פרשת בהר
In this week’s parsha, we learn about shmitta. During the shmitta year, we aren’t allowed to plant, water, or harvest anything from our fields. The Midrash in Yalkut Tehillim 103 says that a person who has the trust in Hashem and does not engage in any agricultural activities the entire year of shmitta is a real hero. Indeed, the mitzvah of shmitta is really a mitzvah to trust completely in Hashem. “And if you will say ‘What are we going to eat in the 7th year? We’re not planting or gathering our produce!’ (In response) I will command my bracha to be on the 6th year and it will make enough produce for 3 years.” However, if one thinks about this pasook long enough, he will notice a problem. If one gets his bracha in the 6th year, how is shmitta a test? He should have plenty to eat! He just received 3 years-worth of food! What does he have to worry about now?
The Cli Yakar explains that the bracha of shmitta is unique in that is indiscernible to the human eye. Really the 6th year’s produce appears to be a normal crop. There doesn’t seem to be any surplus at all. However, if one trusts in Hashem and keeps shmitta, the food he eats will have a far superior ability to satiate than normal produce. Miraculously, even though it doesn’t look like one will have enough food to last him even through the shmitta year, he will be pleasantly surprised to find that he never seems to empty any of his warehouses. However, when entering the shmitta year, he must rely on Hashem’s promise that he’ll have enough to eat and even though he doesn’t see the bracha he must believe that it’s there. Sometimes people think that Hashem’s not really giving them a bracha since they didn’t get a raise in salary, didn’t close the deal, etc. However, shmitta teaches us that Hashem has all kinds of ways to give us bracha and He’s taking care of us even when we can’t see it.
The Madregas HaAdam writes that shmitta also presents another test. One might reason that it would actually be a good idea to save up produce. So instead of eating normally, one could starve himself and his family in order to have enough to get by in the shmitta year. From a business perspective, planning in advance and taking these measures seems to be clever and shows great foresight. A person could even be acting leshem shamayim, intending to save up in order to keep the mitzvah of shmitta. However, by taking this course of action, one is actually showing a lack of trust in Hashem. Hashem promised to give you blessing in the 6th year! Why are you starving yourself? Ironically, a person saving up because he wants to do Hashem’s will and keep shmitta, he is actually defeating the whole purpose. Instead of shmitta being utilized as an opportunity to strengthen his trust in Hashem, shmitta actually makes him live as if there were no G-d taking care of him. Sadly, it’s a well-known phenomenon in America that a family will even decide to have fewer children because they worry about being able to afford Jewish education. The message of shmitta is that as long as we do Hashem’s will, He will take care of us and there is no reason to be over-anxious about what the future might hold.
Developing trust in G-d is essential to having a relationship with Him. If one struggles in trusting Hashem, he really doubts Hashem Himself. Such a person either doesn’t believe Hashem really has the power to help him, or he believes that indeed Hashem has the power to help him, but for some reason doesn’t want to, even though Hashem has told us that we are His children and He loves us! Either way, such a person doesn’t really believe in the G-d revealed to us through the Torah and Hazal. So obviously he can’t have a real relationship with Him. He has abandoned G-d. Just as one leaves G-d, so will Hashem leave him. The Hovos HaLevavos in Shaar HaBitachon writes that if one trusts in things other than G-d, like his business, strong connections with powerful people, or his health, Hashem will leave him in the hands of those things. So if the business goes bankrupt, his friends in high places ignore him, or he becomes ill, chas v’shalom, there’s no one to turn to.
The Midrash in Tehillim 121 says something fascinating about the benefit of trusting in G-d. The psalm calls Hashem the “shadow over your right side.” The Midrash explains that trusting in G-d is like giving off shade. The more one puts out his arm, the greater the shade there is. So too the more one trusts in Hashem, the greater His response. There is a story of the Alshich who gave a drasha in his shul about the importance of trust in G-d. He declared before all that if one really trusts in G-d and devotes himself to learning and davening, he won’t ever have to worry about his income. One of the congregants, inspired by the message, decided to sell most his property and live a simple life just trusting in Hashem. Miraculously, while selling his belongings, he found a giant case filled with gold coins, enough money to provide for him the rest of his life. Hearing the incredible news, other congregants also decided to do the same. However, they weren’t as fortunate and besides not finding any treasure, they reduced themselves to great poverty. They came before the Alshich and asked him why things were going so wrong for them. They had listened to his advice! The Alshich answered, “The first man really believed in Hashem! You just copied him!” To believe in Hashem so fully requires a lot of faith but this story clearly demonstshmittaes where trust in G-d can take you.
I once met a religious Sephardi man who told me he was a gardener. Upon hearing this, I asked him how is he able to get through shmitta. He told me the most fascinating story. The first shmitta as a gardener, he didn’t know how he was going to support himself and his family. However, he knew that Hashem wants him to keep shmitta so he might as well spend the year learning in a yeshiva. While he was in yeshiva, his financial situation became increasingly difficult. One of the guys in the Kollel came up with an idea for him. If he could take the scrap metal people leave on the side of the road, like old washing machines, refrigerators, and left-over cars, he could sell it. He took that advice and collected the scrap metal between between sedarim. He became known in the neighborhood and people would call him when they wanted to throw something out. Miraculously, in that year specifically the price of metal sky-rocketed and he made more than enough money to support his family. When he returned to gardening the next year, the price of metal went back down to normal. Even in today’s modern world, we can see clearly that if one has real trust in Hashem, Hashem will certainly watch over him.
May we all be blessed to trust in Hashem!!!