Friday, 19 May 2017

Parashas Behar - Bechukosai

Our Parsha this Shabbos is a double Parsha Sedra of Behar-Bechukosai that takes us to the end of the Third Book of Moshe of Vayikra - Leviticus about the Levites and Priests - Kohanim and their Holy Duties.
In Parashas Behar,HaShem Continues with His Holy Laws that He Gave to Moshe 'Behar Sinai,' - ' On Mount Sinai,' Discussing the Laws of the ' Shemittah '- Sabbatical Year' which is the Seventh Year where the Land is to lie fallow ,reminding us that all belongs to HaShem . Then the ' Yovel - Jubilee Year ' is discussed which is the Fiftieth Year in counting Seven Sabbatical Years and the following Year after that is Yovel , where the Shofar ,a Ram's Horn is sounded - where the word 'Yovel' refers to a Ram. It is in this year that a man's ancestral heritage land returns to him .HaShem then Discusses the Redemption of Land and the Levite Cities and Laws for helping the poor.Interestingly,when Torah here talks of helping one's poor brother or fellow , HaShem Teaches that when we see our poor brother battling,we must help,which shows that we must help him or her before their means get desperate. HaShem then Discusses the Jewish Slave and how we must try to redeem them.This Parsha ends with HaShem Commanding us against idols and flooring stones and tells us to Observe HaShem's Sabbaths and Revere HaShem's Sanctuary .
Parashas ' Bechukosai ' - 'My Decrees ,' starts with HaShem telling us that if we follow HaShem's ' Decrees '- 'Bechukosai ' and Observe HaShem's Commandments, we will be Blessed with rains in their time ( in other words when they are needed ) and the land will be Blessed with produce and the trees with fruit . HaShem tells us that we will be safe in the Land with food to abundance and no enemies will go through our land, to attack us , or even use our Land as a pathway elsewhere. Then HaShem tells us of the Punishments that will befall us should we continue not to follow Him - Seven ways for our sins of Seven different levels of unfaithfulness to G-D ,starting with not acknowledging Him , which is what Shemittah in the previous Parsha started with, letting thee Land lie fallow without working it and trusting in HaShem that we will survive for all is HaShem's . After being hit by the punishments , HaShem offers hope that He will Relent as we will come to our senses. The Parsha and the Book of Vayikra - Leviticus ends with the Laws of Gifts to the Temple, Sanctification and Redemption of Animals and Houses and Fields Hekdesh [ holy ] ,Cherem. (Segregated Property that is Holy ) , the Second Tithe and Tithing of Animals. The Book of Vayikra ends with Hahem saying that these are the Commandments that HaShem Commanded Moshe to the Children of Israel on Mount Sinai - Chazak Chazak Venischazeik - Be strong Be Strong and may we be Strengthened. 
Here again we are reminded about the Commandments being given on Har Sinai .
What was it about Har Sinai that deserved HaShem to Come down on this particular Mountain in Sinai? What was it about Har Sinai , that HaShem chose Har Sinai to be the place where His Commandments were given for eternity? 
We are told that Har Sinai was not the largest of Montains at all . Our Midrash tells us that when the Mountains heard that HaShem was going to choose a Mountain for His Revelation, all the Mountains wanted to be chosen except Har Sinai, for this Mountain felt itself unworthy of the Presence of G-D . This Mountain was like Moshe , the most Humble of all and so, HaShem chose Har Sinai for His Special Presence . If we look at the Hebrew Word 'Behar,' we see that these same letters form two other words , Rabah,' and Barah ' which mean 'to increase ' and ' purity and so , this Mountain stands for all time with the Laws HaShem Gave on it , with The Torah to increase in purity if only we follow The Torah of G-D , Given by HaShem on Har Sinai .
The lesson here is also that to come close to HaShem and to be able to learn His Precious Torah,one needs to put one's own wants aside and be completely Humble , having the state of mind that says ,'I am here not for myself at all, but only for my Beloved HaShem . ' This is how to learn Torah . To open oneself up completely as an open vessel without one's own wants, ready to learn all HaShem Wants to Teach us. To start with our own needs and ideals, is already a disadvantage as this will lead to us not want to acknowledge HaShem's Wisdom. This is not the way to follow G-D . So HaShem Gave His Torah in a barren Humble Wilderness , without fancy frills , for the way to come close to G-D is to realize that the Physical is not the be all and end all of things and it actually keeps us away from Eternity . It is only through Humbling ourselves and lowering ourselves like faithful servants to The Almighty , that we can accomplish our true destinies in returning in Love to HaShem . It is only through Torah that 'Increases our Purity' (as the Word 'Behar ' deeply shows ) with each Mitzvah that we do,that we can come close to HaShem, not because a Mountain is higher, but because of the deeper spiritual connotation to 'Behar,' which is that on Behar Sinai, we were Blessed with HaShem's Presence and His Torah to help us through time, to 'Increase in Purity.'
Our own wants and ideals are so unimportant in the scheme of things for we are so small and insignificant , that we don't even see what is really important for tomorrow . Thus , only through trusting HaShem and Humbling ourselves to HaShem , can we go on the path we are supposed to go and 'Teleichu ' - 'Walk' in HaShem's Commandments, so that we can finish our journey and come to HaShem in love . 
With love to HaShem , I wish HaShem with love, a Beautiful Holy Shabbos Kodesh with love and to all, a beautiful Shabbos Kodesh with love.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.