven years”; cf. 14.28. you shall practice remission of debts. This shall be the nature of the remission: all creditors shall remit the due that they claim from their fellow Israelites; they shall not dun their fellow Israelites—their kindred—for the remission proclaimed is of GOD. You may dun the foreigner; but you must remit whatever is due you from your kindred. There shall be no needy among you—since the ETERNAL your God will bless you in the land that the ETERNAL your God is giving you as a hereditary portion— if only you heed the ETERNAL your God and take care to keep all this Instruction that I enjoin upon you this day. For the ETERNAL your God will bless you as promised: you will extend loans to many nations, but require none yourself; you will dominate many nations, but they will not dominate you. If, however, there is a needy person among you, one of your kindred in any of your settlements in the land that the ETERNAL your God is giving you, do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your needy kindred. Rather, you must open your hand and lend whatever is sufficient to meet the need. Beware lest you harbor the base thought, “The seventh year, the year of remission, is approaching,” so that you are mean and give nothing to your needy kindred—who will cry out to GOD against you, and you will incur guilt. Give readily and have no regrets when you do so, for in return the ETERNAL your God will bless you in all your efforts and in all your undertakings. For there will never cease to be needy ones in your land, which is why I command you: open your hand to the poor and needy kindred in your land.

If thou lend money to any of my people (Exod. 22:24). Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: He that putteth not out his money on interest (Ps. 15:5). Come and observe that every wealthy man who gives charity to the needy and does not lend out his money on interest is considered to have fulfilled all the commandments, as it is said: He that doeth these things shall never be moved (ibid.). Who was one such person? Obadiah, the wealthy overseer of Ahab’s household, as it is said: And Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly (I Kings 18:3). He fed the prophets out of his own resources during that famine (which Elijah produced) and even borrowed money on interest from Joram the son of Ahab to do so. Obadiah fulfilled the verse He that putteth not out his money on interest, but concerning Joram who loaned money on interest, the Holy One, blessed be He, said: Until now he has survived, but Jehu will come and slay him, as it is written: He hath given forth upon interest, and hath taken increase; shall he then live? (Exod. 18:13). It is also written: And Jehu drew his bow with his full strength, and smote Joram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot (II Kings 9:24). This occurred because he had become hard of heart and sought interest. Thus the prophesy of Ezekiel was fulfilled: He hath given forth upon interest and hath taken increase; shall he then live? (Ezek. 18:13). There were men in Jerusalem, also, who loaned money on interest, as it is said: Thy silver is become dross (Isa. 1:22). What was their fate? Refuse silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath rejected them (Jer. 6:30). Therefore Scripture states: Thy silver is become dross, It is also written: They shall cast their silver and their gold into the streets (Ezek. 7:19). Why? Because they had transgressed the law, as it is said: Thou shalt not give him thy money upon interest (Lev. 25:37). When Solomon erected the Temple he prayed: Lord of the Universe, if a man should pray unto You in this Temple for money, and You know that the money will be harmful to him, do not give it to him, but if You should foresee that the money will be beneficial to him, fulfill his plea, as it is said: And render unto every man according to all his ways, whose heart Thou knowest—for Thou, even Thou only, knowest the hearts of the children of men (II Chron. 6:30). Because the wicked in this world are wealthy and dwell in tranquility, the Holy One, blessed be He, will reward them only a little for the good deeds they perform in this world, as it is said: And repayeth them that hate Him to their face (Deut. 7:10). But it is also written: When the wicked spring up as the grass, when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they may be destroyed for ever (Ps. 92:8). However, in the future, the Holy One, blessed be He, will open his treasure house to his righteous servants in the Garden of Eden, while the wicked, who have eaten the fruits of interest here, will consume their own flesh with their teeth and will be confounded, as it is said: The fool foldeth his hands together and eateth his own flesh (Eccles. 4:5). They will then cry out: Would that we had been workmen and carried burdens on our shoulders, as it is said: Better is a handful of quietness, than both the hands full of labor and striving after the wind (ibid., 6). The poor are the people of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said: For the Lord hath comforted His people, and hath compassion upon His afflicted (Isa. 49:13). The ways of the Holy One, blessed be He, are not like those of man. The rich man despises his poor relations and is not concerned about them, as it is said: All the brethren of the poor do hate him; how much more do his friends go far from him (Prov. 19:7). However, the Holy One, blessed be He, who owns the source of all wealth and honor, provides for and is merciful to the poor, as it is said: That the Lord hath founded Zion, and in her shall the poor of His people take refuge (Isa. 14:32). If thou lend money to any of My people (Exod. 22:24). David said to the Holy One, blessed be He: Lord of the Universe, May the world be (made equal) before God (Ps. 61:8), that is, make Thy world either rich or poor.²¹Ex. R. Sect. 31 “Make thy world evenly divided (as to property).” But He answered: If I do so, Why need I appoint mercy and truth, that they may preserve him? (ibid.). For if all men are either rich or poor, who will perform acts of mercy? Thou shalt not be to him as a creditor (Exod. 22:24). If you have lent him money, do not press him (for payment). Do not examine his field or vineyard or house, do not press him and say to him: “Borrow ten thousand denarii for your business and give me only the mortgage on your field, or vineyard, or house.” He may eventually suffer a loss in business, and then you will be depriving him of his vineyard. From this you learn that anyone who takes interest is not God-fearing, as it is said: Take not thou interest of him or increase; but fear thy God (Lev. 25:36). Our rabbis teach us that the borrower, the guarantor, the witnesses, and the scribes are all considered culpable, (for without them the moneylender would not have loaned his money on interest). Therefore, all of them shall be punished. Whence do we learn that the borrower is punished? It is written: Thou shalt not cause thy brother to lend upon interest (Deut. 23:20). To what can interest be likened? To a person who does not feel or notice the bite of a snake until the swelling appears. Similarly, interest is not felt until it has increased for the debtor. If thou at all take thy neighbor’s garment to pledge (Exod. 22:25). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: If he is in debt to you, you are also in debt to Me, as it is said: If they sin against Thee—for there is no man that sinneth not (I Kings 8:46).

