Behar-Bechukosai - 4th Portion

Join us as we learn Humash for Wednesday, the fourth Torah reading of parshas Behar and Bechukosai combined. This fourth Torah reading will bring us from the Torah reading of Behar into Bechukosai as well. The Torah now tells us the laws pertaining a Hebrew Jewish slave as well as a Gentile slave and how and way we deal with them. Chapter 25 verse 29. Verse 39. If your brother becomes destitute with you, then he and therefore he is sold to you. Do not work with him a labor that would be like a bondsman. What does this mean? How do you not make him a slave if he was sold to you? So, Rashi explains as follows. Avoid this of it. Avoid the show again. I don't give him embarrassing labor. So, he never have it that he will then will look like to everybody that he's a slave. For example, surely you will carry all the base of don't make him carry your clothes for you to the wash outs. Follow you by him and all of don't get him to start closing putting on your shoes for you. These are things that are not meant for a Jewish slave but for a not more fitting for a Gentile slave. How then should you treat him? He should be rather he must be employed to you like an employee. I as or a hired resident. Actually, you will have it you must he will only work with you until the Jubilee year. You should give him work which is like working with the ground or other types of labor ours here among his high boy like other hired workers that you have. Until the Jubilee year. Probably a year from now my year will make you feel up, then he goes out at the Jubilee year. And he leaves from you. He must leave you. Therefore, as well, that ends the obligation of whom one of you may that as long as he works for you have an obligation to feed him and his family. Once he leaves, then you don't have to leave then you don't have to feed his family anymore. That means him and his children with him. Then returns to his family and then he his father's. That's where he goes back to. Rashi says, what does it mean him and his children? If he sold himself, who sold his children? From here we learn we know that the master is obligated to feed his family that while this person is a Jewish slave for you, you are obligated to feed his family's wife and children as well. Means it goes back to the honor of his forefathers. Do not embarrass the person and you were once a slave, who do you think you are? What does it mean the inheritance? To whatever his doesn't only mean to the property of land, but also any type of leadership or important role this individual had. Verse 42. You have to have proper respect for such an individual because the Jewish person is truly my servant. I shall take them out of the land of Egypt and therefore do not insult them as a slave as sold. My document that means I purchased them. They are my slaves before you purchased them as a slave. Meaning that you should announce shouldn't go like on the slave market. Don't go on the slave market and announce, "Oh, here wants to purchase a slave." And don't put him on the stone when meaning in the place on the stand and people would analyze, "Is he a good slave? Not a good slave?" It should not be done in a public manner of selling this kind of slave. Verse 43, "I see you the Do not give him any backbreaking labor which demoralizing labor. Don't just give him work which is unnecessary. The only reason why you're giving it to him is to pain him and to give him backbreaking work. I'll tell him to say to him that warm up this cup and you don't it's not necessary. We are digging under this tree until I come just to give him things to do. Maybe you might say I don't know maybe I might need it maybe I might not need it. Therefore, God says it is necessary. God must live. This is something which is given over to the heart of each person. We cannot determine and say is the person doing a necessary work or not. Therefore, God says for you you will fear God. God knows if this is necessary or not. Now we're going to talk about the Gentile servants and therefore the slaves or maid servants that you may have from the nations around you around you. From them you may purchase a non-Jewish bondwoman or bondman or bondwoman from them. For 44 Rashi If you say I'm not allowed to get this Jewish slave to work like a regular slave so who's going to do my work for me? If I can't do anyway show if with the Jewish ones I can't govern. With Shiva Ainais and with the seven nations of the world, I'm not even allowed to take them as slaves for days or eternally to because we were told to kill wipe them all out. And who's going to be there to help? So therefore the Torah says from the nations which nations they should be for slaves. But which ones those that are outside the land of Israel you can import them and bring them to be your slaves. Not those that are living within the boundaries of Israel. Because those seven nations and when you come into the land of Israel you were told that they should eradicate them all. Verse 45. So to those residents that are living amongst you may him take new from those you are able to purchase and when we and from their family that is with you. I should have lived in my that were born in your land. They will become part of your estate. Rashi explains