חקר חובת הענקה לעבדים עבריים ומקרה יציאת מצרים ושחרורו של יוסף
Exploring the Obligation of Hanokoh for Hebrew Servants and the Cases of the Exodus and Yosef’s Release
א) בפסוק כתוב: "וזכרת כי עבד היית בארץ מצרים ויפדך ה' אלקיך; על כן אנכי מצוך את הדבר הזה היום" (דברים כ"ד:י"ח). ספרי מפרש: כמו שהענקתי לך ושניתי לך, בביזת מצרים וביזת הים, גם אתה הענק לו ותשנה לו. למה ביזת מצרים וביזת הים אינן נזכרות בהפסוק?
ב) הענקה, הרי 1) צריכה להיות מדברים של ברכה, 2) שהנותן הוא האדון 3) והאדון הוא ישראל. ואיך אפשר לומ שביזת מצרים וביזת הים הוא מטעם הענקה?
ג) ברשימת הגאון ר לוי יצחק מבאר, שיוסף קבל הטבעת, רביד זהב, בגדי שש. ובתו של פוטיפר, "אסנת", וגבריאל למדו ע' לשונות הוא מענין הענקה לעבד עברי בעת שחרורו, וצריך להבין כנ"ל שהרי יוסף 1) היה עבד אצל נכרי. 2) עיקר ההענקה קבל מהקב"ה, וגם מפרעה. 3) ולא היו דברי ברכה, ואיך אפשר לומר שזה שייך לענין הענקה?
ד) ישנם שני חלקים להענקה: הכרת הטוב של האדון וקבלת שלמות השחרור של העבד. החלק השני הוא המדובר בפסוק: "ויפדך ה'".
ה) לשלימות פדיית העבד לחירות, אין הבדל מי הוא האדון או מי נותן את ההענקה ואין צורך שההענקה תהיה בכלל ברכה, ורק בחיוב האדון צריך כל הנ"ל.
ו) חידוש הספרי הוא שאין זה חיוב האדון אלא נוגע לשחרור העבד. מבחינת האדון יש שיעור מסוים שחייב ליתן אך מבחינת העבד אין שיעור, ולכן לא נזכר בפסוק השיעור.
ז) ובזה יש לבאר את הצורך להענקה ליוסף, אף שהיה עבד לנכרי, כדי שהשחרור שלו יהיה שלם. אמנם כשפוטיפר משתתף בזה שנתן לו את אסנת זה מוסיף גם ב בהשלמת השחרור.
ח) ההתאמה בין נגלה לקבלה ששחרור העבד מקנה לו חכמה ובינה, וזהו ענין – חכמה ובינה.
ט) לפי הקבלה מה הענקה היא רק לעבדים ואמהות עבריים, ולכאורה עבד כנעני זקוק יותר לגילוי מוחין?
י) עבד ואמה עבריים מקבלים את שכרם ותענוגם בעבודתם ובעבודתם יש גבול ושחרור, אבל עבד כנעני עבודתו הוא קבלת עול ואין בזה הגבלות והוא תמיד במצב של ביטול גמור.
יא) עם זאת, עבודת בני ישראל היא כעבד עברי, שכן צריך שהביטול יחדור לכל כוחותיהם עד כדי שיתענגו בעבודת קבלת העול, עד שלימות החיות בעבודת המוחין.
יב) מגיד דבריו הקב"ה מעניק לבני ישראל.
A) The verse states: "And you shall remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this thing today" (Deuteronomy 24:18). The Sifrei explains: Just as I gave you extras and redeemed you, with the spoils of Egypt and the spoils of the sea, so too you should give extras to the servant and treat him kindly. Why are the spoils of Egypt and the spoils of the sea not mentioned in the verse?
B) Extras (hanokoh) should be 1) from things of blessing, 2) given by the master, 3) and the master is an Israelite. How can we say that the spoils of Egypt and the spoils of the sea relate to the concept of hanokoh?
C) The Rebbe's father Hagaon Rabbi Levi Yitzchak writes that: Yosef received a ring, a golden chain, and fine clothes. Potiphar's daughter, Asnat, and the seventy languages learned by Gabriel are related to the concept of hanokoh for a Hebrew servant at his release. It needs to be understood how this applies given that Yosef 1) was a servant to a non-Jew, 2) primarily received his extras from God and also from Pharaoh, 3) and these were not items of blessings. How can it be said that this pertains to the concept of hanokoh?
D) There are two parts to hanokoh: the acknowledgment of gratitude from the master and that the haokoh completes the freedom of the servant. The second part is what is discussed in the verse: "And the Lord redeemed you."
E) For the completeness of the servant’s redemption to freedom, there is no difference who the master is or who provides the extras. The extras do not need to be items of blessing; that requirement is for the obligation of the master.
F) The novelty of the Sifrei is not discussing the obligation upon the master but pertains to the servant’s release. The master has a limited amount to give, but to accomplish the servant’s freedom ther are no limits, which is why the amount is not mentioned in the verse.
