80. Man’s Receptions

We should distinguish seven manners in man’s receptions, and in each manner there are special conditions:

1) Reception of charity,

2) Reception of a gift,

3) Reception by acquisition with money,

4) Reception by exchange,

5) Reception of a salary for work,

6) Reception by a return of a debt,

7) Reception of a loan.

Concerning “reception by a return of a debt,” we should discern not necessarily the debt that comes to him from the borrower, but also the harm, for one who does harm must pay the one whom he damaged in how he damaged him. Concerning an acquisition, we should discern that one receives an object in return for money or in an exchange, unlike charity or a gift, where there is no return.

The drawback about charity is that one is ashamed when he receives it and would be happy if he did not have to receive the charity. Nevertheless, he bargains.

Conversely, a receiver of a gift is happy when he receives it, but the drawback is that he does not bargain, saying, “Give me a greater gift,” since usually, we measure a gift and the greatness of the gift according to the greatness of its giver. With charity, however, the measurement is the greatness of the object, regardless of the greatness of the giver.

One who receives one’s debt has no consideration of the giver or the object. Rather, if he returns his debt to him without any profits, he is content. Otherwise, if there is something more than he has given him, it is considered interest, which is forbidden in the Torah.

One who receives by exchange, the two things may not be of equal value in the market, but if one needs what the other has, and the other needs what the first one has, we cannot say that one deceived the other because the need for the matter determines and not the value of the object.

An object might be of little value in the market, but he needs it, so he agrees wholeheartedly to be given it because of the need of the owner for this object. In other words, the necessity is involved in evaluating the object.

Purchase through exchange, as Rabbi Yitzhak of Berditchev wrote, is when one gives the Creator iniquities, sins, and transgressions in return for forgiveness, absolution, and atonement. These are Kli [vessel] and light, since there cannot be forgiveness if there is no iniquity.

A person who receives an object or money should distinguish whether he enjoys the reception, meaning if he would be happier if he did not need to receive. This pertains to one who receives charity or a loan. This is not so in reception of a gift, returning of a debt, salary for work, or reception by acquisition.

With an exchange, it can be said that he would be happier if he did not need the exchange, but would have everything in his possession and would not need his friend, who gave him the object in the exchange.

Likewise, we should discern in the reception of a person and not in the reception of an object of a person, such as when welcoming guests, greeting a person, or welcoming a sage.

In welcoming a sage, the person enjoys. In welcoming guests there is already labor, since he must serve them, which he does only because it is a Mitzva [commandment], and also because “welcome every person with a bright face.” Also, the body does not always enjoy it, since sometimes a person that he cannot stand comes over to him, and yet he must welcome him with a bright face.

In the work, faith is called “charity.” A person would be happy if he had knowledge. A gift is called “Torah,” called “knowledge,” and from this a person enjoys. However, a gift must not be requested, since a gift is given to one we love. Hence, after the faith, when one comes to love the Creator, he receives from the Creator the Torah, which is called a “gift.”

The Torah is also called “possession,” for it is a payment for the labor, as it is written, “If you labored and found, believe” (Megillah 6b). The labor was that he wanted only to bestow in a manner of faith, and by this he later found the gift, since the exertion he made in order to acquire the Torah is like money that is paid for something that is bought through acquisition with money.