RABBI DAVID ETENGOFF: PARASHAT HASHAVUAH
  • Blog: Rabbi David Etengoff: Parashat HaShavuah
  • Sefer Bereishit 5784&5785
  • Sefer Shemot 5784&5785
  • Sefer Vayikra 5784&5785
  • Sefer Bamidbar 5784 &5785
  • Sefer Devarim 5784&5785
  • Sefer Bereishit 5782&5783
  • Sefer Shemot 5782&5783
  • Sefer Vayikra 5782&5783
  • Sefer Bamidbar 5782&5783
  • Sefer Devarim 5782&5783
  • Sefer Bereishit 5780& 5781
  • Sefer Shemot 5780&5781
  • Sefer Vayikra 5780&5781
  • Sefer Bamidbar 578&5781
  • Sefer Devarim 578&5781
  • Sefer Bereishit 5778&5779
  • Sefer Shemot 5778&5779
  • Sefer Vayikra 5778&5779
  • Sefer Bamidbar 5778&5779
  • Sefer Devarim 5778&5779
  • Sefer Bereishit 5776&5777
  • Sefer Bereishit 5774&5775
  • Sefer Bereishit 5772&5773
  • Sefer Bereishit 5771&5770
  • Sefer Shemot 5776&5777
  • Sefer Shemot 5774&5775
  • Sefer Shemot 5772&5773
  • Sefer Shemot 5771&5770
  • Sefer Vayikra 5776&5777
  • Sefer Vayikra 5774&5775
  • Sefer Vayikra 5772&5773
  • Sefer Vayikra 5771&5770
  • Sefer Bamidbar 5776&5777
  • Sefer Bamidbar 5774&5775
  • Sefer Bamidbar 5772&5773
  • Sefer Bamidbar 5771&5770
  • Sefer Devarim 5776&5777
  • Sefer Devarim 5774&5775
  • Sefer Devarim 5772&5773
  • Sefer Devarim 5771&5770

9/8/2019

Parashat Ki Tetze 5779, 2019: "The Forgotten Sheaf"

0 Comments

Read Now
 
Picture

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, the Kedoshim of Har Nof and Pittsburgh, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Shichaha, the commandment to leave behind a forgotten sheaf of grain for the needs of the poor, is a key agriculturally-based mitzvah that appears in our parasha:

When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to take it; it shall be [left] for the stranger, the orphan, and the widow, so that the
L-rd, your G-d, will bless you in all that you do. (Sefer Devarim 24:19, this and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
The Rambam (Maimonides, 1135-1204) formulates our mitzvah in the following manner:

The 122nd mitzvah that we are commanded is to leave over the sheaves which were forgotten (shichaha) during the harvest process. The source of this commandment is G‑d’s statement, “[When you reap your harvest] and forget a sheaf in the field, you may not go back for it. It must be left for the stranger, the orphan, and the widow.” This phrase, “It must be left for the stranger, the orphan, and widow,” constitutes the positive commandment to leave over [these forgotten sheaves] ...The Biblical requirement applies only in Eretz Yisrael. (Sefer HaMitzvot, Positive Commandment 122, translation, Rabbi Berel Bell, with my emendations)
 
The anonymous author of the Sefer HaChinuch (13th century) sheds light upon the underlying rationale of this commandment, and enables us to gain a deeper appreciation of its singular import:

Regarding the fundamental basis of the commandment: When the poor and destitute... in their [grinding] poverty look at the produce [of the field] in a [desperate and] dependent manner — while gazing upon the field’s owner sheaving their sheaves...they [consequently] think in their [heart of] hearts:  “Who will give [in order] that it will be like this for me, [so that, I, too, can] gather sheaves into my house, for if I could bring [in even] one [sheaf], I would rejoice in it.” As such, [this commandment stems] from His kindnesses towards His creatures, may He be blessed, in order to fulfill their desire when it so happens that the owner of the field forgets it [the sheaves].
(Commandment 592, translations, https://www.sefaria.org/, with my emendations)
 
Thus far, the Sefer HaChinuch has focused upon Hashem’s great kindness in providing for the overwhelming needs of His creations, in this case, through the agency of the owner of the field. This is congruent with the celebrated pasuk (verse) that we recite three times a day in Ashrei: “You open Your hand and satisfy every living thing [with] its desire.” (Sefer Tehillim 145:16)  At the same time, our anonymous author emphasizes the benefits that accrue to the owner of the field:

There is also a benefit for the owner of the field, in that he acquires through this a goodly soul; for truly through the trait of generosity and a blessed soul that does not place its heart upon the forgotten sheaf and leaves it to the destitute - on those with such a soul - does the blessing of G-d descend forever.
 
