Shabbat-B'Shabbato – Parshat Behar-Bechukotai

No 1673: 24 Iyar 5777 (20 May 2017)

AS SHABBAT APPROACHES

A Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation - by Esti Rosenberg, Head of the Midrasha for Women, Migdal Oz

This week’s double portion of Behar-Bechukotai is the end of Vayikra, the “book of holiness.” In the associative world of religion, Vayikra is written for the priests and involves matters of sanctity that are far removed from our mundane lives. Many people refrain from studying this material in the mistaken notion that it is a book about sacrifices meant specifically for the priests, who are in charge of performing the holy rituals. And this is quite true in the first half of the book – sacrifices, laws of ritual purity and impurity that are most relevant for the priests, and the sanctity of time, which is characterized by the High Priest who enters the holiest area in the Temple on Yom Kippur. However, such a train of thought carries with it the possibility of great danger. Is it really true that sanctity is a matter only for the priests? Can it be that it is relevant only for specific times and places?

The second half of the book of Vayikra copes with this last question. It addresses the issue of sanctity of the entire nation of Yisrael everywhere and anytime. The portion of Kedoshim challenges us to recognize holiness in all walks of life. In Emor there are laws limiting who the priests can marry, and in Acharei Mot the laws set limits for the marriage of every person in Yisrael and give us guidelines for the married life of the entire nation. And the holiness of Yom Kippur is extended in Emor with many more holidays which are relevant not only in the Temple but wherever the Jews live. The command “You shall be holy people for Me” [Shemot 22:30] is meant for the whole nation, and this is further emphasized in the second half of Vayikra. The entire nation is required to be holy at all times and in all places.

The Torah portion of Behar emphasizes the sanctity of a place. The mitzvot of Shemitta and Yovel illustrate the fact that sanctity is found not only in “the place which G-d will choose” [Devarim 12:14] but all over the land, “For the earth is Mine” [Vayikra 25:23]. The requirement to let the land rest every seven years and the challenge of the Yovel broaden the sanctity and the awareness of the presence of G-d far beyond the limits of the Temple and the priests.

In his famous question at the beginning of Behar, Rashi asks, “What does Shemitta have to do with Mount Sinai?” In his reply, he emphasizes that “for all the mitzvot, the details and the general rules were all given at Sinai.” At the end of Vayikra, where the entire nation is instructed to maintain their sanctity, the Torah stresses that the details are no less important than general concepts. The general ideas of the Torah are beautiful and can bring us joy. The idea of Shabbat lights up the entire world, equality is an important principle which can bring us great joy. Many people are very happy about the general rules of the Torah. However, the great challenge of sanctity is to understand that the beautiful general ideas must come about through our observance of all the details – from rabbinical decrees and limits to what is permitted on Shabbat, and on to observing details that at times can conflict with enjoying the great general ideas. We must understand deep within ourselves that the concept of equality can sometimes lead to financial loss, as when we observe all the details of Shemitta. Holiness presents a challenge to the entire nation everywhere, and it takes shape through the details of the halacha and their precise fulfillment.

Challenge and privilege. Sanctity and halacha.

POINT OF VIEW

A Jubilee for Another Step in “Atchalta D’Geulah” - by Rabbi Yisrael Rozen, Dean of the Zomet Institute

“Atchalta D’Geulah” – the Beginning of Redemption

“And he will leave at the Yovel and he will return to his heritage... And if a man sells a house of dwelling in a walled city...” [Vayikra 25:28-29].

“‘A man’ refers to the Holy One, Blessed be He. If he sells a house of dwelling – this is a house where G-d appears, meaning the Temple. A walled city is Jerusalem, as is written, “Jerusalem surrounded by mountains...” [Tehillim 125:2]... The verse returns to explain the situation: How can it be that G-d will sell His heritage, the holy Temple? [The answer is that] this is the way leading to redemption! This is similar to what is written, that G-d vented His anger on wood and stones, because if this had not happened not a single remnant or refugee would have remained. (Midrash Tehillim 79.) And if Yisrael would not exist there would be neither the Temple nor Jerusalem. But there will be redemption for the nation and for the Temple, for there is hope. “And the children will return to their boundaries” [Yirmiyahu 31:16].

