The New Jew: A Field Guide

Hebrew

כִּי אֵין־לוֹ חֵלֶק וְנַחֲלָה עִמָּךְ:
וְהַגֵּר וְהַיָּתוֹם וְהָאַלְמָנָה אֲשֶׁר
בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ וְאָכְלוּ וְשָׂבֵעוּ לְמַעַן
יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל־
מַעֲשֵׂה יָדְךָ אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה:

Sephardi

Ki ein-lo chelek v'nachalah imach:
V'hager v'hayatom v'ha'almanah asher
bish'arecha v'achlu v'savei'u lema'an
yevarechecha Adonai Elohecha bechol-
ma'aseh yad'cha asher ta'aseh:

English

in your cities and distribute the produce to the poor. The Levite—because he has no portion or inheritance of the land together with you—shall come to collect the first tithe of your produce, and the converts, the orphan, the widow, and any poor people who dwell in your city will come and take your second tithe in the third and sixth year of the shmittah cycle. They will eat and be satisfied. Do this so that the Lord, your God, will continue to bless you in all the work of your hands that you do.

Hebrew

מִקֵּץ שֶׁבַע־שָׁנִים תַּעֲשֶׂה
שְׁמִטָּה: וְזֶה דְּבַר הַשְּׁמִטָּה שָׁמוֹט
כָּל־בַּעַל מַשֵּׁה יָדוֹ אֲשֶׁר יַשֶּׁה
בְּרֵעֵהוּ לֹא־יִגֹּשׂ אֶת־רֵעֵהוּ וְאֶת־
אָחִיו כִּי־קָרָא שְׁמִטָּה לַיהוָה:
אֶת־הַנָּכְרִי תִּגֹּשׂ וַאֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה לְךָ
אֶת־אָחִיךָ תַּשְׁמֵט יָדֶךָ: אֶפֶס כִּי
לֹא יִהְיֶה־בְּךָ אֶבְיוֹן כִּי־בָרֵךְ יְבָרֶכְךָ
יְהוָה בָּאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ
נֹתֵן־לְךָ נַחֲלָה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ: רַק אִם־
שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמַע בְּקוֹל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ
לִשְׁמֹר לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת־כָּל־הַמִּצְוָה
הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם:
כִּי־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בֵּרַכְךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר
דִּבֶּר־לָךְ וְהַעֲבַטְתָּ גּוֹיִם רַבִּים
וְאַתָּה לֹא תַעֲבֹט וּמָשַׁלְתָּ בְּגוֹיִם
רַבִּים וּבְךָ לֹא יִמְשֹׁלוּ: כִּי־יִהְיֶה בְךָ
אֶבְיוֹן מֵאַחַד אַחֶיךָ בְּאַחַד שְׁעָרֶיךָ
בְּאַרְצְךָ אֲשֶׁר־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ
לֹא תְאַמֵּץ אֶת־לְבָבְךָ וְלֹא תִקְפֹּץ
אֶת־יָדְךָ מֵאָחִיךָ הָאֶבְיוֹן: כִּי־
פָתֹחַ תִּפְתַּח אֶת־יָדְךָ לוֹ וְהַעֲבֵט
תַּעֲבִיטֶנּוּ דֵּי מַחְסֹרוֹ אֲשֶׁר יֶחְסַר
לוֹ: הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ פֶּן־יִהְיֶה דָבָר עִם־
לְבָבְךָ בְלִיַּעַל לֵאמֹר קָרְבָה שְׁנַת־
הַשֶּׁבַע שְׁנַת הַשְּׁמִטָּה וְרָעָה עֵינְךָ
בְּאָחִיךָ הָאֶבְיוֹן וְלֹא תִתֵּן לוֹ וְקָרָא
עָלֶיךָ אֶל־יְהוָה וְהָיָה בְךָ חֵטְא:
נָתוֹן תִּתֵּן לוֹ וְלֹא־יֵרַע לְבָבְךָ
בְּתִתְּךָ לוֹ כִּי בִּגְלַל | הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה
יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל־מַעֲשֶׂךָ
וּבְכֹל מִשְׁלַח יָדֶךָ: כִּי לֹא־יֶחְדַּל
אֶבְיוֹן מִקֶּרֶב הָאָרֶץ עַל־כֵּן אָנֹכִי
מְצַוְּךָ לֵאמֹר פָּתֹחַ תִּפְתַּח אֶת־
יָדְךָ לְאָחִיךָ לַעֲנִיֶּךָ וּלְאֶבְיֹנְךָ
בְּאַרְצֶךָ: כִּי־יִמָּכֵר לְךָ אָחִיךָ
הָעִבְרִי אוֹ הָעִבְרִיָּה וַעֲבָדְךָ
שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים וּבַשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִת
תְּשַׁלְּחֶנּוּ חָפְשִׁי מֵעִמָּךְ: וְכִי־
תְשַׁלְּחֶנּוּ חָפְשִׁי מֵעִמָּךְ לֹא
תְשַׁלְּחֶנּוּ רֵיקָם: הַעֲנֵיק תַּעֲנִיק
לוֹ מִצֹּאנְךָ וּמִגָּרְנְךָ וּמִיִּקְבֶךָ
אֲשֶׁר בֵּרַכְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ תִּתֶּן־
לוֹ: וְזָכַרְתָּ כִּי עֶבֶד הָיִיתָ בְּאֶרֶץ
מִצְרַיִם וַיִּפְדְּךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ עַל־
כֵּן אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ אֶת־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה
הַיּוֹם: וְהָיָה כִּי־יֹאמַר אֵלֶיךָ לֹא
אֵצֵא מֵעִמָּךְ כִּי אֲהֵבְךָ וְאֶת־
בֵּיתֶךָ כִּי־טוֹב לוֹ עִמָּךְ: וְלָקַחְתָּ
אֶת־הַמַּרְצֵעַ וְנָתַתָּה בְאָזְנוֹ
וּבַדֶּלֶת וְהָיָה לְךָ עֶבֶד עוֹלָם וְאַף
לַאֲמָתְךָ תַּעֲשֶׂה־כֵּן: לֹא־יִקְשֶׁה
בְעֵינֶךָ בְּשַׁלֵּחֲךָ אֹתוֹ חָפְשִׁי
מֵעִמָּךְ כִּי מִשְׁנֶה שְׂכַר שָׂכִיר
עֲבָדְךָ שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים וּבֵרַכְךָ יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה:

