Year at the end of seven cycles of shmita (Sabbatical years)
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If you've ever heard the words but missed the message, you already understand the core idea of Parshat Behar Bechukotai. We're closing Sefer Vayikra and pulling one powerful thread through everything: the Torah doesn't only ask us to listen, it asks us to listen in the voice. That single phrase, highlighted by the Netziv, becomes a life skill that changes how we learn, how we love, and how we grow.We start with the parsha landscape, Shemitah, Yovel, the blessings and the hard warnings, and the fascinating laws of erchin. Then we zoom in on “Im Bechukotai telechu” and ask what it really means to follow Hashem's path without turning religion into robotic box-checking. Using an everyday example (yes, even a “pick up bananas” request), we unpack subtext, tone, and context, and why deep listening is the difference between conflict and closeness.From there, we get practical. In marriage, we explore how empathy often matters more than advice, and how “fixing” can accidentally ignore what your spouse is truly saying. In chinuch and parenting, we look at the hidden reasons kids resist learning, like an Aramaic vocabulary gap that can make Gemara feel impossible. And in Avodat Hashem, we revisit Shemitah and Yovel as training in trust, renewal, discipline, and relationship, not just rules.If this gave you a new way to hear people and hear Torah, subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review that tells us where you're going to practice Shema beKolah this week.Support the showJoin The Motivation Congregation WhatsApp community for daily motivational Torah content!------------------Check out our other Torah Podcasts and content!SUBSCRIBE to The Motivation Congregation Podcast for daily motivational Mussar!Listen on Spotify or 24six!Find all Torah talks and listen to featured episodes on our website, themotivationcongregation.orgQuestions or Comments? Please email me @ michaelbrooke97@gmail.com
Daily Bitachon: Erev Shabbat Edition Welcome to Daily Bitachon, our Erev Shabbat edition. There is an interesting nuance in how the Torah describes Shabbat in Parashat Mishpatim (23:12) versus Parashat Vayakhel (35:2) . In Mishpatim , it says: "Six days you shall do your work ( ta'aseh ma'asecha), and on the seventh day you shall rest ( tishbot )... so that your ox and your donkey may rest." In Vayakhel , it says: "Six days work shall be done ( te'aseh melacha), and on the seventh day it shall be holy for you ( lachem kodesh ), a Sabbath of complete rest to Hashem ( Shabbat Shabbaton l'Hashem )." The Nuance of "Doing" vs. "Being Done" The first distinction is the verb. In the first verse, it says ta'aseh — you shall work. In the second, it says te'aseh —the work shall be done . The Pesikta Zutrata (a Midrash on Shemot 35:2) explains that when the Jewish people do the will of God ( osim retzono shel Makom ), their work is done by others. However, when we are not fully aligned with His will, we must perform the labor ourselves. The Two Types of Shabbat The Meshech Chochma (Shemot 31:16) offers a beautiful diyuk (insight) here. He notes that for the person working manually during the week, the Torah says tishbot —simply "take a break." Why? To give the cow and donkey a rest. There is no mention of "holiness" ( kodesh ) here; this is a physical break from a grueling week. In contrast, in Vayakhel , where the work "is done for you," the Torah describes the day as Kodesh and l'Hashem . This is a different level of Shabbat entirely. A person who experiences this Shabbat is oseh retzono shel Makom , and consequently, their worldly needs are facilitated by others. Bitachon: The "Magic Trick" What is the secret behind "doing the will of God"? Gemara Berachot 35b discusses the individual whose work is performed by others, citing the verse: "Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks." Rav Wolbe , based on Tosafot and the Maharsha , explains that osim retzono shel Makom refers to a person on a high level of Bitachon (trust in God). Shabbat is the "Bitachon charger." By refraining from work, we testify that Hashem created the world and sustains it. The more we treat Shabbat as Kodesh l'Hashem , the more Bitachon we absorb. When you truly internalize that Hashem takes care of your needs, you reach the level where "your work is done for you." Group A: Takes a day off because they are exhausted from working hard all week. Group B: Enters a holy day because they haven't been consumed by labor; their Bitachon allowed them to focus more on Avodat Hashem . Connection to the Parsha: Sefirat Haomer To connect this to our weekly Parsha, the Torah says: "And you shall count for yourselves... seven complete weeks ( sheva Shabbatot temimot )." "Complete" ( temimot ) implies being spiritually whole. The Midrash connects this completeness to being osim retzono shel Makom . Why is this linked to the Omer? Sefirat Haomer consists of seven sets of seven, mirroring the cycles of Shmita and Yovel —the ultimate expressions of Bitachon during the harvest season. This time of year is specifically designated to strengthen our trust in Hashem. By realizing that He is the one managing our success, we become osim retzono shel Makom , and we merit the blessing of te'aseh —that our work shall be done for us. Shabbat Shalom!
