Mazal Tov to Asher & Elisheva Seifman and families on the birth of a son!
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Shabbat starts on Friday at 4:54pm and ends on Saturday at 5:55pm. The weekly Torah portion is Behar. Lag BaOmer is on Sunday.
Mincha 1pm continues at Ainsworth Property – GF/459 Collins Mon-Wed. Join the WhatsApp group where we take a count to confirm each day.
Weekly sushi & shiur continues on Wed at about 1.10pm (after mincha) at A-P GF/459 Collins – and via zoom. Current topic: paying employees in a timely fashion. Details here and on the WhatsApp group.
Thought of the Week with thanks to Yehuda Gottleib.
The name of this weeks Torah reading, Behar, is derived from the first verse which begins with G-d addressing Moshe from upon Mount (Har) Sinai. The first few verses then describe the mitzvah of Shemittah – leaving ones field fallow every seventh year. One interesting thing about the period when this section is read is to Shavuot, the festival commemorating the giving of the Torah on Har Sinai. However, this is more connected to the mention of Har Sinai and not connected to Shemittah.
Rashi notes this and asks, there is seemingly no connection between Har Sinai and Shemitta. So why now does the Torah mention specifically this location when referring to this mitzva?
The commentator Kometz Hamincha explains the linkage between these apparently unrelated concepts. One might think that G-d as a supernatural being is not interested in the mundane, physical world or the details that are contained within.
This is a logical thought, as G-d, being the King of all Kings ruling over all the Heavens should not concern himself with our lowly world and material matters. To dispel that notion, G-d purposely chose Har Sinai, known for being the lowliest mountain to reveal Himself to the world.
This is to show that G-d is indeed interested in what is occurring here in this world and the ‘details’ contained within. It is this which links to the mitzvah of Shemittah. During the Shemittah year, we leave our fields and trust in G-d to assist us with providing our sustenance despite our lack of physical work.
The fact that G-d provides for us in the Shemittah and subsequent years despite our lack of work shows that G-d is in charge of the world and its details.