בס”ד
One of this week’s reading is called Behar, which means “at the mountain”. The first commandment explained if that of the resting of the land in the seventh year. This Mitzvah has a lesson for each one of us. Based on Likutei Sichot vol. 1, p. 273 and other sources.
Parshat Behar: The Message of Shmita and Mount Sinai
One of the Torah portions read this week is called Behar, which literally means “on the mountain”, referring to Mount Sinai. This parsha begins by introducing a particular mitzvah (commandment) known in Hebrew as Shmita.
What is Shmita?
Shmita is the commandment to let the land rest. The Torah instructs that for six years, we are to work the land — sowing, planting, harvesting, and so on. But in the seventh year, we must let the land rest. Then, after seven cycles of seven years (7 × 7 = 49), we reach the Yovel (Jubilee) year — the 50th year, during which the land also rests. This results in two consecutive years of rest: the 49th (the Shmita year of the seventh cycle) and the 50th (the Jubilee year).
Why is this Parsha Called “Behar” (On the Mountain)?
The commentators and sages ask: What is the connection between this specific mitzvah — Shmita — and Mount Sinai?
After all, the general idea of the land resting was already mentioned earlier, in Parshat Mishpatim. So why is it repeated here, in greater detail, and why is this parsha specifically called “Behar”?
The answer lies in the principle it teaches: Just as the details of the Shmita commandment were given at Mount Sinai, so too were the details of all commandments given at Mount Sinai. Don’t think that the Torah only provided general rules and that later, the sages invented the details. That is a mistake.
Parshat Behar is teaching us that both the general principles and the specific details of every mitzvah were given at Mount Sinai. Sometimes the details are written explicitly in the Torah, and sometimes they are alluded to and later clarified by the sages. But they all originate at Sinai.
Why are some mitzvot detailed clearly, while others are more hidden or alluded to? We don’t always know. That is G-d’s will. But the fundamental teaching is that every part of the Torah — both broad and specific — comes from Sinai.
Why Use Shmita as the Example?
This raises another question: Why choose Shmita as the example for this teaching? After all, Shmita seems like a very specific and limited mitzvah. It only applies to the Land of Israel, and only once every seven years. Most opinions agree that, biblically, it doesn’t even apply today — only rabbinically.
So why use this mitzvah to teach such a fundamental concept about all of Judaism?
The Deeper Message of Shmita
Let’s look deeper. For six years, we work the land. In the seventh year, we let the land — and ourselves — rest. But the goal is not just physical rest. It is spiritual reconnection. We remove ourselves from earthly, mundane labor and focus on G-d.
This cycle teaches us that:
- To be truly connected to G-d, we need moments of separation from the material world.
- To live meaningfully in the physical world, we must be deeply grounded in spirituality.
Only when we take time to disconnect from daily work and reconnect with our divine purpose can we then re-engage with the world and elevate it, rather than be consumed by it.
In other words, the six years of work are important — we are meant to engage with the world. But the seventh year of spiritual reflection is equally essential. It gives us the strength and clarity to return to work with a higher purpose.
A Universal Lesson
This lesson is universal, even if the commandment of Shmita does not practically apply to everyone — for example, someone living in Argentina. The spiritual message, however, applies to every single person: balance material engagement with spiritual reflection. Be in the world, but not of the world. Work with the world, but don’t be enslaved by it.
This is the core of Judaism: to refine the physical world while staying connected to G-d. And that’s why the Torah uses Shmita to illustrate the greater point that every mitzvah — with all its details — comes from Sinai.
A Word for Non-Jews
Finally, this teaching is relevant not only for Jews. Some may think that the Seven Noahide Laws — the seven mitzvot for non-Jews — are just broad principles like “Don’t kill” or “Don’t steal.” But that’s not the full picture.
As explained in Sefer HaChinuch, particularly in mitzvah 416, these seven commandments are general categories that contain many detailed ethical and spiritual instructions. Non-Jews, too, are called to explore the depth and richness behind these commandments, not just treat them as vague guidelines.
In Conclusion
Just as the details of Shmita were given “Behar” — on the mountain — the same applies to all mitzvot. The Torah is not a book of vague morals, but a divine system of specific and meaningful actions, all rooted in Mount Sinai.
Talk from Rabbi Tuvia Serber
The above is a representation of the spoken text converted to written text.
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