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Everything is From Hashem

By: SFW Students & Alumna
Dani Herszfeld (SFW '09)

Parshat Behar begins with the mitzvah of Shemitah. All work connected to the land in Eretz Yisroel must stop every 7^th year in the Shemitah cycle. There are many lessons to be learned from this mitzvah, and specifically, two very important questions can be asked.

The parsha begins with the laws of Shemitah and interrupts itself to teach the following halacha. In perek 25 pasuk 14, the halacha states: “when you make a sale to your fellow or when you buy from the hand of your fellow, do not victimize one another.” Why does the Torah teach this halacha of cheating right in the middle of the discussion of Shemitah? Normally, the halachot of cheating apply to movable items and not to the land.

Rabbi Frand explains in the name of the Beit Av that the Torah is teaching us an important lesson. The whole idea of Shemitah is to be reminded that everything comes from Hashem. Throughout the entire Shemitah year, we do not work, yet Hashem still provides for us. A person may think that all his success is from his own skills and wisdom, and therefore might consider cheating in order to achieve success. The year of Shemitah, however, reminds him that it is really Hashem who provides for everything. It is because of this that the halachot of cheating are stated in the middle of the laws of Shemitah.

Following this idea, there is another important question that may be asked. Pasuk alef begins with an unusual choice of words. It states: “vayidaber Hashem el Moshe bHar Sinai.” Rashi asks why the Torah states “on Har Sinai” specifically in the context of the laws of Shemitah, as apposed to by any other law. After all, we know that all the laws were given at Har Sinai? Rashi teaches that “bHar Sinai” is specifically mentioned here to remind us that not only were the mitzvot given at Har Sinai in the general sense, but that their specific details were given as well.

The Sefat Emet has an idea that relates to Rabbi Frand’s explanation of Shemitah. As humans, it is often easy to forget that it was Hashem who set up the laws in the first place. At Har Sinai, Hashem’s power was so apparent that it was impossible not to understand this concept. Today, however, it is much harder for us to recognize His glory. We were therefore given the laws of Shemitah in order to realize that Hashem controls the world, and that He is the Primary Force.

Rav Shmulovitz in his book Sichot Mussar talks about the mitzvah of Shemitah in relation to Har Sinai. He explains that when Bnei Yisroel said “Naaseh Vnishma,” they first said “naaseh” and then said “nishma.” A person generally prefers knowing about his task before agreeing to perform it, as opposed to angels who will do as they are told without explanation. Bnei Yisroel, however, obtained this koach of the angels through “naaseh” (agreeing to do) “vnishma” (before understanding the commands). The mitzvah of Shemitah proves this. Bnei Yisroel keeping the laws of Shemitah without hesitation -despite the agricultural difficulties inherent in these laws - shows another sense of “naaseh”: an understanding that Hashem will provide no matter what.

Just like Bnei Yisroel had this strong koach of bitachon at Har Sinai and had the ability to recognize that everything is from Hashem, may we all be zoche to reach this high level through the mitzvah of Shemitah and through all the other mitzvot as well.

Good Shabbos!