You are but strangers resident with me . Central Synagogue Torah Study for Parashat Behar May 25, 2019 / 20 Iyyar 5779 Source Sheet by Rabbi Nicole Auerbach Leviticus 25:8-23 א. ויקרא כ״ה:ח׳-כ״ג .1 (ח) ְו ָס ַפ ְר ָ ֣תּ ְל ֗ ֚ ֶשׁ ַבע ַשׁ ְבּ ֣ ֹתת ָשׁ ִ֔נים ֶ ֥שׁ ַבע You shall count off seven weeks of (8) years—seven times seven years—so that ָשִׁ ֖נים ֶ ֣שׁ ַבע ְפּ ָﬠ ִ ֑מים ְו ָה ֣יוּ ְל ֗ ְי ֵמ֙י ֚ ֶשׁ ַבע the period of seven weeks of years gives ַשׁ ְבּ ֣ ֹתת ַה ָשּׁ ִ֔נים ֵ֥תּ ַשׁע ְו ַא ְר ָבּ ִ ֖ﬠים ָשׁ ָֽנה׃ (ט) you a total of forty-nine years. (9) Then ְו ַֽה ֲﬠ ַב ְר ָ֞תּ שׁוֹ ַ ֤פר ְתּר ָוּﬠ ֙ה ַבּ ֹ֣ח ֶדשׁ ַה ְשּׁ ִב ִ֔ﬠי you shall sound the horn loud; in the ֶבּ ָﬠ ֖שׂוֹר ַל ֹ֑ח ֶדשׁ ְבּיוֹ ֙ם ַה ִכּ ֻפּ ִ֔רים ַתּ ֲﬠ ִ ֥בירוּ seventh month, on the tenth day of the month—the Day of Atonement—you (י) שׁוֹ ָ ֖פר ְבּ ָכל־ ַא ְר ְצ ֶֽכם׃ ְו ִק ַדּ ְשׁ ֶ֗תּם ֵ֣את shall have the horn sounded throughout ְשׁ ַ ֤נת ַה ֲח ִמ ִשּׁי ֙ם ָשׁ ָ֔נה ְוּק ָרא ֶ ֥תם ְדּ֛רוֹר ָבּ ָ ֖א ֶרץ your land (10) and you shall hallow the ְל ָכל־ ֹי ְשׁ ֶ ֑ב ָיה יוֹ ֵ֥בל ִהו ֙א ִתּ ְה ֶי֣ה ָל ֶ֔כם ְו ַשׁ ְב ֶ֗תּם fiftieth year. You shall proclaim release throughout the land for all its inhabitants. ִ֚אישׁ ֶאל־ ֲא ֻח ָזּ ֔תוֹ ְו ִ ֥אישׁ ֶאל־ ִמ ְשׁ ַפּ ְח ֖תּוֹ It shall be a jubilee for you: each of you ָתּ ֻֽשׁבוּ׃ (יא) יוֹ ֵ֣בל ִ֗הוא ְשׁ ַ ֛נת ַה ֲח ִמ ִ ֥שּׁים ָשׁ ָ ֖נה shall return to his holding and each of ִתּ ְה ֶי֣ה ָל ֶ ֑כם ֣לֹא ִת ְז ָ֔רעוּ ְו ֤לֹא ִת ְק ְצר ֙וּ you shall return to his family. (11) That ֶאת־ ְס ִפי ֶ֔ח ָיה ְו ֥לֹא ִת ְב ְצ֖רוּ ֶאת־ ְנ ִז ֶֽר ָיה׃ (יב) :fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you you shall not sow, neither shall you reap ִ֚כּי יוֹ ֵ֣בל ִ֔הוא ֖ ֹק ֶדשׁ ִתּ ְה ֶי֣ה ָל ֶ ֑כם ִמן ַ֨־ה ָשּׂ ֶ֔דה the aftergrowth or harvest the untrimmed תֹּא ְכ ֖לוּ ֶאת־ ְתּבוּ ָא ָֽתהּ׃ (יג) ִבּ ְשׁ ַ ֥נת ַהיּוֹ ֵ֖בל vines, (12) for it is a jubilee. It shall be ַה ֑זֹּאת ָתּ ֕ ֻשׁבוּ ִ ֖אישׁ ֶאל־ ֲא ֻח ָזּ ֽתוֹ׃ (יד) holy to you: you may only eat the growth ְו ִֽכי־ ִת ְמ ְכּ֤רוּ ִמ ְמ ָכּ ֙ר ַל ֲﬠ ִמי ֶ֔ת ֥אוֹ ָק ֹ֖נה ִמ ַיּ֣ד direct from the field. (13) In this year of jubilee, each of you shall return to his ֲﬠ ִמי ֶ ֑ת ַאל־תּוֹ ֖נוּ ִ ֥אישׁ ֶאת־ ָא ִֽחיו׃ (טו) holding. (14) When you sell property to ְבּ ִמ ְס ַ ֤פּר ָשׁ ִני ֙ם ַא ַ ֣חר ַהיּוֹ ֵ֔בל ִתּ ְק ֶ ֖נה ֵמ ֵ֣את your neighbor, or buy any from your ֲﬠ ִמי ֶ ֑ת ְבּ ִמ ְס ַ ֥פּר ְשׁ ֵֽני־ ְתבוּ ֖ ֹאת ִי ְמ ָכּר־ ָֽל׃ neighbor, you shall not wrong one (טז) ְל ִ ֣פי ׀ ֣ ֹרב ַה ָשּׁ ִ֗נים ַתּ ְר ֶבּ ֙ה ִמ ְק ָנ ֔תוֹ וּ ְל ִפ֙י another. (15) In buying