Parshat Reeh 5785
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week’s parsha the mitzvah of the Eved Ivri, the Jewish slave. Though this parsha already appears in parshat Mishpatim, Rashi explains that it is repeated here for two reasons. One, to teach that a Jewish maidservant, an אמה עבריה, also goes free after six years like her male counterpart. And secondly, to teach the mitzvah of הענק תעניק. When the slave goes free after six years, his master is commanded to send him off with gifts.
The Medrash teaches (Tanna D’Bei Eliyahu Rabbah 22), a Kal V’Chomer regarding the mitzvah ofהענק תעניק. This slave was sold into slavery to pay off a debt from stealing; he is considered a Rasha for this aveirah. Nonetheless, he receives a reward when he completes his term of service. If a wicked person receives a reward, how much more so is the reward for the righteous for their fulfillment of mitzvos when they complete their service in this world!
The Medrash teaches that this concept of הענק תעניק isn’t unique to the Jewish slave. Rather, it is applicable to any completion of service, or redemption from a lower state. Rashi also teaches this on the pasuk (Chapter 15, Pasuk 15), וזכרת כי עבד היית בארץ מצרים. He explains, that Hashem is reminding us that He rewarded Bnei Yisrael upon their redemption from Mitzrayim. Bnei Yisrael received spoils from Mitzrayim and they received spoils from the splitting of the sea. And the Ba’al Ha’Turim adds that when the Torah teaches (Chapter 15, Pasuk 14), הענק תעניק לו מצאנך ומגרנך ומיקבך; you are to reward the slave from your sheep, your grain silo, and from your wine press, it corresponds to the כלי כסף, וכלי זהב ושמלות they took out from Egypt.
The Sfas Emes teaches that this notion of receiving a reward for redemption is true for Bnei Yisrael every year. We are on the eve of Rosh Chodesh Elul, the beginning of the period of intense introspection of our actions. We have the task of freeing ourselves from the chains of being enslaved to our yetzer hara and our desires. This period culminates with Yom Kippur, the day of Teshuvah and the day of Kapparah for our sins.
This redemption carries with it a reward as well, spoils from our battle with our yetzer hara. This reward is called the Chag of Succos, and more precisely, the mitzvah of Succah which follows almost immediately after Yom Kippur. We read at the end of our parsha (Chapter 16, Pasuk 13), חג הסוכות תעשה לך שבעת ימים באספך מגרנך ומיקבך. You shall celebrate Succos for seven days during the period when you gather your grains and your fruits from the fields into you house. The Sfas Emes teaches that the גורן and the יקב of Succos corresponds to the גורן and the יקב of the mitzvah of הענק תעניק which mentions giving the gift from your fruits and your sheep. There is an indication here that the mitzvah of Succah is a form of הענק תעניק. And though Chazal teach that the gift can be given from anything which Hashem blesses you, we can derive from here a special connection to Succos, another time of redemption.
Rashi on this pasuk by Succos quotes the Gemara in Succah which teaches that we learn from this pasuk the requirement for the s’chach, the covering for the Succah. The pasuk says מגרנך ומיקבך, and we learn from here that we cover our Succah with the פסולת, the waste, of the wheat and the grapes, i.e. the straw and other inedible parts from the grapes. The Sfas Emes teaches that this represents the idea taught by the Gemara in Yoma 86B which teaches that when one does Teshuvah from love, his intentional sins are transformed to merit; זדונות נעשין כזכויות. The waste of the fruits, i.e. one’s sins, are used for the mitzvah of creating the shade of the Succah, which represents the presence of the Shechinah.
We mentioned earlier the reward given to the slave is despite the fact that he began his slavery as a thief. This also expresses the reward one can receive for doing Teshuvah. And the Sfas Emes adds that even though the whole concept of having to work in this world and choose bracha over kelalah began with the sin of Adam Harishon, when we complete our task and redeem ourselves from spiritual slavery, there is always a reward of הענק תעניק.
Good Shabbos
Print this article