Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 13 Iyar, 5784 –Day 28 of Omer
Parsha Be-Har – “On The Mountain” (Leviticus 25:1 – 26:2)
Third Portion: Leviticus 25:19 – 25:24

Good morning! Today is Day 28 of the Omer! Today’s Theme is the “Dignity of Endurance” – From Chabad:

Sovereignty is the cornerstone of endurance. Endurance that encompasses the previous six qualities is indeed a tribute and testimony to the majesty of the human spirit.

Is my endurance dignified? Does it bring out the best in me? When faced with hardships do I behave like a king or queen, walking proudly with my head up, confident in my G‑d-given strengths, or do I cower and shrivel up in fear?

Exercise for the day: Fight for a dignified cause.

What I love about this is the connection between dignity and sovereignty. We discussed earlier the definition of dignity: “the state or quality of being worthy of honor or respect.”

How does this connect to “sovereignty?” There are many definitions as it relates to nation states. My favorite definition as it relates to this topic is; “an autonomous state” or “freedom from external control.”

The idea of endurance is the locus of control. Are we enduring because of an external control, or are we enduring and strong because we believe WE are worthy of honor and respect – free from external control? This is the Dignity of Endurance.

Moving to our Torah portion, we are left yesterday with a question – if the people could not eat from the land in the Jubilee or sabbath year, how would the eat? The Torah answers this question: Let’s dig in:

19And the land will then yield its fruit and you will eat to satiety, and live upon it securely.

20And if you should say, “What will we eat in the seventh year? We will not sow, and we will not gather in our produce!”

I love that the Torah is open to these kind of questions. How often as children are we NOT able to ask questions out of fear of being seen by others as disrespectful? And? If we go back to Sovereignty and Dignity? This is EXACTLY what we should be doing!  How often do our kids believe they ARE WORTHY of honor and respect? And how often does society tell them “no, actually, you are not.” Kids have an INTERNAL sovereign locus of control.  We are TEACHING them to switch that to an external.  I am reflecting on that.  The Torah seems quite capable in handling these questions.  Let’s see where the Torah goes:

21[Know then, that] I will command My blessing for you in the sixth year, and it will yield produce for three years.

22And you will sow in the eighth year, while [still] eating from the old crops until the ninth year; until the arrival of its crop, you will eat the old [crop].

That’s pretty practical. In the sixth year, there will be blessing to last three years. Year 7? You’ll have left overs. Year 8, you’ll plant new crops, and eat from the old ones. You aren’t supposed to take food from the first year of a crop, so you will still eat from the crops of the sixth year. Then? In year 9? New crops will arrive. That is super fascinating!

23The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land belongs to Me, for you are strangers and [temporary] residents with Me.

24Therefore, throughout the land of your possession, you shall give redemption for the land.

The Torah is pretty clear.  The Children of Israel did not “own” the land the way we understand ownership.  The Land belonged to Hashem. Our time is temporary here. And because of this? We must give redemption for the land.

We are not permanent residents on this earth. On this land. Even in the promised land – it belongs to Hashem.

That is interesting as we look at the concept of Sovereignty, isn’t it? What are your thoughts?

Here are my thoughts from two years ago:

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 16 Iyar, 5782
31st day of the Omer

Let’s Jump right in!

Short passage today. We are still talking about the jubilee year.

The Torah starts by telling us: if we keep the commandments, our own portion of the land will yield it’s fruit and we will eat to satisfaction, and live upon it securely.

And the Torah addresses the million shekel question; if we aren’t going to work the land during sabbath and jubilee years, how will we eat?

And Hashem responds – “I will direct My blessing to you in the sixth year and it will produce enough to last for three years.”

Rabbi Schneerson has some interesting things to say here:

They must last for part of the sixth year, from the first month (Nisan), when the crop is reaped, until the Jewish New Year (the seventh month, Tishri); the entire seventh year; and part of the eighth year, for they will sow a new crop in Marheshvan of the eighth year and reap it in Nisan.

Thus God’s three-year blessing lasts “until the ninth year” (v. 22), ie, until the Festival of Weeks (Shavuot) in the ninth year, when the eighth year’s crop is brought into the house. For throughout the summer season, it is kept in granaries in the field, and in Tishri the crop is gathered into the house.

There were occasions when it would need to yield for four years. Namely, in the sixth year preceding the seventh Sabbatical year of a forty-nine year cycle, when they would refrain from doing work on the land for two consecutive years–the Sabbatical year and the Jubilee year.

Our verse, however, refers to normal Sabbatical years where a blessing is only required for three years (Rashi, 11” century).

The question in verse 20 could be understood in one of two ways: A challenge: If we do not sow crops, then how will we possibly eat in the seventh year? Or, an inquiry: Since we will not be sowing crops, could you explain what our source of food will be?

At the literal level, the verse would appear to be an inquiry, like a child inquiring from his father. For if it would be a challenge from a non-believer, God would not reply, “I will direct My blessing to you, etc.” (v. 21; Rabbi Hayyim ibn Attar, 18′ century).

The Babylonian Talmud (Sanhedrin 97a) compares the six agricultural years to the six millennia of this world, and the Sabbatical year to the seventh millennium (when the Redemption will have arrived). Since the Jewish people suffer from a gradual regression in Spiritual stature as the generations pass, a person might ask: How could the efforts of the Spiritually weak and “infertile” sixth millennium bring the true and complete redemption? The Torah answers: It is the suprarational self-sacrifice and commitment to Judaism of the final generations of exile that will bring the blessings of the Redemption.”

Interesting thoughts!

The portion today closes with that the land should not be sold permanently – because it belongs to Hashem.

What are your thoughts?