who are these people that we're referring to. These people that came around from the outside lands and they now came to you came to you and they both and they married women that are living in your land. The older they gave birth. The sun goes after the father. Being that the father is not a the father is from an outside land. He's an outsider. They are not part of the obligation eradicating them. A lot of them can buy them as a slave. May him take new. From them you will purchase. Meaning also take new those nations are the ones that you are going to be able to purchase as servants. Verse 46. You will you will then retain ownership for your children as you inherit an estate. Achuzah. same way your children inherit estate, they will also inherit your slaves. They must then work for you forever. And but as for your brothers, the Israelites, no man are you allowed to make your brother with back-breaking labor. This is not all to my soul as I speak of them, meaning hold on to these slaves. Let's say that the Nachalah as an inheritance let's say that I can make a gift for the need of your children later on. But what are you talking about? It's not this. It doesn't mean to explain as another place is meaning that you should give them and they become as an inheritance to your children because then it would have said, "And your children will inherit them." Therefore, he is not held them as he is holding them. You have to keep them, inquire them that they will be an acquisition that will be for you for eternity that they will now you will be able to give them over to your children as well. Love you. What does it mean? Not see by This what does mean? A person and his brother, if the Torah already said before you're not allowed to give them any back-breaking labor, this is coming to tell us as well even if it's a leader amongst the Jewish people or a king. They are also told that they cannot be give a Jew back-breaking labor. Verse 47. Now, if this individual decides that if a residential alien, meaning a Ger Toshav, a residential or alien, gains means, and because of that your brother becomes destitute, and because of that the Nimkar the Ger Toshav and he sold to this um resident, to this resident alien which is amongst you, or if he is sell is he is sold to a family and idol uh to serve as an attendant as an idol of a non-Jewish family or a convert. What does this mean? Rashi explained as follows, 47. Yad Ger Tushav. Ger Tushav, that means he's a resident but he's an alien. Meaning he's a but who could have come here around Tushav. He is a non-Jewish person who is not circumcised but he's living amongst you. The same way we can Tushav as we see at the end that he is sold to a Ger Tushav meaning that he's a convert. He comes from another land but he's living he's allowed to live in the land of Israel because since he accepted upon himself that he's not going to serve idolatry. The Yad of Ger Tushav means that he will cause that this individual that this a non-Jew should be able to make that much money. That's because the book came out because since he's hanging around the Jewish people and the blessing of the Jewish people goes to him as well and he's able to have money. But what happens is he got a militia who caused that this individual should not have money. Deep Ali because he was learning from the Gentiles and therefore he thought he was going to be able to excel this way but unfortunately he went he became destitute because of it. Zah this is the family of the Ger. This is the non-Jew that we're talking about before that he's living in the land of Israel because since he's not going to serve idolatry. However, when he uses the terminology Aker this is somebody who is actually sold to be an attendant and work for the idolatry. To be a attendant to be an attendant for idolatry. The law is not to serve it. He was given a job that he should be able to do things to be able to help the idolatry whether it's the chop wood for it or serve water for it get water for it and so on. And therefore as we're going to see in the next verse that we have to try to get this person out because he shouldn't be there working for a for a Gentile and number two even more importantly that he shouldn't be there working for somebody that is in attendance for idolatry. After he is sold he must have After he was sold he must have unlimited rights of redemption. One of his brothers one of his brothers must redeem him and to redeem him immediately to prevent him from assimilating amongst the non-Jewish culture. You should redeem him right away that he shouldn't be able to that he shouldn't assimilate. 