“Proclaim Liberty throughout the Lands for All Its Inhabitants.”

This week’s Torah Portion is a double portion Behar/Bechukotai. In Behar the laws concerning the observance of the sabbatical and jubilee years are proposed. The Israelites are commanded to give their fields and vineyards “a complete rest” every seventh year, eating only what grows from uncultivated ground. After seven Sabbaticals that is, in the fiftieth year the Israelites are commanded to “Proclaim Liberty throughout the Lands for All Its Inhabitants.” On Yom Kippur of that year the shofar is sounded, announcing the Jubilee, “the year of release” during which all tribal lands are to return to their original borders and all slaves are freed. This says that the land ultimately belongs to God and no one should be a slave forever and there should not be a permanent underclass. The words proclaiming the Jubilee appears on the Liberty Bell. It says in our prayer book that our children are on loan to us. We can expand that and say all that we have is on loan to us so we must treat all we have with respect and reverence. The concept of conservation comes from this Torah portion as well as the concept of ultimate freedom for all. Ancient words still waiting to be fulfilled.

Cantor Sussman