BeharArtscroll p.696 | Haftarah p.1177Hertz p.531 | Haftarah p.539Soncino p.764 | Haftarah p.774

Volume 31No. 38

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In loving memory of Harav Avraham Yitzchak Yaakov

ben Harav Nata Gershon

“When you make a sale to your fellow or make a purchase from the hand of your fellow, do notaggrieve one another” (Vayikra 25:14).

25 May 2019 20 Iyar 5779

Shabbat ends London 10.01pmJerusalem 8.16pm

Sidrah Summary: Behar

United Synagogue Daf HashavuaProduced by US Living & Learning together with the Rabbinical Council of the United SynagogueEditor: Rabbi Chaim Gross Editor-in-Chief: Rabbi Baruch Davis Editorial Team: Rabbi Daniel Sturgess, Rabbi Michael Laitner, Sharon RadleyAvailable also via email US website www.theus.org.uk ©United SynagogueTo sponsor Daf Hashavua please contact Danielle Fox on 020 8343 6261, or dfox@theus.org.ukIf you have any comments or questions regarding Daf Hashavua please email rabbigross@theus.org.uk

1st Aliya (Kohen) – Vayikra 25:1-13

God instructs Moshe to tell the nation about themitzvot of Shemitah. Every seventh year, theLand is ‘rested’ and no agricultural work ispermitted. It is also forbidden to sell Shemitahproduce for profit.

After seven cycles of seven years, the 50th yearis designated as the Yovel (Jubilee) year. As wellas the Land again being left fallow, servants gofree and certain types of ancestral propertiesreturn to their original owners.

Question: At what point in the Yovel year is the shofar sounded? (25:9) Answer on bottom ofp. 6.

2nd Aliya (Levi) – 25:14-18

It is forbidden to cheat anyone in business.Careful observance of the laws of Shemitah willensure that Israel dwells safely in the Land(Rashi).

3rd Aliya (Shlishi) – 25:19-24

God promises that the people will not go hungryif they observe Shemitah – He will providesufficient produce in the sixth year to last all the way into the eighth year (Rashi).

4th Aliya (Revi’i) – 25:25-28

When someone becomes so impoverished thatthey have to sell part of their ancestral heritage,their relatives should endeavour to purchase itback on their behalf.

5th Aliya (Chamishi) – 25:29-3

In certain walled cities, a seller has the right tore-purchase a house in the first year after itssale. This does not apply in non-walled cities.There are 48 Levite cities in Israel; the lawspertaining to its fields and houses differ fromother cities. One is forbidden to lend money withinterest.

6th Aliya (Shishi) – 25:39-46

After someone becomes a servant in an attemptto escape from his poverty, his owner is notallowed to burden him with unnecessary oroverly taxing work. His relatives have a duty totry to release him from his servitude by buyingout the rest of his contract from his owner.

7th Aliya (Shevi’i) – 25:47-26:2

If a Jewish servant is sold to a non-Jew, thesame obligation applies to his relatives torelease him. We are reminded to avoid idolworship, keep Shabbat and revere the Temple.

Point to Consider: Why are these threeparticular mitzvot mentioned together? (seeRamban to 26:1)

Haftarah

Set upon the background of the impendingdestruction of the First Temple, God tells theprophet Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah) to go and redeeman ancestral field belonging to his cousinChanamel. Whilst Yirmiyahu does as instructed,he appeals afterwards to God, questioning whythis purchase was requested of him, seeing asthe Land was about to be conquered by theenemy.

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3In memory of Avraham ben Yehoshua

The Jubilee Yearby Rabbi (Major) Reuben Livingstone LLM CFPrincipal Jewish Chaplain to HM Forces

The Jubilee (Yovel) year –with its freeing of slaves and reversion of ancestrallands to original owners –is designed to remind us ofthe Divine ownership of theworld. As the verse states,

"For the land is Mine…you are sojourners andsettlers with Me" (Vayikra 25:23).

In this way, the Yovel year is something of areturn to the original state of creation when,before Adam’s sin, unsullied and undisturbed by human ownership, the world was God’salone. It is relevant to note that the ushering in of the Jubilee period took place not on RoshHashanah, but on Yom Kippur (ibid 25:9-10).This seems to convey the message that just as we return on Yom Kippur to our originalinnocence and state of purity, the world isrestored to a similar condition with the onset ofthe Yovel year.

The Almighty’s ultimate sovereignty and holdingof title over all elements of the world is indeedthe keynote of Yovel. This theme is so pervasivethat it dominates all real estate transactions inthe 49 years leading up to the Jubilee, makingany sale of land, in effect, the mere sale of ashort lease until the 50th year.

In further recognition of the fact that everythingwe own is ultimately by God’s grace andblessing, the very next command stringentlywarns both buyers and sellers to abide by the divine laws of equity in businesstransactions: lo tonu – "do not wrong oneanother" (ibid 25:14,17). This is the clarion call after the mitzvah of Yovel.

