Parshas BeHar/Bechokosai
This is in the merit of my grandmother, Esther bat Mazal. May she have a speedy and complete recovery.
Question:
Introducing rewards for obeying G-d, the Torah says:
“If you follow My laws and are careful to keep My commandments…” (Leviticus 26:3)
While introducing the punishments for abandoning the Torah, it says:
“If you do not listen to Me, and do not keep all these commandments. If you come to denigrate My decrees, and grow tired of My laws, so that you will not keep all My commandments, and you will have broken My covenant…” (Leviticus 26:14-15).
Why not have the verses parallel each other (e.g. “If you follow My laws and are careful to keep My commandments” (Leviticus 26:3) and If you do not follow My laws and are not careful to keep My commandments, or the opposite with the first verse parallel the other two)?
A Torah of Trust
The Torah begins the Parshah of Behar discussing the mitzvah of Shemitta, the land laying fallow every seventh year, saying:
“…When you come to the land that I am giving you, the land must be given a rest period, a sabbath to God. For six years you may plant your fields, prune your vineyards, and harvest your crops, but the seventh year is a sabbath of sabbaths for the land. It is God's sabbath during which you may not plant your fields, nor prune your vineyards. Do not harvest crops that grow on their own and do not gather the grapes on your unpruned vines, since it is a year of rest for the land” (Leviticus 25:2-5)
However, this mitzvah is introduced in a most peculariar manner:
“God spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai, telling him to speak to the Israelites and say to them:” (Leviticus 25:1-2).
One question immediately comes to mind, what does Shemitta have to do with Mount Sinai?
Indeed, while Rashi typically makes comments on verses and leaves it to us to figure out what problem his comment solves, here Rashi asks this question explicitly:
“What [special relevance] does the subject of Shemittah have with Mount Sinai? Were not all the commandments stated from Sinai?”
One common answer (which in his Sicha on 5/18/06, my Mashgiach, Rav Dov Moshe Lipman, said comes from the Chasam Sofer) is that we have were a proof that G-d gave the Torah on Mount Sinai. How so? The Torah itself states:
“If you will say, 'What will we eat in the seven year? We have not planted nor have we harvested crops.'” (Leviticus 25:20).
The Torah’s answer is:
“I will direct My blessing to you in the sixth year, and [the land] will produce enough crops for three years” (Leviticus 25:26).
“How could a human author possibly make this promise? Even more perplexing, why would a human being write this? The first time a sixth year came without the double crop the religion would be proven false! For that very reason no other religion mandates this type of law or offers such a promise. Only G-d could do this without fear of failure” (Discover, by R. Dov Moshe Lipman, pages 19-20).
However, I would like to develop the connection between Shemitta and Sinai in another direction.
Rashi answers his question of this connection saying:
“However, [this teaches us that] just as with Shemittah, its general principles and its finer details were all stated from Sinai, likewise, all of them were stated-their general principles [together with] their finer details-from Sinai. This is what is taught in Torat Kohanim (25:1)”
From Shemitta, we see that all the mitzvos were given at Sinai (see also Berachos 5a). However, the next question is why did the Torah choose Shemitta to teach us this? Why not some other mitzvah?
My Mashgiach (in his Sicha on 5/18/06) proposed an answer which I would like to build on.
What is the underlying message of Shemitta, of leaving the land fallow for an entire year, and relying on Divine assurances that we will not starve?
The most obvious answer is that we must trust/have faith in G-d.
Just as trust underlies Shemitta, it also underlies the entire Torah. (I am not speaking about faith in and or knowledge of G-d’s existence, another subject altogether.) In fact, the Gemara in Makkos (24a) discusses how different leaders discussed underlying principles of the Torah, how King David said there were 11, Isaiah 6, etc. In the end, the prophet Chabakuk says there is one, “The righteous person shall live through his faith” (Chabakuk 2:4).
Regarding faith, the Chazon Ish writes:
“. . . an old error has become rooted in the hearts of many concerning the concept of trust. Trust . . . has come to mean that a person is obligated to believe that whenever he is presented with two possible outcomes, one good and one not, then certainly it will turn out for the good. And if he has doubts and fears the worst, that constitutes a lack of trust… This view of trust is incorrect, for as long as the future outcome has not been clarified through prophecy, that outcome has not been decided, for who can truly know God’s judgments and providence? Rather, trust means realizing that there are no coincidences in the world, and that whatever happens under the sun is a function of God’s decree.” (Ha-emuna Ve-ha-bittachon, beginning of chapter 2) (Quoted from http://vbm-torah.org/archive/develop/07develop.htm).
