[Par-reg] Parshat Behar - additional shiur

Thu May 12 05:37:15 EDT 2011

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     THE TANACH STUDY CENTER [http://www.tanach.org]

          In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag

     Shiurim in Chumash & Navi by Menachem Leibtag

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      PARSHAT BEHAR -  SIGNIFICANT SUMMARIES

     In Parshat Behar we find three 'summary psukim' that
may

appear to be superfluous. In the following 'mini-shiur' we

attempt to explain their importance.

AN OVERVIEW OF PARSHAT BEHAR

     Let's begin with short outline of Parshat Behar, in
order

to identify where these three summary psukim are located,
and

their significance.

I. The LAWS SHMITA & YOVEL

     A. The "shmita" cycle  (25:1-7)

     B. The "yovel" cycle & guidelines (25:8-22)

   * SUMMARY PASUK - reason for shmita & yovel (25:23-24)

II. LAWS RELATING TO THE YOVEL CYCLE

     A. Helping your neighbor who had to sell his field

          1. one who sold his field to a jew (25:25-28)

          2. one who sold his house (25:29-34)

          3. one who sold his field to a non-jew
(25:35-38)

       *SUMMARY PASUK - the reason (25:39)

     B. Helping our neighbor who had to sell himself

          1. as an "eved" [servant] to a jew (25:39-46)

          2. as an "eved" [servant] to a non-jew
(25:47-54)

       *SUMMARY PASUK - the reason (25:55)

     This outline clarifies the progression of topics in
the

entire Parsha, showing how the laws of shmita & yovel are

followed by several applications of these laws.  Even
though

the economic system created by the laws of "yove" is
designed

to protect the poor (from the rich), the Torah also
commands

that society must provide additional financial assistance
for

a neighbor in distress.

     Pay attention as well to summary psukim that delimit
each

unit.  In our shiur, we will discuss their significance.

THIS LAND IS 'HIS' LAND

     Let's begin with the first summary pausk, which
concludes

the laws of yovel and explains their underlying reason:

  "And the land shall not be sold [to anyone] forever, for

  the Land is Mine, for you are like GEYRIM v'TOSHAVIM

  [strangers and residents] with Me. Throughout - ERETZ

  ACHUZATCHEM - the land or your inheritance, you shall
give

  the land redemption"  (25:23-24)

     Even though God has 'given' the land to Bnei Yisrael
for

their inheritance, this statement highlights how the true

ownership remains His.  In other words, God remains
sovereign,

while He allows Bnei Yisrael the right to work the land as

though it was theirs.  To emphasize this 'arrangement',
once

every fifty years the land must return to God.  [Sort of
like

a 'fifty year lease'.]

     To appreciate the wording of this pasuk, let's
compare it

to a similar statement made by Avraham Avinu when he

approached Bnei Chet to buy a burial plot.  Note the
textual

parallels:

  "And he spoke ot Bnei Chet saying, I am a GEYR v'TOSHAV

  among you, please allow me to buy an ACHUZAT KEVER
[burial

  plot] from you" (Breishit 23:3-4)

     Even though Avraham was a resident in the land, he
was

not the sovereign power; rather Bnei Chet were.  As the
land

was not yet his, Avraham must purchase from them an
ACHUZAH

(note again parallel with "eretz achuzatchem" in 25:24), a

'hold' in the land, even though Bnei Chet control it.

  Therefore, when Bnei Yisrael receive the Torah at Har

Sinai, as they prepare to conquer "eretz canaan", these
laws

of "yovel" will help them appreciate the dialectic nature
of

their forthcoming sovereignty over the land.  In relation
to

the surrounding nations, once Bnei Yisrael achieve
conquest -

they will become the sovereign power. However, in relation
to

God, they must constantly remember that the land still
belongs

to God.  He has granted to them only towards the purpose
that

they become His nation. The laws of "yovel", which affect
the

very nature of property transactions during the entire
fifty

year shemita and yovel cycle, will serve as a constant

reminder that God has given them this land for a reason
(and

purpose).

     This background can also help us understand what may
be

the underlying reason for the laws of "Terumah" - the
small

tithe that must be taken from the produce of land, and
given

to the "kohen".

