Behar
Leviticus · 9 articles
Is There Scientific Evidence for the Impact of Shmita on Soil?
A scientific-Torah review of the environmental effects of land rest. Research from the Volcani Institute, Ohio State University, and Rothamsted examines the benefits of giving the land a year of rest.
Parashat Behar - Seventh Aliyah
The seventh aliyah of Parashat Behar deals with the redemption of a Jew sold to a non-Jewish resident. Even in the most extreme situation, redemption is possible: a brother, uncle, cousin, or the person themselves. And if not redeemed, the Jubilee sets them free. The parsha closes with the prohibition of idolatry and the observance of Shabbat.
Parashat Behar - Sixth Aliyah
The sixth aliyah of Parashat Behar deals with the laws of the Hebrew servant. A Jew who is sold does not become a slave but a temporary worker until the Jubilee, and it is forbidden to subjugate them with hard labor. The Torah explains: for they are My servants, not servants of flesh and blood.
Parashat Behar - Fifth Aliyah
The fifth aliyah of Parashat Behar deals with the laws of houses in walled cities, Levite cities, and the prohibition of interest. The Torah distinguishes between a house in a walled city and a house in a village, and demands support for a fallen brother without economic exploitation.
Parashat Behar - Fourth Aliyah
The fourth aliyah of Parashat Behar addresses economic downfall and the paths to redemption. A person forced to sell their ancestral land can be redeemed by a close relative, by themselves, or wait for the Jubilee which restores everything to its place.
Parashat Behar - Third Aliyah
The third aliyah of Parashat Behar addresses the divine promise for those who keep the Shemitah: a blessing in the sixth year sufficient for three years. Alongside the promise, a foundational principle: the land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine.
Parashat Behar - Second Aliyah
The second aliyah of Parashat Behar addresses the details of land commerce. Selling land is not permanent, but only until the Jubilee year. The price is set according to the number of remaining years, and the Torah warns: do not wrong one another.
Parashat Behar - First Aliyah
The first aliyah of Parashat Behar opens with the commandment of Shemitah and Jubilee, given directly from Mount Sinai. For six years you work the land, in the seventh everything stops. After seven Shemitah cycles comes the fiftieth year, the Jubilee, when every person returns to their ancestral land and family.
Parashat Behar - Insights and Questions
Behar is one of the most stirring portions in the Torah. Beneath the surface lies a profound idea: the world does not truly belong to us.
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