15 for him how are you going to redeem him? So the way you're going to do it is as follows. I'm sorry 49. Who are the people that can redeem if his brothers cannot redeem him then either his uncle or the son or son of his uncle which would be your cousin you go let him should redeem him or he should redeem him or if any of his next closest relatives from his family you go let him should redeem him or you see or he becomes able to afford it and he can be redeemed on his own. Verse 50. How are you going to redeem him? So then the redemption must be done in a fair and equitable way. You will then calculate with the purchaser from the time that he was sold to him. Until the Jubilee year. And then you figure out then you will purchase price will be the amount of number of years will be considered as if he was working him as a hired worker. You calculate the amount of time that he worked for him the amount of time that was left and you there you will divide that amount of years and the result will be that consider that we are as working for him as a hired worker and he pays him for that amount. Rashi explains already call at make the cut mean? If you're coming to redeem him from the Gentile, you cannot buy him for the whole time that he paid for him because since he's going out now, he didn't buy the entire person individually. He was going to work until the Jubilee year he was going to go out in the Jubilee year anyway. It's going to say in verse 54, he also goes out in the Jubilee year. Of course, we're talking about in the case where the Gentiles under the Jewish jurisdiction, that you have the ability to tell him that when it comes to Jubilee year, this guy was going to go out anyway. Still in all and you're going to come and redeem him, do not try to come and to treat your way out of this because we don't want to desecrate God's name and we know that this person paid for this fellow. So, when you're coming to redeem him, you'll make a proper calculation according to the amount of the years that this guy worked, you're going to pay for it. According to this, you'll be able to minus the amount of money that you owe. I'm always asking them to shine on. So, for example, let's say there was 20 years left until the Jubilee year, until the Jubilee year. And he was bought him for 20 mana. So, it means that the non-Jew bought this slave for a mana per year. There were 20 years to Jubilee year, he paid 20 mana, that's a mana per year. So, now he was there for 5 years and you want to redeem him. So, minus five mana, you only have a test of mana, you give him 15 mana because he paid 20, he worked for him 5 years, minus five cuz he got his money's worth of that amount of time and therefore he just goes free. Therefore, what it says in the verse this is that is the amount of money that he gave for the amount of years for amount of years that he was like a hired worker. You have to make a calculation of how much money this person's value that he should be able to get for every single year. He will be considered like a hired worker as if he was hired for every single year the money for that amount of money for the money of the year naturally and will minus that and that's the amount of money that he gets paid. That means if he worked for 5 years and he worked for 20, he gets the amount of 15 years cuz that's what amount that he paid for and the other 5 years he already got paid he already worked for him. Verse 51. If there are still a lot of years left and still many years remaining until the Jubilee years. If there are still a lot of years left and still many years remaining until the Jubilee years. Accordingly as to return his redemption the money to the purchaser out of the money of which what he purchased. Rashi if there are still a lot of years remaining a lot of years left until the Jubilee years. According to that will be his redemption. Rashi explained previously that you will minus off the amount of years that are left and that's the value that he would get. Verse 52. What if only a few years are remaining until the Jubilee year? You will calculate according to that amount of years. You will calculate according to that amount of years. You will return the money of his redemption to the purchaser according to the amount of years that are left until the Jubilee year. It must be considered by the purchaser as an employee who was hired on a yearly basis and therefore he got his value for the yearly basis. The purchaser is not allowed to oppress him with back breaking labor in your sight. The purchaser is not allowed to oppress him with back breaking labor in your sight. Rashi 53. Meaning you should not see that the individual is you should not allow that if you see that he is giving him back breaking labor and you're quiet you see it and you're quiet and you don't protest. You have to make sure that this non-Jew does not give the Jewish person backbreaking labor. 54. If he was not redeemed through any of these ways that we mentioned before, whether a relative, an uncle, or any person of the sort, he goes out in the Jubilee year, he and his children with him. 54. Meaning he could be redeemed with these ways, meaning that their relatives can redeem him. But he doesn't go out in 6 years. That only works when a Jew is sold to another Jew. A Jew that's sold to a Gentile, he waits until the Jubilee year. From here we learn that even the non-Jew is obligated to support his family as well, just like the Jew. Just like the Jew. 55. Because the Jewish people are my servants. They serve They serve me. I shall summon them that I took them out of the land of Egypt. I am their God. My document comes first. They are my servants first. Any person who makes them work down here in this world is as if he is also making them work to is this is taking them and they're working for me as well because since he is taking my servants. Verse 20. Chapter 26, verse 1. You should not