Parashat Behar-Bechukotai

Growing Holier

This shabbat I am at home with our two younger kids while my husband and oldest are on a school shabbaton; therefore, the motivation to come up with a bang-up parashah idea is somewhat weak. I'm hoping the kids might fall asleep shortly after kiddush. Nonetheless, I did deliver a parashah present to a good friend and thought it might spark some creative ideas (more on that later).

For starters, I offer a few topics to discuss at the shabbat table. Parashat Behar deals with the laws of shmitah, the sabbatical year. After working the land for six years, the seventh year, the land (of Israel) lies fallow. What an amazing opportunity to discuss hakarat hatov (appreciation) for the gifts God grants us. During that shmitah year, we are to rely upon the natural bounty of the land without cultivation; we also must subjugate our sense of ownership and recognize that the land itself is a gift from God. Any food--processed or natural--can lead to a discussion about appreciation. A backtracking discussion can easily do the trick: Where did we get the challah from? How did the bakery prepare it? Where did the baker get the ingredients? How did the store/market/supplier get the flour? What did the mill do to produce the flour? Where did the mill get the wheat? How did the farmer grow the wheat? etc., etc. until the discussion leads to God. We could also talk about how the shmitah cycle mirrors the weekly cycle of six days of work and the seventh day as rest. One other possible topic of discussion: kedushat hamakom. How does shmitah demonstrate the holiness of the land of Israel? What is sacred space? How do we create sacred space outside the land of Israel?

As for Bechukotai, the conversation is a bit darker. This parashah includes the tochechah, God's warnings if Bnei Yisrael fails to follow the laws set out for them. For younger kids, reward and punishment is a natural topic. Why are there rules? Why are there consequences for breaking the rules? What does it show about Hashem's relationship with Bnei Yisrael that there are so many rules to follow? How might Hashem's spelling out the consequences be a sign of the love that Hashem has for Bnei Yisrael? For a more sophisticated talk you might want to think about why at this juncture--at the end of sefer Vayikra--is the tochechah written in the plural whereas at the end of Devarim (in Parahsat Ki Tavo) it is written in the singular (question compliments of my husband). Aslo, how does the tochechah help us with the mandate to be holy (stated in parashat Kedoshim). How are rebuke and holiness related?

Now, the gift I brought my friends: several packages of seeds to grow vegetables and a cactus plant. The seeds are for Behar and the cactus is for Bechukotai. Hopefully, they will plant the seeds and discover the dedication, talent, and help from Above that it takes to grow food. The cactus represents that things get a little thorny for those who defy the dictates of the Torah.

If we were eating at home, I'd have created a centerpiece with seed packets and a cactus as well.

חזק חזק ונתחזק
Hope you have a Shabbat Shalom!

© Tammie Rapps 2009