Please send messages to kehilasmy@yahoo.com
Cortesy of Partners-in-Torah
When Bnai Yisroel enter Eretz Yisroel, they must observe the mitzvah of
shmittah. Every 7 years, for the entire year, it is forbidden to prepare the
ground, or plant, or harvest. Hashem promises that if the mitzvah is kept,
there will be enough food available for all. The 50th year, called yovel,
introduced by the sounds of the shofar on Yom Kippur, is similar in its
agricultural restrictions to a shmittah year. In addition, all Jewish slaves
are automatically freed, and land which was sold automatically returns to the
ownership of the family which received it at the time of Yehoshuas conquest
of Canaan.
Bnai Yisroel will remain in the land of Israel, in complete security, as long
as they fulfill the Mitzvos of the Torah. Should anyone wonder what will be
available to eat during the 49th, 50th, or even 51st year until regular
agricultural work may be resumed, Hashem promises that the land will be
blessed and will yield abundantly. Should any jew sell his ancestral land, he
has 2 years to redeem what he has sold. After that, he has no rights to it
until the yovel year, unless it was in a walled city, in which case the sale
is final. The levites cities belong to them forever. It is also forbidden to
take (or give) interest on a loan to another Jew.
Parsahs Bechukosai opens with a promise by Hashem to bless
the people of Israel if they are loyal to the Torah. Rain will fall in the
proper time, the earth will produce abundantly, and peace will prevail. Enemies
who threaten Jewish security will be pursued successfully by small numbers of
Bnai Yisroel. Hashem will maintain His covenant with us. He will increase our
population greatly. He will reside among us. However, if we will not obey His commandments, and we
refuse to see His hand in the events of history, then we will be pursued by
fearful sickness, by enemies who will frighten and persecute us, by a natural
world which will refuse to yield to our efforts. If we do not learn from initial
troubles, they will multiply sevenfold. War, plague, famine, desolation, exile,
fear and persecution will follow us. Eventually, the remnant of the Jewish
people will return to Hashem. It is Hashems promise that despite our
defections, He will never abrogate the covenant He made with our ancestors, and
will eternally maintain His closeness with us. The parsha explains the procedure for assigning values to
persons, animals, and property for those who vow to donate the value of these to
the Sanctuary. You shall take for yourselves on
the first day (of Sukkos) the fruit of a citron tree, the branches of date
palms, twigs of a plaited tree, and brook willows. You shall rejoice before
Hashem your G-d for seven days. (27:2) Parshas Bechukosai is commonly referred to as the
parsha of tochacha rebuke. It is full of frightening threats of unimaginable
punishment to be meted out to those who brazenly refuse to observe the Torahs
laws. However, it is interesting to note that after the rebuke concludes, the
parsha ends by abruptly switching to a section dealing with the laws of
Arachin the dedication of the value of oneself or another person to the
Temple a section which seems to be completely misplaced. What is the relevance
of this section to the rebuke which dominates the rest of the parsha?
Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky recounts a story which will shed
some light on our question. During the Holocaust, the Germans took a
particularly sadistic pleasure in torturing and tormenting the great Rabbis. The
suffering endured by our most righteous leaders is unfathomable. In one particularly gruesome incident, a number of
merciless Nazi officers beat the Klausenberger Rebbe (1904-1994) to the brink of
death. After enduring seemingly endless blows, the officers asked the bleeding
and only semi-conscious Rebbe if after all of this suffering he still believed
that the Jews are Hashems chosen people. The Rebbe responded unequivocally in
the affirmative. Amazed at his seemingly nave faith, they pressed him for
an explanation. The Rebbe replied, As long as I am not the cruel oppressor of
innocent victims, and as long as I am the one down here on the ground
maintaining my unwavering faith in my principles and traditions, I am still able
to raise my head proudly and know that Hashem chose our people. Applying the lesson of this story to our original question,
Rav Menachem Mendel Morgenstern, better known as the Kotzker Rebbe (1787-1859),
and Rav Meir Shapiro (1887-1933) explain that after reading the terrifying
curses contained earlier in the parsha and seeing how they have sadly been
fulfilled throughout Jewish history, Jews may begin to lose belief in their
value and self-worth. As a nation, we have been persecuted more than any other
people throughout the ages. Such intense national suffering could easily cause a
person to give up hope. In order to counter this mistaken conclusion, the section
outlining the painful times which will befall the Jewish people is immediately
followed by the section dealing with the laws of Arachin. This section details
how much a person is required to donate to the Temple if he chooses to dedicate
his value or that of another Jew to the Temple. This juxtaposition comes to
remind us that even in the darkest times, after enduring the most inhumane
suffering fathomable, although we may not be accorded respect by our non-Jewish
oppressors, our intrinsic worth in Hashems eyes is eternal and unchanging. Hashem spoke to Moshe on Mount Sinai, saying: Speak to
the Children of Israel and say to them, When you come to the land which I
give to you, the land shall observe a Shabbos rest for Hashem. 25:1,2 In addition to the numerous elucidations on this
idea, I would add that perhaps the reason this mitzvah was chosen as an
example of the extensive detail with which each mitzvah was presented on Mt.
