Parshat Behar-Bechukotai
Question
A gutten Erev Shabbos!
In this week’s parsha, it is written;
I will command My blessing for you in the sixth year, and it will produce enough for three years - the sixth year, the Shemittah year, and the year after Shemittah, until the new crop grows.
Tosafos in Gittin 36 asks: why didn’t the Rabbis institute Yovel nowadays, just like they instituted Shemittah (which today is Rabbinic)? Tosafos answers that the tsibbur would not be able to handle a prohibition of working the land for two consecutive years.
This is a quote from Tosafos:
They did not institute Yovel as a remembrance because most of the Tsibbur would not be" able to withstand being prohibited from working the land for two years in a row".
The question:
If the Torah promises “I will command My blessing in the sixth year… for three years,” and this is written right after the section of Yovel to teach that the blessing applies to both Shemittah and Yovel, then why would it be a decree that the tsibbur can’t handle? Hashem promised an abundance of produce!
Answer
There is a dispute among the poskim about how to understand Tosafos.
One approach is the Sema (Choshen Mishpat 67:2), who says that since Shemittah nowadays is only Rabbinic, the Torah’s blessing of “I will command My blessing….” does not apply.
He explains that the blessing was specifically when Shemittah and Yovel were observed MinHatorah.
However, the Chazon Ish (Shevi’is 18:4) disagrees with this distinction, and writes that even nowadays, when Shemittah is Miderabanan, a person can still merit the Torah’s blessing of “I will command my blessing....”Since “Beis Din shel ma’alah do what is decreed by the Beis Din shel matah.”
Therefore, according to the Chazon Ish, the question remains:
If there is still a promise of blessing, why did Tosafos say that instituting Yovel would be something the tisbbur cannot handle?
The Chazon Ish explains with an important understanding, with regard to relying on miracles:
Even when there is a promise from the Torah, Chazal do not enact something in a way that requires relying on a miracle. He writes;
That the blessing comes after a person does his hishtadlus, or in situations where he is exempt from it. But how much effort one must make is determined by the chachamim through their understanding of the Torah.
That’s why, for example, certain areas of Eretz Israel were left unconquered, and were considered as being chuts la’arets, so that poor people would have what to rely on during Shemittah. They did not say, “Don’t worry, there’s a blessing anyway.”
This is a very interesting concept, and we find the same idea with regard to the miracles that took place in the Beis HaMikdash.
In Maseches Middos, it says that they would skin the korbanos in the Beis Hamikdash, on marble tables.
Now, usually, everything in the Beis HaMikdash was made from gold or silver. So why marble? Doesn’t it say about the Beis Hamikdosh, “there is no sign of poverty in a place of wealth”?
The Bartenura explains: marble keeps the meat cool and prevents it from spoiling.
We can ask why should we be worried about the meat spoiling? One of the ten miracles in the Beis HaMikdash was that the meat never spoiled (as brought in Mishnayot Avot Perek 5 Mishneh 5)!
Explains the Bartenura, even though we know about the miracles, we nevertheless try our best not to have to rely on the miracles, and so they still did everything necessary, in a natural way, to prevent spoilage.
We learned from all the above that even when there is a promise for a miracle, Chazal still did hishtadlus so as not to rely on the miracles.
Based on this, we can ask a practical halachic question with regard to relying on miracles. For example, a person doesn’t have enough money to cover his Shabbos expenses, can he borrow money and rely on what Chazal say, Hashem says; “borrow on my account, and I will repay”?
The Mishnah Berurah says:
A person should borrow (money) so as not to lose out on the mitzvah of Oneg Shabbos, as Chazal say that Hashem says, “My children, borrow on Me, and I will repay.”
However, the Sha’ar HaTzion adds:
It seems from the Gra and others that if a person can find someone to borrow from, he should borrow and trust that Hashem will help him repay. But the Ateret Zekeinim writes that one may only borrow money if he knows how he will be able to pay it back. The sha’ar htsiyun adds that it seems that every case needs to be assessed individually, based on each situation.
Moreinu HaGaon Rav Amrom Fried shlit”a writes Le’halacha: A person who does not have the financial means should not borrow a large sum of money to make a big meal. However, he may borrow a small amount to make a minimal Shabbos meal, and the stronger his trust in Hashem, the more the money will be returned to him.
On behalf of the entire Sheilot staff, we wish you a ‘Shabbos Shulem Umevorach’.
