Devarim 24:6

6 No ish shall take the lower or the upper millstone to pledge; for he taketh a man’s nefesh in pledge.

Devarim 24:6 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 24:6

No man shall take the nether or the upper millstone to pledge,
&c.] The first word being of the dual number takes in both stones, wherefore Vatablus renders the words,

``ye shall not take for a pledge both the millstones, nor indeed the uppermost;''

which is the least; so far should they be from taking both, that they were not allowed to take the uppermost, which was the shortest, meanest, and lightest; and indeed if anyone of them was taken, the other became useless, so that neither was to be taken:

for he taketh [a man's] life to pledge;
or with which his life is supported, and the life of his family; for if he has corn to supply them with, yet if his mill or millstones are pawned, he cannot grind his corn, and so he and his family must starve: and in those times and countries they did, as the Arabs do to this day, as Dr. Shaw ^F4 relates,

``most families grind their wheat and barley at home, having two portable millstones for that purpose; the uppermost whereof is turned round by a small handle of wood or iron, that is placed in the rim;''

and these millstones being portable, might be the more easily taken for pledges, which is here forbidden, for the above reason; and this takes in any other thing whatever, on which a man's living depends, or by which he gets his bread ^F5.

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FOOTNOTES:

F4 Travels, p. 231. Edit. 2.
F5 Misn. Bava Metzia, c. 9. sect. 13.

Devarim 24:6 In-Context

4 Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his isha, after that she is hutamma’ah (defiled); for that is to’evah (abomination) before Hashem; and thou shalt not cause ha’aretz to sin, which Hashem Eloheicha giveth thee for a nachalah.

5 When an ish hath taken an isha chadasha, he shall not go out to milchamah, neither shall he be charged with any business; but he shall be free in his bais shanah echat, and shall gladden his isha which he hath taken.

6 No ish shall take the lower or the upper millstone to pledge; for he taketh a man’s nefesh in pledge.

7 If an ish be found kidnapping any of his brethren of the Bnei Yisroel, and enslaves him, or selleth him; then that ganav shall die; and thou shalt put the rah away from among you.

8 Take heed in the nega hatzara’at, that thou be shomer me’od and do according to all that the kohanim, the Levi’im, shall teach you; as I commanded them, so ye shall be shomer to do.