[An extract from Or Hachaim, commenting on the above verse.]

The Tidings of Mashiach in Six Days of Redemption

This week we mark 50 years since the salvation that took place in the Six Day War. A full Yovel (50 years) has passed since the liberation of Jerusalem and the site of the Temple, which are “the house of dwelling and the walled city” mentioned in this week’s Torah portion, according to the above quote from Or Hachaim. “He [the ‘man’ - the Holy One, Blessed be He] will return to His heritage.”

Not everybody has had the privilege of feeling the beating of the wings at the arrival of the Mashiach, the fluttering of the soul, and the heart-felt yearnings, in the wake of the uplifting-caressing awesome-glorious contact which we experienced in 5727 (1967). We remember the feeling, we achieved our freedom at the cost of blood, fire, and pillars of smoke (see the Haggadah of Pesach) – an additional stage in the process of redemption, in the wake of other “beginnings” in 5708 (1948 - the establishment of the State of Israel), the Balfour (modern-day Koresh?) Declaration in 5678 (1917), and many other “awakenings from below” taking the form of Aliyah by many members of “Chovevai Tzion” and by rabbis imbued with the yearning for redemption.

One of the most remarkable of these men was Rabbi Chaim Ben Atar, who came from the “west” (that is, Morocco) to Jerusalem in the year 5502 (1742), where he lived for one year, until he passed away. According to tradition (from Vilna?), in this one year he wrote his monumental work of commentary on the Torah “Or Hachaim” while sitting underneath a fig tree on Or-Hachaim Street, in the Old City of Jerusalem. In this outstanding book he included, among other things, yearnings for redemption, calculations of the time when Mashiach would come, “Zionist” calls for an awakening “from below,” and criticism of great men of Yisrael who failed to raise the banner of redemption. His grave on the Mount of Olives was redeemed in 5708, and “he returned to his heritage.”

Shaking the Very Fibers of the Nation’s Soul

It is very clear to everybody that the surprising victories of the Six Day War rocked the foundations of the Jewish nation to the core, and turned the gaze of the people towards Jerusalem. As part of the resulting chain of events, we were privileged to witness the arrival of more than a million olim from the lands of the former Soviet Union, with tens of thousands more from western countries, south America, and all the corners of the globe. They all returned like “doves to their cotes” [Yeshayahu 60:8]. After the earlier round of ingathering of the exiles after the establishment of the State of Israel, this was a second wave, more massive than before, in the wake of the liberation of Jerusalem. Most exciting of all was the dramatic return of the children of Zion from the exile of Ethiopia, accompanied by their yearning to reach the goal of “Orsalem,” as the name of the city was pronounced by their trembling lips, after their journeys through parched deserts fraught with danger.

Even if we pull ourselves away from exalted thoughts, we must admit that the place of the State of Israel among the other nations of the world and the status of the Jews in all the exiles would have remained in a completely different state if not for the “awakening” of the salvation of the Six Days, which caught us all in the stormy time of 1967. And the coals continue to warm us, a full 50 years later.

Would we Prefer an Embassy, or – On a Different Tack – the Temple Mount?

On the anniversary of the outbreak of the Six Day War, on Monday, the 26th of Iyar, the current President of the United States, Donald Trump, might well announce the transfer of the United States embassy to Jerusalem. Soon after he was elected I wrote in this column that I am full of trepidation about the heavy political price we might be asked to pay for such a “gesture.” I warned that we should not put our faith in the kindness of foreign kings even if “we have a little sister” [Shir Hashirim 8:8] in the palace. I hope and pray that I will be proven wrong this week, even though this would go against usual political practices.