  Just as the resident of any land must pay a property tax
to

the country's sovereign power, so too Bnei Yisrael must
pay a

'tax' - i.e. TERUMAH - to God, in recognition of His

sovereignty over the land. Ultimately God gives this
TERUMAH

to the kohanim (His servants), but note how the Torah

emphasizes how there are two stages in this process.
First,

the "terumah" is given to God:

  "And when you eat from the bread of the land, you shall

  lift up a TERUMAH for GOD..."(see Bamidbar 15:17-21)

  Then (and only afterward) God awards this "teruma" to
the

"kohanim":

  "And God told Aharon, behold I am giving you My TERUMAH

  that I am keeping that Bnei Yisrael have set aside..."

  (see Bamidbar 18:8)

  [This also explains why terumah must be eaten
"b'tahara",

  for the kohen is eating food given to him by God.  In

  contrast, "maser rishon" the ten percent tithe given by
the

  Yisrael to the Levite has not "kedusha" - for it serves
as

  a direct payment for the services that shevet Levi
renders

  to the nation.]

RELATED LAWS

     After explaining the reason for yovel, the Torah

continues with several related laws. As we noted in our

outline, these laws divide into two distinct sections,
each

containing examples of when one is forced to sell either:

  1) His field, or

     2) Himself.

     Each set of examples focuses on the need to lend

assistance for those in financial distress, and is
concluded

with a special summary pasuk.

  Let's see how each pasuk is special.

ERETZ CANAAN IS NOT FOR SALE

     After the laws relating to how we must help someone
who

was forced to sell his own field, the Torah reminds us:

  "I am the Lord your God who took you out of the land of

  Egypt to give you the LAND OF CANAAN, L'HIYOT LACHEM

  L'ELOKIM - to be your God" (see 25:38)

     To appreciate this pasuk, we must return to our study
of

"brit Milah" (see Breishit 17:7-8), and the key phrase of
that

covenant:  L'HIYOT LACHEM L'ELOKIM (see 17:7 & 17:8).

Furthermore, it was specifically in that covenant that God

promised ERETZ CANAAN to Avraham Avinu, and in that very
same

pasuk, the Torah refers to the land as an ACHUZA (see
17:8).

     Based on these parallels (compare them once again to

Vayikra 25:38 & the word "achuza" in 25:25), we can
conclude

that this summary pasuk relates to "brit milah". Let's
explain

why.

  Recall how "brit milah" focused on the special close

relationship between God and His nation, and how Eretz
Canaan

was to become the land where that relationship would
achieve

its highest potential. [The mitzvah of "brit milah" serves
as

an "ot" [a sign] to remind us of this covenant.]

     As Eretz Canaan serves as a vehicle through which
Bnei

Yisrael can better develop this relationship, it is
important

that each person receives his 'fare share' of this land.

Certainly, we would not want the ownership of the land to
fall

into the hands of a wealthy elite. The laws of "yovel" in

chapter 25 help assure that every individual keeps his
share

of the land.

     It also becomes everyone's responsibility to make
sure

that anyone who becomes less fortunate remains able to
keep

his portion in Eretz Canaan.

  This explains the cases where one was forced to sell his

land, and its summary pasuk.  Now we must proceed to the
next

section, which discusses cases where one was forced to
sell

himself.

WE ARE SERVANTS OF GOD, NOT MAN

     Bamidbar 25:39-54 describes cases when someone
becomes so

poor that he must sell himself (not just his land) to his

creditor; and how we are obligated to help him buy back
his

freedom. These psukim conclude with the following pasuk:

  "For Bnei Yisrael are servants to Me, they are My
servants

  whom I have taken them out of the land of Egypt, I am
the

  Lord your God." (25:55)

     Now, it becomes obvious why this summary pasuk
focuses on

servitude, rather than land. Servitude to a fellow man
would

take away from man's ability to be a servant of God.

Therefore, the summary pasuk of this section relates
directly

back to the events of Yetziat Mitzraim.  [From a this

perspective, this summary pasuk can be understood as a

'flashback' to "brit bein ha'btarim", for in that
covenant,

God had already foreseen the events of Yetziat Mitzraim
(see

Breishit 15:13-18).]

     Even though man is free and enjoys the right to own
land

and determine his own destiny; he must remember that his

freedom is a gift from God, and hence it should be
utilized to

serve Him.  But even those who have achieved freedom share
the

responsibility to assist those in financial crisis, in
order

they too can remain 'free' to serve God.

               shabbat shalom

               menachem

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