Parshas Behar-Bechukosai 5766

Commentary by Rabbi Ephraim Nisenbaum

---

The Shemitta (Sabbatical year) occurs every seven years in Israel. This means that all Jewish-owned land in Israel may not be sown, planted, or worked on, for the entire year. It was a great test of faith for an agriculturally dependent society to lose its main source of income for an entire year. The Torah, however, promises that the sixth year would produce enough food to carry the people through the eighth year.

After every seven Shemitta years, the fiftieth year is called the Jubilee year. The laws of Shemitta would be applicable then, too, and the Torah promises that the forty-eighth year would produce enough for both the Shemitta and Jubilee years.

During the Jubilee year, a person was also obligated to free all his Hebrew slaves, and to return any real estate purchased since the last Jubilee year to its original owner, although the Torah does make certain exceptions.

One of the reasons for the mitzvah of Shemitta is to teach the people that one’s income comes from G-d and is not merely the fruits of one’s own labor. Although the nature of the world is such that man must expend efforts in order to be able to enjoy the benefits, we must remember that our success and failure is not tied exclusively to the amount of efforts that we expend. By not working the entire year, the Jew was tested to strengthen his faith in G-d.

Trusting in G-d is also seen in the prohibition against charging interest to a fellow Jew. A person must trust that he will be able to provide for his family without lending others money with interest. The Torah also warns us not to take unfair advantage of others in business.

The last portion in the Book of Vayikra emphasizes the importance of keeping the Torah properly. G-d promises many physical and material rewards for the nation when they follow the commandments. The rain will be plentiful and convenient, the crops will be bountiful, and there will be peace and security throughout Israel.

However, the mitzvahs were not meant to be options, with one choosing what to keep and what not to keep. In this section called the Tochacha (Reproof), the Torah graphically depicts the terrible drought, disease, and exile, awaiting those who fail to follow the Torah and its mitzvahs.

Yet, the Torah promises, despite all the terrible punishments, G-d will never forget or ignore the Jewish people’s plight. Even when they must be banished, G-d promises they will eventually return to their land and G-d will be appeased. The Jew realizes that even his suffering does not come from G-d’s indifference but from a sense of love and concern.

... when your brother is impoverished, …you should strengthen him ... (Lev. 25:35 )

Regardless of a person’s stature, he should offer whatever assistance he can to someone less fortunate.

A poor woman once cried to Rav Chaim Tzanzer that she owned a fruit stand to support herself, but people complained that her fruit wasn’t any good and they wouldn’t buy anything from her. The great sage hurried to the stand and began to call, “Apples for sale! Beautiful apples for sale!” Immediately people flocked to the stand, and even paid extra to purchase all the fruit.

Rav Chaim turned to the woman and said, “See, your fruit really is good. It’s just that people didn’t realize it!”

Did You Know...

It is prohibited for a Jew to charge, or pay, interest to a fellow Jew. A landlord, however, may charge a one-time penalty if his tenant does not pay the rent on time, as long as it is not compounded in the following months if he fails to pay on time again. For example, he may charge a 5% percent penalty for not paying on time, but if the tenant does not pay the following month, he cannot charge 5% of the principal plus the penalty, but rather another 5% of the principal alone.

Similarly, a lender may charge for certain expenses associated with the loan, such as postage or a bank fee. However, the borrower must be made aware of these fees before the loan.