If, however, there is a needy person among you, one of your kindred in any of your settlements in the land that the ETERNAL your God is giving you, do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your needy kindred.

just as its pouring is in sanctity, so too must its burning be in sanctity. From where may it be inferred that this is referring to burning? Ravina said: It is derived by means of a verbal analogy between the term sanctity written with regard to libations and sanctity written with regard to leftover offerings. It is written here, with regard to libations: “In sanctity shall you pour a libation” (Numbers 28:7), and it is written there, with regard to leftover offerings: “You shall burn the leftovers in fire; they are not to be eaten, for they are sanctity” (Exodus 29:34). Through the verbal analogy it is derived that leftover libations must also be burned. The Gemara notes: In accordance with whose opinion is that which is taught in this mishna? With regard to libations, initially, prior to being poured, one can misuse consecrated property with them, as is the case with all consecrated items. However, once they descended to the drainpipes, one does not violate the prohibition against misuse of consecrated property with them, because the mitzva was already fulfilled. Let us say that the mishna is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Elazar bar Tzadok, who holds that the libations did not descend to the depths but would collect between the ramp and the altar and would be collected once every seventy years. As, if it were in accordance with the opinion of the Rabbis, how could the libations be misused? Didn’t they already descend to the depths through the drainpipes? The Gemara rejects this: Even if you say that the mishna is in accordance with the opinion of the Rabbis, it could be referring to a case where some of the wine landed outside the drainpipes and was collected in the space between the ramp and the altar. And some say a different version of this exchange. Let us say that the mishna is in accordance with the opinion of the Rabbis and not in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Elazar bar Tzadok. As, if it were in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Elazar, then the wine that collected between the ramp and the altar remains in its sanctity, as it must be burned, and the prohibition against misuse would still apply. The Gemara rejects this: Even if you say that the mishna is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Elazar, there is no item whose mitzva has been performed with which one can violate the prohibition against misuse of consecrated property. Reish Lakish said: When they pour wine onto the altar, they plug the top of the drainpipes so that the wine does not descend to the depths, in order to fulfill that which is stated: “In sanctity shall you pour a libation of strong drink [shekhar] unto the Lord” (Numbers 28:7). The Gemara asks: From where may it be inferred that this is referring to plugging the drainpipes? Rav Pappa said: Shekhar is an expression of drinking, of satiation, of intoxication. In order to underscore all three aspects of the libations, the space between the altar and the ramp would fill with wine. Rav Pappa said: Conclude from this that when a person is satiated from drinking wine, it is from his throat being filled with wine that he is satiated. Unlike food, wine does not satiate a person when it fills his stomach. Rava said: Therefore, let a young Torah scholar, who does not have much wine, swallow his wine in large swigs, filling his throat each time, as he will thereby maximize his enjoyment. And Rava himself, when drinking a cup of blessing, would swallow large swigs so as to drink the wine accompanying the mitzva in an optimal manner. § Apropos the homiletic interpretations of the verses from Song of Songs with regard to the drainpipes, the Gemara cites additional interpretations. Rava taught: What is the meaning of that which is written: “How beautiful are your steps in sandals, O prince’s daughter” (Song of Songs 7:2)? How beautiful are the feet of the Jewish people at the time when they ascend to Jerusalem for the Festival. “O prince’s daughter”; this is referring to the daughter of Abraham our Patriarch, who was called prince, as it is stated: “The princes of the peoples are gathered, the people of the God of Abraham” (Psalms 47:10). The verse calls the Jewish people the people of the God of Abraham and not the God of Isaac and Jacob. Why are the Jewish people associated specifically with Abraham? Rather than referring to the three Patriarchs, the verse is referring to the God of Abraham, who was first of the converts, and therefore it is reasonable for the princes of other nations to gather around him. In the school of Rav Anan it was taught: What is the meaning of that which is written: “The hidden of your thighs” (Song of Songs 7:2)? Why are matters of Torah likened to a thigh? It is to tell you that just as the thigh is always concealed, covered by clothes, so too, matters of Torah are optimal when recited in private and not in public. And this is what Rabbi Elazar said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “It