Behar-Bechukotai

Parasha Tefilah MAY 8, 2021 Daily Bitachon 26TH OF IYAR, 5781 Embrace Shabbat Living Emunah Halachot BEHAR-BECHUKOTAI Visit iTorah.com for: More than 20,000 shiurim given by our Community’s leading Rabbanim; Daf Yomi program; Tehillim; Tefilot; and much more. Manage subscriptions to receive daily Halachot, weekly Parasha insights, Tehillim and Levaya notifications. In loving memory of Stanley Chera A"h - Shlomo Ben Shoshana Please treat this newsletter as you would any holy book. Discard only via Genizah IN MEMORY OF THE KEDOSHIM OF MERON ELIYAHU BEN RACHMON • MOSHE BEN SUZAN • TALIA BAT HADASSA IN HONOR OF RABBI ELI J MANSOUR BY TOMER AND TZVIYA NAFTALI Avraham Naftali - לעילוי נשמת אברהם שאול נפתלי הלוי בן שולמית ע״ה Letting the Blessing Flow teed that he will earn greater profits this way. Business will be so good in the sixth year, before the store closes for the Rabbi Eli Mansour seventh, that the owner will be even better off by closing for the seventh year than if he would if he remains open for that year. Parashat Behar discusses the fascinat- ing Misva of Shemita, which requires abstaining from all agricultural work in Of course, no business consultant would ever recommend Eretz Yisrael every seventh year. Additionally, all produce such a strategy for increasing revenue. that grows in the seventh year may not be harvested and stored by the owners, and must instead be left for anybody who wishes to take it. And this is precisely the message of Shemita – that it is Hashem, and not our business endeavors, that brings us our livelihood. The Torah commands the people to do The Torah anticipated that people might wonder how they something that should, by natural causes, result in financial could survive observing such a command: “If you say, ‘What ruin, assuring them that it will bring them great prosperity, shall we eat in the seventh year, given that we will not plant instead – thereby reinforcing the belief that although we are or collect our produce?’” (25:20). G-d responds: “I shall required to work hard to earn a living, the success of our command My blessing for you in the sixth year, and [the work depends solely and entirely on G-d, as it is He, and land] shall yield produce for the three years – you will plant only He, who brings us our sustenance. in the eighth year and feed off the old produce until the ninth year, when its produce arrives…” (25:21-22). We might ask, however, why does G-d say in the verses cited above that He will “command” His blessing during the In other words, the Torah is telling the people: “Work less, sixth year to sustain the people? A “command” refers to and you’ll earn more.” something which could meet with resistance, that people might not want to do. How is this term appropriate when speaking about G-d’s blessing? Does G-d need to “com- To put this into terms we can relate to, imagine a business- mand” His blessing? man closing his store for an entire year, and being guaran- 1 A powerful explanation to this verse was suggested by sue ten thousand; and your enemies shall fall before you by Rav Elimelech of Lizhensk (1717-1786). He noted that the the sword" (26:8). Our nation’s military will be so powerful question, “What shall we eat in the seventh year?” is, in that just five will be able to pursue and subdue 100 enemy truth, misguided. After all, G-d fed Beneh Yisrael manna for troops, and 100 will be able to pursue and subdue 10,000. forty years in the desert, when they had no fields at all and were completely incapable of producing their own food. He brought ten miraculous plagues upon the Egyptians, and Rashi already takes note of the fact that the "mathemat- split the sea to allow Beneh Yisrael to cross. For that mat- ics" in this verse don’t seem to add up. If five of our sol- ter, He created the universe. Is there any question that He diers will be able to pursue 100 enemy soldiers – a ratio of could sustain us if we don’t work the land once in seven 1:20 – then we would expect that 100 of our soldiers should years? Compared to other things G-d has done and does, be able to pursue 2,000 – twenty times their number. Yet, this is no big deal at all. The farmer who asked, “What shall the Torah says that 100 soldiers will succeed in pursuing we eat in the seventh year?” should never have asked such 10,000 – a 1:100 ratio. a question, because it is obvious that G-d can provide sustenance regardless of how much or how little the farmer To explain this asymmetry in the verse, Rashi writes, "A works. few who perform the Torah are not the same as many who perform the Torah." Rashi here establishes the concept of exponential increase. When larger numbers of people come And for this reason, Rav Elimelech explained, G-d responds together, their potential increases not proportionally, but ex- that He will “command” His blessing. If the people don’t ask ponentially. Ten people working together can accomplish this question, and trust that Hashem will provide for them, not twice that which five people can accomplish, but many then the blessing flows naturally. But when they lack faith, times more than what five people can accomplish. As the and they begin worrying and wondering how they will sur- number of people increases, their capabilities are multiplied vive, then Hashem has to “command” the blessing. Anxiety manifold. And thus, indeed, if five can pursue 100, then 100 about our livelihood causes a “blockage” in the pipelines of can pursue not just twenty times that amount, but 100 times blessing, and thus G-d needs to “push” His blessing through that amount. the blocked pipes. This is the meaning of the phrase, “I shall command My blessing.” The Hafetz Haim (Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan, 1839-1933), in his Bi’ur Halacha (155), elaborates on this concept in re- If we want the blessing to flow, we should place our full trust gard to the study of Torah. The Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim in the Almighty’s ability and kindness. We must believe that 155:1) writes that one is obligated to set times for the study He can and wants to care for us and support us, that we of Torah, and the Hafetz Haim comments that although this don’t need to worry, that no matter what the circumstanc- obligation Is fulfilled even if one learns alone, nevertheless, es are, He will provide our needs. Although we must be "optimally, it is a Misva to enhance [one’s study] as much as responsible and put in the effort to support ourselves, we possible by learning in a group, because this way, greater must place our trust in G-d and realize that ultimately, He honor is given to G-d." The Hafetz Haim proceeds to cite provides our livelihood and is always there helping us. If we numerous statements from the Sages teaching that one live with this faith, then we will never need to worry, and will earns greater reward for learning Torah in a group, together always feel confident and secure that our needs are being with other people, than he does by learning alone. Further- cared for. H more, although the Shechina is present whenever a person learns Torah, when a group assembles to learn, the Shechi- na comes first to greet them. Moreover, the Sages teach us that Torah knowledge cannot be acquired unless one stud- ies together with a group of people. If a person learns alone, The Unparalleled Power of a Group he might misunderstand the material without even realizing Rabbi Eli Mansour that he misunderstands, as there is nobody to clarify the matter for him. In a group, mistakes and misunderstand- ings are generally avoided. And, when people learn togeth- The opening verses of Parashat Behukotai tell of the great er, they ask questions, discuss, argue and debate, thereby rewards which G-d promises to grant Beneh Yisrael if they clarifying and crystallizing the information. observe the Torah. One of these rewards is military prow- Today, the blessings of technology have made it possible ess, victory over our enemies. G-d promises, "Five of you for each and every person to learn at all times, wherever he will pursue one hundred, and one hundred of you will pur- 2 is. This is truly a wonderful blessing, and everybody should does it really make a difference if He created the material take full advantage of the opportunity to hear Torah classes or not? What is the fight about? Why are we calling them while traveling, during a break at work, or when there is heretics? The answer is, there is a fundamental difference, time at home. However, as precious and valuable as this as we have mentioned previously, between something that learning is, nothing can compare to the power of a group we call “yesh m’yesh- something from something,” and that assembles to learn Torah together. The impact of 50 “yesh m’ayin- something from nothing.” people learning together is far, far greater than 50 times If I make a table, which is something from something, I, that of a person who learns alone; it is exponentially more the creator, can leave, and the table will continue to exist.

Load more