Torah Bites for Your Table: Parshat Behar-Behukotai

Hi Friends

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful end to their week. This week marks the final parasha in the Book of Leviticus, Behar-Behukotai. One of the most famous concepts to emerge from this parasha is the Sabbatical Year, or Shemittah, where a person will leave their field fallow once every seven years. The commandment states the following:

"And the Lord said to Moses on Mount Sinai. “Speak to the Israelites: When you enter the land which I give you, the land shall keep a Sabbath to the Lord. Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather in its fruits: but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath for the Lord; you shall not sow your field prune your vineyard" (Leviticus 25:1-4).

Historically, we might argue that this commandment was an early form of crop rotation, making sure that fields were not over-harvested to the point where they would no longer grow anything. However, in his analysis of this mitzvah, Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, the founder of Reconstrucionist Judaism, writes the following about the timeless nature of this mitzvah:

"As a result of the mechanization and over-industrialization of present day life, the human being has come to stand in greater need of the Sabbath than before…The function of the Sabbath is to prohibit man from engaging in work which in any way alters the environment, so that he should not delude himself into the belief that he is complete master of his destiny."

In other words, the timeless purpose is that this mitzvah forces to recognize that the natural goodness of the earth belongs to God, not us. When we treat the earth with callous disregard for the delicate balance of God's creation, we not only demean the earth, we demean God, as well.

In our present-day, we need a Sabbath for the earth, more than ever before. The practice of Shemittah must resonate deeply with each of us, as we think about how to meet the challenge of serving as proper stewards for this planet. May it happen soon, and speedily, in our days.

Shabbat Shalom
Josh

1. Parents: To what extent do you think you are helping your family create a sustainable home? What are areas of life where you could be conscious of what you use and consume?
2. Children: Why do you think God wants the earth to have a rest from being harvested? What is the value of not using up our resources?
3: Seekers: What would a world look like where we maintained proper intervals of rest for the earth? What would this say about spiritual compass if were to allow that to happen?