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In one of the Torah Readings for the eighth day of Pesach, falling in a week day, there's the following passukim (Deuteronomy 15:10-11)

י  נָתוֹן תִּתֵּן לוֹ, וְלֹא-יֵרַע לְבָבְךָ בְּתִתְּךָ לוֹ:  כִּי בִּגְלַל הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה, יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּכָל-מַעֲשֶׂךָ, וּבְכֹל מִשְׁלַח יָדֶךָ. יא  כִּי לֹא-יֶחְדַּל אֶבְיוֹן, מִקֶּרֶב הָאָרֶץ; עַל-כֵּן אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ, לֵאמֹר, פָּתֹחַ תִּפְתַּח אֶת-יָדְךָ לְאָחִיךָ לַעֲנִיֶּךָ וּלְאֶבְיֹנְךָ, בְּאַרְצֶךָ.  {ס} ‏

Thou shalt surely give him, and thy heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him; because that for this thing the LORD thy God will bless thee in all thy work, and in all that thou puttest thy hand unto. For the poor shall NEVER [?] cease out of the land; therefore I command thee, saying: 'Thou shalt surely open thy hand unto thy poor and needy brother, in thy land.'
Is it supposed to be read with the never term in the hebrew version? And if so, is there a predestination factor in play here and in all its implications?
Do judaism really believe in Predestination Theology? ... Or the translation of this passuk is simply incorrect, after all?

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    How is this different from any other prophecy, in terms of predestination issues?
    – Double AA
    May 4, 2016 at 20:28
  • It seems like a fine translation, although I have not surveyed the commentaries. It should be noted that this differs from most examples of predestination, as it does not state wh0 will be poor, only that there will always be poor people. Furthermore, the definition of "poor" may be subjective, and in turn predicting even less. Although there were some exceptions, Judaism generally places high value on individuals' ability to determine their own behavior (cf. Deuteronomy 30: 19).
    – mevaqesh
    May 4, 2016 at 20:32
  • Hi @mevaqesh ! I asked the question because כִּי לֹא-יֶחְדַּל אֶבְיוֹן, if I know to read the hebrew at least a bit on the basics, the word "never" is not written there.. you know... So, how is "never" in hebrew? Shoudn't be "lo le'olam vaed", or etc?
    – Natan
    May 4, 2016 at 20:55
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    לֹא-יֶחְדַּל means "will not cease" thus the word never is by implication. "lo le'olam vaed" would be redundant. May 4, 2016 at 20:57
  • Hi @DoubleAA ! So, this passuk is a prophecy? Just with a vague notion of mine, I guess all the prophecies, when stating negative things to occur in the future, are based in causes of sins that turns out to result in bad consequences.. Isn't it?
    – Natan
    May 4, 2016 at 21:05

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See Ramban on this verse:

כי לא יחדל אביון מקרב הארץ. מפרשים [1]‏ אמרו שלא יחדל האביון מקרב הארץ באחד מכל הזמנים כי לעולם יהיה אביון בארץ שגלוי היה לפניו שלא יעשו מה שאמר להם כי לא יהיה בך אביון אם שמוע תשמע בקול ה' אלהיך לשמור לעשות את כל המצוה ‏[2]‏ ואינו נכון לדעתי כי התורה תרמוז במה שעתיד להיות אבל לא יתנבא עליהם בפירוש שלא יקיימו התורה ויצוה המצוה לעולם וחלילה [3]‏רק בדרך אזהרה יזכיר הדבר והנכון שיאמר שלא יחדל אביון שיהיה נמנע ולא ימצא עוד לעולם והזכיר זה בעבור שהבטיח שלא יהיה בהם אביון בשמרם כל המצוה אמר אבל ידעתי כי לא יהיו כל הדורות כל ימי עולם כלם שומרים כל המצוה עד שלא נצטרך כלל לצוות על האביון כי אולי בקצת הימים ימצא אביון ואני מצוך עליו אם ימצא ואמר "מקרב הארץ" לרמוז על כל הישוב כי ההבטחה שלא יהיה בנו אביון בארץ אשר ה' אלהינו נותן לנו נחלה אם נקיים שם כל המצות [4]‏ ועתה אמר כי יתכן שימצא אביון באחד מן הזמנים ובאחד מן המקומות אשר תשב בה כי טעם "בארצך" כטעם בכל מושבותיכם (במדבר לה כט) בארץ ובחוצה לארץ וטעם ולאביונך בארצך כאומר לאחיך העני ולכל אביוני ארצך כי בעבור שהמצוה לישראל יזכיר אחיך ויצטרך לפרש אחיך וכל אביוני ארצך לצוות על כלל ישראל ומדרשו (ספרי קמב) להקדים הקודם (הרמב"ן)‏