from your neighbor, you shall deduct only for the ְמ ֹ֣ﬠט ַה ָשּׁ ִ֔נים ַתּ ְמ ִ ֖ﬠיט ִמ ְק ָנ ֑תוֹ ִ֚כּי ִמ ְס ַ ֣פּר number of years since the jubilee; and in ְתּבוּ ֹ֔את ֥הוּא ֹמ ֵ֖כר ָֽל׃ (יז) ְו ֤לֹא תוֹנ ֙וּ ִ ֣אישׁ selling to you, he shall charge you only ֶאת ֲ־ﬠ ִמי ֔תוֹ ְו ָי ֵ֖רא ָת ֵֽמ ֱא ֶ ֑הי ִ ֛כּי ֲאִ ֥ני ְי ֹהָ ֖וה for the remaining crop years: (16) the ֱא ֵהי ֶֽכם׃ (יח) ַו ֲﬠ ִשׂי ֶת ֙ם ֶאת־ ֻח ֹקּ ַ֔תי more such years, the higher the price you pay; the fewer such years, the lower the ְו ֶאת־ ִמ ְשׁ ָפּ ַ ֥טי ִתּ ְשׁ ְמ֖רוּ ַו ֲﬠ ִשׂי ֶ ֣תם ֹא ָ ֑תם price; for what he is selling you is a ִֽו ַישׁ ְב ֶ ֥תּם ַﬠל ָ־ה ָ ֖א ֶרץ ָל ֶֽב ַטח׃ (יט) ְו ָנ ְת ָ ֤נה number of harvests. (17) Do not wrong ָה ָ֙א ֶר ֙ץ ִפּ ְרָ֔יהּ ַו ֲא ַכ ְל ֶ ֖תּם ָל ֑ ֹשׂ ַבע ִֽו ַישׁ ְב ֶ ֥תּם one another, but fear your God; for I the ָל ֶ ֖ב ַטח ָﬠ ֶֽל ָיה׃ (כ) ְו ִ ֣כי תֹא ְמ ֔רוּ ַמה־נֹּא ַ ֤כ֖ ל LORD am your God. (18) You shall ַבּ ָשּׁ ָ ֣נה ַה ְשּׁ ִב ִ ֑יﬠת ֚ ֵהן ֣לֹא ִנ ְז ָ֔רע ְו ֥לֹא ֶנ ֱא ֖ ֹסף observe My laws and faithfully keep My rules, that you may live upon the land in ֶאת־ ְתּבוּ ָא ֵֽתנוּ׃ (כא) ְו ִצִ ֤וּי ִתי ֶאת־ ִבּ ְר ָכ ִת֙י security; (19) the land shall yield its fruit ָל ֶ֔כם ַבּ ָשּׁ ָ ֖נה ַה ִשּׁ ִ ֑שּׁית ְו ָﬠ ָשׂ ֙ת ֶאת ַ־ה ְתּבוּ ָ֔אה and you shall eat your fill, and you shall ִל ְשׁ ֖שׁ ַה ָשִּֽׁנים׃ (כב) וּ ְז ַר ְﬠ ֶ֗תּם ֚ ֵאת ַה ָשּׁ ָ ֣נה live upon it in security. (20) And should you ask, “What are we to eat in the ַה ְשּׁ ִמי ִ֔נת ַו ֲא ַכ ְל ֶ ֖תּם ִמן ַ־ה ְתּבוּ ָ ֣אה ָי ָ ֑שׁן ַ ֣ﬠד ׀ seventh year, if we may neither sow nor ַה ָשּׁ ָ ֣נה ַה ְתּ ִשׁ ִ֗יﬠת ַﬠד־בּוֹ ֙א ְתּ ֣בוּ ָא ָ֔תהּ תֹּא ְכ ֖לוּ gather in our crops?” (21) I will ordain ָי ָֽשׁן׃ (כג) ְו ָה ָ֗א ֶרץ ֤לֹא ִת ָמּ ֵכ ֙ר ִל ְצ ִמ ֔ ֻתת ִכּי־ ִ ֖לי My blessing for you in the sixth year, so ָה ָ ֑א ֶרץ ִֽכּי־ ֵגִ ֧רים ְות ָוֹשׁ ִ ֛בים ַא ֶ ֖תּם ִﬠ ָמִּֽדי׃ that it shall yield a crop sufficient for three years. (22) When you sow in the eighth year, you will still be eating old grain of that crop; you will be eating the old until the ninth year, until its crops come in. (23) But the land must not be sold beyond reclaim, for the land is Mine; you are but strangers resident with Me. Rashi on Leviticus 25:23:3 ב. רש"י על ויקרא כ״ה:כ״ג:ג׳ .2 כי לי הארץ. ַאל ֵתּ ַרע ֵﬠי ְנ ָבהּ ֶשׁ ֵאי ָנהּ — FOR THE LAND IS MINE כי לי הארץ ֶשׁ ְלּ (ספרא): Your eye shall not be evil towards it (you shall not begrudge this) for it is not yours. ג. אמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל כל הנהנה Babylonian Talmud, Brachot 35a-b .3 מן העוה"ז בלא ברכה כאילו נהנה :Rab Judah said in the name of Samuel To enjoy anything of this world without a מקדשי שמים שנא' ... (תהלים כד, א) blessing is like making personal use of לה' הארץ ומלואה ר' לוי רמי כתיב לה' ,(things consecrated to Heaven (meilah הארץ ומלואה וכתיב (תהלים קטו, טז) since it says. ‘The earth is the Lord's and everything in it.’ (Ps. 24) …R. Hanina b. השמים שמים לה' והארץ נתן לבני אדם Papa said: To enjoy this world without a לא קשיא כאן קודם ברכה כאן לאחר ,blessing is like robbing the Holy One ברכה א"ר חנינא בר פפא כל הנהנה מן blessed be He, and the community of העוה"ז בלא ברכה כאילו גוזל להקב"ה .Israel וכנסת ישראל שנא' (משלי כח, כד) גוזל אביו ואמו Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations ד. .4 "A power to dispose of estates for ever is manifestly absurd. The earth and the fulness of it belongs to every generation, and the preceding one can have no right to bind it up from posterity. Such extension of property is quite unnatural." Smith said: "There is no point more difficult to account for than the right we conceive men to have to dispose of their goods after death." Thomas Paine, Agrarian Justice ה. .5 There could be no such thing as landed property originally. Man did not make the earth, and, though he had a natural right to occupy it, he had no right to locate as his property in perpetuity any part of it; neither did the Creator of the earth open a land-office, from whence the first title-deeds should issue. Robert Tornberg, "For God's Sake" ו. .6 The final section of laws in B'har again appears to be a very radical approach to social responsibility. We learn that extended family is obligated to protect Israelite kinspersons from losing their land and their homes, and from falling into unending indentured servitude or debt-slavery by providing financial support to rescue them from such straits. Again, it seems that social justice is the motivation for these laws and commandments. However, despite the well-reasoned commentaries alluded to above – economic and social in nature (and very appealing us in the twenty-first century) – the end of the parashah actually tells us directly that the purpose of these regulations is theological rather than economic, political, or sociological! We hear, in God's voice, "For it is to Me that the Israelites are servants: they are My servants, whom I freed from the land of Egypt, I your God, the Eternal" (Leviticus 25:55). Not only do people belong to God, but also during the discussion of the Yovel we are reminded that the land, as well, belongs to God, " .