The
opening of the Parasha focuses on the seventh year suspension of all soil
cultivation (known as “shmita,” whose root sh.m.t is mentioned in Parashat
Mishpatim Ex. 23:11. See Heb. Insights into Parashat Mishpatim). In spite of this edict regarding work cessation,
it is stated, "the Sabbath of the land shall be to you for food…"
(25:6). This declaration contains the familiar and principal thought, similar
to the one that accompanies the weekly Shabbat, that YHVH is the Provider and
thus the members of the community are afforded an opportunity to exercise faith
throughout that year. In fact, contrary
to ‘human logic,’ this very rest (in obedience) will result in abundance.
Secondly,
every member of the community, as well as the livestock, is equally promised
provision for that time period (ref. 25: 6, 7). Again, not unlike the weekly
Shabbat, the benefits of YHVH's year of land-rest apply to one and all without
regard to status and origin. However, this “Shabbat of Shabbats” (v. 4) year,
together with the 50th year Jubilee, the "yovel" to which the rest of this Parasha is
dedicated, apply only in the Land
of Yisrael
In
verse 3 we read: "You shall sow your field six years, and you shall prune your vineyard six years, and shall gather
its produce." "Produce" or "provender"
is “t'vua,” of the root b.o. (vet/bet, vav, alef), meaning “to come,
come in or go in," while in another
conjugation, it is to “bring.” Thus, "produce" does not convey
the idea of that which results merely from man's own productivity or effort,
but rather of something which, "comes" or is "brought" from an outside source.
As
already mentioned, following YHVH's instructions guarantees, that “…you shall
live on the land securely. And the land shall give its fruit, and you shall eat
to satisfaction; and you shall dwell securely on it" (25:18, 19). To this
promise, there will be an extra and supernatural blessing added: "I have
commanded My blessing on you in the sixth year. And it shall produce the
increase for three years; and you shall sow the eighth year, and shall eat of
the old crop until the ninth year, until the coming [bo] in of
its produce [t'vua]; you shall eat of the old" (vv 21-22,
italics added). Here again we see the connection between “produce” and the verb
"to come" (remember, both originate in the same root).
The
un-gathered harvest is called “that which grows of itself” – “safee’ach,”
of the root s.f.ch (samech, fey, chet), literally “adding, attaching,
joining” (25:5 ,11). In
light of verse 23, where the addressees (the Yisraelites) are called, “strangers
[gerim] and sojourners,” it is interesting to note how the verb s.f.ch is used in
Yishayahu (Isaiah) 14:1: “For YHVH will have mercy on Jacob, and will still
choose Israel
"Your
unkempt grapes" (vv 5, 11) are called here “ee'nvey (“grapes
of”) nezir'cha.” The latter term is rooted in the word “nazir”
(Nazarite), whose restrictive vows include abstention from wine drinking or
grape eating. Why are these grapes qualified by the term “nazir”? The
connection is thought to be the Nazarite's hair, which was to be left uncut and
unkempt, much like these grape vines.
The second part
of the Parasha, as we noted above, deals with the Year of the “Yovel”
("jubilee," which is a direct derivative of “yovel”). The primary
meaning of yovel is thought to be the word for “horned animal” or for the
"horn" itself, which was used for multiple purposes in the ancient
Israelite community. Quite possibly the role of the “horned animal” (such as
the bull or ox), in leading solemn processions has branched off into nouns and
verbs that share the root y.v/b.l (yod, bet/vet, lamed) and are therefore
connected to “leading.” The verb “hovel”
is to "lead," thus forming the noun for "stream" which is
“yuval,” and for the "produce of the soil" – “y'vul” (the ‘issuing
out of the ground’). Another interesting
derivative of this root is “tevel,” meaning "world." This renders the world and its elements (e.g.
streams and produce) as mere ‘issues,’ or results that proceed (or ‘are led’)
from that which has originally formed or produced them, but which exists outside
of them. Notice the conceptual similarity to our former observation of the term
"provender" - t'vua. “The
earth is YHVH’s, and the fullness of it; the world (“tevel”), and those who
dwell in it” (Ps. 24:1), affirms this very point.
Aside
from letting the land lie fallow during the year of the “yovel,” that year was
also to be “consecrated” or “sanctified” (“vekidashtem”) for the purpose of
"proclaiming liberty in the land to all its inhabitants…" (25:10).
"Liberty
But
above all the human benefits attached to the yovel, there is a greater significance
for its proclamation, a significance that at the same time also forms a ‘Divine
paradox’ so typical of Hebraic logic. In
25:23 we read: “And the land shall not be sold in perpetuity; for the land is
Mine; for you are aliens and tenants with Me." "Perpetuity"
here is “tzmi'toot,” stemming from the root tz.m.t (tzadi, mem, tav)
which is “to end, put an end to something" or “to freeze
assets.” Thus, reverting property to
its original owner demonstrates the fact that it actually belongs to… YHVH, as
we just learned from the above-quoted Psalm.
And as much as the Torah stresses ownership rights, it also reminds us,
almost in the same breath, who the real owner is and that “we have no permanent
city here, but we seek the one to come" (Hebrews 13:14).
