Our Parsha this Shabbos is a Double Parsha that takes us to the end of the Book of Vayikra Leviticus.The first part is Parashas Behar and HaShem's Words to Moshe " BeHar " - "on Har ( Mount ) Sinai " about the Laws of the Sabbatical Year ,the Shemittah Year ,where one sows one's field for six years , but on the Seventh year,the land is given a complete rest just like our Shabbos.After Seven cycles of Sabbatical years, seven times seven coming to 49 years ( just like the Omer Count to 49 days between Pesach second night and Shavuoth ) , we are Commanded in the land HaShem Gives us after this count of the period of 49 years, to sound the Shofar in the Seventh Month , being Tishrei, on the Tenth of the Month , on Yom Kippur and sanctify the Fiftieth Year , as freedom for all .This Fiftieth Year is called the Yovel Jubilee Year, where each man shall return to his ancestral heritage ( including the land ), where similar Laws of the land (not sowing the land like the Shemittah year) should be kept as they are in the Shemittah Year.So often does the number 7 appear in Yiddishkeit, like the Sabbath, Shemittah,Yovel , the Counting of the Omer ,the days of the week, the Six Thousand years of Creation going onto the next 7th stage afterwards of Olam Habah, the days of Creation that culminates in the Seventh Day of the Holy Shabbos, all related to the End of Days and Mashiach, whose Gematrical value comes to seven.
Then the sale of property and a person who is down and out and may need to stand as a person sold to make up a debt if there is a need,is discussed,all to do with the Jubilee Yovel Year. Redemption of sold or given up land is next in this Parsha.The Law of Levite cities and fields are mentioned to do with the return of the ancestral heritage.Laws of Interest and Increase ( Neshech and Tarbit ) are then taught where interest should not be taken from one's brother. These two words - 'Neshech and Tarbit' - are also synonymous, for when taking interest (Neshech) from a fellow Jew, one is increasing (Tarbit) oneself and one's own wealth and thus it becomes like a double aveirah Chas Ve Shalom.
Torah then discusses the Jewish bondsman and how to treat them with respect and not treat them as a slave but as a member of one's own household and not subjugate them with menial tasks and hard labor and also how it is imperative to redeem a Jewish bondsman as soon as one can , failing which, the Jewish bondsman must try as quickly as possible to redeem himself . Redemption pay is calculated according to the remaining years till Yovel or the end of work cycle . This Parsha ends with a Command not to make idols or statues or pillars and not to place flooring stones to prostrate oneself on , Chas Ve Shalom . HaShem Commands us to observe Shabbos and Revere HaShem's Sanctuary , Ending the Parsha with the words ," I Am HaShem. "
The second part of this double Parsha is Bechukosai which contains the Blessings for following HaShem's Commands and the Tochacha - Admonitions and curses for disobeying HaShem's Commands.HaShem Tells us to follow His Bechukosai - Decrees and Commandments and the word used is to "Teileichu," - "To Walk" in HaShem's Commandments. Walking is like the word for 'following' in this context,but stronger, as it suggests a full physical action of the entire body going in the ways of HaShem and His Commandments, making sure that one's entire being 'Follows ' after G-D , not just parts of us, but our entire being must follow after G-D and His Commanded Path , walking in His Commandments , thus making the action of following HaShem , one of total giving of our entire selves to the Almighty and His Wishes.
We notice in this Parsha, how the Tochacha Admonitons are much longer and more detailed than the Blessings. So do our Yetzer Horah's need to be controlled with clear Admonition. The Admonitions get progressively worse and so do the punishments progress in severity , for sin starts small and grows bigger as it goes along and thus needs to be taken a firm hand in to change and wake up to its pull.Yet there is always hope of change and so, no matter how far one strays Chas Ve Shalom, one can always return to HaShem with love. The Curses mentioned here, can also be hidden Blessings if we do HaShem Commands, for each curse given has its opposite Blessing too. What one gets, depends on one's choice to follow HaShem wholeheartedly.
Valuation and gifts to the Temple are then discussed and Sanctifying Offerings and Redeeming them are taught as well as redeeming of houses and fields and property segregated as well as tithes and this is where this Parsha and the Book of Vayikra ends,with the reminder that started out the Parsha we read with this one' Parashas Behar, ' where HaShem says at the end of Vayikra," These are the Commandments that HaShem Commanded Moshe to the Children of Israel on Har Sinai " BeHar Sinai."
Putting the two words of these two Parshas together,we get 'Behar Bechukosai,' which means on the Mount ( Sinai ) are My (HaShem's ) Decrees . HaShem here is Telling us all , that all His Laws and Decrees were given at Mount Sinai to Moshe and us Jews , no matter when the Laws are mentioned in Torah. All the Laws were given to Moshe on Har Sinai and HaShem , Who is beyond Eternal and Whose Voice is Everlasting , is still today , Speaking to us from Har Sinai , for His Voice carries through the ages, through all our sages and holy Jewish Rabbonim through time . HaShem Never Stops Teaching us. If only we would listen always.The start to listening , is to humble ourselves, and this was taught at Har Sinai, for the Mountain of Sinai on which HaShem Came Down,was not the tallest of Mountains but the most humble, just as Moshe himself was the most humble. The start to holiness and listening to HaShem and His " Bechukosai " - " Decrees, " is to humble ourselves like "BeHar" Sinai "On Mount Sinai." Then we can be a vessel for Holiness from HaShem.
We need to put our own feelings and wants aside for HaShem and His Decrees and humble ourselves like " BeHar " Sinai . The result of doing this , is that all will be turned into Blessings and we can all live in the Eternal Shabbos and the time of Mashiach , for the two words "Behar" and "Bechukosai" together come to a Gemtraical value of 727 which is 7+2+7= 16 and 1+6=7 which is the Gematrical value of Mashiach and thus being humble like "BeHar" Mount Sinai and following HaShem's "Bechukosai" - " Decrees, " will lead us into Mashiach's time, so we with our lands and all that is in Creation can reach its destination and live within the loving Arms of HaShem Ha Kadosh Baruch Hu The Holy One Blessed Be He.
With love to HaShem , I wish HaShem with Love, a Beautiful Sweet Shabbos Kodesh with Love and to all , a beautiful sweet Shabbos Kodesh with love .
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