YeshivaThe torah world Gateway
Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Vayikra
- Bechukotai
In the weekly Shabbat, the person is the main focus of the cessation of work. In contrast, during the seventh year, the focus is on the land. Admittedly, the Torah commands the individual to refrain from agricultural activities, but most agricultural activities are forbidden only Rabbinically even at times when shemitta applies based on Torah law.
The p’sukim also stress that during this year of "rest for the land," all of those who live in the land, including non-land-owners, foreigners, and animals who inhabit it, are to benefit from the land’s fruit. (The specific halachot that relate to this are beyond our scope.)
On the weekly Shabbat, sanctity of the day itself impacts our behavior on the day, so that our work desecrates the day. What is the parallel application regarding the seventh year’s sanctity? The Ramban says that it creates a mitzva to eat the produce that grew on its own during the year. Several other great authorities (possibly including Rav A.Y. Kook – see Shabbat Haaretz, appendix 21) follow this approach.
Based on this approach, we can continue the thought and say that because that which grows in the seventh year is holy, it is a mitzva to eat it. We can even say that since the Land is especially dedicated to Hashem, eating its produce is like "eating from Hashem’s table." This is a term that comes up in the gemara regarding eating the parts of korbanot that are permitted for man (see some applications in Beitza 21a).
If the produce becomes holy due to the similarity between Shabbat and the shemitta year, we understand why our parasha stresses the eating more than the prohibitions on a person’s work. There is also a similar stress concerning the fruit that grows during the yovel (jubilee) year (see Vayikra 25:12).
The technical solution, which is still a national necessity concerning the broadest base of Israeli society, is to sell the land to non-Jews for the seventh year. This is a situation of b’dieved and a specially needed extraordinary ruling. It is definitely not considered fulfilling the mitzva of a Shabbat of the land. Without any doubt, those who are "careful" to buy only from that which grew in non-Jewish fields is in no way fulfilling the mitzva but is paving a "shemitta-bypass road," and giving up on the Shabbat of the Land.
In this post-shemitta year, we now have the opportunity to be past the challenges of cultivating the land and yet we still have a few months in which the fruit that have grown on existing trees have the sanctity of shemitta and can be eaten as a mitzva according to the Ramban.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
fast navigation
Chukat "HOW ENTEBBE STOLE THE BICENTENNIAL
The Difference Between Historic & Eternal"
As we approach America's 250th birthday, it's worth remembering her 200th Bicentennial birthday, on Jul. 4th 1976, when Israel "stole the show" by shocking the world & miraculously saving 101 hostages in a foreign continent. As Pres. As Pres. Trump decides which countries get priority in his new Middle-East, it's worth reminding him of the difference between historic events and eternally historic ones. This obviously connects with this week's parsha, as well!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 6 - The Parable of the King of India
The advantages of testimony over circumstantial evidence or philosophical speculation.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 5- "Proofs of G-d"
This may be the most important class of the entire book, where we finally get to the Jewish proof of the existence of G-d and truth of the Torah. We should follow His own direction where He tells us how to get to Him: through the Nation of Israel: Jewish history, Jewish prophets (and today, prophecies fulfilled), and national reward & punishment towards Am Yisrael.
Ein Aya One Humanity, One Creator, One Jerusalem
Rav Kook innovatively and beautifully explains this aggadeta where our sages say that after Jerusalem was destroyed her cinnamon fragrance is only found locked in a particular kingdom's treasury.
Shlach Lecha "Why So Many Don't Make Aliya?" - Parshat Shlach
This short article deals with the weird phenomena that every single time Am Yisrael is meant to enter the Land of Israel, throughout the Tanach, 2nd Temple and until today, they "chicken out" and look for excuses. What's the problem with this mitzvah that proves so challenging. The article, based on sources, suggests that the difficulties of Eretz Yisrael is precisely her secret and beauty!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 4
The class deals with Islam and how the Muslim tries convincing the King of the Khazars, and why he was also rejected.
Beha'alotcha JEWISH STATE= GUIDE TO G-DLINESS & SELFLESSNESS
A Jewish State not only is a good idea, but educates us towards selflessness, altruism and G-dliness in our daily lives.
Ein Aya In Zion Even the Smoke of the Bark is Sweet
Just as Jewish nationalism is different from others, so too our capitol of Jerusalem is totally different than other national capitols. Rav Kook beautifully explains the passage in the Talmud that the trees of Yerushalayim were cinnamon trees.