Near Shemittah, people stopped lending
Hillel's fix: the pruzbul
How could he get around the Torah?
Shemittah today is d'rabbanan
Hefker beis din hefker
A pruzbul is not released
Restrictiveis not canceled.
→ the debts stand
One of Hillel the Elder's takanos
General ruleThis is one of the things that was instituted by
Reasonwhen he saw that the people refrained from lending to one another and were transgressing what is written in the Torah:
He saw people stop lending
Reason(Devarim 15),
“Beware lest there be a base thought in your heart”Devarim 15:9
So Hillel instituted the pruzbul
Sheviis 10:3
The Pruzbul, Hillel's Takanah
פְּרוֹזְבּוּל — תַּקָּנַת הִלֵּל הַזָּקֵן
פְּרוֹזְבּוּל, אֵינוֹ מְשַׁמֵּט.
זֶה אֶחָד מִן הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁהִתְקִין הִלֵּל הַזָּקֵן,
כְּשֶׁרָאָה שֶׁנִּמְנְעוּ הָעָם מִלְּהַלְווֹת זֶה אֶת זֶה וְעוֹבְרִין עַל מַה שֶּׁכָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה (דברים טו) הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ פֶּן יִהְיֶה דָבָר עִם לְבָבְךָ בְּלִיַּעַל וְגוֹ',
הִתְקִין הִלֵּל לַפְּרוֹזְבּוּל: