Jewish Things & Thoughts in Harrison NY For the Week of May 4th – May 10th Iyyar 3 – Iyyar 10; Parasha “Be’Har”

We would like people to be aware of some of the Jewish things and thoughts taking place in Harrison NY. Here is a Jewish thought.

This week we read the Tora portion (“parasha”) known as “Be’Har” (Leviticus 25:1-26:2).  There are several valuable lessons we can learn from this week’s parasha. 

In parasha Be’Har we read about the laws of Shmita and Yovel.  The law of Shmita says that we are allowed to farm the land of Isreal for six years, but on the seventh year we may not.  The seventh year becomes for the land a long Sabbath.  After seven of these Shmita periods, that is to say after 49 years, we have “Yovel.”  Yovel is the name given to the fiftieth year.  During the fiftieth year not only can we not farm the land, but all Jewish slave were set free; all loans of money were forgiven; and land that had been sold went back to the family who were its original owners.  That is to say the land returned to family to which it was given when Joshua divided up the land at G-d’s command.

Some people might find these decrees cary.  How can you have food if you do not farm for a whole year?  And when the Yovel comes we cannot farm for two years straight.  How will there be enough food?  G-d (“HaShem”) in the parasha promises us that he will provide enough food.  To reassure us of this the parasha begins by saying that these laws were given by HaShem to Moshe when he was on Mount Sinai (“Har Sinai”).  How is this reassuring?  We need to remember that Moshe tells us that while he was on Har Sinai he did not eat or drink for forty days.  Even though he did not eat for so long, Moshe was able to live and be healthy.  Moshe lived and stayed healthy because HaShem protected and strengthened him.  When we remember that HaShem enabled Moshe to live without food or water for forty days we should realize that it is not hard for HaShem to make the land give us food even if we do not farm it for two years.  HaShem will always look after us and take care of us even when that seems to be impossible.

The Young Israel of Harrison, New York (YIOH) is a Modern Orthodox synagogue offering an intimate religious and communal experience.  Sabbath morning services begin at 9 am, mincha/maariv services on Friday and Saturday vary with sundown, and services on Sunday morning are held at 8 am.  For those who would like more information or would like to spend Shabbos in the area, visit the Young Israel of Harrison’s website at www.yioh.org or email Yiohnews@aol.com

Rabbi Bienenfeld gives weekly Talmud and Chumash classes at 7:00 pm on Monday and Tuesday evenings, respectively.  Please check the calendar posted on YIOH.org to confirm the schedule.

© W. Fraenkel 2014