Parshas BeHar-BeChukosai

This week's Torah portion is again a double sidra, parshas Be'Har-Be'Chukosai, and the last in the book of Vayikra (Leviticus), the third book in the Torah of Moshe. The word Be'Har, literally means "on the mountain" and refers to the instructions which Moshe received on Mt. Sinai, specifically here the laws of agricultural cycles. The Torah instructs that in the land of Israel once every 7 years should be a "shabbos", a year of rest, for the land where nothing is sown or harvested (known as "shimtta", we just had one this past year), and once every 50 years is known as jubilee. The jubilee is similar to shimtta, except that additionally all sold lands are returned to their original owner (as established by laws of inheritance from when the Jews first entered the land of Israel after the 40 years in the desert), and all slaves are freed. Be'Chukosai literally means "in my statues" and begins a long list of rewards and punishments (more of the later, unfortunately, G-d should protect us!) that come as a result of observance or disobedience of the said "statutes". Since generally in ChaBaD we like to focus on the positive, I would like to share something on the former sidra, Parshas Be'Har, regarding the laws of slaves, about which it is written that we may not treat a jewish slave in an oppressive manner, however, we may burden a "canaannite" slave with backbreaking labor (this slave comes from one of the 7 nations that inhabited Israel before the exodus from Egypt). Although the Torah permits such behavior, the Rambam, Maimonides, the illustrious codifier of Jewish law, teaches that it is "the Trait of Kindness and the Way of Wisdom" to treat even the canaanite slave as an equal, and that the great sages would feed their animals and their slaves before they themselves ate. He explains the logical reason that one's property should not be damaged (i.e. a sick slave) and that the slave should not flee, however, if this logic held so strongly, and the Way of Wisdom so clear, than seemingly the Rambam would not have to explain also that such behavior represents a Trait of Kindness. Therefore, we learn from this that primarily this behavior comes from kindness, and that the monetary benefit only adds to the incentive. Furthermore, because the Rambam here compares this treatment of slaves to the treatment of animals, we can say that just as feeding one's animal before oneself defies logic, so does feeding one's slave; and in fact a master would have good reason NOT to treat his slave in this manner, so that he will not become accustomed to such comforts and shirk his responsibilities as a slave. So, we must certainly say that this halacha, this law, which the Rambam brings, primarily relies on this Trait of Kindness, and not the Way of Wisdom. As regards this Trait of Kindness, the Rambam continues, and explains that such behavior first appeared in the world by Abraham, our Father, who achieved fame for his great hospitality, even bringing in guests out of the desert to share his Pesach meal WHILE recovering from his bris at the ripe age of 99! In our case, however, this kindness inherited from Abraham, does not even suffice, as the Rambam continues to explain two further reasons for acting with mercy: (1) Torah demands that a man act with such mercy, (2) Hashem commands that we should imitate his traits, just as He is exceedingly kind and merciful, so should we be. Therefore, the kindness expected from us here does not refer to a simple human kindness, that taught to us by Abraham (which often depends on whether the recipient is deserving of such), but rather a much higher, divine level of kindness, one with no limitations, that of the Torah and the Holy One Blessed be He! Since before G-d all stand equally, both those deserving of mercy and those seemingly not, his kindness truly knows no bounds, and with the power of the Torah, we too can act with such a level of kindness and mercy. Still, we must explain, why does the Rambam teach us this concept with regard to slaves? Simply put, compared to Hashem, all humans are likes slaves (I've included a chapter from the Book of Psalms which relates to this concept), and nevertheless we are taught that everything Hashem expects from us He Himself fulfills, and therefore we should all know that even when we find ourselves in a very low place (about canaanite slaves it is written that "they prefer loose women"), Hashem always acts towards us with abundant mercy, even "feeding" us first from his dinner plate, so to speak, in order that we should have the strength to move on and continue to grow in Torah, and in tzedakah a good deeds. I appreciate everyone for reading this week's slightly longer email, and I would like to give us all a blessing, in the merit of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, that Hashem's limitless kindness should be revealed in all of our lives in very open ways!

Psalm 123
1. A song of ascents. To You have I lifted my eyes, You Who are enthroned in heaven. 2. Indeed, as the eyes of servants are turned to the hand of their masters, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so are our eyes turned to the Lord our God, until He will be gracious to us. 3. Be gracious to us, Lord, be gracious to us, for we have been surfeited with humiliation. 4. Our soul has been overfilled with the derision of the complacent, with the scorn of the arrogant.