Sephardi

Miketz sheva-shanim ta'aseh
sh'mitah: V'zeh devar hash'mitah shamot
kol-ba'al masheh yado asher yasheh
b'rei'ehu lo-yigos et-rei'ehu ve'et-
achiv ki-kara sh'mitah laDonai:
Et-hanachri tigos va'asher yihyeh lecha
et-achicha tashmet yadecha: Efes ki
lo yihyeh-b'cha evyon ki-varech yevarechecha
Adonai ba'aretz asher Adonai Elohecha
noten-l'cha nachalah l'rish'tah: Rak im-
shamoa tishma b'kol Adonai Elohecha
lishmor la'asot et-kol-hamitzvah
hazot asher anochi m'tzav'cha hayom:
Ki-Adonai Elohecha berach'cha ka'asher
diber-lach v'ha'avateta goyim rabim
ve'atah lo ta'avot umashalta b'goyim
rabim uv'cha lo yimsholu: Ki-yihyeh vecha
evyon mei'achad achecha b'achad sh'arecha
b'artz'cha asher-Adonai Elohecha noten lach
lo t'ametz et-l'vav'cha v'lo tikpotz
et-yadcha mei'achicha ha'evyon: Ki-
fato'ach tiftach et-yadcha lo v'ha'avet
ta'avitenu dei machsoro asher yechsar
lo: Hishamer lecha pen-yihyeh davar im-
levavcha v'liyya'al leimor karvah sh'nat-
hasheva sh'nat hash'mitah v'ra'ah einecha
b'achicha ha'evyon v'lo titen lo ve-kara
alecha el-Adonai vehayah vecha chet:
Naton titen lo v'lo-yeira levavcha
b'tit'cha lo ki biglal | hadavar hazeh
yevarechecha Adonai Elohecha b'chol-ma'asecha
uvchol mishlach yadecha: Ki lo-yechdal
evyon mikerev ha'aretz al-ken anochi
m'tzav'cha leimor fato'ach tiftach et-
yad'cha l'achicha la'aniyecha ul'evyonecha
b'artzecha: Ki-yimacher lecha achicha
ha'ivri o ha'ivriyah va'avad'cha
shesh shanim uvashanah hash'vi'it
t'shal'chenu chofshi mei'imach: V'chi-
t'shal'chenu chofshi mei'imach lo
t'shal'chenu reikam: Ha'aneik ta'anik
lo mitzon'cha umigorn'cha umiyikvecha
asher berach'cha Adonai Elohecha titen-
lo: V'zacharta ki eved hayita b'eretz
Mitzrayim vayifd'cha Adonai Elohecha al-
ken anochi m'tzav'cha et-hadavar hazeh
hayom: Vehayah ki-yomar eilecha lo
etzei mei'imach ki aheiv'cha ve'et-
beitecha ki-tov lo imach: V'lakachta
et-hamartzei'a v'natatah v'ozno
uvadelet vehayah lecha eved olam v'af
la'amat'cha ta'aseh-chen: Lo-yiksheh
b'einecha b'shaleiach'cha oto chofshi
mei'imach ki mishneh s'char sachir
avd'cha shesh shanim uverachcha Adonai
Elohecha b'chol asher ta'aseh:

