We Are All Borrowers
讜讬拽专讗 专讘讛 诇状讚:讘
讚状讗 讜讻讬 讬诪讜讱 讗讞讬讱 注诪讱 讛讛状讚 (诪砖诇讬 讬讟) 诪诇讜讛 讛壮 讞讜谞谉 讚诇 讗专状讗 讻转讬讘 谞讜转谉 诇讞诐 诇讻诇 讘砖专 讘讗 讝讛 讜讞讟祝 诇讜 讗转 讛诪爪讜讛 讗诪专 讛拽讘状讛 注诇讬 诇砖诇诐 诇讜 讙诪讜诇讜 讛讛状讚 (砖诐) 讜讙诪讜诇讜 讬砖诇诐 诇讜 专壮 转谞讞讜诪讗 讗诪专 诇讛 讘砖诐 专壮 讞讬讬讗 讘专 讗讘讗 专壮 谞讞诪谉 讗诪专 诇讛 讘砖诐 专壮 讬讜讚谉 讘专状砖 讜专讘谞谉 讘砖诐 专砖讘状诇 讗诇诪诇讗 诪拽专讗 讻转讜讘 讗讬 讗驻砖专 诇讗讜诪专讜 讻讘讬讻讜诇 讚专讻讜 砖诇 诇讜讛 诇讛讬讜转 注讘讚 诇诪诇讜讛 讛讛状讚 (砖诐 讻讘) 讜注讘讚 诇讜讛 诇讗讬砖 诪诇讜讛
Leviticus Rabbah 34:2
Another exposition of the verse, “If your kinsman is in [financial] straits . . . ” (Lev. 25:39). It is written in Scripture: “One who is generous to the poor makes a loan to the Lord; He will repay what is due” (Prov. 19:17). R. Eleazar said: It is written [elsewhere], “[God is the One] Who gives food to all flesh, whose steadfast love is eternal” (Ps. 136:25); since this person comes and fulfills the commandment [before God can act], the Blessed Holy One says: “I must compensate that person.” Thus it is written, ” . . . He will repay what is due” (Prov. 19:17). R. Tanhuma taught in the name of R. Hiyya b. Abba, R. Nahman taught in the name of R. Judan son of R. Simeon, and our Rabbis taught in the name of R. Simeon b. Lakish: “If not for a verse of Scripture, it would be impossible to say this: as it were, it is usual for a borrower [i.e., God] to become the servant of the lender; as it is written, ” . . . The borrower is a servant to the lender!” (Prov. 22:7)
I love discovering rabbinic texts like the one above that make such radical claims about Torah and God in general or about particular laws like tzedakah (righteous giving), one subject at the heart of this week’s Torah portion. This midrash seems to focus more upon theological inquiry than on providing practical guidance. By examining this text more closely, we can see how our notions about God can have a profound impact on our ability to give to the needy among us.
The midrash above discusses God’s intimate relationship with people who alleviate others’ poverty. Leviticus 25:37 specifically instructs us to make interest-free loans and to donate food to our less fortunate neighbors. Our Sages read that passage alongside related verses from Proverbs that depict God as a borrower from and servant to human lenders, inverting God’s role from Lawgiver to one obligated under the Law. In order to make sense of these seemingly wild ideas, we must recognize that ancient lenders had to trust that the loan would be repaid without the use of long-term collateral and without any personal benefit aside from upholding God’s law. Such a demonstration of faith in another person today usually entails a cosigner who guarantees that the borrower will repay the debt. Might the rabbis of this midrash have identified God as a guarantor as well?
That tongue-in-cheek question points toward a verse that challenges our entire human approach to money: “… the land is Mine; you are but strangers resident with Me” (Lev. 25:23). God created our world and is actively part of every relationship and encounter in human civilization. We may see certain things as our “possessions,” but one message of Parashat Behar is that we are all merely borrowers from God, the Infinite Source of All, who enjoins us to share our blessings. Rabbi Yisrael Salanter famously taught that “the material needs of others are an obligation of my spiritual life.” Along those lines, we all have plenty of spiritual homework to do.
