ובשנה השביעית שבת שבתון יהיה לארץ שבת להשם

“And in the seventh year the land shall have a shabbos of complete rest, a Shabbos for Hashem” (25:4)

In this parshah, we learn all about the shemitah year. For six years, we are told to work on our lands. We sow the fields, prune the vineyards, and gather in the produce. Some years yield better crops than others. Then, when we finally get a rhythm going, fully focused and consumed with what we are doing, we are told to stop and let it all go for a full year, only to start from scratch all over again. It probably doesn’t help that during that year, we must tolerate others walking through our fields, taking whatever they would like, and acting as if they own the place. For some this may be a daunting task – and yet, the Torah mandates this from all of us.

For those of us living in chutz la’Aretz, this mitzvah will not seem that applicable, and we may even have trouble relating to it. Many of us may go as far as to “buy in” to the mitzvah by helping to support farmers or even buying a small amount of land in Eretz Yisroel – but this doesn’t give us a real appreciation of what it takes to put the entire source of our livelihood on standby for a year – not to mention risking some serious losses for future produce as well.

The Torah calls the year of shemitah by the name “Shabbos”. The regular Shabbos that we all celebrate each week possesses some similar attributes to the mitzvah of shemitah. ששת ימים תעבד ועשית כל מלאכתך וביום השביעי שבת להשם אלוקיך – For six days we are told to do our work, and then we are commanded to stop on the seventh day. In both cases, the Torah states that the time off shall be a “Shabbos for Hashem.” It would seem from here that the Torah is giving us an insight into what that time off is supposed to accomplish. Taking it a step further – if the Torah wants us to spend the day in this manner, it is entirely possible that the Torah understands that the nature of man is to grow somewhat distant from Hashem during the week and therefore it is necessary to recalibrate over Shabbos.

Six years of working diligently may cause one to forget that the sole purpose of existence is to connect with Hashem in all our actions. ואתם הדבקים בהשם אלוקיכם חיים כולכם היום – By doing so, one is truly living a life of purpose. So the Torah tells us to take a sabbatical and remember why we are working.

Similarly, throughout the week, we work our jobs. The days of working 9 to 5 are long-gone for most, especially with technology in our pockets allowing us to bring our work everywhere we go. And then, Shabbos comes along, inviting us inside to spend time with Hashem. Shabbos brings with it a reprieve from the preceding six days; a chance to exhale, revive, reinvent and move forward feeling completely refreshed and getting back into the proper mindset. For all intents and purposes, Shabbos is a mini shemitah that can be experienced by any Yid, wherever they are.

I once saw a decorative sign in a store that said, “Wash, dry, fold. Repeat”. At times, life can feel that way, but it is not meant to. The Torah keeps telling us to take a break to remember why we do what we do.

There is another idea that I would like to mention. Throughout the week, our pace tends to be quick, running from place to place, barely stopping to catch a breath. In Parshas Vayigash, we find that Yosef told the brothers: ויאמר אליהם אל תרגזו בדרך– Do not become agitated along the way (45:24). In one interpretation of the pasuk, the Gemara says אל תפסיעו פסיעה גסה – Don’t take large steps. Presumably, they were rushing to get home to Yaakov Avinu to bring him the good tidings that Yosef was still alive. Yosef knew that they would want to go as fast as possible. Therefore, Yosef told them not to take such large steps, because large steps cause a loss of 1/500th of one’s eyesight (as per Maseches Taanis, 10b).

When we are on the run, we tend to lack yishuv hada’as, peace of mind. Yosef was asking them why, so many years before, they had judged him while on the road – in a place where they lacked full clarity. Should it not have been brought back to the Beis Medrash to be discussed at length, perhaps with Yaakov?

Furthermore, Yosef tells them that they took large steps – meaning, they were hasty to judge him. Don’t Chazal warn us “hevai mesunim badin,” be patient when passing judgment? What happens when things are done too quickly? Hastiness can result in a lack of clarity. Accordingly, when the Gemara says that large steps cause a loss of vision, this can also be interpreted to mean that making quick decisions causes blurriness – a loss of the ability to see things clearly.

In truth, we all act as a judge when we see things happening. At times, when people act in certain ways, we may be quick to render a judgment, and at times, when questionable things happen to us, we may chas v’shalom be quick to pass judgment on Hashem. But if only we would wait patiently, we would see a different picture! Hevai mesunim badin! For six days we work hard and at times even question the way things seem to be going. But is this assessment based on clarity, or perhaps in a rushed manner?