[1] Some commentators says that it clear for G_d that Israel do not achieve the Mitsvot
[2] Ramban rejects this opinion.
[3] The verse is a warning.
[4] He comment this as a possibility. "It is never excluded that... "
TRANSLATION: So there will be no poor man on land. Some commentators said that poor not disappear all time. The reason there will always be poor: It is clear for him (G_d) that they do not do what he tells them to do. Indeed, the lack of poverty is a consequence of obedience to G_d, to respect and accomplish. But for me it is not correct. Because Torah provides scraps of information about what going to append. It is not a comprehensive prophecy that they do not accomplish Torah and he would order again infinitely. The scope is to provide warning. The truth is "the poor shall never cease": resurgence of poverty is never impossible as if poverty can not come back. He did mention that after the promise he made that it will not be poor (when they comply with laws). He said, but I know that not every generation at every time, all, comply to such an extent that there is no need to warning to care for the poor. It may be that in far distant future will be a poor....

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'For the poor shall not cease out of the midst of the land'-- Undoubtedly, (and sabbahillel correctly noted), this means 'forever'. 'Shall not cease' is the literal translation; however tendentious it may seem, this is what G-d said.

As for predestination, Judaism's view of prophecy is described in Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah) 18:5-10:

וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֽוֹר׃ הֲכַיּוֹצֵ֨ר הַזֶּ֜ה לֹא־אוּכַ֨ל לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת לָכֶ֛ם בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה הִנֵּ֤ה כַחֹ֙מֶר֙ בְּיַ֣ד הַיּוֹצֵ֔ר כֵּן־אַתֶּ֥ם בְּיָדִ֖י בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (ס) רֶ֣גַע אֲדַבֵּ֔ר עַל־גּ֖וֹי וְעַל־מַמְלָכָ֑ה לִנְת֥וֹשׁ וְלִנְת֖וֹץ וּֽלְהַאֲבִֽיד׃ וְשָׁב֙ הַגּ֣וֹי הַה֔וּא מֵרָ֣עָת֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי עָלָ֑יו וְנִֽחַמְתִּי֙ עַל־הָ֣רָעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר חָשַׁ֖בְתִּי לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת לֽוֹ׃ (ס) וְרֶ֣גַע אֲדַבֵּ֔ר עַל־גּ֖וֹי וְעַל־מַמְלָכָ֑ה לִבְנֹ֖ת וְלִנְטֹֽעַ׃ וְעָשָׂ֤ה הרעה [הָרַע֙] בְּעֵינַ֔י לְבִלְתִּ֖י שְׁמֹ֣עַ בְּקוֹלִ֑י וְנִֽחַמְתִּי֙ עַל־הַטּוֹבָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָמַ֖רְתִּי לְהֵיטִ֥יב אוֹתֽוֹ: (ס)

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: ’O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay in the potter’s hand, so are ye in My hand, O house of Israel. At one instant I may speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy it; but if that nation turn from their evil, because of which I have spoken against it, I repent of the evil that I thought to do unto it. And at one instant I may speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; but if it do evil in My sight, that it hearken not to My voice, then I repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit it.

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