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Why does bal te'acher apply to leket shikchah u'pe'ah when the word "meimach" suggests something taken from you? Every matanah kehunah and tzedakah gift gives the donor tovas hana'ah—control over the recipient, recognition, markers, and social credit. Leket shikchah u'pe'ah is the sole gift where the donor has zero control, makes it hefker, and receives nothing in return—making it the only gift that truly comes "meimach," from you, at real cost.
The parsha states that when a person makes a neder to hekdesh, he cannot tarry beyond three regalim in fulfilling it, for Hashem (ה׳) will search it out "meimach"—from him—and it will be a chet. The Gemara (גמרא) derives from the word "meimach" that the prohibition of bal te'acher extends beyond nedarim to hekdesh to include leket shikchah u'pe'ah—the gifts left in one's field for the poor. Each word in the passuk expands the law of bal te'acher to cover additional obligations that must be fulfilled in a timely manner. Rav Meir Simcha asks: what does the word "meimach" have to do with leket shikchah u'pe'ah? He suggests that "meimach" implies that people must be around you, since if there are no poor people present, the obligation does not apply. However, this explanation is somewhat unclear.
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Ki Seitzei 23:22
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Why didn't Noach daven for his generation while Avrohom advocated for Sedom? Noach viewed each person as an independent island responsible only for their own teshuvah. Avrohom understood that all humanity is interconnected through shared perspective and values, making prayer for others both possible and necessary.
