Shalom, Mitspacha!
Provision With Boundaries - Gratitude Without Taking Advantage
âWhen you come into your neighborâs vineyard, you may eat grapes your fill according to your desire, but you shall not put any in your vessel. When you come into your neighborâs standing grain, you may pluck the ears with your hand, but you shall not use a sickle on your neighborâs standing grain.â
- Devarim (Deuteronomy) 23:24-25
The Torah now adds an important boundary to the allowance given to laborers: A worker may eat while working to satisfy hunger. The worker may not take more than is needed. It is forbidden to place produce into a bag or container to take home.
This distinction preserves fairness on both sides. The workerâs dignity and need are honored, while the ownerâs property is protected. YHVH allows provision, but not exploitation.
These instructions teach restraint alongside generosity. YHVH knows the human heart. What begins as permission can become entitlement if boundaries are ignored. The Torah therefore teaches us to receive with gratitude, not greed.
Consider your own conduct:
- Do you recognize when provision is enough?
- Do you respect limits even when more could be taken unnoticed?
Covenant faith is shown not only in what we are allowed to do, but in what we choose not to do.
YHVH, teach us to receive Your provision with gratitude and restraint. Help us to honor boundaries, respect what belongs to others, and walk uprightly even when no one is watching. May our lives reflect contentment, integrity, and reverence for the order You have established.
Baruch YHVH.
Shalom until tomorrow.