As
already mentioned, following YHVH's instructions will ensure that, “…you shall
live on the land securely. And the land shall give its fruit, and you shall eat
to satisfaction; and you shall dwell securely on it" (25:18,19). This is
to be followed by the additional and supernatural blessing that we looked at
above (in 25:21, 22).
Another
aspect of the yovel is redemption, “geula,” whose primary meaning is
"kin" (denoted by “go’el”). It
is the next-of-kin's duty to buy back that which a member of the family has
lost - or perhaps even the family member himself, if he had been conscripted to
slavery. In the case of a Hebrew servant, he is to be released on the yovel “…because
they are My servants, whom I have brought out from the land of Egypt
Proper
treatment of one's fellow citizen, defined as "brother," prohibits
charging usury, or interest (ref. vv 36, 37). The two words used are “neshech”
and “marbit.” The root of neshech (n.a.ch, noon, alef, chaf) is also the
root for the verb “to bite." "Those who bite" (e.g.
Habbakuk 2:7, where it is translated as “creditors”) are therefore the
oppressors and debtors. “Marbit” is from the root r.v/b.a (resh,
vet/bet, hey) which literally means "much, many, to add,
to make greater, to increase"; hence “marbit” is a
"monetary increment."
If one’s relative
has lost his assets and was sold to a sojourner who has “become rich” or to a
“member of the stranger’s family,” one is obligated, as part of taking care of this
relative, to redeem him (ref. 25:47). The “member of the stranger’s
family” is called here “eker,” which is a most unusual term. The root
a.k.r (ayin, kof, resh) basically means “to uproot,” and thus a “barren woman”
is “akara.” However, since some shoots are plucked out from the parent plant
and replanted, it also means “a shoot.” Its usage here, in relationship to the
stranger’s family member could also point out to the fact that the stranger is
“plucked out” from his natural environment and has been transplanted into a
different soil. Further, should the misfortune, of being sold as a slave,
become the lot of a native Israelite, he too would feel as though he had been “plucked
out” and “uprooted.”
Aside
from instructions on how to calculate his redemption payment (25:50-53), specifics
are given regarding the next of kin who is to redeem his relative who has
“become poor” (“mooch”, root of m.oo.ch – mem, vav, kaf – impoverish, become low). Having once been others’ servants, the sons
of Yisrael are now the servants of the One who has redeemed them from that
lowly state (ref. 25:55), hence YHVH requires that Redemption be continually
operative by the means that He is providing for His people.
The
topic of the Land and its centrality in the life of the Israelites and their relationship
with YHVH, continues in Parashat Bechukotai ("In My
Statutes"), as seen in 26:3-12. The paradigm of keeping YHVH's
statutes is destined to be reflected in the natural conditions of the Land of Yisrael
In
26:5 we read “…and your threshing shall reach [or overtake] the vintage, and
the vintage shall reach [or overtake] the sowing time; and you shall eat your
bread to satisfaction, and live in your land securely.” This is especially
pertinent in light of the above, Parashat B’har’s sh’mita-year promise: “Then I
will command My blessing on you in the sixth year, and it will bring forth produce
enough for three years” (25:21 italics added). In a prophecy pertaining to a latter day, the
Prophet Amos predicts: "The plowman shall overtake the reaper and the
treader of grapes him who draws along seed" (9:13). Moreover, echoing
25:22 (“and [you] shall eat of the old crop… until the coming in of its crop;
you shall eat of the old") from the previous Parasha, 26:10 says,
"And you shall eat very old provision, and clear away the old because of
the new." In other words, not only
will there be a long and lasting overabundance which will remain fresh and
usable for the entire time period, but even before it is fully consumed there
will be a fresh crop!
Above
(in 25:36, 37) we examined one of the words for "interest," tarbit,
whose root is r.v/b. Another word stemming from the same root is “revava.” Thus,
as part of the promises associated with the Land (and with obedience to the
prohibition to refrain from extorting one’s fellowman), we read in verse 26:8
"…and one hundred of you shall pursue ten thousand (revava)…"
(emphasis added).
These
promises are sealed with the familiar: "I am YHVH your Elohim, who has
brought you out of the land of the Egyptians, from being their slaves; and I will
break the bars of your yoke, and I will make you walk upright" (26:13). "Walking
upright" is ko'memi'yoot, of the root k.o.m (kof, vav, mem),
meaning "to rise or get up." In Parashot Va'ye'tze
(Gen. 28:10-32:2) and Vayishlach (Gen.
32:3-Chapter 36) we noticed the significance of Ya'acov's "rising up,"
as well as that of the special "place" - ma'kom (of the same root) -
where he experienced some of this "rising" (see Gen. 28:11ff; 32:31).
Here the sons of this Patriarch are promised "an upright walk,"
providing they do so in Elohim's chosen paths. Additionally, in 26:37 we
encounter the word tkuma (also rooted in k.u.m, “to rise or get up”),
translated "power to stand," the more modern usage being
"resurrection" and "recovery."
