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There are two ways of looking at these laws, especially when one views all elements as linked (and do not just happen to overlap chronologically). The Sefer Hachinuch (mitzva 330) champions the approach that the focus is on heightening our realization that the Creator of the World owns everything, so that none of our personal acquisitions and financial rights are permanent but will get returned to their original state. Our slaves are not ours; we can work our own fields only when and how Hashem allows; fields we acquired cease to be ours. Hashem is everything, and we are His slaves, who lack full ownership of anything. In this way, Yovel is a continuation and escalation of Shemitta, which it follows. (Abarbanel points out that when refraining from working the land during Shemitta, the Torah refers to "your field," "your vineyard," whereas during Yovel one is not to harvest "its growth.")
The simpler approach is that Yovel focuses on a high level of social equality. One must return the field that he acquired legally from someone else. Usually, this happened when he had to pay debts with the proceeds of the sale, and he became landless. One must allow his legal slave to go free. This also usually happened when poverty pushed one’s fellow man to sell himself or led him to thievery for which he was sold when he couldn’t pay back that which he stole. One must allow these people to go back to their freedom and their field, respectively, with the hope that they learned how to do things in a better way and/or will merit more Divine Assistance than they did the first time around.
One indication that points to the strength of the second approach is the halacha that even a Jewish slave who is sold to a non-Jewish buyer goes free during Yovel (Rambam, Avadim 2:6). In that case, the Torah has in mind the benefit of the Jewish slave, not his non-Jewish owner. On the other hand, what does the Shemitta of the land have to do with people returning hope to the poor?
The simplest and most likely answer is that the two approaches are not contradictory but complementary; elements of both approaches are true. But there is another possibility with fascinating implications. When a slave is set free, he is certainly starting behind others. He needs time to get accustomed to financial responsibilities that he previously failed at. He has not prepared his field for harvest and is likely to fall behind again. Therefore, he is released during Yovel, the second straight year of Shemitta. He is in the same boat with everyone else, who struggle with the challenges of Shemitta and share produce. By year’s end, he and everyone else go back to working their fields and preparing for a brighter future.
P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Complaints about Contractor’s Work – part II
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
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P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Complaints about Contractor’s Work – part II
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: Twin Foundations
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
D'varim Judaism’s Social Vision
Re’eh
Giving is more than an act of generosity—it is an essential part of human dignity that belongs to everyone, rich and poor alike. The ultimate goal of help is to empower others to stand on their own.
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.