How does this trust underlie the whole Torah? I believe that the answer to this question requires subjecting the view of the Chazon Ish to a bit of analysis.
I have heard that some say that this view that everything comes from G-d can lead to passivity. For example, if I get hurt, it must be that G-d wanted me to be in pain so how am I allowed to go to a doctor if this will relieve the pain that G-d wants me to experience?
However, it appears to me that we can answer this question.
The Gemara says:
“In the academy of Rabbi Yishmael it was explained: The verse, “And he shall surely be healed” (Exodos 21:19), refers to the granting of permission for the physician to heal” (Berachos 60a).
The Rambam understands this to mean that doctors must absolutely do their best to heal but that we must recognize that it is G-d who really does the healing. (Perhaps this latter point, that G-d is the one who is really healing, is based on the famous verse “Not through an army and not through strength but through My spirit…” (Zechariah 4:6).)
(The Ramban and others disagree with the Rambam. For a discussion, see http://vbm-torah.org/archive/develop/07develop.htm)
Just as doctors must heal, we have obligations to fulfill and cannot sit around saying that since everything is G-d’s will, we should not act. (See Pesachim 64b which says that we are not allowed to rely on miracles.) G-d expects us to do, to work, to fix the world!
Thus, as I understand the Chazon Ish, there is no problem of passivity. It would then seem to me that one of his underlying points is that we must always serve G-d, hold fast to His commandments, and obey His will, at all times and all places, no matter how bleak the situation may seem.
A proof for this perhaps can be found in the Radak’s comment on the verse “The righteous person shall live through his faith” (Chabakuk 2:4). Radak says this refers to the Jews exiled to Babylon. Despite everything, they rejected paganism and clung to Judaism. Thus, despite the terrible darkness, they continued to trust in G-d. (See Psalm 92:3.)
Thus, no matter what, we must trust in G-d and strive to keep His Torah.
Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai
Biographical information:
The Chasam Sofer http://www.ou.org/about/judaism/rabbis/sofer.htm
The Chazon Ish http://www.ou.org/about/judaism/rabbis/karelitz.htm
The Radak http://www.ou.org/about/judaism/rabbis/radak.htm
This is in the merit of my grandmother, Esther bat Mazal. May she have a speedy and complete recovery.
Question:
Introducing rewards for obeying G-d, the Torah says:
“If you follow My laws and are careful to keep My commandments…” (Leviticus 26:3)
While introducing the punishments for abandoning the Torah, it says:
“If you do not listen to Me, and do not keep all these commandments. If you come to denigrate My decrees, and grow tired of My laws, so that you will not keep all My commandments, and you will have broken My covenant…” (Leviticus 26:14-15).
Why not have the verses parallel each other (e.g. “If you follow My laws and are careful to keep My commandments” (Leviticus 26:3) and If you do not follow My laws and are not careful to keep My commandments, or the opposite with the first verse parallel the other two)?
A Torah of Trust
The Torah begins the Parshah of Behar discussing the mitzvah of Shemitta, the land laying fallow every seventh year, saying:
“…When you come to the land that I am giving you, the land must be given a rest period, a sabbath to God. For six years you may plant your fields, prune your vineyards, and harvest your crops, but the seventh year is a sabbath of sabbaths for the land. It is God's sabbath during which you may not plant your fields, nor prune your vineyards. Do not harvest crops that grow on their own and do not gather the grapes on your unpruned vines, since it is a year of rest for the land” (Leviticus 25:2-5)
However, this mitzvah is introduced in a most peculariar manner:
“God spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai, telling him to speak to the Israelites and say to them:” (Leviticus 25:1-2).
One question immediately comes to mind, what does Shemitta have to do with Mount Sinai?
Indeed, while Rashi typically makes comments on verses and leaves it to us to figure out what problem his comment solves, here Rashi asks this question explicitly:
“What [special relevance] does the subject of Shemittah have with Mount Sinai? Were not all the commandments stated from Sinai?”
One common answer (which in his Sicha on 5/18/06, my Mashgiach, Rav Dov Moshe Lipman, said comes from the Chasam Sofer) is that we have were a proof that G-d gave the Torah on Mount Sinai. How so? The Torah itself states:
“If you will say, 'What will we eat in the seven year? We have not planted nor have we harvested crops.'” (Leviticus 25:20).
The Torah’s answer is:
“I will direct My blessing to you in the sixth year, and [the land] will produce enough crops for three years” (Leviticus 25:26).
