Perashat Behar 5776

Perashat Behar 5776

One of the main topics of this week’s perasha, Behar, is the missva of Shemitta, the Sabbatical year, when we are commanded to let the land in Israel remain fallow and unworked once every seven years. Bitahon, complete trust in Hashem is required from us in order for us to be sustained during the Shemitta year in a blessed manner.   Concerning this missva, the Torah states, “And the land shall yield her fruit, and you shall eat your fill and dwell therein in safety.  And if you will say, What shall we eat in the seventh year? Behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase.  Then I will command my blessing upon you during the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years.  And you shall sow in the eighth year, and eat yet of old fruit until the ninth year; until her fruits come in, you shall eat of the old store.”  [Vayikra 25: 19-21]

Hakham Yosef Hayyim zs”l, the Ben Ish Hai, quotes a question in his Derushim (sermons) from the Be’er Mayyim Hayyim, who asks the following:  It seems from the verses above, as if G-d is making his blessing of bounty conditional upon whether we ask ‘What shall we eat in the seventh year?’  This seems rather strange, as if to say that only the person who doubts G-d’s ability to provide will be blessed with a bountiful harvest during the sixth year that will last him for three full years!  Furthermore, the Be’er Mayyim Hayyim notes that the blessing of the extra yield will already be discernible during the sixth year of the Shemitta cycle – so why would anyone question G-d’s command to let the land lie fallow during the seventh year?  

Before attempting to answer these questions, the Ben Ish Hai explains that there are two ways in which Hashem bestows his blessing upon man; one is that man is blessed only after putting in effort and toil, and the other is that Hashem sends his blessing without man having to lift a finger and put it any effort whatsoever on his part.  This is true, he says, when in comes to the missva of Shemitta, as well.  There are those who will have to expend much effort and will gather during the sixth year the same amount that would normally be produced over three years – while others will gather during the sixth year, the normal yield for one year, which will miraculously increase by itself once stored in their warehouses.  

Who are the ones who merit the blessing of Hashem without having to make an effort?  The Ben Ish Hai answers that those who demonstrate complete bitahon – trust in G-d, without asking any questions, receive His blessing on a silver platter, without having to expend any effort on their part.  However, those whose trust in Hashem is somewhat lacking – even though they may observe the missva of Shemitta, yet they may question Hashem and demonstrate their fear and doubt concerning His providence, will be judged measure for measure by G-d, who will in His infinite mercy still bless them with a three-year yield, but nevertheless, will cause them to work hard – with much toil and much worry - in order to produce it.  It is Hashem’s way to pay us back in kind; the one who was content and placed his total trust in Hashem effortlessly, will be blessed without having to put in any effort; however the one who let fear and doubt cloud his trust in Hashem, will find fear and doubt mixed in together with G-d’s blessing.  

Now, says the Ben Ish Hai, we can understand the first of these verses quoted above:  “And the land shall yield her fruit, and you shall eat your fill (la-soba) and dwell therein in safety (la-betah ‘aleha).”  [Vayikra 25: 19]  The land will indeed yield its regular crop during the sixth year – nothing supernatural will occur.  However, Hashem promises that the small amount of produce left over from the sixth year will satiate during the seventh year (don’t read soba, rather sheba) the one who trusts (betah-boteah) in Him.  Who are the people who trust in Hashem?  The Torah explains that it is those who, “dwell with perfect safety/trust” in the land; i.e., in G-d, who fully trust that He will sustain them and do not demonstrate any worries or concerns for ‘tomorrow’.  However, the Torah continues with the question of those who do not fully trust in G-d: “And if you will say, What shall we eat in the seventh year?”  to teach us that these people will also be blessed, albeit, with much effort and worry on their part, as the Torah states, “Then I will command my blessing upon you during the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years.”  

The middah of bitahon, the attribute of complete trust in Hashem, is not an easy thing to come by.  We all need to work on it – both as individuals and as a nation.  The missva of Shemitta is coming to teach us how beneficial bitahon really is.  The one who trusts in Hashem will miraculously survive and subsist during the Shemitta on an unnaturally small yield, while someone who lacks the proper trust will require three times the normal quantity – produced with much effort and worry - in order to survive.  We need to ask ourselves, which kind of person do we want to be?