Difference between revisions of "Nature of the Pre-Shemittah Blessing of the Produce/2"
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<point><b>Purpose of blessings</b> – According to this approach, unlike many other blessings in Tanakh, the blessing of increased produce serves not as a reward for observance, but as a facilitator to ensure it.<fn>Contrast this with the blessings in Vayikra 26 and Devarim 28 which are all contingent on keeping Hashem's commandments.  For several of many more examples, see also Shemot 23:25, Devarim 11:27 or Malakhi 3:10.</fn></point> | <point><b>Purpose of blessings</b> – According to this approach, unlike many other blessings in Tanakh, the blessing of increased produce serves not as a reward for observance, but as a facilitator to ensure it.<fn>Contrast this with the blessings in Vayikra 26 and Devarim 28 which are all contingent on keeping Hashem's commandments.  For several of many more examples, see also Shemot 23:25, Devarim 11:27 or Malakhi 3:10.</fn></point> | ||
<point><b>Parallel to manna</b> – This approach views the double portion of grain as similar to the double portion of manna that fell before Shabbat.  In both cases, needs are provided before the absence is felt, and a blessing is given before, rather than after, the people keep Hashem's commandment.</point> | <point><b>Parallel to manna</b> – This approach views the double portion of grain as similar to the double portion of manna that fell before Shabbat.  In both cases, needs are provided before the absence is felt, and a blessing is given before, rather than after, the people keep Hashem's commandment.</point> | ||
− | <point><b>"וְכִי תֹאמְרוּ" – Who will ask?</b | + | <point><b>"וְכִי תֹאמְרוּ" – Who will ask?</b> According to this position, it is difficult to say that in the middle of the sixth year the nation living in Israel would question, "what shall we eat", since by that point they would have already seen that their crops had multiplied and that they had enough to sustain them.  As such, this position could posit instead that Hashem is preempting a question to be asked by the Generation of the Wilderness upon hearing the laws of Shemittah.<br/>Alternatively, the people in Israel could be question at the beginning of the sixth year before they have seen the results of their sowing.</point> |
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<point><b>"מַה נֹּאכַל בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִת"</b> – This position could explain why the people are concerned about the seventh rather than eighth year in either of the following ways:<br/> | <point><b>"מַה נֹּאכַל בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִת"</b> – This position could explain why the people are concerned about the seventh rather than eighth year in either of the following ways:<br/> | ||
<ul> | <ul> | ||
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<li>Alternatively, it could explain like <multilink><a href="AbarbanelVayikra25" data-aht="source">Abarbanel</a><a href="AbarbanelVayikra25" data-aht="source">Vayikra 25</a><a href="R. Yitzchak Abarbanel" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel</a></multilink> who proposes to repunctuate the verse, placing a pause after the words, "מַה נֹּאכַל" rather than after "בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִת".‎<fn>Abarbanel points to the pausal mark of a tipecha (טפחא) under the phrase "מַה־נֹּאכַ֖ל" as a support for this reading. However, he neglects to mention the etnachta (אתנחתא) on "הַשְּׁבִיעִ֑ת" which indicates that the words "בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִת" are connected to the "מַה־נֹּאכַ֖ל" which precedes them rather than to the "הֵן לֹא נִזְרָע" which follows them.</fn>  As such, the verse reads: "If you say: 'What shall we eat [in subsequent years]? [After all] in the seventh year we will neither sow nor harvest!?'"</li> | <li>Alternatively, it could explain like <multilink><a href="AbarbanelVayikra25" data-aht="source">Abarbanel</a><a href="AbarbanelVayikra25" data-aht="source">Vayikra 25</a><a href="R. Yitzchak Abarbanel" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel</a></multilink> who proposes to repunctuate the verse, placing a pause after the words, "מַה נֹּאכַל" rather than after "בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִת".‎<fn>Abarbanel points to the pausal mark of a tipecha (טפחא) under the phrase "מַה־נֹּאכַ֖ל" as a support for this reading. However, he neglects to mention the etnachta (אתנחתא) on "הַשְּׁבִיעִ֑ת" which indicates that the words "בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִת" are connected to the "מַה־נֹּאכַ֖ל" which precedes them rather than to the "הֵן לֹא נִזְרָע" which follows them.</fn>  As such, the verse reads: "If you say: 'What shall we eat [in subsequent years]? [After all] in the seventh year we will neither sow nor harvest!?'"</li> | ||
</ul></point> | </ul></point> | ||
− | <point><b>Evaluating the question</b> – This position views the question of "what shall we eat" as a legitimate and natural concern to which Hashem responds by reassuring the people | + | <point><b>Evaluating the question</b> – This position views the question of "what shall we eat" as a legitimate and natural concern to which Hashem responds by reassuring the people.</point> |
</category> | </category> | ||
<category>Produce Goes Further | <category>Produce Goes Further | ||