make for yourselves idols. And do not set up for yourselves sculptured images. You will not make a pedestal or and you must not make lay pavement of stones which you will then prostrate yourselves on them to bow down on them because I am your God. Rashi. All this that is mentioned including at the next verse pertaining keeping the Shabbos can make it down in color guy. It's talking about a person being that we're concluding and talking about an individual who was sold to a gentile. The person shouldn't say being that I'm already sold to a gentile. My master is a gentile. My master is committing adultery so I should do the same. My master is serving idols. I will do the same. My master is desecrating the Shabbos. I will do the same. Therefore these verses are stated right afterwards saying Also these sections were set according to the order meaning he said first God tells us about the sabbatical year. If a person desires money so much and therefore he's going to work during the sabbatical year, what's going to happen? The end is he's going to have to sell all his belongings. Therefore the next thing is if you're going to sell something. Next if they what happens when you sell something economy buys or something from another individual which is not his own property but movable and tangible property something which you can buy and purchase to give from one person to the next. If a person still does not repent and he still doesn't repent from the actions and the wayward ways that he does he's going to have to sell even his own property his own home his own real estate. He doesn't realize his wrongdoings and he has to sell his fields. He doesn't realize his wrongdoings and he has to sell his fields. He doesn't realize his wrongdoings and he has to sell his fields. He doesn't realize his wrongdoings and he has to sell his fields. He doesn't realize his wrongdoings and he has to sell his fields. He doesn't repent. He doesn't repent. He doesn't repent. He doesn't repent. He doesn't repent. one is getting more and more difficult from the next. He still continues in his wayward ways and he doesn't repent then he has to then sell himself. He has to then sell himself. He has to then sell himself. He has Not only that he's not going to be sold to a Jew, but he'll be sold to a non-Jew. The Evan maskis, loshin kisei, the word maskis means like a stone that you put as a pavement. Can maybe say copy that I'll put my hands on. Shema kara but it's a lot of them that they would cover the earth with beautiful stones to that they should be able to bow down in it. A few of the shamayim even if when he's bowing down he's bowing down to God. When we talk about bowing it means completely prostrating themselves on the stone. And over here the Torah tells us that even though that he may have intent for God, the only place a person is allowed to bow down completely on stone was in the holy temple. Prohibited a person from bowing down completely on with his hands and feet only in the holy temple, nowhere else. Verse two. You must guard the shabbos. And you must fear my sanctuary. I need Hashem, I am God. I need Hashem, I am God. Rashi says you can trust that I will pay reward and give the proper rewards to those that follow and observe these commandments. We now go into the second Torah reading of of this week which is the Torah reading of the where the Torah tells us the reward going from one reward but telling us about the reward of fulfilling God's commandments. Chapter 26 verse three. If you were to follow and advance the knowledge and advance the knowledge of my rules. Fast forward twice I teach you and you will guard safeguard my commandments. That's the same as you will do them. Rashi says what does this mean? In the case of the rule I would think that this means observance of the commandments. Right afterwards that you will guard the commandments. So then you already says about the commandments. What do I learn from here? What does it mean that if you will go in my ways? Besides following the commandments, but you will work hard in the study and making sure you advance in the study and the knowledge in the study of Torah. Have a good potato. Why are you going to work hard and advance in the knowledge of Torah? In order to know and to keep the words of the commandments. You will study the Torah and because of that you will be able to keep them. And over here also we know the word in doesn't only mean if but God is pleading with us that you should keep them therefore God can give us the proper reward as we see in the following verse for and the earth will give its will yield its produce. The tree of the field will give its fruit. What is the meaning of its proper time? In the time when people are not traveling or not out of their homes for example on the Wednesdays of each week that people wouldn't go out of their home because of they were afraid of damaging angels. On Friday nights that people are at home enjoying themselves and therefore people don't go out as well. The wood of the field will give its fruit. Here the Torah is referring to the time of the coming of Messiah when even trees who don't usually bear fruit will give fruit as well. Verse five. >> will give fruit as well. Verse five, the threshing will occupy until the