Planting a Soul in the Land | Behar 5784

Parshas Behar begins with the mitzvah of shemitta, the commandment that in the 7th year the Jewish people must not work the land of Israel. The opening of the parsha makes special mention that these laws were transmitted to Moshe from God at Sinai.

Famously, Rashi cites the midrash, which asks: Why does the Torah specify that these laws came from Sinai—מה ענין שמיטה אצל הר סיני? What is the connection between Sinai and the laws of shemitta?

The midrash answers, just as the details of shemitta, were all discussed at Sinai, so too all commandments from Sinai were transmitted along with their detailed interpretation.

It has now become a catchphrase of its own, “מה ענין שמיטה אצל הר סיני” is used to point out a non-sequitur. One of my rabbeim in high school, Rabbi Elly Storch, would often say, “What does that have to do with the price of tea in China?” I’ll be honest, I didn’t know that was a common phrase either in high school and would often be left even more confused when my own non-sequiturs prompted Rabbi Storch to ask about the economics of Chinese tea. The question, “What does shemitta have to do with Sinai?” serves a similar function.

Still, the answer cited by Rashi does not really clarify much. Why here and why now does the Torah find it necessary to remind us that even the details of the commandments were transmitted on Sinai? Couldn’t this lesson have been taught in connection to any number of mitzvos? So, why is it specifically within the context of the commandment of shemitta that we learn the details of what was taught at Sinai?

To understand this, let’s explore some of the modern history and struggle for shemitta observance in the land of Israel.

Read the rest on Substack, and listen to the full shiur above!