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Parshat Behar: Leviticus 25:1-26:2;
Jeremiah 32:6-32:27.
T
here is a famous story about
two partners who had an
argument regarding a piece
of land. Each was positive that the
land belonged to him and him alone.
Finally, they pleaded their case in front
of the rabbi.
The rabbi tried to find a p'sharah —
a compromise — but they
were each very adamant. The
rabbi then said: "I must see
the piece of land:'
After a good hour of riding
together, they approached
the land.
The rabbi again tried to
bring them to a compromise,
and when they finished
screaming he suddenly lay
down, shushed them and put
his ear to the ground.
"What are you doing
rabbi?" they both asked.
"I am listening to the land; be quiet
please," replied the rabbi.
After a long silence, the rabbi stood
up and said, "The land said that both of
you belong to her!"
Statements such as: "This belongs to
me," "I own this and that:' and "No, you
can't use this; it is mine" are common.
This week's parshah is a wake-up
call to all human beings living on the
Earth. It reminds us that nothing really
belongs to us. Just when we think that
we control the things we own and they
are ours forever, the shmitah — the
seventh year — comes and commands
us to share with others because what we
think is ours doesn't really belong to us.
What is shmitah? It comes from
the Hebrew word shamot — to let go,
release. Every seven years, every piece
of land in Israel, even land that legally
belongs to you, that you pay taxes on,
work very hard to plow, seed, irrigate,
harvest, etc., becomes public. Anyone
can take from its fruits throughout that
year. In addition, all over the world, if
someone owes you money and has dif-
ficulty paying you back, when the shmi-
tah comes, the borrower is no longer
obligated to return the loan.
These laws still apply today, (but not
to worry; the rabbinical institution has
already found ways to "bypass" these
laws due to the problems that have
arisen from them and the difficulties
keeping and performing them). And
the message of sharing and taking care
of your fellow Jew is emphasized in this
parshah for all Jews.
We must realize that all
that is given to us ultimately
comes from God and that
we should be thankful for it
and enjoy it, but also share
it and care about the well-
being of others.
Unfortunately, these vir-
tues are being neglected and
pushed further aside with
every passing generation.
We forget or don't want to
remember that we are here
as temporary employees
with 70- or 80-year contracts (maybe
even 90 or a 100 years, if we are lucky)
and then we are given a pink slip, and
we depart this world empty-handed no
matter how much belonged to us while
we were alive.
As a father and grandfather, former
student, teacher and principal, I have
seen and witnessed three full genera-
tions. I have seen brothers grow up eat-
ing from the same plate and spoon,
sharing a room, towel and bed. They
grew up thinking, "What is mine is
yours, and what is yours is yours. And
thank you for sharing it with me:'
But these days, there is much less
sharing. The motto seems to be: "What
is mine is mine, and what is yours is
yours, but in a very short time it will
also be mine:'
I think it's important to pause and
rethink this whole situation. If this is
what we see now, what will happen in
another three generations? Many of us
will probably be gone, but how will we
have lived our lives and what lessons
will we have left behind? That is the
question. ❑
Sasson Natan is rabbi of Keter Torah
Synagogue in West Bloomfield.
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