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<point><b>"וַאֲכַלְתֶּם לָשֹׂבַע" versus "וְעָשָׂת אֶת הַתְּבוּאָה"</b> – Seforno differentiates between these two blessings, the former being one of quality and the latter one of quantity.  The phrase "וַאֲכַלְתֶּם לָשֹׂבַע" implies that the food eaten will be extra-nourishing, so that the same quantity of grain will be more satisfying, and thus provide for longer than normal.  The blessing, "וְעָשָׂת אֶת הַתְּבוּאָה לִשְׁלֹשׁ הַשָּׁנִים", in contrast, refers to an extra large crop.</point> | <point><b>"וַאֲכַלְתֶּם לָשֹׂבַע" versus "וְעָשָׂת אֶת הַתְּבוּאָה"</b> – Seforno differentiates between these two blessings, the former being one of quality and the latter one of quantity.  The phrase "וַאֲכַלְתֶּם לָשֹׂבַע" implies that the food eaten will be extra-nourishing, so that the same quantity of grain will be more satisfying, and thus provide for longer than normal.  The blessing, "וְעָשָׂת אֶת הַתְּבוּאָה לִשְׁלֹשׁ הַשָּׁנִים", in contrast, refers to an extra large crop.</point> | ||
<point><b>Why two types of blessings?</b> Since a blessing of long-lasting food is not readily apparent, Hashem recognizes that it won't alleviate the concerns of those who lack faith.  Such people require the obvious blessing of extra food.</point> | <point><b>Why two types of blessings?</b> Since a blessing of long-lasting food is not readily apparent, Hashem recognizes that it won't alleviate the concerns of those who lack faith.  Such people require the obvious blessing of extra food.</point> | ||
+ | <point><b>Parallel to manna</b> – Seforno compares the qualitative blessing to the manna.  Just as, in the Wilderness, an omer's worth of manna managed to satisfy an adult as easily as it did a child, so too, a small amount of grain would manage to satisfy just as a larger portion would have.</point> | ||
<point><b>"וְכִי תֹאמְרוּ" – Who will ask?</b> As Seforno maintains that Hashem decides what type of blessing to give (quality or quantity of the sixth's year's crops)  based on whether or not the people doubt, he must maintain that the people express their concerns before the crops are reaped in the sixth year.</point> | <point><b>"וְכִי תֹאמְרוּ" – Who will ask?</b> As Seforno maintains that Hashem decides what type of blessing to give (quality or quantity of the sixth's year's crops)  based on whether or not the people doubt, he must maintain that the people express their concerns before the crops are reaped in the sixth year.</point> | ||
+ | <point><b>Nature of the blessing</b> – It seems that according to Seforno, the qualitative blessing is a reward for faith,<fn>See verse 18 which prefaces the blessing of "וַאֲכַלְתֶּם לָשֹׂבַע" with "וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֶת חֻקֹּתַי", suggesting a causal relationship.</fn> while the quantitative blessing is an incentive to facilitate observance. </point> | ||
+ | <point><b>Evaluating the question</b> – This position views the question of "what shall we eat" somewhat negatively, as a show of lack of trust. Hashem, however, does not view this disbelief as worthy of punishment, but rather as a sign of what the people need.</point> | ||
</category> | </category> | ||
</approaches> | </approaches> | ||
</page> | </page> | ||
</aht-xml> | </aht-xml> |
Version as of 13:53, 9 June 2016
Nature of the Pre-Shemittah Blessing of the Produce
Exegetical Approaches
Increased Production
Hashem promised that, in the sixth year, the land would bring forth more grain than usual, enough to sustain the people for thee years.
Alternatively, the people in Israel could be question at the beginning of the sixth year before they have seen the results of their sowing.
- It might say, like the Minchat Yehuda, that the people are questioning not what they will eat the entire year, but what they will eat in the second half of the seventh year, by which point they would normally be harvesting the food grown the season before.
- Alternatively, it could explain like Abarbanel who proposes to repunctuate the verse, placing a pause after the words, "מַה נֹּאכַל" rather than after "בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִת".2 As such, the verse reads: "If you say: 'What shall we eat [in subsequent years]? [After all] in the seventh year we will neither sow nor harvest!?'"
Produce Goes Further
Although the amount harvested in the sixth year would be no different than in any other year, Hashem promised that it would last longer. The same amount of grain would nourish the people for three years instead of the usual one.
- Ramban suggests to understand the verse as if its order was rearranged (מקרא מסורס) so that it reads: "And if you will say in the seventh year: 'What shall we eat [in subsequent years]'." The Keli Yekar points out that Ramban's reading of the verse only works if one assumes that the blessing was hidden and related not to the quantity of the food but how long it was to last. Otherwise by the seventh year people would already know that they were cared for and never come to question.
- Alternatively, the Keli Yekar suggests that already in the sixth year, the people would be concerned about the seventh year. Knowing that they could not plant and would have nothing saved for the next year would make it difficult to be satisfied even when they had food (אינו דומה מי שיש לו פת בסלו למי שאין לו).
Dependent on Faith
The blessing differed in line with the amount of faith held by the people. Hashem promised that if the nation had enough trust, He would ensure that a regular sized harvest would be of such quality that it could nourish the nation for three years. However, if the people had doubts, He would increase the quantity of the harvest so they could see with their own eyes how it would suffice.