Deuteronomy 15 · Parashat Reeh

At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release.

And this is the manner of the release: every creditor that lends anything to his neighbour shall release it: he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because he has proclaimed a release to the Lord.

Of a foreigner thou mayst exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thy hand shall release.

But there shall be practically no poor among you; for the Lord shall greatly bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God gives thee for an inheritance to possess it:

only if thou carefully hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.

For the Lord thy God blesses thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend to many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.

If there be among you a poor man, one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God gives thee, thou shalt not harden thy heart, nor shut thy hand from thy poor brother:

but thou shalt open thy hand wide to him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he lacks.

Beware that there be not an unworthy thought in thy heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thy eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou give him nothing; and he cry to the Lord against thee; for it shall be reckoned to you as sin.

Thou shalt surely give him, and thy heart shall not be grieved when thou givest to him: because for this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that to which thou puttest thy hand.

For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thy hand wide to thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.

And if thy brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, be sold to thee, he shall serve thee six years; and in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.

And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty:

thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy threshing floor, and out of thy winepress: of that with which the Lord thy God has blessed thee thou shalt give him.

And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Miżrayim and the Lord thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing today.

And it shall be, if he say to thee, I will not go away from thee; because he loves thee and thy house, because he is happy with thee;

then thou shalt take an awl, and thrust it through his ear to the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also to thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise.

It shall not seem hard to thee, when thou sendest him away free from thee; for he has been worth double a hired servant to thee, in serving thee six years: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest.

All the firstling males that come of thy herd and of thy flock thou shalt sanctify to the Lord thy God: thou shalt do no work with the firstling of thy bullock, nor shear the firstling of thy sheep.

Thou shalt eat it before the Lord thy God year by year in the place which the Lord shall choose, thou and thy household.

And if there be any blemish in it, as if it be lame, or blind, or have any ill blemish, thou shalt not sacrifice it to the Lord thy God.

Thou shalt eat it within thy gates: the unclean and the clean person alike shall eat it, as the gazelle and the deer.

Only thou shalt not eat its blood; thou shalt pour it upon the ground like water.