Sinai, is because of its great difficulty in observing. The laws of Shmittah
demand great self-sacrifice and an abundance of faith in order to properly
comply with. Perhaps, one may claim that on Sinai, only the easy Mitzvos
were on display, thus misleading the people into believing that Judaism
wasnt that demanding after all. To disabuse us of this notion, the Torah
goes out of its way to specify that even the laws of the Shmittah, with all
their attendant detail and difficulty, were expounded upon at Sinai, and
nevertheless, the Jewish people still insisted on entering the Covenant with
Hashem. The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land
is Mine, for you are foreigners and residents with Me. 25:23 This injunction against selling the land for eternity,
unheard of in modern times, is eloquent testimony to the idea that although
Hashem presented us with the land, He maintained possession of it
throughout. We were invited to dwell in the Land, but at no point did it
become ours to do as we pleased with it. This accords nicely with Hashems
insistence that we refrain from idol worship when occupying the land, lest
we be exiled from it. We were invited to live in Israel, but only so long as
we were willing to abide by G-ds terms. We were only owners in the sense
that other nations would no longer be permitted to assume permanent
possession of the land, and it would be ours for the taking, once we agree
to the terms and conditions. History bears witness to the sentiments
expressed in this verse. You shall observe My Sabbaths and you shall revere My
Sanctuary, I am Hashem 26:2 A person must conduct himself with reverence
toward a house of study or worship as these places are repositories of the
Divine Presence in Exile. This includes refraining from idle chatter,
conducting business, and socializing, all of which are inappropriate in the
presence of the Divine. Chafetz Chaim [MB 151:1] quotes the SMAK who
alleges that one of the negative consequences of irreverent behavior in a
synagogue, is that it eventually will be sold for use as a house of idol
worship, the ultimate indignity. If you will follow My decrees and observe My
commandments and fulfill them; then I will provide your rains in their time
and the land will give forth its produce and the tree of the field will
bring forth its fruit. 26:3,4 Dovid HaMelech observed that our life on earth is but
a few short years when he wrote, The days of our years; among them are
seventy years [Tehillim 90:10] Consequently, whatever reward we were to
receive for our actions, would be limited by virtue of our limited endurance
on earth. Furthermore, if we had but an inkling of the value of a mitzvah,
theres no way wed consider the possibility that the material blessings
promised in this Parshah could possibly satisfy that criteria. To that end,
Maimonides reassures us that whats being promised in this Parshah is not the
reward, but rather, they are the perks that make it possible to earn even
greater reward in the world of eternity. However, if you will not listen to Me and will not
perform all of these commandments. 26:14 Although at times we all stumble in the area of mitzvah
observance, our desire and intent must be to observe all of the mitzvos. This
is a far cry from the attitude described in this verse, which speaks of one
who willingly discards those mitzvos whose significance he fails to grasp, or
finds inapplicable to modern times. The 613 mitzvos can be compared to a body
whose function is greatly compromised when one or more limbs are absent or
dysfunctional. While Hashem is very understanding of the challenge in
observing Mitzvos and allows us plenty of time to grow into full observance,
there is little that stokes His wrath as forcefully as the wholesale dismissal
of Mitzvos deemed outdated and irrelevant. All of this not withstanding, even when they are
in the land of their enemies I will not despise them and I will not loathe
them to annihilate them, to break My covenant with them, for I am Hashem,
their G-d. 26:44 This Parshah remains one of the most difficult to
understand and absorb, as it speaks of the many harsh consequences the Jewish
nation would face for its disloyalty to Hashem. Yet, beneath it all lays a
very powerful message of hope for us, as well. It contains a promise that we
will never face these challenges alone, and that although we will endure much
suffering along the way, we will ultimately prevail.. Jewish history bears
eloquent testimony to the reliability of this assurance. Dear Rabbi, Debbie, This custom evolved as a solution to a potential conflict
between the law prohibiting any form of cooking on Shabbos, and an obligation to
honor the Shabbos by partaking of hot dishes at the Shabbos meals [See Rema
OC 257:8]. In light of the prohibition against cooking, how could one
fulfill the mandate to enjoy hot dishes at the morning meal, when food cooked
before Shabbos would have long since cooled by morning? To address this problem, a special dish was concocted that
required a lengthy period of time to cook and would actually improve in taste
the longer it sat on the fire. This dish is known as cholent, and it became
the hot dish of choice for all who cared to honor the Shabbos to the fullest
extent. It is prepared and placed on a low flame before the onset of the Shabbos,
and removed just prior to serving at the morning meal. Although it remains
cooking on the flame during Shabbos, that is not a violation of the prohibition
to cook on the Shabbos since it was placed there beforehand. MishnahBrurah [OC 257:11] writes that
one who truly dislikes partaking of a hot dish at the meal, need not do so, as
for him this dish diminishes the honor he seeks to demonstrate toward Shabbos.
