meta: {"file": "/data/tomer/Sefaria-Export/txt/Tanakh/Commentary/Kli Yakar/Torah/Kli Yakar on Deuteronomy/English/Sefaria Community Translation.txt"}
text: Kli Yakar on Deuteronomy
  כלי יקר על דברים
  Sefaria Community Translation
  
  
  Kli Yakar on Deuteronomy
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Many say that this verse...has a hint for that time and for the future. This idea of “going around” refers to the many years which the Jewish People will be wandering (in exile). As long as Israel is in exile they are told, “turn to the Tzafon”. The rabbis interpreted this to mean, “If the time of (the nation of) Esau comes, hide yourselves. (ed.- The root of the word for North, Tzafon, can also mean “to hide”)
  This idea of hiding means that if a Jewish person in exile finds some small amount of success he should hide it from (the people of) Esau, because there is no nation which is more jealous of Israel than Esau, because in their opinion everything (the Israel has) is stolen from Esau because Jacob our forefather took the blessings from Esau.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  “Slaughter from your cattle…as I have commanded you”:  Not at all times, but only periodically, when the desire becomes strong.  And what was said, “just as the gazelle and the deer are eaten, so may you eat them” (Deuteronomy 12:22), and as it said, “When one hunts game of an animal or bird” (Leviticus 17:13), and our Sages said, “the Torah taught proper behavior, that a person should eat meat only on this kind of occasional basis” (Talmud Bavli Chullin 84a 46).  The explanation of the matter is that if people accustom themselves to eating the animals present in the home, ox, sheep, or goat, then all day they will have desire and will accustom themselves to eat it on a daily basis, but they don’t eat it until they hunt game of animals or birds in the forest or desert, where there is danger and great effort to hunt them, then their desire will be calmed, because the eating isn’t worth the great pain and effort.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
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  For because (<i>biglal</i>) of this thing, the Lord will bless you: The Rabbis, may their memory be blessed (Shabbat 151b), learned from the expression, <i>biglal</i>, that  it is a cycle (<i>galgal</i>) that repeats itself in the world. But many wondered about the expression, since <i>biglal</i> is not [related to] <i>galgal</i>, as behold, a [letter], <i>gimmel</i> is lacking [in the former]. And I say that their intention, may their memory be blessed, was to understand <i>biglal</i> as related to the usage, "and they would roll (<i>gallelu</i>) the stone" (Genesis 29:3). And [by this], they wanted to say [that] when poverty goes around among people from this one to that one - as is customary - then "the Lord will bless you," and cause that it not roll over and fall upon (crush) you when it falls on people. And axiomatically, we learn that the thing goes around in the world like a cycle, such that everyone who gives will in the end [also] receive. As that is the trait of everything that exists in all three of the worlds, that everything that gives will come back to [also] take, in the way that we explained above in Parshat Bereshit on the verse, "the sixth day" (Kli Yakar on Genesis 1:31:5). As with everything that exists, the thing moves like a cycle, that each one of them gives and receives, except for God alone - He gives and does not receive.
  And it appears that the reason for the thing is that God did not want man to establish himself on the land - he and his seed - forever, in the way that it stated (Leviticus 25:23), "And the land may not be sold forever, as the land is Mine." And if a man would never come to this trait - not he and not his seed - he would establish himself on the land forever, and forget that 'to God is the land (earth).' Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, causes that every man come to this trait, either he or his seed; to know and make known that they are all like strangers upon the land, and [that] to God is the universe and its fullness. And that which it is written after [this] verse to give a reason why it goes around upon people, "Since a destitute person will never be lacking from within the land"(Deuteronomy 15:11), is because [being] within the  land necessitates this matter, as mentioned. "Therefore, I command you: open your hand to your poor," so that they will also give to you or to your seed. But not to both of them, as it is stated (Psalms 37:25), "and I have never seen a righteous man abandoned, and his seed seeking bread" - meaning to say he and his seed, but rather [it can only be] either he or his seed. And with this, this verse does not contradict that which the Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Shabbat 151b) [that] either he or his seed come to be included in this trait. And some say that the lack of a <i>gimmel</i> in the word, <i>biglal</i>, is to say that it follows from the iniquity of refraining from acts of loving-kindness. As the [letter combination] <i>gimmel-dalet</i> [as expounded by] the Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, [means] to give to the poor (<i>gomel dalim</i>) and the lack of a <i>gimmel</i> (which represents giving) to the poor, moves the cycle [forward].
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  The rabbis interpreted (Brachot 19b), with regard to the laws of returning a lost object, it is stated: “You shall not see the ox of your brother or his sheep go astray and ignore them; return them to your brother” (Deuteronomy 22:1). The baraita explains that the seemingly extraneous expression and disregard them must be understood to give license that at times you disregard lost objects and at times you do not disregard them.
  For example, a respected elder for whom it is socially inappropriate [to chase after an ox, is exempt from this mitzvah.]  And similarly, someone may be exempt in the manner described by the rabbis (Avot 4:18), "Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says...do not seek to see your friend at the time of their humiliation."  For there is no distinction between physical or financial humiliation, they are equivalent in the circumstance when it is impossible to rescue them [from that humiliation] and return whatever it is that has wandered off.
  This is what the text is referring to when it literally says, "Do not see the ox of your friend or the sheep that has wandered off," i.e. when they are so completely astray, that they might as well be submerged in the river.  In such circumstances, [when the text literally says,] "you should ignore them", [it means that] it is necessary for you to conduct yourself as if you had not seen.
  Certainly, when the verse says, "you must take it back", it is teaching us that if you have the means to take them back, if they are not so completely astray, but rather it is possible for you [individually] to return that which has wandered away, then you shall return them to your fellow; you are obligated to try to see, in order to rescue them.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  And this is also a reason for this <i>hakhel</i> (assembly). As in addition to the taking of these four species on the first day of the festival, God commanded to make another impression similar to [the impression made by] it, at the end of seven years. Since the seventh year also causes assembly and peace by way of one not planting and growing upon it. And the destitute of His people eat on it, since the [landowners] are not permitted to hold on to their produce on the seventh year as [would usually be the way of] an owner. And without a doubt, this is is a cause of peace, since all disagreements are from the trait of "what's mine is mine" [and] "this one says, 'it is all mine.'" And this is not so [prevalent] on the seventh year, since [even if] in the positive acts, not all are equal, in the negative acts, all are equal, and this is truly the way of peace. And so [too] with the festival of Sukkot, when everyone goes out from a permanent dwelling to a temporary dwelling and sits under the 'Sukkah (hut) of His peace.' Behold, [accordingly] on the first of the intermediate days, the king was commanded to make an impression about peace and this is the matter of <i>hakhel</i>. As all of this is a preparation to repentance, and [so] he reads from Deuteronomy words of exhortation and rebuke. And this is [the meaning of] what they said, "'the men' to learn, etc, 'the youngsters' - why are they coming, to bring reward to those that bring them." Since in the time when Israel repents, they offer supplications in front of Him, may He be blessed, for the forgiving of sin and say, "If not for our sake, then do it for the sake of those weaned from their mothers, who have not sinned." [This is] as it is found in the text of 'Avinu Malkenu' - Have mercy on our sucklings and on our youngsters. And we [also] say, "Do it for those weaned from their mothers, etc." And this is the reward that is given to those that bring them, from the youngsters - that they will say in front of Him, may He be blessed, "Do it for the sake of these youngsters that are brought to the House of God," in the same way as it stated in Joel 2:16, "Collect the people, sanctify the assembly, gather the elders, collect the sucklings, and those that suck the breasts, etc.