The Rabbis explain that there are two aspects to this warning: ona'at mamon – monetary

impropriety and wrongdoing and ona'at devarim – verbal misrepresentation andwrongdoing. Lest one imagines that these, in the end, might be left to human conscience,the verse declares: “You shall fear God”(Ve’yareita m'Elokecha). He not only knowsprecisely what we are up to, but also expects the highest ethical standards when we deal with His property!

So Yovel and its related mitzvot really put usfirmly in our place – both in terms of God’ssupremacy and our own limitations of controland ownership.

Of course, it is one thing knowing that “Unto God is the earth and the fullness thereof”(Psalm 24), yet quite another to live that way on a daily basis! When the saintly Rabbi YisraelMeir Kagan (known as ‘the Chafetz Chaim’d.1933) was supervising the printing of hismagnum opus, the six-part Mishnah Berurah, one of the volumes had to be re-printed. He was noticeably very upset and it was assumedby all that this was because of the substantialadded cost penalty. When asked, however, heexplained that the cost was immaterial to him,‘This is God’s project, not mine, and He will footthe bill. No, I am upset that the typesetter will be wrongly blamed and abused and perhapseven lose his job. That would not only hurt adecent man – but entirely undermine the sanctity

4In memory of Chaim ben Moshe Bentzion

Jewish Contemporary Ethics Part 31: Ethical Issues inTanach 9: Warby Rabbi Dr. Moshe Freedman, New West End Synagogue

War is horrific. In a 2003 NewYork Times article, journalistChris Hedges estimated thatonly 268 (8%) of the past3,400 years of human historyhave been peaceful, withwars claiming the lives of at least 108 million people in

the 20th century alone – equivalent to almost300 people per day. Whilst once seen as gloriousand patriotic, today most people question thecost suffered and harm inflicted by humanconflict.

The advent and cultivation of international lawand global conventions, together withinstitutions such as the United Nations, are at least an attempt to foster a spirit ofreconciliation, sanction belligerent nations and forge a brighter, more peaceful future, even if this is not always successful. Whilst theremay be an ethical case for war in order todepose tyrannical dictators and protect innocentpeople from harm, it is increasingly difficult tomarshal public support for such campaigns.

The utopian vision of world peace and universalbrotherhood was first articulated by ourprophets, such as Yeshaya (Isaiah), whodescribes how in Messianic times the nations“shall beat their swords into ploughshares, andtheir spears into pruning hooks; one nation willnot raise up sword against another, and they willno longer study war” (Yeshaya 2:4) and that “awolf shall live with a lamb, and a leopard shall liewith a kid” (ibid. 11:6).

Yet the Torah and Books of the Prophets containmany stories of the Jewish nation wagingDivinely sanctioned wars against their enemies.Of course, there is a strong halachic and moralcase for defensive wars and even defensive pre-emptive strikes are considered “not only

legitimate but mandatory” (see Rabbi ProfessorJ David Bleich, Contemporary Halakhic ProblemsVolume 3 Chapter 11).

It must also be noted that Talmudic lawconstrains the decision-making powersnecessary for military action to be taken, in order to prevent a hawkish or bellicose monarchcommitting to war of his own volition. Beforegoing to war, the king must receive approvalfrom the 71 sages of the highest Jewish legalcourt, known as the Sanhedrin (TalmudSanhedrin 2a). The Kohen Gadol (High Priest)must also seek Divine approval via the urimv’Tumim contained in his breastplate (Shemot28:30).

In addition, halacha imposes strict rules ofengagement. The Torah explicitly states thatbefore engaging in battle, the enemy should beoffered the opportunity to make a peacefulsettlement or flee (Devarim 20:10). Whenbesieging a city, it is forbidden to surround it onall four sides, in order to allow the enemy thechance to escape (Bemidbar 31:7).

On the one hand we see the Torah’s reluctancefor Israel to fight wars. On the other hand Goddoes command the Jewish people to wage waragainst the seven Canaanite nations in order tocapture the Promised Land and bring it underJewish control. We are also commanded toeradicate the tribe of Amalek including men,women and children. The next article will discussthe reasons for this.

5In memory of Harav Binyamin ben Harav Shalom

Looking Ahead to Shavuot: Ruth and Avraham – On theRight Pathby Rebbetzen Freda Kaplan, US Jewish Living Division

In parashat Lech Lecha,God told Avraham: “Goyourself from your land,from your birthplace andfrom your father's house, tothe Land that I will showyou” (Bereishit 12:1). Thiswas a defining moment in

Avraham’s life, when he was presented with agreat challenge and embarked, both literally andfiguratively, on his journey.

The literal meaning of “lech lecha” is: “go foryourself”. Seeking an underlining message, Rashi (1040-1105) understands these words tomean: ‘go for yourself, go for your own benefit,for your own good’. The 16th century kabbalisticcommentator Rabbi Moshe Alshich (1508–1593)understood that Avraham needed to travel to theLand of Israel (then called Cana’an), since onlythere would he achieve ‘deveikut’ (lit. clinging)to God, absolute devotion.