However, many of the Halachic authorities insist that one who does enjoy it, but
refrains from partaking because he suspects that the rabbis who permitted this
form of cooking were in error, is sorely mistaken. This attitude was prevalent
among the Karaites who maintained that the Scriptural verse [Shmos 35:3]
forbidding lighting a fire on Shabbos included even merely having a fire that
was lit before Shabbos, as well. If that were the case, it would be impossible
to partake of the hot Cholent on Shabbos. Our sages disputed the Karaites
interpretation of the verse, and they use a number of uncomplimentary terms to
describe those who maintain this attitude by refusing to partake of Cholent
[see MB and Rema ibid, Eliyahu Rabbah 257]. Ive often wondered where the name Cholent originated,
and I have not yet found a definitive source for it. It has been suggested that
perhaps the root of this word is Lon which means, to rest, and is
often used to connote the idea of resting overnight. An example of this is the
word malon, which means a hotel where one spends the evening. Thus,
the word Cholent should really be pronounced Shelan that which rested, a
clear allusion to the uniqueness of this dish in that it cooked overnight, in
contrast to most foods that cook for a limited number of hours. Bon Appetit! Respectfully,
Excerpted from The Kleinman Edition of A Daily Dose of
Torah: Parshas Behar-Bechukosai Those who, by the kindness of Hashem, are not familiar
with the circumstances of poverty and its many hardships and degradations, can
at times be lacking in the proper level of sensitivity that must be displayed to
the poor. The Chofetz Chaim, in his sefer Ahavas Chesed (2:10), describes an
imaginary scenario to demonstrate the great care that must be taken in dealing
with the poor: A man departs the world and his soul ascends to Heaven to
face judgment on his lifes deeds. There, he is given a Sefer Torah; then the
questions, asking him about each mitzvah separately, begin. When they reach the
mitzvah "You were sitting at home one night, comfortable and
content, when a poor man from your town approached you with a request for a loan
and offered collateral. Your response was quick and to the point: 'I cannot lend
the money now! He left your house and the incident left your mind. "But what for you was merely a brief conversation was to
that man a part of a much longer episode. You only saw him during the few
moments when he approached you. You did not see the months of self-deliberation,
and the discussions with his wife, trying to decide if he should lower his pride
and ask for a loan, something he was trying with all his heart to avoid. When he
did decide that it was necessary, he spent time trying to choose a collateral
that would find favor in your eyes, something that would not be too cheap, but
that he could afford to live without until the loan was paid off. And then he deliberated on the opportune time to approach
you, when you would be in a good mood and inclined After he left your house empty-handed, you promptly forgot
about him. But he had to go home and face an expectant family, waiting for some
relief from their difficult situation. He had to deal with their disappointment
and cries, and with the subsequent results of simply not being able to feed his
family. The results of your callous lack of mercy was the total dissolution of
his home; a man who was once a respected homeowner was turned by your cruelty
into a wandering beggar. As your actions were bereft of mercy, you do not qualify
for a plea of mercy from this court. And now stand and accept judgment for your
actions and their disastrous effects! The Chofetz Chaim concludes by writing that one who does
develop within himself the quality of always having mercy on others will be
graced with mercy from Above. Q: The Torah
commands "the land shall observe a Sabbath rest for Hashem"
(25:2). A number of commentators are bothered by the seemingly redundant twofold
use of the word ??? rest in reference to the Shemittah year. Why is this
word repeated and emphasized? A: A most novel explanation is offered by
the Mateh Moshe (473), who suggests that in a regular year, even though the
farmer refrains from working the field on Shabbos, nevertheless the laws of
nature are such that the crop which he planted during the week continues to grow
on Shabbos, thereby denying the ground the ability to rest on Shabbos along with
the rest of Creation. During the course of a year, there are 52 such Shabbosim
on which the land is unable to rest, and over a period of 7 years, the total
number of such days which accrue for which the ground must be compensated comes
to 364. As a result, the Torah decreed that once every 7 years, the land shall
lie completely fallow in order to pay it back for all of the Shabbos days
during which it was unable to rest, and it is for this reason that the Torah
stresses that in the Shemittah year, the ground should rest a ??? to Hashem! Q: One of the blessings Hashem promises us if we perform
His will is that He will cause dangerous animals to cease from the land (26:6).