As far as I am concerned, I would leave the embassy on the beach where it is (unless it could be moved inside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem – is there any possibility of this happening?). For me, it would be sufficient for the Israeli government and its advisors to take complete control over the Temple Mount – “a house of dwelling in a walled city” – with massive support by Mr. Trump and his advisors.

Here’s the “deal” – Let the American Embassy remain in Tel Aviv in return for full Israeli sovereignty on the Temple Mount.

(Written after the end of Shabbat, Torah portion of Emor.)

A PARSHA INSIGHT

It’s all a Matter of Timing - by Rabbi Asaf Harnoy, Rabbi of “Aderet Eliyahu” Community, Gilo, Jerusalem

There are times when the difference between success and failure depends on a question of timing. A good sense of timing means to know when to do the right thing, at the right time, and in the right place.

On one hand, it is necessary to have great heavenly support – in order to have a window of opportunity open up which will allow us to accomplish something. On the other hand, a large measure of practical wisdom is needed in order to keep our eyes open and not to miss an opportunity. We must pay attention when a window opens and know how to take advantage of it.

How are Mount Sinai and “Strengthening” a Poor Man Connected?

The Torah portion of Behar brings us into contact with the mitzva of charity and with the obligation to help our needy brothers with economic support. When the Torah comes to command about and describe the importance of helping a poor person, it uses a unique term which makes Rashi quite uncomfortable – since in his commentary always strives for the simple interpretation of the verse –.

We have been commanded, “If your brother becomes poor and he does not have sufficient means, then strengthen him” [Vayikra 25:35]. It is not easy to understand how the concept of “strengthening” a person is related to the mitzva of charity. Why did the Torah use this phrase (“vehechezakta bo”) instead of words that would seem to be more appropriate (such as: to give support or to help)? What idea did the Torah want to stress when it chose to use the concept of “strengthening” a person?

Just before a Fall

Rashi raises this question, and he gives a remarkable answer that can teach us many lessons. He writes that the concept of “strengthening” is meant to teach us about the proper “timing” when we come to help poor people. With respect to charity, the proper time is to catch the needy person just as he is about to fall, and not after he has fallen deep into a pit.

Giving “strength” will not help a person who has lost all of his money and is “deep in the pit.” Such a person is in need of a group of people to pull him out of the pit into which he has fallen. In order to catch a friend at the proper time, before he falls, we need to be very sensitive to his situation. There are times when paying attention at this level can change the entire picture.

Do we Give Him a Hand or a Crane?

We might ask: What difference does it make when we help another person? In fact, perhaps it is more important to help somebody who has already fallen into a deep pit rather that one did not yet fall! Rashi answers this with remarkable insight: There is no comparison between raising up a man who has fallen into a deep pit and giving a man support so that he will not fall in.

In order to rescue somebody who has fallen into a pit, it is not enough to give him a hand for support. A single person is not strong enough for the job. What is needed is a large crane that can reach down deep into the pit and pick up the one who has fallen. However, preventing the fall in the first place does not require a large crane or a group of people – if we stretch out our hand, we can prevent the fall.

A New Moral Economic Concept

In this way the Torah teaches us a novel economic and moral approach in personal relationships. The main effort should take place before a person falls, to watch over those who are carrying a heavy load but who have not fallen. Of course this does not imply that we should refuse to help those who have fallen into a deep pit, but it teaches us a new approach, and we must carefully weigh where our main resources should be expended.

In the same way, we should use the concept of strengthening and timing in our own personal efforts to improve our behavior. It seems natural for us to expend the greatest efforts in trying to mend the traits and characteristics where we show the greatest weakness. There can be no doubt that such an effort is important, and we must continue to work on these personal traits of ours. However, the concept of “strengthening” can indicate to us that an effort to strengthen and mend those traits where we have not yet reached the lowest point – can help us remain on solid ground and avoid a fall. If we will be wise enough to catch these traits at the proper moment, we will be able to maintain a good position and to rise up in all our actions.