“How could a human author possibly make this promise? Even more perplexing, why would a human being write this? The first time a sixth year came without the double crop the religion would be proven false! For that very reason no other religion mandates this type of law or offers such a promise. Only G-d could do this without fear of failure” (Discover, by R. Dov Moshe Lipman, pages 19-20).
However, I would like to develop the connection between Shemitta and Sinai in another direction.
Rashi answers his question of this connection saying:
“However, [this teaches us that] just as with Shemittah, its general principles and its finer details were all stated from Sinai, likewise, all of them were stated-their general principles [together with] their finer details-from Sinai. This is what is taught in Torat Kohanim (25:1)”
From Shemitta, we see that all the mitzvos were given at Sinai (see also Berachos 5a). However, the next question is why did the Torah choose Shemitta to teach us this? Why not some other mitzvah?
My Mashgiach (in his Sicha on 5/18/06) proposed an answer which I would like to build on.
What is the underlying message of Shemitta, of leaving the land fallow for an entire year, and relying on Divine assurances that we will not starve?
The most obvious answer is that we must trust/have faith in G-d.
Just as trust underlies Shemitta, it also underlies the entire Torah. (I am not speaking about faith in and or knowledge of G-d’s existence, another subject altogether.) In fact, the Gemara in Makkos (24a) discusses how different leaders discussed underlying principles of the Torah, how King David said there were 11, Isaiah 6, etc. In the end, the prophet Chabakuk says there is one, “The righteous person shall live through his faith” (Chabakuk 2:4).
Regarding faith, the Chazon Ish writes:
“. . . an old error has become rooted in the hearts of many concerning the concept of trust. Trust . . . has come to mean that a person is obligated to believe that whenever he is presented with two possible outcomes, one good and one not, then certainly it will turn out for the good. And if he has doubts and fears the worst, that constitutes a lack of trust… This view of trust is incorrect, for as long as the future outcome has not been clarified through prophecy, that outcome has not been decided, for who can truly know God’s judgments and providence? Rather, trust means realizing that there are no coincidences in the world, and that whatever happens under the sun is a function of God’s decree.” (Ha-emuna Ve-ha-bittachon, beginning of chapter 2) (Quoted from http://vbm-torah.org/archive/develop/07develop.htm).
How does this trust underlie the whole Torah? I believe that the answer to this question requires subjecting the view of the Chazon Ish to a bit of analysis.
I have heard that some say that this view that everything comes from G-d can lead to passivity. For example, if I get hurt, it must be that G-d wanted me to be in pain so how am I allowed to go to a doctor if this will relieve the pain that G-d wants me to experience?
However, it appears to me that we can answer this question.
The Gemara says:
“In the academy of Rabbi Yishmael it was explained: The verse, “And he shall surely be healed” (Exodos 21:19), refers to the granting of permission for the physician to heal” (Berachos 60a).
The Rambam understands this to mean that doctors must absolutely do their best to heal but that we must recognize that it is G-d who really does the healing. (Perhaps this latter point, that G-d is the one who is really healing, is based on the famous verse “Not through an army and not through strength but through My spirit…” (Zechariah 4:6).)
(The Ramban and others disagree with the Rambam. For a discussion, see http://vbm-torah.org/archive/develop/07develop.htm)
Just as doctors must heal, we have obligations to fulfill and cannot sit around saying that since everything is G-d’s will, we should not act. (See Pesachim 64b which says that we are not allowed to rely on miracles.) G-d expects us to do, to work, to fix the world!
Thus, as I understand the Chazon Ish, there is no problem of passivity. It would then seem to me that one of his underlying points is that we must always serve G-d, hold fast to His commandments, and obey His will, at all times and all places, no matter how bleak the situation may seem.
A proof for this perhaps can be found in the Radak’s comment on the verse “The righteous person shall live through his faith” (Chabakuk 2:4). Radak says this refers to the Jews exiled to Babylon. Despite everything, they rejected paganism and clung to Judaism. Thus, despite the terrible darkness, they continued to trust in G-d. (See Psalm 92:3.)
Thus, no matter what, we must trust in G-d and strive to keep His Torah.
Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai
Biographical information:
The Chasam Sofer http://www.ou.org/about/judaism/rabbis/sofer.htm
The Chazon Ish http://www.ou.org/about/judaism/rabbis/karelitz.htm
The Radak http://www.ou.org/about/judaism/rabbis/radak.htm
posted by Mordechai18 at 3:33 AM
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