Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Yevamot daf 63: An Interesting Derasha

Citing from my Rif blog, though from a post not posted up yet:
The Sages learnt {in a brayta}: If one loves his neighbors and brings close his relatives, and marries his sister's daughter,
{Yevamot 63a}
and lends a sela to a pauper at his pressing time, upon him the Scriptures states {Yeshaya 58:9}:

ט אָז תִּקְרָא וַה יַעֲנֶה, תְּשַׁוַּע וְיֹאמַר הִנֵּנִי: אִם-תָּסִיר מִתּוֹכְךָ מוֹטָה, שְׁלַח אֶצְבַּע וְדַבֶּר-אָוֶן. 9 Then shalt thou call, and the LORD will answer; thou shalt cry, and He will say: 'Here I am.' If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking wickedness;
What is the nature of this derasha? Well, the context would seem to provide the list of positive acts:
ז הֲלוֹא פָרֹס לָרָעֵב לַחְמֶךָ, וַעֲנִיִּים מְרוּדִים תָּבִיא בָיִת: כִּי-תִרְאֶה עָרֹם וְכִסִּיתוֹ, וּמִבְּשָׂרְךָ לֹא תִתְעַלָּם. 7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him, and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
ח אָז יִבָּקַע כַּשַּׁחַר אוֹרֶךָ, וַאֲרֻכָתְךָ מְהֵרָה תִצְמָח; וְהָלַךְ לְפָנֶיךָ צִדְקֶךָ, כְּבוֹד יְהוָה יַאַסְפֶךָ. 8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy healing shall spring forth speedily; and thy righteousness shall go before thee, the glory of the LORD shall be thy rearward.
ט אָז תִּקְרָא וַיהוָה יַעֲנֶה, תְּשַׁוַּע וְיֹאמַר הִנֵּנִי: אִם-תָּסִיר מִתּוֹכְךָ מוֹטָה, שְׁלַח אֶצְבַּע וְדַבֶּר-אָוֶן. 9 Then shalt thou call, and the LORD will answer; thou shalt cry, and He will say: 'Here I am.' If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking wickedness;
"Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry" is obviously parallel to "lends a sela to a pauper at his pressing time." I would venture that וְכִסִּיתוֹ, וּמִבְּשָׂרְךָ לֹא תִתְעַלָּם, " that thou cover him, and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh" likely refers to marrying a niece. וַעֲנִיִּים מְרוּדִים תָּבִיא בָיִת, especially the part about bringing to your house, bayit, perhaps is the basis for bringing close relatives, and for loving neighbors. Still working on that.

No comments:

LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin