Miryam's Space

Behar means upon the mountain, Mount Sinai that is. t includes the commandments of the Shmita, of letting the land rest every seven years, like a huge exhale, and letting our unceasing work upon it rest as well.  The planet has exhales and inhales during the seasons, and the Holy Days reflect very ancient traditions that accompany this. Our counting of the omer for example, was a holding of the breath, praying that there would be dew, and not too much rain each day so that the seeds of the grain could sprout into tall crops and our families would be fed. Imagine holding our breath each day and watching the grain grow and yearning. We take our food so much for granted, and tradition has many ways to acknowledge our gratitude for the miracle of sustenance. For example the b’rachot before and after eating.  The omer bundles with this our higher aspirations and yearning for understanding and measuring our souls. Today is Netzach she’b Yesod – endurance with our connections with one another and with the earth. The shmita and yovel offer solutions to endure upon the land and with one another, and then this command from verses 23 and 24 to remind us and give us a perspective Lev 25:23, 24

But the land must not be sold beyond reclaim, for the land is Mine;

you are but strangers resident with Me.

The verb Tz’mitut is found only here and in verse 30 in the entire Torah. From the verb Tzamat to end or exterminate, We don’t have the landlord’s permission to destroy our home, even if we should want to, for short term profit! Rashi explains : Your eye shall not be evil towards it  for it is not yours.  Ibn Ezra Explains: The word tzemitut is similar¹⁰⁵In meaning. To keritut (divorcement) The ⁷From the root tzadi, mem, tav. (will cut them off) it is a hyperlink to psalm 94: That G!d  will cut them off

Ramban Explains: By way of the Truth,(Kaballa) the meaning of the expression for the Land is Mine is like and they take ‘unto Me’ an offering.¹⁸⁸Exodus 25:2…for the Jubilee will apply in the world – not only in the land of Israel

Throughout the land that you hold, you must provide for the redemption of the land.

In another connection between humans and the land, just as we redeem captives, we must redeem land.

Human ownership of land is an illusion. If we love our children, we will educate ourselves into being stewards of the land: ovdah v’shamra, to serve and to guard Shechinah whose presence is b’chol ha arets.  Because the land is G!d’s, not ours

The land needs to breathe and we need to rest and breathe too on Shabbat, If we ignore these commands, R Arthur Waskow reminds us, that in the Next parashah, Behukotai, we pay the price, the land will simply demand and take her Sabbaths, at our expense.  With the hope that these truths can set us free: keratem Dror b’artzecha: and may we be strong: Chazak Chazak v’nitchazek