Two Minute Torah Podcast

B'har-B'Hukotai 5770 by Lisa Harris Glass

This is Lisa Harris Glass, Director of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism's Mid-Atlantic District and welcome to KOACH's Two-Minute Torah. A program of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism's department of youth and young adult services.

This week's parsha is B'har/B'hukkotai. The bulk of the psukim of B'har discuss with us the concept of the shemita, the sabbatical year; and of the jubilee, and the laws regarding it's observance. We are instructed about how, in the sabbatical year, we must only reap the natural produce of the land and not touch the aftergrowth of our harvest or the fruit of our untrimmed vines. Additionally, the parameters of who can lay claim to land and for how long and how to define the worth of the land are also explained.

The ultimate message of this section is that the land does not belong to us. G-d states here, "the land is Mine, you are but strangers resident with Me."

Were that the whole world would abide by this previous statement.

I could not help but be struck by these lines as juxtaposed against the events in March between Barack Obama and Binyamin Netanyahu. As you may remember, the Obama White House was upset with Netanyahu's decision to approve housing construction in east Jerusalem. They view Israel as intransigent on the issue of a freeze on the building of new housing in the, so-called, "settlements."

I ask you, how can it be that the legitimacy of the land so plainly given for the use of the Jewish people, by G-d, could be in question? How can anyone, any foreign government or head of state decide that they have the right or power to enforce their will regarding the use of the land that could supercede G-d's will? How can they seek to put conditions upon our use?

Of course, we already seem to have conditional use outlined for us within the parsha. In it, G-d promises that we "É shall observe His laws and faithfully keep His rules, that we may live upon the land in security, the land shall yield its fruit and (we) shall eat (our) fill, and (we) shall live upon it in security." In other words, we will only be entitled to the land and its fruits and security in it, if we obey the terms of the Covenant.

Let's tackle the second part of this statement first. That being, that living on the land in security is twice stated. It is clear that G-d understood the invaluable importance of our people being able to live without fear of invaders and their hostility and violence. Most nations of our world enjoy this very same security. To live their lives without constant threat. Were that our brothers and sisters in Israel were afforded this same guarantee.

The first part of the previous statement is the condition for the guarantee of security. That being that we need to keep G-d's laws and rules faithfully in order to live in the land in security and reap the fruit of it's bounty. Our religious leaders often enjoin us to continue our journey of personal observance by continuing to take steps upon the Sulam (or ladder) of mitzvot. We are encouraged to add a new observance or try out a new bracha so that we are moving ever forward on our spiritual journey. Here is North America, we take these steps to nurture our souls. An admirable step. A spiritual journey worth taking. But, what if by increasing our observance, by continuing our spiritual journey, by raising our awareness of Israel and its centrality in our Jewish world we fulfill the condition set forth by G-d regarding the right to security in G-d's land, where G-d let's us dwell.

The stakes are high. We never know what will be the spark that will move someone to increased observance. Perhaps our wish for peace and security in the land of Israel might be yours.

Shabbat Shalom.