But if Yisrael
chooses to “...despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments,
so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break [invalidate]
My covenant” (26:15 italics added), a long list of punitive measures follows. “Abhor”
here is “tig’al” (root g.a.l gimmel, ayin, lamed), making its first
appearance in the Word in 26:11. Some may recognize the similarity of this verb
to ga’al – redeem (gimmel, alef, lamed), a minor change in spelling and
sound (ayin versus alef), and yet a world of difference! Making void the covenant signifies removing
one’s self from under the protective umbrella of redemption, which can no
longer be exercised. Further, in verse
18 we read: “If you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for
your sins.” The
chastisement of “seven times over” is also mentioned in verses 21, 24 and
28. As part of YHVH’s covenant with His
people, provision for national atonement for sin was made available by the high
priest sprinkling seven times the blood of a goat on the mercy seat on the Day
of Atonement (ref. Lev. 16:14). Hence,
the nullifying of the covenant would result in a similarly seven-fold outcome. Let
us also remember that “oath” is “sh’vu’a” (of the same root as “sheva” –
seven), thus seven here also hints at the gravity of the declaration.
Thus
YHVH will not "make them walk uprightly" (as we saw above), but
instead will inflict upon them a series of blows. Moreover, He will also
"walk contrary" to them (ref. v. 24). The expression "walking
contrary" is used nowhere else except in this chapter, where it appears…
seven times! The word used for "contrary" – keri - probably stems from the root k.r.h (kof, resh,
hey), meaning "to happen." Rashi comments on this: “Our rabbis said:
‘This word signifies irregularly, by chance, something that happens only
occasionally. Thus [meaning], 'if you will follow the commandments irregularly…’”
Menahem explains it as an expression for refraining, cf… ”Refrain (hoker) your
foot from your neighbor's house” (Prov. 25:17), or of a refraining (va'yikar)
spirit…."1. “Keri,” therefore, may refer to an avoidance of performing YHVH’s
Word, along with a casual and a nonchalant attitude which was also condemned by
Yeshua in Revelation 3:15,16, where we read: "I wish you were cold or hot…
So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot I will spew you out
of my mouth," leading us to the curse of eventually being spewed out of
the Land (26:32 – 39, and also 20:22). The “contrary walking” incurs a “seven-fold
chastisement.”
The
list of curses (26:14-43) is somewhat parallel to the list of the blessings,
albeit much longer. It is divided up into several progressive categories:
diseases, defeat, draught, carnivorous animals, and a combination of war,
plagues and famines, which will cause parents to consume their own children's
flesh. Finally, after the destruction of the idols and pagan images, and the
cities, the People of Yisrael will be dispersed among the nations. Under these
conditions, and once the Land has been emptied of its inhabitants, its Shabbats
will be repaid (as the Israelites did not keep the Sabbatical years that we
read about in the former Parasha above).
These Shabbats will "appease" the land, with the word used here
being tirtzeh (of the root “ratzon” - “will or acceptance”). Thus, the
land "will be appeased" (vv 34, 35) and by inference will also
“accept” its inhabitants. Accordingly,
the "year of acceptance" (that we looked at above in Isaiah 61:2) is
“sh'nat ratzon.” The same word for
“acceptance” appeared in Parashat Emor, where we read in 23:11 about the Omer:
"And he [the priest] shall wave the sheaf before YHVH, to be accepted
[lirtzon'chem] for you…" (italics added). As we saw above, negligence to observe the shmita
on the seventh year is what makes the figure ”seven” stand out again, this time
relative to sin and the penalties subsequently incurred. The usage of seven
here reminds us of some of the commands that are related to the figure seven,
such as the seventh day of the week, the seventh year of rest, and the seven
years multiplied by seven leading to the Jubilee, the 50th year of
release of all debts and property
The last part of
the Parasha deals with laws concerning vows to YHVH (chapter 27), among which
are those that pertain to the tithes. In
verses 32-33 we read: “And all the tithe of the herd, or
of the flock, all that passes under the rod, a tenth shall be holy to
YHVH. He shall not search whether it is
good or bad; neither shall he change it…” (italics added). Y’chezkel (Ezekiel) 20:37-38 echoes the same
terms, applying them to YHVH’s sheep and to the land of their inheritance: “And
I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the
bond of the covenant. And I will purge
out from among you the rebels and those who sin against Me. I will bring them
out from the land where they reside, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel
The final verse,
which is similar to the opening verse of Parashat B’har (referring to Mount
Sinai), seals off the Parasha, and indeed the book of Vayikra (Leviticus) with
the words: "These are the statutes
which YHVH made between him and the children of Israel in Mount Sinai by
the hand of Moses" (v. 34 italics added).
[1] New Studies in Vayikra, Nechama Leibowitz, trans. Aryeh
Newman. Eliner
Library, Department for Torah Education and Culture in the
Diaspora. Hemed
Books Inc., Brooklyn ,
N.Y.
Some of the word meanings were gleaned from:
The New Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius Lexicon, Francis
Brown
Hendrickson. Publishers,
Peabody , Mass.
Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, ed. R. Laird
Harris, Moody
Press, Chicago ,
1980.
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