has been told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord does require of you; only to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8)? “To do justly”; this is justice. “To love mercy”; this is acts of kindness. “To walk humbly with your God”; this is referring to taking the indigent dead out for burial and accompanying a poor bride to her wedding canopy, both of which must be performed without fanfare. The Gemara summarizes: And are these matters not inferred a fortiori? If, with regard to matters that tend to be conducted in public, as the multitudes participate in funerals and weddings, the Torah says: Walk humbly, then in matters that tend to be conducted in private, e.g., giving charity and studying Torah, all the more so should they be conducted privately. § Rabbi Elazar said: One who performs acts of charity is greater than one who sacrifices all types of offerings, as it is stated: “To perform charity and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than an offering” (Proverbs 21:3), including all types of offerings. And Rabbi Elazar said: Acts of kindness, assisting someone in need, are greater than charity, as it is stated: “Sow to yourselves according to charity, and reap according to kindness” (Hosea 10:12). This means: If a person sows, it is uncertain whether he will eat or whether he will not eat, since much can go wrong before the seed becomes food. However, if a person reaps, he certainly eats. In this verse, charity is likened to sowing, while acts of kindness are likened to reaping. And Rabbi Elazar said: The reward for charity is paid from Heaven only in accordance with the kindness and generosity included therein and in accordance with the effort and the consideration that went into the giving. It is not merely in accordance with the sum of money, as it is stated: “Sow to yourselves according to charity, and reap according to kindness.” The Sages taught that acts of kindness are superior to charity in three respects: Charity can be performed only with one’s money, while acts of kindness can be performed both with his person and with his money. Charity is given to the poor, while acts of kindness are performed both for the poor and for the rich. Charity is given to the living, while acts of kindness are performed both for the living and for the dead. And Rabbi Elazar said: Anyone who performs charity and justice is considered as though he filled the whole world in its entirety with kindness, as it is stated: “He loves charity and justice; the earth is full of the kindness of the Lord” (Psalms 33:5). Lest you say that anyone who comes to leap and perform an act of kindness may simply leap and do so without scrutiny, the verse states: “How precious is your kindness, O God” (Psalms 36:8). It is a precious and rare occurrence to perform an act of kindness properly. One might have thought that even a God-fearing individual does not always encounter the opportunity to perform acts of kindness. Therefore, the verse states: “But the kindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him” (Psalms 103:17). Rabbi Ḥama bar Pappa said: With regard to any person who has grace about him, it is certain that he is God-fearing, as it is stated: “But the kindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him.” When one sees that a certain individual is endowed with grace and kindness, one can be certain that he is a God-fearing person. And Rabbi Elazar said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and a Torah of kindness is on her tongue” (Proverbs 31:26)? The Gemara asks: Is there, then, a Torah of kindness and a Torah that is not of kindness? Rather, it is Torah studied for its own sake that is a Torah of kindness, as one studies it wholeheartedly; and it is Torah studied not for its own sake but for some ulterior motive that is a Torah that is not of kindness. Some say that it is Torah studied in order to teach it to others that is a Torah of kindness; it is Torah studied with the intent of not teaching it to others that is a Torah that is not of kindness. § The mishna continues: As its performance during the week, so is its performance on Shabbat, except that on Shabbat one would not draw water. Instead, on Shabbat eve, one would fill a golden barrel that was not consecrated and would place it in the Temple chamber, and water would be drawn from there on Shabbat. The Gemara asks: And why should one do so? Let him bring the water in a consecrated barrel. Ze’iri said: The tanna in the mishna holds that there is no requisite measure for the water to be poured for libation, and therefore more than three log could be consecrated; and that Temple vessels consecrate their content if it is fit to be consecrated, even without intent to consecrate it.

“Only according to the hesed in it” — The giving is the tzedakah and the effort [of giving] is the hesed. For instance, delivering it to the other's house, or making an effort to ensure that it will be worth more to the recipient, such as giving baked bread; or clothes to wear; or coins when produce is readily available so the latter will not waste the money; that is, a person applies their heart and mind to the benefit of the poor person.