Behar - (Yirmiyahu 32:6-27)

 

a. Redemption of Land – a side issue

The subject of the haftora – redemption of land by a family relative – illustrates a mitzva that occupies one sole verse (!) of the parasha: "If your brother should become poor and sell some of his property, then his close relative shall come and redeem that which his brother has sold" (Vayikra 25:25). (Although the idea of redemption by a relative is mentioned once again, it does not refer to redemption of land but rather to redemption of a person who has sold himself into slavery to a gentile because of his financial straits.)

 

We may well ask why the Sages saw fit to choose a prophecy that is reminiscent of just one verse of the parasha, rather than choosing an excerpt reflecting the general subject of the parasha as a whole – the laws of shmitta and yovel (the sabbatical year and the jubilee year).

 

b. Redemption of Land is related to everything

It seems that the observance of this halakha – the redemption of land by a close relative – contains a very important message and tidings of national redemption. It is no coincidence that Yirmiyahu was commanded to fulfill it, nor is it any coincidence that this act was recorded for all generations.

 

Up until the time just prior to the destruction of the Temple, the function of the prophet was to attempt to bring the nation to teshuva (repentance) in order to prevent the destruction that he foresaw. But when his efforts met with no success and the calamitous fate of the nation was sealed, his function changed, and the prophet who had previously foretold punishment and destruction now became a messenger of redemption, implanting faith in the return. As if to say, "Houses and fields and vineyards will yet be bought in this land" (Yirmiyahu 32:15).

 

A seemingly private, family-oriented mitzva of redeeming land thus assumes educational significance for all of Israel.

 

An Israelite becomes poor and he is forced to sell some of his property. This is certainly a "destruction" in his eyes, and he regards himself as being "exiled" from his land. The parasha comes to tell us that this exile is only temporary, since various possibilities for redemption lie before him: his relatives are commanded to redeem his property, or he himself may be able to redeem it in the future when his fortunes improve, and either way when the jubilee year arrives he will return to his land.

 

The sale of land on the individual level is just like exile on the national level. And just as the sale does not represent the end of the world for the individual, so it should not be perceived thus by the nation. Just as there are various methods of redemption open to the individual, so various possibilities exist for the future of the nation. And if the individual himself is unable to redeem his property and his relatives are similarly limited (and who is the "relative" who redeems Israel? As we learn from the Midrash Tanchuma on our parasha, piska 3, "Who is their redeemer? I am the Lord their Redeemer...") then when the right time comes (similar to the jubilee for the individual), they will eventually be redeemed.

 

Once we are speaking of exile and destruction, we are already touching on the subject of shemitta and yovel, since "For the sin of (disregarding) shemitta (years) Israel was exiled," as we learn from next week's parasha, Bechukotai. (See Vayikra 26:34-35.) Failure to observe the laws of shemitta of the land causes the nation to be uprooted from the land.

 

The midrash perceives the various scenarios discussed in the parasha as the links in a chain of degeneration:

 

"...If he fails to observe shemitta and yovel, he will eventually be forced to sell his possessions, as it is written, "And if you shall sell an item..." (25:14). If he repents then it is well, but if not then he will eventually have to sell his field, as it is written, "If your brother should become poor and sell some of his property" (25:25). If he repents then it is well, but if not then he will come to sell his house, as it is written, "And if a person sells the house in which he dwells" (25:29). If he repents, then it is well but if not, then he will be forced to beg for alms, as it is written, "And if your brother becomes poor" (25:35). If he repents then it is well, but if not, then he will be sold to you, as it is written, "And if your brother who is with you becomes poor, and he is sold to you..." (25:39). If he repents then it is well, but if not then he will come to be sold to gentiles, as it is written, "If a stranger or a sojourner who is with you grows wealthy" (25:47). [This applies] not only to him, but to him and all of Israel, for we find that in the days of Yirmiyahu, because the seventh year was disregarded, they were sold to the gentiles..." (Tanchuma, Behar, 1).

 

There is something paradoxical about the jubilee. On one hand, the shemitta of land contains an element of cancellation of private ownership, for all are equally entitled to the produce of the land. On the other hand, in the jubilee year, land that was sold to others is returned to its original owners. But on deeper introspection we find that nothing achieves equality like the jubilee year. For then, everyone returns to his property, and everyone is made equal in terms of his opportunity. The same can be said of the nation as a whole: on one hand, their punishment of exile comes about as a result of the sin of shemitta. On the other hand, it is shemitta itself that is meant to strengthen the connection with the land, the striking of roots in it and the ownership of it.

 

c. "We shall do and we shall hear"

There is another point that connects the haftora with the parasha.

 

The prophet is most surprised at the command given to him by God, and he expresses this explicitly at the conclusion of a lengthy prayer that reveals the background to his surprise (16-25). But his surprise is expressed only after scrupulous and precise performance of the command, and we learn a great lesson from this.

 

There are those who will not perform a mitzva until they understand it and its reasons. Their motto is, "We shall hear and then we shall do." There are others who obey without thinking twice, and even afterwards they do not think to question. They fulfill a command with their eyes closed. Their motto is, "We shall do; we shall simply do."

 

The lesson that we learn from the story of the haftora is that neither of these represents the ideal. Rather, we should "do and then listen." The "listen," the quest for meaning and understanding, is not only tolerated but in fact is desirable and positive. Were it not for the prophet's prayer and the emotional expression of his bewilderment, a large part of the message would be lost, and there would be no place for the prophecy that follows (26-42).

 

d. The place for the question of "What shall we eat"

The possibility of bewilderment is raised in our parasha, too: "And if you shall say, 'What shall we eat in the seventh year? For behold, we have neither sown nor harvested our produce" (25:20). God's answer is, "I shall command My blessing for you in the sixth year." Is the question worthy of being asked, or is the Torah including this only for those who are lacking in faith?

 

According to what we have said above, we may say that the question is not only possible but in fact is desirable. For the Torah does not teach us to rely on miracles, and if a whole nation desists from working the land for an entire year, the natural outcome is that there will be nothing to eat.

 

But close attention should be paid to the position of the question, which appears to have been inserted far away from its proper place. It should logically have been juxtaposed with the laws of shemitta and the prohibitions against the working of the land that they entail. But the question is postponed until after not only the laws of working the land during the jubilee year but even after the laws of honest practice in sale of land. It finally appears in the vicinity of the promises that the nation will dwell securely and peacefully in the land. The question seems to have been intentionally "displaced" in order to show that the fulfillment of the mitzva is not dependent on our understanding it; we are obligated to fulfill its every detail even in the midst of profound questioning. But there is certainly place for such questioning, and a Jew should indeed seek answers. And he receives an answer – God's blessing. Man's question arises as a response to the Creator's command, and thus a dialogue is created between them. Man questions, God responds, and Torah is increased in the world. A person is not only a slave to God (and the parasha speaks about slavery, too), but also in some respects is a "partner" with Him.

 

The scenario of action preceding understanding is reminiscent of Sinai, and this provides an answer to the famous question of our Sages at the beginning of the parasha: "In what way is the subject of shemitta related to Har Sinai?"

 

e. Is anything too wondrous for Me?

The conclusion of the haftora is surprising – God's words seem to have been interrupted in the middle, or – more precisely – at the beginning, such that the crux of His answer is not read before the congregation. It seems that the haftora was intentionally cut off here so that the call that resounds in our ears after the reading is, "Is anything too wondrous for Me?"

 

For the parasha certainly contains a message that may sadden us. How far we are from the vision of an ideal social and economic system that it describes. Indeed, observance of the jubilee year ceased as early as the Second Temple era, for its fulfillment requires that the entire nation is living in the land. Therefore there is a need to instill hope in a return to the glorious days of old, and although it may seem far-fetched and almost impossible, "Is anything too wondrous for Me?"