I believe the Sefer HaChinuch is teaching us a profound two-fold lesson: The mitzvah of shichaha simultaneously provides for the vital needs of the most vulnerable in society, and positively shapes the moral and spiritual persona of the one who fulfills this commandment. This is particularly the case since the arena of action regarding this commandment, unlike most mitzvot, is one of pure accident. The owner of the field must choose to respond in a precisely prescribed manner wherein he disregards the financial loss pursuant to the forgotten sheaf and leaves it, instead, for the needy. This notion is given powerful voice in the following story:

The following incident occurred to a righteous individual (chasid echad) who forgot a sheaf of grain in the midst of his field. He said to his son: “Go and offer a steer as a completely burnt offering and another steer as a free-will celebratory offering in my name.” His son then said to him: “Father, what have you seen in this mitzvah that causes you to rejoice more so on its behalf than any other mitzvah that is stated in the Torah?” He responded to him: “The Omnipresent One (HaMakom) gave us the majority of the Torah’s mitzvot to be performed in a planful manner (l’da’atainu); this commandment, [however,] was given to us to be performed solely in an unplanned scenario. This is the case, since if we purposefully [and consciously leave sheaves in the field] in order to attempt to fulfill this mitzvah before the Omnipresent, it will not account to us as a fulfillment of the commandment...
 
At this juncture, the chasid echad explains to his son the ultimate reason for his overwhelming joy in fulfilling this mitzvah:
​
The Torah states concerning this commandment: “so that the L-rd, your G-d, will bless you in all that you do” — that is, the text establishes a [special] bracha (blessing) for one who fulfills this commandment. Can we not, therefore, establish a kal v’chomer (that is, “if this is the case, certainly that is the case”) statement regarding these matters? Namely: Since it is true that an individual who does not intend to acquire merit [as in shichaha] nonetheless achieves reward to the point that the Torah considers it as if this was his intention all along, all the more so would this be so regarding one who is well-aware that his actions will bring him reward [and will ultimately receive that which is promised]. (Tosefta Masechet Pe’ah, Professor Saul Lieberman edition, III:8, translation and brackets my own)
 
In sum, the chasid echad ecstatically performed the mitzvah of shichaha, and demonstrated his joy by having his son bring offerings on his behalf, since for this holy person, the mitzvah of shichaha provided proof that Hashem is He Who promises and surely fulfills.
 
May each of us merit the reward that the Holy One blessed be He has promised us, both in this world and in the world to come. As we encounter in one of the concluding verses of Yigdal: “Gomel l’ish chesed k’mif’alo” — “He bestows kindness [reward] upon an individual according to his actions.” V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:[email protected].
 
*** My audio shiurim for Women on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.


Share

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

Details

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

    Author

    Talmid of Rabbi Soloveitchik zatzal

    Categories

    All
    Parashat Hashavuah

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Blog: Rabbi David Etengoff: Parashat HaShavuah
  • Sefer Bereishit 5784&5785
  • Sefer Shemot 5784&5785
  • Sefer Vayikra 5784&5785
  • Sefer Bamidbar 5784 &5785
  • Sefer Devarim 5784&5785
  • Sefer Bereishit 5782&5783
  • Sefer Shemot 5782&5783
  • Sefer Vayikra 5782&5783
  • Sefer Bamidbar 5782&5783
  • Sefer Devarim 5782&5783
  • Sefer Bereishit 5780& 5781
  • Sefer Shemot 5780&5781
  • Sefer Vayikra 5780&5781
  • Sefer Bamidbar 578&5781
  • Sefer Devarim 578&5781
  • Sefer Bereishit 5778&5779
  • Sefer Shemot 5778&5779
  • Sefer Vayikra 5778&5779
  • Sefer Bamidbar 5778&5779
  • Sefer Devarim 5778&5779
  • Sefer Bereishit 5776&5777
  • Sefer Bereishit 5774&5775
  • Sefer Bereishit 5772&5773
  • Sefer Bereishit 5771&5770
  • Sefer Shemot 5776&5777
  • Sefer Shemot 5774&5775
  • Sefer Shemot 5772&5773
  • Sefer Shemot 5771&5770
  • Sefer Vayikra 5776&5777
  • Sefer Vayikra 5774&5775
  • Sefer Vayikra 5772&5773
  • Sefer Vayikra 5771&5770
  • Sefer Bamidbar 5776&5777
  • Sefer Bamidbar 5774&5775
  • Sefer Bamidbar 5772&5773
  • Sefer Bamidbar 5771&5770
  • Sefer Devarim 5776&5777
  • Sefer Devarim 5774&5775
  • Sefer Devarim 5772&5773
  • Sefer Devarim 5771&5770