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The
Shem Mishmuel on Behar
Hagaon
Rav Shmuel
Bornstein zt”l on Parshat Behar
(from
Shem
Mishmuel Parshat Behar)
Finding
Ourselves Through Shemita and Yovel
Printer
Version
Parshat Behar opens with the parshiot of Shemita
and Yovel. The Shem Mishmuel points out a subtle
textual distinction between the Torah's language
in the two sections. Shemita is spoken about in
the singular - "sadkha (sing.) lo tizra (sing.),"
karmekha (sing.) lo tizmor (sing.)," lekha (sing.),
ul'avdekha (sing.), vela'amatekha (sing.) . . .";
whereas Yovel is spoken about in the plural - "vekidashtem,"
"lakhem," "veshavtem," all plural forms. He explains
the distinction based on the following comment by
the Zohar.
The Zohar says that when the Torah speaks to all
of Israel but uses the singular (for example, the
first paragraph of Keriat Shema), it's words are
directed at the collective unit of the people of
Israel. A plural "you", on the other hand, is directed
at each and every individual of the people of Israel
(like in the second paragraph of Keriat Shema).
Plugging it in to our Parsha, the Shemita section
is directed at Klal Yisrael as a unit, whereas Yovel
is directed at each individual within Klal Yisrael.
The goal of Shemita, says the Shem Mishmuel, is
for all Israel to feel as one unit, with no distinctions
between rich and poor. Everyone has an equal hand
in the land of Israel. Yovel, in contrast, focuses
on the individual. Each person returns to his family,
and each person returns to the tract of land his
family was given by G-d when the Jews entered the
land of Israel in Yehoshua's time. The Zohar, on
the verse, "Each man returns to his inheritance,"
comments, "Each man returns to his own soul's source.
There is a powerful message in this. We all search
for our unique individual place and purpose in the
world. The lesson of this parsha is that it is only
through joining up with Klal Yisrael that we can
specialize and individualize. Our personal unique
purpose will be found after we unite with and become
part of all of Israel. Only after Shemita are we
ready for Yovel.
[prepared by Eliezer Kwass] |
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