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Okay, fair enough. But I still don’t see why Shmita has to be the Mitzva that represents all the other Mitzvot. Why not choose kashrut, Shabbat, love the convert, etc? What is it exactly about Shmita that makes it so special?
The usual answer to this question is that observing Shmita requires a great deal of Emuna, faith. After all, doing without one’s field in an agricultural society & counting on Hashem to provide for up to three years requires a lot of faith. And so, by extension, performing any Mitzva is, essentially, an act of faith.
But there is a variation on this theme that I think goes to the core of Shmita’s salient significance. Shmita is illogical; it is anti-social, it goes against the norms of economic activity. How can people just walk away from their livelihood for a whole year? How can they stop producing foodstuffs that the nation needs? Can you imagine if the Torah commanded us to cease all hi-tech activity for 12 months? Or ordered the police, hospitals or sewage/sanitation workers to walk off the job for a year?
And when you factor in the opinion of many agronomists that letting the land go fallow every 7 years does nothing to enrich its nutrients, it seems even more absurd!
So I suggest there are 2 objectives at work here: First, treat the land (of Israel) as a living thing! Respect it, nurture it, appreciate it. And just as we have our Shabbat, it has its own, as well. The lesson, by extension, is that all the Torah is Torat Chayim, a living Torah.
Moreover, accept the fact that if humans had created the Torah, they never would have invented Shmita! Only Hashem could command such an extreme & seemingly absurd directive. But that is precisely the point: Do not follow the Torah because it makes perfect sense to you (like, for example, the 7 Noachide mitzvot); follow it purely because it is G-d’s will. Tho it may rub against our intellectual sensibilities & humble us to do things that confound us, that is how all of the Mitzvot must be approached & why Shmita is the Mitzva par excellence.
The sublimation of OUR mortal wisdom to that of G-d, our steadfast belief even in the face of disbelief, is perhaps what causes Hashem, in turn, to ALSO do things that are beyond belief - such as keeping the Jewish People alive forever, and allowing us to return to and reclaim our ancient homeland. It's illogical, absurd, against every norm of history, and it certainly confounds our enemies.
But guess what? It works - we are here!
Rabbis in Midrash
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Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
Ein Aya Various Universal Stages of the Geula Process
Rav Kook examines the various stages of redemption, explaining how (in addition to the obvious oft-mentioned stages of ingathering the exiles, reviving the Hebrew language, army, state etc.) the messianic dream of world prosperity, the State of Israel and world unity can and are realistically and logically gradually coming true.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
How do we know that the "claim" of mass revelation to 2,000,000 witnesses at Mt. Sinai is really true? This important class answers all of the questions skeptics ask about this claim of the Kuzari.
Ein Aya Armies Still Necessary for Balance & the War Against Wars
Rav Kook explains why the world was originally divided into the various seemingly contradicting ideologies and cultures, in order to develop each one respectively. Swords or armies symbolize how each respective ideology defends themselves, as well as deters their opposing ideologies and cultures. On the other hand, the messianic era will be one of peace, and Rav Kook explains the transition to that stage, which mankind is already undergoing.
The Land of Israel LGBT'S IN ISRAEL
The question was asked, how can one make Aliyah with the LGBT parades?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 7 - Five Accumulative Proofs of G-d
As a preparation for the Kuzari's classic proof of G-d from the mass-revelation at Sinai, we start here with 5 other directions to strengthen our belief which also contribute to what the Kuzari will present as well.
Ein Aya Muscle & Meaning: The Dual Nature of Gevurah (Physical Strength)
Is physical strength and fitness a necessity or an ideal? Although it if often totally overlooked among topics of Judaism, Rav Kook writes that it clearly is also a necessity to deter the many enemies of Israel, but even in Y'mot HaMashiach, in the Messianic era, to a certain extent, it's ideal continues even after our enemies will have been finished off.