Interestingly, the Gemara in Maseches Brachos (43b) tells us that the remedy for this loss of vision is the wine of Kiddush on Friday night. Rashi understands this to refer to the drinking of the Kiddush wine, but the Me’iri and Maharsha explain that this refers to the effect that the experience of Shabbos itself has on a person. Perhaps the explanation behind this remedy is that Shabbos is a time when “large steps” are forbidden. For most of us, Shabbos is the first time in the week that we have a chance to actually stop for a moment, look at ourselves, and contemplate the different happenings and occurrences in our lives. Suddenly, after the menucha of Shabbos hits us, we start to see a much clearer picture, and we understand things differently than the way we perceived them during the week.

On numerous occasions I have heard from colleagues that they envy the “Jewish Sabbath,” because it forces everyone to stop and catch their breath. When I ask them what stops them from taking a break, I always get more or less the same basic response – “You know, life happens at a million miles per minute, and once you are running the rat race you just can’t stop.”

Shemitah, Shabbos – and any downtime, for that matter – is truly a gift which, if used wisely, one may experience the greatest gains possible that would otherwise not be available. Let’s try our best to seize these golden opportunities.

אם בחוקותי תלכו ואת מצותי תשמרו ועשיתם אותם

“If you follow My statutes and observe My commandments and perform them” (26:3)

The Mishna in Maseches Rosh Hashanah tells us that there are four times a year that the world is judged. On Pesach the world is judged for its grain; on Shavuos for its fruits; on Rosh Hashanah every person is judged individually, and on Sukkos the world is judged for its water.

On Pesach we say a special tefillah for tal, asking Hashem that the dew which covers the ground shall be a source of blessing, which of course is connected to the production of grain. On Sukkos we say the tefillah of geshem, beseeching Hashem that the rains shall bring blessing and not curse. On Rosh Hashanah our tefillos are extra-long as we accept upon ourselves Hashem’s kingship and the yoke of Heaven, at the same time asking that Hashem will bestow upon us a year of blessing. But on Shavuos, there is absolutely no mention in the tefillos about the fruit. If this is the day that the world is judged for the coming year’s produce, why then is there no mention of it?

In our parshah, the Torah tells us that אם בחוקותי תלכו – if you will follow My statutes, then you will be guaranteed many brachos. The rains will come on time, the fruits will grow and the land will produce grain. Everything will be wonderful and the bracha will last from one season to the next.

Rashi explains that אם בחוקותי תלכו means שתהיו עמלים בתורה – that you shall toil in Torah. Based on this Rashi, perhaps we can suggest that it is no wonder that we do not need to daven for our fruits on Shavuos. If we observe the Yom Tov of Shavuos properly, reaffirming our acceptance of the Torah and immersing ourselves in its study over the Yom Tov, this will be the greatest form of asking Hashem for all the brachos. By dedicating ourselves to live a life of Torah, continuously growing and reaching new levels, then the fruits will grow, bringing bountiful blessing upon us and our families.

I distinctly remember the day during my childhood that my father brought home a new water cooler machine. It sat proudly in our kitchen corner with the blue five-gallon water bottle nestled on top. Each time the bottle emptied, a new bottle of water would be opened and inserted into the machine. As children, we always loved observing the bottle-changing procedure, because back then, these bottles had a standard bottle cap that did nothing to prevent the inevitable spilling. We had always marveled at the strength needed to successfully turn over the forty pound jug without flooding our home.

If for a moment we can think about swimming in a pool, feeling the water rushing over our shoulders as we do our laps, there is a curious thought that comes to mind. No one ever asks, “How are you able to carry all that water on your shoulders?” But why not? What is wrong with that question? Aren’t there thousands of gallons of water now sitting on top of you? And of course, the answer is obvious: When you are in it, you don’t feel it!

The same is true with the Torah. אם בחוקותי תלכו – toil in it! From a peripheral point of view, of course it seems difficult, and at times rather exhausting. One can stand by and watch others as they carry the Torah and its mitzvos, learning intensely and plodding their way through difficult sugyos. It can seem daunting at first glance. But of course, if we are in it, it all feels different; gone are the hardships of carrying its weight.

A common question that is asked of a Torah observant Jew is, “Don’t you find your life so restrictive and difficult? I can never live that type of lifestyle!” But once again, when one stands on the outside without ever jumping in, he will very likely get that impression.

As we prepare for Kabbalas Hatorah, we should keep in mind that there is no better way to ready oneself for this awesome day than by actually immersing oneself in the oceans of the Torah.

Good Shabbos, מרדכי אפפעל