|
|
||
HOME
|
|
Drash for Shabbat Behar-Bechukotai By Bess Ecelbarger - May 11, 2007 This week's Torah portion, Behar-Bechukotai, is actually a double portion and the last in the Book of Leviticus. One of the main points of Behar is the idea of a sabbatical. God commands that every seventh year there will be a Shabbat of the land; a complete rest from harvesting and planting. God guaranteed that if the land was well cared for in the first six years, there would be an abundance of food to get the people through the Sabbatical year. This took a bold act of trust and faith in God on the part of the Israelites, as well as faith in themselves, that their efforts to that point would result in enough food to sustain them during the year long Shabbat period. What did God have in mind with this idea of a sabbatical of the land? Was God hoping the Israelites would take time to appreciate the fruits of their own labor and allow them a much needed rest? In turn, did God feel that the land deserved a long Sabbath after working hard and being productive for six long years? Was God testing the resolve of the peoples' faith? This got me to thinking…What things in our lives require such a great act of faith? The first thing that came to my mind is parenting. As parents, we work hard to love and support our children, to give them the tools they need to be good, kind, responsible and self-sufficient people. While we don't ever get a Sabbatical year from parenting (though I'm sure many would consider it if it were an option), we have to trust in ourselves and in God that our efforts will pay off in the future. Surely, the Israelites were worried that they wouldn't have enough food to sustain themselves during the sabbatical, just as we have doubts about parenting and other endeavors we undertake in our lives. Our faith can often be tested. What would God say to them, to us, when we waver with doubt? Maybe it would be, "with commitment, comes reward." Shabbat Shalom.
|
