Those Shameful Thoughts and What They Really Say about You
The most common phrase of the Torah is “And God said to Moses saying…” In this week’s Torah portion, the Torah gives us a little extra information, “God said to Moses on Mt. Sinai saying...” and then continues with telling us about the laws of shmitta, which entails letting land owned by Jews lay fallow every 7 years. What is the connection specifically with the laws of shmitta and having to tell us that God gave this commandment on Mt. Sinai?
Lesson:
The Torah in its entirety was given to the Jewish people on Mt. Sinai. Why is it in only in this week’s portion that it’s mentioned? The Jews heard the all the commandments on Mt. Sinai!
So what is shmitta? A Jewish famer works hard to make a living by watering, sewing, planning, plowing, tilling his crop until God tells him that for an entire year he has to stop. But this is the source of his livelihood, how is he to make money and support himself and his family during this time? Shmitta is a beautiful mitzvah because it is a very physical and tangible way to practice the faith in God that we try to implement.
During shmitta year, the land lays fallow. It becomes hefker – ownerless to any one person. We take this time to recognize that all along it is really God’s land that He has allowed us to use. The land during shmitta goes back to its Source – back to its true owner, God, Who created it. During shmitta it lays fallow, just to be - not to produce, not to create, not to make and reap and give. Just to be. And thus, the farmer also has to just be. The farmer has to have complete faith in God that He will provide for him despite not having an income to draw from.
From that place of not doing but recognizing it’s all from God, the land will be able to produce much more. This is an unbelievable secret – we think that running, doing, producing, churning, more and more gives more and more, but this is a farce. We like to think that we are in control but when we stop and recognize that everything is really God’s and He is running the show, we allow something much greater than ourselves and our efforts to manifest. We allow God into our lives and with God, anything and everything is possible.
It would be easy for a farmer to think, “What? Don’t work for a year?! How am I going to survive?” But then it forces us to recognize that everything comes from God. The same God Who created us is also sustaining us. And while we have a duty to put in our best efforts, God is teaching a beautiful lesson that ultimately it is Him Who keeps us alive and is responsible for our very existence. This is the point of Torah and mitzvot – to recognize God in our lives. To move aside the veil of nature to reveal God’s loving hand beneath it all.
Exercise: Make space for God in your life. Take an aspect in your life that feels heavy with responsibility. Ask God to help and recognize that God is ultimately in charge. See if that task feels lighter.