grapes and the that the threshing will occupy you until the grape harvest. There's and the harvesting the grapes will keep you busy until the sowing the you'll eat your bread and you will and you'll be satiated with it. They shall you'll live securely in your land without fear of a drought. He's so much so much to do with the grape harvest that the by you'll be so busy with it until the end of the summer which then is the time to harvest the grapes you'll be so busy harvesting the grapes that you will be busy until it comes time to sow which that is the winter as well. You'll eat your bread to be satiated. They you'll eat a little bit for whom is it will be blessed in your stomach that you'll have so much you'll be satiated from it. Verse six peace in your land. You'll and you'll sleep peacefully without the cause of fear. And there will be no cause of fear cuz I will remove the wild beast from the land. And no army will pass no foreign army will pass through your land. There will no be no sword that will come through your land. I should say you may say I have food I have drink but the problem is the main if there's no peace there means nothing. I can have all the food I want but if I'm not able to eat it I can't enjoy it. Therefore the first tells us I'm going to give you peace and from here we learn peace is as valuable as everything. Then Isaiah says that the one that creates light, creates darkness, makes peace, and also creates also the bad that comes along with it. Then you can have peace, but at the opposite of peace is the bad of with it. If it's going to be peace, then why does he have to tell me no sword will go through your land that there is no war will be there? Not only they're not going to come through your land for a war, but they will even for peaceful reasons and not just they're just not going to travel through your land at all. Verse seven. You will pursue your enemies and they will fall before you by the sword. Verse seven. They will fall by the sword, not by your sword, by each others. Because they'll be so confused, they won't realize who's chasing them and they will just be killing each other. Five of your weakest will pursue a hundred of them. Five hundred of them and a hundred of you will be able to pursue ten thousand and your enemies will fall before you by the sword in a miraculous way. What do you mean they will be chased that will you pursue them? The weakest of them The weakest of you will eliminate not from the strong guys. That means the weakest of you will pursue five hundred. Is this actually the calculation that five will do our five hundred five will do five hundred. I'm sorry, five will do a hundred and a hundred will do ten thousand. What is this referring to? Um so so the Torah continues. Um The Torah could have just said two uh that a hundred will be able to chase 2,000. You can't compare the minor when a lot of people get together and there's so many good deeds and they're learning Torah automatically their numbers multiply much more. It's not that you get automatic calculation, but when you have so many people who are Torah observant following the words of the Torah and following what God tells us automatically the numbers go up and you can overcome overcome them I much more. If enough of you you need to make that stuff that you will fall before you not like the usual way, but a miraculous ways. Verse nine of Anisia Lechem and therefore I will turn my attention to you. The phrase is come and I will make you multiple and I will I will make you fruitful. Fear base is come and I will multiply you and make you tall, make you great. This is PC come and I will establish my covenant with you. Rashi Anisia Lechem after all of that I shall I will pay my attention I will go away from everything I'm doing to make sure that you get paid properly. Marshall of a table what is this compared to the soccer play could easily get him to king that hires workers and it's explained to us coming in that he hires many workers and the over there there was one worker who he spent with him a lot of time more than anybody else and this is what the then at the end all the workers come to get the reward. This guy also walks in and the king says to him My you know what? I'm going to pay attention to you more than anybody else and you I have a special calculation that I have with them. This is what God is telling the Jewish people. Yes, I deal with everybody, but with you I have a very special calculation. You phrase is come what does it mean you will multiply you prepare you very very that you will have you'll be fruitful you will have my blessing with children. You base is come became a scoffer that you will be able to not only will you have many children, not only will you have will you be fruitful, but you also stand that you will be physically robust and tall from everybody else. Not like the first covenant we make covenant that you'll never be able to as it says in Jeremiah that when God when Messiah comes I will make a covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah a new covenant not like the first covenant that you have already re-enacted on but a covenant that will never be able to be re-enacted on. This concludes the fourth Torah reading of partial bottom and say combined.