“And if his hand cannot reach” — Scripture teaches that we do not tell him to borrow, nor to take on extra work in his craft.
In the sugya: When assessing whether a person qualifies for the bird tier of the oleh ve-yored, the court looks only at present resources. The verse’s language precludes requiring the person to borrow or to work extra in order to afford a sheep.
Type of Learning
Diyuk of “lo tagia yado” — assessment of means is limited to present resources; no obligation to borrow or increase labor.
What Is Learned
When deciding whether a person is poor enough for the bird offering, the court looks only at his present resources — not loans or future wages. Scripture does not require him to borrow money or to take on additional work so that he can bring a sheep instead of birds.