Behar-Bechukotai Summaries
Behar-Bechukotai 5770-2010"Making a Reckoning"
How does the Torah regard the rights and property of non-Jews? In parashat Behar we learn of a remarkable law that protects the rights of a non-Jew even in a situation where the welfare and security of a Jew might be thought to override those rights. |
Behar-Bechukotai 5769-2009"Impoverishment: In those Days, in these Times" In parashat Behar, the poor person is described on several occasions as “mach,” crushed. Judaism’s remarkable laws regarding charity not only address the material losses of an impoverished person, but also attempt to heal the emotional losses of those who have lost their life’s possessions. |
Behar 5768-2008"The Incredible Yovel--The Jubilee Year"
In parashat Behar, the Torah introduces the revolutionary concept of Yovel, the Jewish Jubilee year, that was celebrated every fiftieth year of the Sabbatical cycle. According to the commentators, the Jubilee was intended to train the Jews in compassion, charity, and justice. However, it was much more than just that. Link to full |
Behar 5765-2005"The Torah's Revolutionary Economic System"
Parashat Behar often gets lost in the shuffle following Passover and before the summer, and yet contains many revolutionary concepts, challenging the prevailing ideas of both capitalism and socialism. The Torah provides its own modified economic system that attempts to insure the humanity of all people in all situations. Link to full |
Parashat Behar-Bechukotai 5764-2004 The first of the double portions, Behar, highlights the practice of Shemita--the Sabbatical year, and Yovel, the Jubilee celebration. These revolutionary ideas, from over 3300 years ago, were light-years ahead of their time, guaranteeing rest and rehabilitation for both people and land. Once again, the Torah shows its understanding for the critical need for universal education and the necessity for sacred time for family and for study, as well as the far-sighted vision of a system that provided for a more equitable distribution of wealth among all the inhabitants of the land. |
Behar-Bechukotai 5762-2002 “The Extraordinary Mitzvah of Tzedaka, Charity” The word tzedaka that we mention in Parashat Behar does not mean charity, but rather justice and righteousness. It is not an act of charity to be generous, it is the correct thing to do. L Link to full |
Behar-Bechukotai 5761-2001 “Setting a New Standard of Ethics” We've reached a point in society where even simple acts of kindness or honesty are considered extraordinary. As we learn in Parashat Behar. It is the Torah’s wish to transform such actions into the ordinary. Judaism sets very high standards--it aims for Utopia. Link to full |
Behar 5760-2000 “Wronging One Another: The Torah's Unique View Point” Jewish law maintains that especially vulnerable people must be protected from abuse. Therefore, one is forbidden to say even truthful things that are hurtful to others. The Torah provides many remarkable insights and directives that are intended to help people and society become more sensitive to one another. Link to full |