The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Behar Bechukosai

The Rebbe says:

1. Right in the beginning of this week’s Torah portion the Torah tells us that Hashem spoke to Moshe Rabbeinu (Moshe our teacher) on Har Sinai (Mount Sinai) and told him about the laws of the Shemitah year (the year of rest when you cannot work your land). As it says:

“Hashem spoke to Moshe on Mount Sinai saying. Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, when you come into the land which I give to you, the land shall be at rest- a Shabbos for Hashem. For six years you shall plant your field and for six years you shall prune your vineyard and you shall harvest its produce. But the seventh year shall be a Shabbos of rest for the land, a Shabbos for Hashem, you shall not plant your field and you shall not prune your vineyard…”.

Rashi (an acronym for Rab Shlomo Yitzchaki) immediately asks, “Why does the Torah specifically mention that the Mitzvah of Shemitah was said on Mount Sinai? Weren’t all the Mitzvos said on Mont Sinai?”. And Rashi answers, “The Torah wants to teach us that just like the Mitzvah of Shemitah was said on Mount Sinai with all its general rules, details, and specifications, so-too all the other Mitzvos were said with all their rules, details, and specifications”.

2. The Rebbe now asks a question on this:

Question #1): Why does the Torah teach us that all the Mitzvos were said on Mount Sinai with their rules, details, and specifications, by using the Mitzvah of Shemitah? The Torah could have used any other Mitzvah!? In other words; the Torah could have chose any Mitzvah, say that Hashem said it on Mount Sinai, and then say all of it’s details and rules,and this would teach us that the same went for all the other Mitzvos- they were said with all their details and specifications. Why did the Torah choose the Mitzvah of Shemitah?

The Rebbe makes the question stronger: If the Torah wants to teach us about all the other Mitzvos by learning from one Mitzvah, that one Mitzvah should be a general-Mitzvah. But seemingly the Mitzvah of Shemitah is a specific Mitzvah- to rest the seventh year, which has many limitations- we only keep Shemitah at a time when we also celebrate the 50 year Jubilees (Yovel) and it is only done in the land of Israel?

In short: There must be something special about the Mitzvah of Shemitah, and Shemitah must have a common denominator with all the other Mitzvos. What is the special quality of the Mitzvah of Shemitah which every other Mitzvah also has?

3. In order to arrive at our answer the Rebbe first discusses the Mitzvah of Shemitah:

We mentioned earlier that the Torah tells us “For six years you shall plant your field and for six years you shall prune your vineyard and you shall harvest its produce”.

Question: If the whole Mitzvah of Shemitah is regarding the 7th year, isn’t it obvious that we are allowed to work our fields for the first 6 six years? Why does the Torah tell us this?

Answer: Therefore we must say that the six years of working in the field are a part of the Mitzvah of Shemitah.

How are the first six years of working in the field a part of the Mitzvah of Shemitah?
We can look at it in two ways:

1) The first six years are a preparation for the seventh year, because in order for there to be “a Shabbos of rest for the land” you need to work it first.

2)The first six years are the whole point of the seventh year. In order for someone to be blessed by Hashem to be able to plant and harvest his produce (which he does in the first 6 years), he must let his land rest a year (the seventh year).

4. The Rebbe continues the discussion regarding the Mitzvah of Shemitah by explaining the inner meaning Shemitah:

The Torah says that Hashem anticipates the cry of the Jewish people if they say “What shall we eat in the seventh year? We haven’t planted nor gathered our produce!?”, and Hashem’s answer to them is “I shall command My blessing to you in the sixth year and it will be enough produce for three years” (Chapter 25, Verses 20 and 21).

In other words Hashem is telling the Jewish people: “Even though generally your purpose in this physical world is to work with it to cleanse and elevate it, and this is why I tell you to plow the land for you to be able to eat and live, never-the-less I want you to remove yourself from the hustle and bustle of the workday for one year and totally rely on Me for your sustenance and livelihood”.

5. The Rebbe now explains how this inner meaning of the Mitzvah of Shemitah gives us a new insight into the abovementioned 2 ways of understanding of how the 6 years of work are a part of the Mitzvah of Shemitah:

We said earlier that there are 2 ways of looking at the 6 years of work as being a part of the Mitzvah of Shemitah. In short they were: 1) The first six years are a preparation for the seventh year. 2) The first six years are the whole point of the seventh year.

Now we will explain both of these ways according to the inner meaning of the Mitzvah of Shemitah:

The first way of looking (that the first 6 years a preparation to the seventh year):
In order for someone to be able to remove himself from the world and totally rely on Hashem for his sustenance (the seventh year), he had to first work the land according to Torah (the first six years).

The second way of looking (that the first six years are the whole point of the 7th year):
The only way for someone to have the strength to cleanse and elevate the world (the first 6 years) without getting pulled down into it, he must sometimes raise himself up higher then the world and serve Hashem(the 7th year).

6. The Rebbe now answers our original question and explains how the Mitzvah of Shemitah has a specialty which it shares with all other Mitzvos:

The Alter Rebbe (the first Chabad Rebbe) explains that anytime a Jew is engaged in Torah, a Mitzvah, or Praying, he is actually surrendering his soul (having Mesiras Nefesh) just like when the soul leaves the body after he passes away. This is because at the time of engaging in Torah, Mitzvos or Praying, a Jew does not think of his bodily needs, he is instead becoming one with the letters of Torah or Praying.

So on one hand we see that the idea of Mitzvos is to feel as if you were removed from your body.
But on the other hand we know that we are commanded to do very specific physical acts to perform any given Mitzvah.

In truth, both sides are correct and we are asked by Hashem to blend both aspects of the Mitzvah in one: On one hand Hashem wants us to have such a fiery passion for the Mitzvos that we should feel as if we have left our body, but at the same time Hashem wants us to do very specific (seemingly menial) acts to fulfill our obligation of the Mitzvah.

And the blend of these 2 sides of a Mitzvah is seen clearly in the Mitzvah of Shemitah and therefore the Torah chose to use that mitzvah to teach us regarding all other Mitzvos (that they were all said on Mount Sinai with all their details): On one hand we see that part of the Mitzvah of Shemitah is to remove ourselves from the regular workload of the world (in the 7th year) and on the other hand we see that another part of Shemitah is to work the field for 6 years.

Translated and adapted by Rabbi Shalom Goldberg. Taken from Likutei Sichos Chelek Aleph.