(from Shem Mishmuel Parshat Behar)
Finding Ourselves Through Shemita and Yovel
Parshat Behar opens with the parshiot of Shemita and Yovel. The Shem Mishmuel points out a subtle textual distinction between the Torah’s language in the two sections. Shemita is spoken about in the singular – “sadkha (sing.) lo tizra (sing.),” karmekha (sing.) lo tizmor (sing.),” lekha (sing.), ul’avdekha (sing.), vela’amatekha (sing.) . . .”; whereas Yovel is spoken about in the plural – “vekidashtem,” “lakhem,” “veshavtem,” all plural forms. He explains the distinction based on the following comment by the Zohar.
The Zohar says that when the Torah speaks to all of Israel but uses the singular (for example, the first paragraph of Keriat Shema), it’s words are directed at the collective unit of the people of Israel. A plural “you”, on the other hand, is directed at each and every individual of the people of Israel (like in the second paragraph of Keriat Shema). Plugging it in to our Parsha, the Shemita section is directed at Klal Yisrael as a unit, whereas Yovel is directed at each individual within Klal Yisrael.
The goal of Shemita, says the Shem Mishmuel, is for all Israel to feel as one unit, with no distinctions between rich and poor. Everyone has an equal hand in the land of Israel. Yovel, in contrast, focuses on the individual. Each person returns to his family, and each person returns to the tract of land his family was given by G-d when the Jews entered the land of Israel in Yehoshua’s time. The Zohar, on the verse, “Each man returns to his inheritance,” comments, “Each man returns to his own soul’s source.
There is a powerful message in this. We all search for our unique individual place and purpose in the world. The lesson of this parsha is that it is only through joining up with Klal Yisrael that we can specialize and individualize. Our personal unique purpose will be found after we unite with and become part of all of Israel. Only after Shemita are we ready for Yovel.
[prepared by Eliezer Kwass]