G) This explains the need for hanokoh for Yosef, even though he was a servant to a non-Jew, to ensure that his release was complete. When Potiphar participated by giving him Asnat, it also contributed to the completeness of the release.
H) The connection between the revealed and mystical aspects is that the release of the servant grants him wisdom and understanding, which is the essence of hanokoh—wisdom and understanding.
I) According to mystical teachings, hanokoh is only for Hebrew servants and maidservants. At first glance, a Canaanite servant would seem to require a greater need for revelation of understanding?
J) Hebrew servants and maidservants receive their reward and pleasure in their work, which has limits and therfore freedom. In contrast, a Canaanite servant’s work involves complete subjugation without limitations, always in a state of total nullification.
K) Nevertheless, the work of the Israelites is like that of a Hebrew servant. They need to ensure that their submission permeates all their faculties so that they find pleasure in the service of accepting the yoke, up to the completeness of vitality in the service of understanding.
L) Hashem does what he commands us and grants wisdom and insight to the people of Israel.
There are two dimensions to ha’anakah, the gift given to a Hebrew servant upon his release:
- From the perspective of the master, it expresses gratitude to the servant. For this reason, the gift must consist of something associated with blessing and continuing benefit.
- From the perspective of the servant, his freedom becomes complete when he receives ha’anakah, because he now possesses ample means. From this perspective, it is not essential that the gift consist of items associated with blessing. The main point is that, at the moment of his release, he enters a state of complete freedom.
On the verse:
“You shall remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and Hashem your G‑d redeemed you; therefore, I command you concerning this matter today”
(Devarim 15:15),
the Sifrei teaches:
“I gave you a gift, and I repeated the gift to you; you too must give him a gift and repeat it. Just as in Egypt I gave you with ample means, so too must you give him with ample means.”
This requires explanation.
In Egypt, the gift was given by Hashem and not by the Jewish people’s masters, the Egyptians. Moreover, when leaving Egypt, the Jewish people received silver and garments, although these items are not ordinarily given as ha’anakah because they are not included among things that naturally increase and produce blessing.
Most importantly, the verse appears to omit the essential point. It states only:
“Hashem your G‑d redeemed you,”
but does not explicitly state that Hashem gave the Jewish people ha’anakah.
My revered father explains a similar concept regarding Yosef. Yosef received the primary element of ha’anakah from Hashem when the angel Gavriel taught him the seventy languages. This removed the Egyptians’ argument to Pharaoh that a servant who did not know all the languages could not rule over them.
Yosef also received gifts from Pharaoh and from Potiphar. Yet, seemingly, the things he received were not the customary items of ha’anakah, and the main gift was not given to him by his master.
The explanation is that ha’anakah contains two distinct elements.
The first is from the perspective of the master. By giving the gift, the master demonstrates his gratitude to the servant for the work he performed.
For this reason, the gift must be taken from items that are associated with blessing and increase. The master’s gratitude should not be expressed only at the moment of the servant’s departure; its benefit should remain visible in the future as well.
The second element is from the perspective of the servant. By receiving ha’anakah, his freedom becomes complete.
A servant is characterized by dependence and a lack of personal means. When he leaves with ample resources in his possession, he experiences the opposite of servitude and enters freedom in a complete manner.
From this perspective, it is not important that the gift consist specifically of items associated with continuing blessing. The main point is that, at the very moment of his release, he possesses ample means and thereby enters a state of complete freedom.
This is why the spoils of Egypt and the seventy languages taught to Yosef can be considered ha’anakah. The discussion there concerns ha’anakah from the perspective of the servant—the gift that completes his freedom.
For this reason, the verse emphasizes only:
“Hashem your G‑d redeemed you.”
The redemption itself becomes complete through the dimension of ha’anakah that relates to the servant.
The explanation that ha’anakah completes the servant’s freedom is also emphasized in the interpretation according to Kabbalah given by my revered father.
He explains that freedom corresponds to the faculties of chochmah and binah—wisdom and understanding—and that through ha’anakah the servant receives these intellectual faculties.
Ha’anakah is therefore itself an aspect of freedom.
The Inner Dimension
On this basis, we can explain why ha’anakah is given specifically to a Hebrew male servant and a Hebrew maidservant, but not to a Canaanite servant when he is released for the purpose of performing a mitzvah.
The spiritual service represented by the Hebrew servant and Hebrew maidservant takes place within the emotional attributes of the soul.
When they complete this service and enter freedom, they receive ha’anakah—the higher level of the intellectual faculties.
The service represented by a Canaanite servant, by contrast, is that of kabbalas ol, complete acceptance of the yoke of Heaven. This form of service does not change.
This explains the verse:
“You shall work with them forever.”
The service of kabbalas ol remains equally necessary at all times. Such a servant does not receive the level of the intellectual faculties because, in this particular form of service, intellectual consideration could interfere with the absolute submission of kabbalas ol.
Nevertheless, although the Canaanite servant represents bittul and submission, the general form of the Jewish people’s Divine service is represented by the Hebrew servant.
The ultimate purpose is not only that a person possess bittul, but that his conscious faculties also participate in serving Hashem. He should possess understanding and genuine feeling in his Divine service.