Study Kiddushin folio 38B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
כל מצוה שנצטוו ישראל קודם כניסתן לארץ – נוהגת בין בארץ בין בחוצה לארץ. לאחר כניסתן לארץ – אינה נוהגת אלא בארץ, חוץ מן השמטת כספים ושילוח עבדים, שאף על פי שנצטוו עליהם לאחר כניסתן לארץ – נוהגת בין בארץ בין בחוצה לארץ.
Any mitzva that the Jewish people were commanded to perform before entering Eretz Yisrael, i.e., it was not linked to entry into the land, applies both in Eretz Yisrael and outside of Eretz Yisrael. Conversely, any mitzva that they were commanded to perform after they entered Eretz Yisrael applies only in Eretz Yisrael, except for the abrogation of monetary debts in the Sabbatical Year (see Deuteronomy 15:1–2), and the emancipation of slaves in the Jubilee Year (see Leviticus 25:39–41). Even though the Jews were commanded with regard to these mitzvot that they were to perform them only after their entry into Eretz Yisrael, these mitzvot apply both in Eretz Yisrael and outside of Eretz Yisrael.
השמטת כספים חובת הגוף היא!
The Talmud questions the need for this ruling: The abrogation of monetary debts is an obligation of the body. Since this mitzva is not referring to the land, what is the novelty of the ruling that it applies even outside of Eretz Yisrael?
לא נצרכא אלא לכדתניא. דתניא, רבי אומר: ״וזה דבר השמטה שמוט״ – בשתי שמיטות הכתוב מדבר: אחת שמיטת קרקע, ואחת שמיטת כספים. בזמן שאתה משמט קרקע – אתה משמט כספים, בזמן שאי אתה משמט קרקע – אי אתה משמט כספים.
The Talmud answers: It is necessary to mention the cancellation of debts only for that which is taught in a baraita. As it is taught in a baraita that R' Yehuda HaNasi says: The verse states in the context of the cancellation of debts: “And this is the manner of the abrogation: He should abrogate” (Deuteronomy 15:2). The verse speaks of two types of abrogation: One is the release of land and one is the abrogation of monetary debts. Since the two are juxtaposed, one can learn the following: At a time when you release land, when the Jubilee Year is practiced, you abrogate monetary debts; at a time when you do not release land, such as the present time, when the Jubilee Year is no longer practiced, you also do not abrogate monetary debts.