Vayikra 19:16 (kedoshim) – rakhil

19:16 records that "lo telekh rakhil among your countryman. Do not stand over the blood of your fellow. I am G-d." The standard translation of rakhil is talebearer, but this is a difficult translation. Rashi (on 19:16, also see Rabbenu Saadiah Gaon and Hoffmann) bases this translation on the word spying. Rashi argues that one changes the letter kf to a gimil, and then the phrase becomes not to spy. Yet, changing letters is a difficult approach. Rashi also quotes, as does the Rashbam, Ibn Ezra and Ramban, that the word rakhil is from rokhel which means a merchant. Yet, not only are these two separate words, but also there is no obvious connection between merchants and talebearing. Finally, what is the connection between this prohibition and the following prohibition of not standing over the blood of your fellow? Ibn Ezra, Bekhor Shor and Rambam (Laws of opinions, 7:1) explain that people have died due to talebearing, yet this is quite a stretch.

Again I must be missing something, but it seems to me that Jeremiah 9:3 offers an explanation for the word rakhil. The verse records that a person should be careful of other people/ and one should not trust one's brother/ because brothers act with guile/ and other people go with rakhil. The parallelism of the verse suggests that the definition of rakhil is guile. Furthermore, from Jeremiah 6:28 and Ezekiel 22:9 we see that rakhil is not referring to some innocent pranks but deceit that leads to murder. Accordingly, 19:16 prohibits one from being maliciously deceitful and devious.

How does this prohibition relate to the prohibition of not standing over the blood of your fellow, the following phrase in the verse? Levine (1989, p.129) notes that this phrase "do not stand over the blood of your fellow" has been explained in three ways. One (see Rashi), is not to be inactive when another person's life is in danger, two, is not to conspire against others, and three, is not to "pursue one's livelihood in a manner that endangers another or at the expense of another's well-being." Levine likes the third approach since it "best fits the immediate context" which I understand to mean the approach that rakhil refers to a merchant. Yet, as pointed out above rakhil has nothing to do with being a merchant. The third approach does not fit into the context at all, and seems to be based on some anti-capitalist feelings. Levine notes that the second approach has support in several biblical verses and is the Ibn Ezra's explanation that "one should not join forces with murderers." I prefer the second approach and it accords with the suggestion above concerning rakhil. 19:16 would then mean that one is not to go about being maliciously deceitful and one should not join other people (gangs) who act in such a manner even if one does not participate (just stands around) in their evil acts.