One of this week's two Torah portions, Behar (Vayikra 25), begins with the laws of the Shemittah year: "In the seventh year, the land shall have a Sabbath-Sabbatical to G-d; do not plant your field or prune your vineyard…" Laws of Shemittah deal not only with agriculture, but also with business, inheritances, loans, and more. Let us therefore discuss the Torah outlook on the concept of work.

The Gemara (Shabbat 30b) tells us that in future times, the Land of Israel will produce cakes and fancy clothing. That is, during the times of Redemption, we will not have to plant and thresh and harvest, because our needs will come directly from the earth. We will then be free to spend most of our time studying Torah, in fulfillment of the teaching of R. Meir (Pirkei Avot 4,10): "Spend little time on our business and engage in Torah instead."

How can we fulfill this Mishna even nowadays, before the arrival of the Redemption? Let me recount a story that happened to me. I was once asked to perform a wedding during morning hours. I arrived on time, everything was ready – but the bride's father, who made his living by selling watermelons, had not yet arrived, and we could not begin. Finally he came, and his family asked him, "What happened, where were you?" He said, "I ordered 14, but sold only 12, and I had to wait to sell the other two." I asked someone, "He ordered 14 watermelons, and for two of them he was late for his daughter's wedding?!" He told me, "No, he ordered 14 truckloads of watermelons – and he had to sell the last two!"

When I spoke to the father later, I understood that he wakes up early each morning, works for two hours, and then has the rest of the day off… [I also know of] a young Torah scholar who specifically chose to learn dentistry so that he could work half a day and learn Torah the other half.

The point is that people can choose to plan their lives in such a way that they can both earn a living and engage in Torah study.

The above Mishna continues: "Be of lowly spirit before every person." People who plan their lives as above know what is important and what is not, and they are therefore not arrogant or haughty.

And the Mishna concludes: "If you distract yourself from Torah study, there will be many other distractions as well. But if you invest efforts in Torah, you will receive much reward." When I lived in the Old City of Jerusalem as a child, I remember a man who would sit alone in a coffee house, and then people would come and sit next to him to play cards and shesh-besh (backgammon). That was like the first part of the Mishna's concluding advice. On the other hand, we used to see in the Zohorei Chamah synagogue [still active today on Yaffo St. across from the Machaneh Yehuda shuk] that one man would sit and say Psalms – and then another two people would come and join him, and then a few more. If you want to learn Torah, others will join you!

This week we celebrated Lag BaOmer, in honor of the saintly Mishnaic sage Rabbe Shimon bar Yochai. He and his son were forced to run away from the Romans, and they hid in a cave for 12 years! Miraculously, a carob tree and spring appeared there, and they survived immersed in Torah study and eating only carobs with water. When they finally emerged from the cave, they were shocked to see people busy farming and doing ordinary work instead of being engaged only in Torah. Rashbi’s intense reaction caused destruction, and a heavenly voice rebuked them: "Have you come out to destroy My world? Return to your cave!”

After another year in the cave, Rashbi's reaction was different. Though his son still reacted very sharply to "ordinary life," Rashbi repaired whatever damage his son caused – accepting that regular human life and work also have a legitimate place alongside Torah and spirituality. Rabbe Shimon told his son, "Let the world run as it does, and our Torah study will protect it."

We learn from this story that there are three levels: The simplest is that of "regular" people, those whose first priority is to plant and thresh and work. Above them is the holy level of R. Shimon's son R. Elazar, who was so steeped in Torah study that he could not understand how people could do other things. But above all is the level of Rabbe Shimon bar Yochai, who understood that despite the great importance of Torah, there is also a valued place for those who work in other productive endeavors.

People tend to view things from their own vantage point. For instance, one who studies all day literally cannot grasp how people can waste their time on nonsense. A wealthy person as well: He works hard to earn money, and then cannot fathom how someone else can't afford to make a wedding for his daughter. He gives them 30 shekels, even though he can easily afford ten times that! Why? Because he sees them from his own vantage point: "If I can earn money, why can't they?" He doesn't think of the difficulties that others might be facing – perhaps someone is sick in the family and requires expensive medicines and care, or maybe they are carrying heavy debts from the past. Too often it happens that people have trouble understanding the other's situation.

Not Rabbe Shimon bar Yochai: He was able to understand the simple greatness of those who worked.

Rav Aryeh Levin, known as the Tzaddik of Jerusalem in the previous century, was once walking in the street when a man stopped him and asked, "Can you join us for the afternoon prayers? You'll be the tenth man for our minyan." Reb Aryeh said, "I have already prayed, but I'll be happy to help you out." Then another man came along, and Reb Aryeh asked him if he would like to join, and the man agreed. However, the sexton of the synagogue protested: "Such a man should fill out our minyan!? He's just a simple street-cleaner!"

Reb Aryeh, "What?! You're willing to take a thief for a minyan, but not this man?!" The sexton said, "What do you mean? Who's a thief here?!" Reb Aryeh said, "I’m a thief, stealing people's opinions – they think I'm a tzaddik! Instead of me, you should take this man, who works hard all day to earn his daily bread in an honest manner! Don't make light of a Jew such as him, who is very worthy to fill out your minyan!"

In short, we have learned:

* The great tzaddikim recognize the worth of those who work hard.
* One must engage in work that will allow him to spend time studying Torah.
* We must try to see things from the vantage point of others, not only of ourselves.

Translated by Hillel Fendel

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