The Toras Kohanim records a dispute between two sages as to the nature of this
blessing. The opinion of Rav Yehuda is that these animals will simply cease to
exist, while Rav Shimon maintains that they will continue to exist but that
their natures will change so that they are no longer dangerous. As the simple
understanding of the verse seems to indicate that they will indeed become
extinct, why does Rav Shimon interpret it as suggesting that Hashem will change
the laws of nature? A: The Meshech Chochmah suggests that the
opinion of Rav Shimon emanates from his opinions in other places. The Gemora (Berachos
(35b) quotes Rav Yishmoel as maintaining that a person should both study Torah
and work at a profession, while Rav Shimon argues that the ideal approach is to
spend ones every waking moment engaged in the study of Torah, while relying
that Hashem will provide him with his earthly needs. The Gemora (Shabbos 11a)
relates that Rav Shimon didnt interrupt his learning even to recite the daily
prayers, as he had no earthly needs and relied on his Torah study to protect
him. We find that when a Jew serves Hashem with all of his energy, Hashem in
turn protects him from the natural dangers posed by wild animals. The Gemora in
Berachos (33a) relates that Rav Chanina ben Dosas neighbors approached him in
fear of a poisonous serpent in the area. He placed his foot on top of the
serpents hole, inciting it to bite him, at which time the snake immediately
died, with Rav Chanina explaining that the snake doesnt kill; sin kills.
However, this level of supernatural protection is provided only to a person who
spends his entire day engrossed in the study of Torah, but one who leaves his
studies to tend to his business affairs is left vulnerable. The blessings of our
parsha speak to those on the highest spiritual level, and because Rav Shimon
maintains that this refers to individuals who spend their entire day studying,
only he can interpret the verse to mean that the wild animals will still exist
but will no longer be able to cause any harm!
Table Talk: For discussion around
the Shabbos Table
Parsha PartnerTM
Parshas BEHAR-BECHUKOSAI
Parsha At-a-Glance
By Ozer Alport
Parsha Perspectives
By Ozer Alport
Talking Points
Rabbi Elazar Meisels
1. Full Disclosure
2. Is It Really OUR Land?
3.
Know Your Place
4. The Perks of the Job
5. All of These Commandments
6. The Silver Lining
Partners Talk
CHOLENT
I recently went to my study partners home for Shabbat and it was such a
great experience. The thing about it I liked most, was spending time with her
children and the amazing foods that were served. There was one food in
particular that I have never eaten before called cholent, and I was hoping you
could help me understand why this is a traditional Shabbat food. Is there
something especially significant about it?
Debbie S.
As one who has introduced many people to the wonders of cholent, I have no doubt
that you enjoyed it immensely. It is indeed a popular food, saturated with both
tradition and calories. For our readers who havent yet had the opportunity to
partake of this wonderful dish, it is basically a mixture of beans, barley,
potatoes, meat, and spices that is left to cook on a low flame for an extended
period of time. It is traditionally served piping hot at the morning Shabbos
meal. Although every Jewish community has its own special blend of spices, the
custom and the basic ingredients are common in virtually all Jewish communities.
Rabbi Elazar Meisels
Soul Talk
Artscroll Mesorah Publications, Brooklyn, NY March 2007.
"If your brother becomes impoverished . . . you shall strengthen him . . . so
that he can live with you" (Vayikra 25:35) he is asked: "Did you observe this
mitzvah as well? And when he answers that he surely did, they will remind him
of an incident, which when it occurred many years earlier, was to his mind
insignificant.
to receive him. And did you notice that he came to you only at night because he
was too embarrassed to be seen approaching you during the day?
Hey, I never knew that!
Amazing Insights About the Weekly Parsha
By Ozer Alport
?) One of the blessings for doing Hashems will is
that I will place my Divine Presence among you, and My Spirit will not be
disgusted by you (26:11). How is it considered a blessing that Hashem promises
not to be disgusted by us?
?)The rebuke in
Parshas Bechukosai concludes by stating (26:40) that after enduring all of the
intense suffering and punishment, the Jews will confess their sins and the sins
of their fathers. What is the purpose in repenting sins which they themselves
didnt commit?
Torah Umesorah, the National Society for Hebrew Day Schools
Share the Gift of Jewish Wisdom with a Fellow Jew
or get yourself a learning partner to gain some!
Call 800-STUDY-4-2 or visit us on the web at
www.study42.org
Click
to Print/View in PDF |
SHIDDUCHIM
for RUSSIAN BAALEY TESHUVAH Worldwide in Russian | 
|
Please visit our web page http://www.kehilasmy.org
Buy books with 10% off from Artscroll and Artscroll will donate us 5% of your purchase: