D'var Torah in a Minute

This parasha, the last in the book of Leviticus, deals with some pretty heavy stuff. As the name, meaning "According to My laws" indicates, the first half of the portion is comprised of the blessings and curses that await the Israelite nation depending on whether they obey God's commandments or not (the second half is a list of the standard values of people and property for the purposes of monetary offerings for the upkeep of the Temple). The blessings are pretty standard - rain at the right time, ample harvests, prosperity, and peace and tranquility in the land. All good things. And then, we come to the other side of the equation. The list of curses is extensive and detailed. We are threatened with drought, invasion, mayhem, cats and dogs living together, the full gamut of chaos. Our sins will be punished sevenfold, though God will never forsake us, even as we are cursed to eat the flesh of our children. Even with the promise of God remembering us, this whole business of...

At the start of this, the penultimate parashah of the book of Leviticus, we read about the cycle of shemitah, the sabbatical year. Once the Israelites enter the Land of Israel, they are to work the land for six years. In the seventh year, the land is to rest; just as we are to have a day of rest every seventh day, so should the land get to rest, with the time frames scaled up. While we in the Diaspora do not have to think about this concept, it is relevant in Israel, as Jewish-owned land cannot be used for commercial agriculture during that year (the current year, 5782, which began on the evening of September 6, 2021, and will end on September 25, 2022, is a shemitah year). Additionally, all debts owed to other Jews are canceled once the shemitah year starts (a rule which does apply outside of Israel).  Also, Israelite slaves become free automatically at the start of the shemitah year, though a slave who particularly loves serving his master has the option to extend his service by ...