Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Emor 26

ולקחתם לכם. בלקיחה שלא תהא גוזל ועומד בו, ונמצא סניגורו נעשה קטיגורו. (Lev. 23:40:) AND YOU SHALL TAKE FOR YOURSELVES. < TAKE (rt.: LQH) implies > by purchase (rt.: LQH), for you are not to persist in stealing it.⁹⁶Tanh., Lev. 8:18; ySuk. 3:1 (53c); Suk. 43a; Lev. R. 30:6; PRK 27:6; cf. Lev. R. 30:5. Then it would turn out that his advocate⁹⁷Gk.: synegoros. has become his accuser.⁹⁸Gk.: kategor.

ולקחתם. תני (בשם) ר' חייא במקח ולא בגזל, במקח ולא בחנם, להוציא את השאול ואת הגזול, משל למה הדבר דומה, לשליח של מלך שהלך לגבות (את העיר) [בעיר], משגבה אותה, מצאו עירוני אחד בדרך (לסטים), קיפחו ונטל את כליו, ואת המוגבה שהיתה בידו, לאחר ימים בא לאותו עירוני דין לפני השלטון, בא לשכור לו אדם שילמיד עליו זכות, א"ל הגביי מה אתה עושה כאן, א"ל יש דין ואני מבקש לשכור לי אדם שילמד עלי זכות, א"ל תן לי [אותו זהב ואותן הכלים] אותן עבוטות שנטלת ממני, ואני אלמד עליך זכות, א"ל כן אעשה, הלך ונתן לו אותו זהב, ואותן עבוטות מקצת, והלך לו, למחר כשעמד לפני השלטון, אמר יש לך מי שמלמד עליך זכות, השיב ואמר איש פלוני, א"ל השלטון מה זכות אתה מלמד על זה, א"ל מרי אני אומר דברים שעה לי חברי זה כשהלכתי לגבות את עיר פלוני, עמד עלי וקיפחני, ונטל כל מה שהיה בידי, והכלים האלו שאתה רואה בידי הם מקצת הכלים שהחזיר לי, כדי שאלמד עליו זכות, עכשיו התחילו הכל אומרים ,או לו לזה שסניגורו נעשה קטיגורו, כך אין אדם מישראל צריך להלל בלולב הגזול, (אם אין לו) [אלא אם כן] לוקח לו בדמים, שנאמר ולקחתם לכם. (Lev. 23:40:) AND YOU SHALL TAKE (rt.: LQH) < FOR YOURSELVES >. {In the name of R. Hiyya he} [R. Hiyya] taught in a baraita: Through buying (MQH) and not through stealing, through buying (MQH) and not gratis. < Such prohibitions serve > to exclude what is borrowed and to exclude what is plundered. A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a royal agent who went to collect < taxes > in the city. After he had collected them, a certain townsperson found him on the road. {< He was > a bandit.}⁹⁹Gk.: lestes. He beat him and took everything belonging to him plus the collected < tax money > which was in his possession. After some time that townsperson came to be on trial before the governor. He went to hire himself someone who would plead his case. The < tax > collector said to him: What are you doing here? He said to him: There is a lawsuit, and I wish to hire myself someone who will plead my case. He said to him: Give me [that gold and those articles], that baggage¹⁰⁰Lat.: tapeta and Gk.: tapetes (“carpets”), from which comes the English, “tapestries.” which you took from me. Then I will plead your case. < The bandit > said to him: I will do so. He went and gave him that gold and that baggage, < but only > a little < of it >. So he went to him.¹⁰¹Cf. the reading in Codex Vaticanus Ebr. 34: He said to him: What will you give me, if I plead your case? He said to him: You know that I have no gold. He said to him: Then give me the baggage. So he gave him a rug and other garments which he had taken from him. The next day, when he stood before the governor, he said: Do you have someone who is pleading (melamed) your case. He answered and said: Such and such a person. The governor said to him: What case are you making (melamed) for this person? He said to him: My Lord, I am telling the things that this companion of mine did to me. When I went to collect taxes in such and such a city, he rose up against me, robbed me, and took everything that I had. And the things which you see in my hands are some of the things which he returned to me so that I would plead his case. Then they all began to say: Woe to that one, for his advocate has become his accuser. Thus, no one from Israel should give praise with a stolen lulav. {If he does not have one,} [< He does not use one > unless] he buys (rt.: LQH) it for himself with money, as stated (in Lev. 23:40): AND YOU SHALL TAKE (rt.: LQH) FOR YOURSELVES.