On Shavuot, we read Megillat Ruth, where wefind that Ruth’s courage to leave her land and her birthplace is possibly even more striking. InAvraham’s story, God promised: “And I will makeyou a great nation” (ibid. 12:2). In contrast, Ruthwas given no such promise; she had no idea ofwhat the future held. When she decided to returnwith Naomi, the Megillah states: “and Ruth clungand devoted herself to her [her widowed mother-in-law]” (ve Rut davka ba). This is the same termthat the Alshich used to explain why it wasimperative that Avraham left for Canaan.

Megillat Ruth then continues with a beautifulmonologue. Ruth says: “for wherever you go I willgo, where you stay I will stay. Your people are mypeople and your God is my God” (1:16). Ruthwas not just doing her duty, taking care of herelderly mother-in-law. She realised that, likeAvraham, to fulfil her destiny, she too needed togo on a brave journey. In fact the Tamudic Sagesunderstand that each of these three phrases was

alluding to Ruth’s commitment to a different areaof Judaism (Yevamot 47b).

Some years ago, my husband and I had theprivilege of meeting an extraordinary couple, whoundertook their own brave journey. Hans Jorgenand Chantal, born in Germany and Francerespectively, made a very courageous decisionupon their retirement, to leave their home inFrance, their children and grandchildren, to goand live in Israel. Initially, they were happy to liveas non-Jews in the Holy Land, making ‘yourpeople our people’. Yet after just over a year, theydecided to take their journey one step further,determining that ‘your God is my God ‘. For threeyears we had the opportunity to study Judaismwith them. They were always so humble,teaching us what deveikut is all about. At theirwedding, Chaim and Naomi (as they had becomeknown) were escorted proudly to the chupah bytheir four non-Jewish daughters.

As we read the story of Ruth this Shavuot and recall where her journey led her, it gives usthe opportunity to think of our own” lech lecha”,and consider whether we are yet on the rightpath to fully realising our potential.

6In memory of Harav Yisrael ben Uriah

Answer: on Yom KippurThe Symbols of the Shevatim Part 6: Dan and Naftali by Rabbi Jeremy Lawrence, Finchley United Synagogue

Dan and Naftali are the two children of Rachel’smaidservant, Bilhah, thefifth and sixth sons ofYaakov’s sons (in birthorder – see Bereshit 30).Although Rachel wasbeloved to Yaakov, she had

not (yet) been blessed with children. The Torahsays that Rachel was envious of Leah, who hadmothered four sons, demanding of God, “Giveme children, or I am dead” (30:1). Rachel namedher maidservant’s son Dan (which means‘judgement’) because: “God has judged me…and given me a son” (ibid. 30:6). Naftali, born a year later, is a name suggestive of “I havemanoeuvred and prevailed (over my sister)”(30:8).

There are many possible English translations forNaftali, which all share this common theme ofmanipulating an outcome which Rachel felt wasjustified.

The symbol of Dan is traditionally scales ofjustice or a snake. The latter comes fromYaakov’s blessing: “Dan will be a serpent on thehighway, a viper by the path” (ibid. 49:17).Whereas Yaakov’s other sons were blessed in the present tense, Yaakov’s vision for Dan is set in the future. Rashi (1040-1105) explains thisas an allusion to Dan’s descendent Shimshon(Samson), who would wage a guerrilla campaignagainst the Philistines.

Later on in the Torah, in Moshe’s blessing, Dan’stribe is described as “a young lion, springing fromthe Bashan” (Devarim 33:22). The lands of Danin the Golan Heights and around the Kinneret(Sea of Galilee) were nourished by the sources ofthe River Jordan from Bashan. Rabbi OvadiaSeforno (1475-1550) sees the lion as an allusionto Dan’s fearless warriors, whereas RabbiChizkiyahu ben Manoach (known as 'Chizkuni)(1250-1310) notes that Bashan was a place oflions and evil beasts.

Naftali is most commonly depicted as a deer,from Yaakov’s blessing: “a hind let loose, who

delivers beautiful sayings” (Bereshit 49:21).Moshe later blessed the tribe of Naftali as“satiated with favour” and “filled with God’sblessing” (Devarim 33:23). This “blessing” referred to the beautiful fruit which grew in theirportion to the west of the Kinneret, praised in the Talmud (Pesachim 8b) as the first to ripen, and was used for bikkurim, the first-fruitgifts taken to the Temple.

Rashi explains that Yaakov’s blessing to Naftaliplayed itself out in the blessing that Moshe gave.The rapid deer mentioned by Yaakov was anallusion to the fast-ripening fruits. The praisesthat the fruit drew through satisfying the tribewere “the beautiful sayings” referred to byYaakov.

Additionally, Rashi explains that Yaakov’sblessing to Naftali referenced the war waged byBarak against Sisera, when Naftali was singledout for battlefield praise (Shofetim 5:18) for hisvalour on the heights.

In a further explanation, the Talmud (Sotah 13a)relates how Esav tried to prevent the burial ofYaakov in the Cave of Machpela, asserting hisown right as the firstborn. Naftali ran with ‘thespeed of a deer’ to Egypt to recover thedocumentary proof of Yaakov’s entitlement.

While Bilhah’s sons were named from Rachel’sfeelings of pain, the symbols they bear reflecttheir successful roles in our defence, redemptionand God’s blessing of the Land.