Parashat Behar is the 32nd weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of readings. It is located in the book of Leviticus, and it provides a detailed set of instructions for the observance of the Sabbatical year and the Jubilee year. The portion also includes laws regarding the treatment of slaves, the sale of property, and the redemption of land.
The opening verses of Parashat Behar introduce the concept of the Sabbatical year, which occurs every seven years. During this year, the land is to lie fallow, and all debts are to be forgiven. The Sabbatical year serves as a reminder of the importance of rest and rejuvenation and underscores the need to take a break from work and material pursuits.
The portion then moves on to a discussion of the Jubilee year, which occurs every fifty years. During this year, all land is to be returned to its original owner, and all slaves are to be set free. The Jubilee year serves as a reminder of the importance of social justice and equality, as well as the need to care for the most vulnerable members of society.
The portion also includes laws regarding the treatment of slaves, emphasizing the need to treat them with dignity and respect. The portion prohibits the mistreatment of slaves and emphasizes the importance of their release during the Jubilee year.
Another important aspect of Parashat Behar is the discussion of the sale of property and the redemption of land. The portion emphasizes the importance of land ownership and the need to maintain a connection to the land. It also provides a mechanism for the redemption of land that has been sold, emphasizing the importance of continuity and stability in society.
Overall, Parashat Behar provides a powerful set of instructions for the observance of the Sabbatical and Jubilee years, as well as laws regarding the treatment of slaves and the sale of property. The portion emphasizes the importance of rest, rejuvenation, and social justice and underscores the need to care for the most vulnerable members of society. The portion serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining a connection to the land and the need to ensure continuity and stability in society.
Behar
בהר
יוֹבֵ֣ל הִ֗וא שְׁנַ֛ת הַחֲמִשִּׁ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה תִּהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֑ם לֹ֣א תִזְרָ֔עוּ וְלֹ֤א תִקְצְרוּ֙ אֶת־סְפִיחֶ֔יהָ וְלֹ֥א תִבְצְר֖וּ אֶת־נְזִרֶֽיהָ׃
Jeremiah 16:19-17:14
My refuge in a day of trouble,
To You nations shall come
From the ends of the earth and say:
Our fathers inherited utter delusions,
Things that are futile and worthless.
No-gods are they!
Once and for all I will teach them
My power and My might.
And they shall learn that My name is LORD.
With a stylus of iron,
Engraved with an adamant point
On the tablet of their hearts,
And on the horns of their altars,
Their altars and sacred posts,
By verdant trees,
Upon lofty hills.
Throughout your borders,
I will make your rampart a heap in the field,
And all your treasures a spoil.-b
The inheritance I have given you;
I will make you a slave to your enemies
In a land you have never known.
For you have kindled the flame of My wrath
Which shall burn for all time.
Cursed is he who trusts in man,
Who makes mere flesh his strength,
And turns his thoughts from the LORD.
Which does not sense the coming of good:
It is set in the scorched places of the wilderness,
In a barren land without inhabitant.
Whose trust is the LORD alone.
Sending forth its roots by a stream:
It does not sense the coming of heat,
Its leaves are ever fresh;
It has no care in a year of drought,
It does not cease to yield fruit.
It is perverse—who can fathom it?
Search the mind—
To repay every man according to his ways,
With the proper fruit of his deeds.
So is one who amasses wealth by unjust means;
In the middle of his life it will leave him,
And in the end he will be proved a fool.
Our Sacred Shrine!
All who forsake You shall be put to shame,
Those in the land who turn from You
Shall be doomed men,
For they have forsaken the LORD,
The Fount of living waters.
Save me, and let me be saved;
For You are my glory.
Parashat Aharei Mot Weekday reading Moroccan te’amim