Double Parsha Behar-Bechukotai (Leviticus 25-27)

Double Parsha: Behar-Bechukotai

Day#1: Leviticus 25:1-7

(Part 1)

Behar: when translated from Hebrew to English means “on the mountain.” In relation to this parsha study, Behar is referencing “Behar Sinai” or “On The Mountain of Sinai.”

(Leviticus 25:1)

This Parsha begins with a reminder that the Torah was given by Hashem to Moshe Rabbeinu on Mount Sinai. While there have been many action-packed narratives that have broken up our studies of Leviticus thus far, we must remember that ALL of the laws held within this book are part of the Torah revealed and handed down from Hashem to Moshe Rabbeinu at Mount Sinai.

The Torah given at Mount Sinai includes all of Hashem’s wisdom: all of the Teachings of Hashem. This includes the first five Books of Moshe Rabbeinu, the oral Torah, and some of our sages say even the Prophets and the Wisdom books.

This later ideology of the sages makes sense when we consider that Hashem first created all of His wisdom before He created anything in the heavens or on earth. So, there is literally nothing new under the sun—before anything was (or is) created, before any event took (or takes) place, it has already been written down and planned, long before creation itself existed.

As such, since Hashem chose His beloved Jewish people to be the sole recipients of His wisdom, it would be fitting if all was given at once Behar Sinai.

(Leviticus 25:2)

Hashem begins this section of written Law by communicating additional mitzvot that we are to keep “when we enter and settle the land that I (Hashem) assign to you (the collective Jewish people).”

We have discussed the topic of the promised land many times in our previous studies of Leviticus, but this important topic is worth restating again.

The land that Hashem has assigned to the Jewish people is the land described and promised in Genesis 15:18-21. The land was promised on oath and by covenant to Avraham Avinu and his descendants from Sarai (Sarah). Hashem provides a specific description of the territory of the land as:

Often this promised land is simply referred to as “the land of Canaan,” but we see above that the territory promised to Israel extends from Mitzrayim to modern Iraq, all of Judea and Samaria—from Lebanon to Eilat, and from the Mediterranean across The Jordan River into the land Jordan. This promised land includes more than even the current borders of the modern state of Israel.

This promised land is often referred to as the Land of Canaan because of the transfer of power of this land that took place in the times of Noah. In Genesis 9, we read that after the flood, Noah had a bit too much of the wine that the land produced for him and he fell asleep in his tent. Ham, Noah’s second-born son, uncovered his father’s nakedness while Noah was asleep in his tent. Noah’s two other sons (Shem and Jephath) went in backwards to Noah’s tent and covered their father’s nakedness with a cloth.

Because of Ham’s sin, Hashem cursed the land of Canaan (Ham’s son) and declared that all of Ham’s descendants would dwell as slaves in the tents of Shem & Jephath in their own land. Meaning, the descendants of Ham would become slaves to the descendants of Shem and/or Jephath. Eventually, Hashem chose Shem as the one to whom ownership of the land would pass. This ownership was promised to Shem’s descendant, Avraham Avinu.

In 1 Kings 9:20-21, we can read about an example of Canaan becoming the slaves to Shem. When King Solomon was erecting the first temple, all of the descendants of Canaan (and the other tribes mentioned in Genesis 15) who the Israelites were not able to conquer (and who thus remained alive), became a slave labor force under Solomon.

The promised land is also commonly referred to as The Holy Land. It is the place where Hashem has written His name forever—in Jerusalem. It is also the land that Hashem chose as His eternal dwelling place. Indeed the Temple Mount of Mt. Moriah is said to be the place where the foundation stone of all of creation lays—currently, the Dome of the Rock (a Muslim shrine, but not a Mosque) stands over the foundation stone. But, one day (prayerfully soon) Hashem promises to rebuild His Temple in that very place—the place where the Holy of Holies of both His first and second Temples stood before being destroyed.

Furthermore, because the Promised Land is the place of Hashem’s dwelling, the Land is also literally (not figuratively) Holy. Thus, as we have learned previously, when Jews enter the Holy Land, ALL of Torah becomes binding. Outside of the land there is leniency because the land outside cannot substitute for the Promised Land. Though we can literally practice the laws outside of Israel, we can only truly keep much of the mitzvot in the Holy Land.

But, without the Holy Temple of Hashem standing, many of the laws that Jews are commanded to keep in the land cannot currently be kept. Thus, moving to Israel knowing you cannot keep the laws that become 100% binding once settled, almost sets oneself up for sin.

For this reason, many Jews instead choose to remain in exile and await moshiach because at the time of his coming, the Temple will be rebuilt, Hashem will return to Zion in full glory, and He will gather all Jews back to the Holy Land.

Others hold the view that the command to dwell in the land of  Israel overrides the laws that cannot be kept while the Temple is in ruins—it is the poorest of the poor who were left as the remnant in Jerusalem during the Babylonian exile. While the Jews today are not the poor of the land, but as a whole are thriving physically—without the temple, spiritually poverty remains.

But, when the Davidic king (moshiach) is reestablished and Hashem returns to His Temple, everything stolen will be restored to the Jews—this includes items and money that were physically robbed as well as the spiritual riches of Hashem, His glory, and His wisdom (is is better than rubies and gold).

(Leviticus 25:3-5)

The first law communicated in this parsha to Moshe Rabbeinu by Hashem on the Mountain (Behar) of Sinai is that when Jews enter and settle the land of Zion,

Hashem clarifies that this command means that for 6 years the Jewish people can sow the land, prune the vineyards, and gather in the yield of the harvest. On the 7^th year, THE LAND will have a year of complete sabbath rest—it will have a sabbath of the LORD.

Thus, in the 7^th year, Hashem says we shall not:

1. Reap the after-growth of the harvest, nor

2. Gather the grapes of the untrimmed vines.

Instead the land must rest and be allowed to grow without tilling, plowing, sowing, or any other human action or intervention.

(Leviticus 25:6-7)

During the sabbatical year of rest for the land, Hashem declares that Jews can eat whatever the land produces naturally. Along with the Jews, Hashem says that during the land’s sabbatical year, all who live with the Jewish people may eat the naturally produced foods from our fields. Specifically, Hashem includes:

1. Your male slaves.

2. Your female slaves.

3. Your hired laborers.

4. Your bound laborers.

5. Your cattle.

6. The wild beasts in the land.

All of these may eat whatever the fields produce during the land’s sabbatical year.

One may ask, if we are not allowed to harvest the land during its sabbatical year, how can we eat of the naturally produced goods that bloom from the land?

The answer is provided in verse 12 of this chapter in Leviticus 25—we must eat the produce while it is still in the field. Like the stranger who is allowed to pluck off some fruit while he passes through our fields yet is not allowed to stick in a winnowing fork to harvest and take out of our field, so it will be for all Jews during the land’s sabbatical year.

Like the manna—we can pluck what we desire in the moment, but no more.

Am Yisrael Chai!

Kimberly Davis