English

At the end of the seventh year of the shmittah cycle, you shall grant a release of all debt and no longer demand repayment. This is the law of the release: every person who has lent to his fellow and is waiting to be repaid, should release and pardon the debt. He shall not claim the loan from his fellow or brother, for this year has been declared a year of releasing debt before the Lord. You may claim your loan from the gentile, but any loan payment that is owed to you by your brother—your fellow Jew, your hand shall release. However, this may not be needed, for there will be no destitute people amongst you, for the Lord will surely bless you in the land that the Lord, your God, will give you as an inheritance for you to take possession of it. There will be no destitute among you only if you listen and continue to listen to the voice of the Lord, your God, to be careful to do all of the commandments that I command you today. For the Lord, your God, has blessed you, as He has spoken to you: You will lend to many nations, but you will not have any need to borrow from them. You will rule over many nations, and other nations will not rule over you. If, however, you don't heed God's commandments, and as a result there will be a destitute person amongst you, from one of your fellow Jewish brethren in one of your cities, in your land that the Lord, your God, gives you, you shall not harden your heart nor tighten your hand to withhold from helping your destitute brother. For you will surely open your generous hand to him to give him what he needs, and if he doesn't want to accept it as a gift, you will surely lend to him enough to satisfy his needs—whatever he is lacking. Be careful, lest there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, "The seventh year of the cycle, the year of shmittah, is approaching, and I will be obligated to release all loans," and you will look badly upon your destitute brother, and you will not give him a loan for fear of not being repaid. He will then cry out to the Lord against you because you refused to give him a loan, and it will be a sin for you. Do not withhold your help; rather, you shall surely give him however much he needs, and do not let your heart feel bad when you give him, for it is because you give happily that the Lord, your God, will continue to bless you in all your work and in all you set out to do. For as long as you don't heed God's commandments, there will never cease to be destitute people within the land. Therefore, I command you, saying, "You shall surely open your hand to your poor and destitute brother who lives in your land." If your fellow Jewish brother or sister is sold to you, he shall serve you for no more than six years, and in the seventh year of his service, you shall send him away from you as a free person. When you send him away from you as a free person, you shall not send him empty-handed. You shall surely provide for him animals from your flock, grain from your threshing floor, and wine from your vat. From anything that the Lord, your God, has blessed you with, you shall give to him. You shall always remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt, and the Lord, your God, was kind to you and redeemed you. Therefore I command this to you today: be kind to others who are in a similar situation. If it will be that the servant will say to you, his master, "I do not wish to leave you," for he loves you and your household, because it is good for him to be with you, then you shall take a piercing tool and pierce his ear and the door. Afterward, he shall be your servant "forever"—until the jubilee year. Just as you send away your freed servant with presents, you shall also do the same for your maidservant. When you send your servant away as a free person, it should not be difficult in your eyes, for he has earned for you double the earnings of a hired worker—by serving you both day and night—throughout the six years that he worked for you, and when you send him away happily, the Lord, your God, will bless you in all that you do.