Behar-Bechukotai 5786
Not every question comes from rebellion or doubt. Sometimes, a person asks because he genuinely wants to understand and connect. After the Torah discusses Shemitah, Yovel, honesty in business, and blessings of success and security, it then asks: “What will we eat in the seventh year?” This shows the question is not coming from someone lacking אמונה, because if it were, he would challenge the mitzvah immediately. Rather, it comes from someone who believes fully in Hashem's promise, yet wants to understand how such a blessing could exist when, logically, the land should be at its weakest point after six years of work. The fact that the sixth year produces enough for three years is not just above nature — it completely reverses nature itself.On a deeper level, the six years represent the six thousand years of creation, while the seventh represents the era of גאולה. As the generations continue, the world appears darker and spiritually weaker, leading people to wonder how specifically our generation can bring Moshiach. Hashem's answer is that this is exactly the greatness of our avodah. Even when godliness is hidden and connection is difficult, serving Hashem with mesiras nefesh and commitment draws down a blessing far beyond logic. The takeaway is that questions are not always signs of weakness; sometimes they reflect a sincere desire to connect more deeply. And specifically through remaining committed during the hardest times, we bring the גאולה.לקו״ש כז-ב
This week we live with Parshat Behar-Bechukotai, and the theme that runs through both is bitachon, trust. Arguably, the hardest trait to truly acquire.Behar opens with Shmita and Yovel, in which we stop work and let the land rest. The Bat Ayin teaches that the holiness of the land comes before the labor, not after. Trust comes first.Then comes the quiet jewel of the parsha. Inside the letters of betach, hidden three times, is the gematria of kadosh, holy. Three kadoshes inside trust. The same triple kadosh of the Kedusha. When we live in bitachon, we discover that holiness is not only above us. It is hidden inside the trust itself.The Torah brings us its most human question, "what will we eat," and Reb Zusha's teaching on how anxiety closes the channel of blessing, and how G-d opens new ones when we forget.Bechukotai closes the teaching. Chukim means engraved through and through. Trust is not a concept we hold. It is engraved into the essence of who we are.What we explore in this episode:The Bat Ayin on why trust comes before the workThe hidden gematria of kadosh inside the word betachReb Zusha on what happens when anxiety closes the channel of blessingThe Mitteler Rebbe on bitachon as the inner structure of the soulBechukotai: turning concept into lived reality
Parshas Behar & Bechukosai: You Are Worthy What if the greatest barrier to blessing is not doubt in G-d, but doubt in ourselves? This week's Parsha explores Shemitah, Yovel, blessing, exile, and the unbreakable covenant between G-d and the Jewish people. Through the insight of Rabbeinu Bachya and the Netziv, we uncover a powerful truth: sometimes the struggle is not believing G-d can provide, but believing we are worthy enough to receive. As Lag B'Omer's light continues to shine, this episode explores faith, self-worth, resilience, and the courage to embrace the blessings already waiting for us. ✨ The moment we believe we are worthy, we begin living differently.
The Issur of Onaas Mamon, to overcharge or underpay someone is sandwiched in the middle of the parsha that is discussing the halachos of Shemitah and property going back to its original owners at Yovel. Is there a relationship between the Bitachon keeping Shemitah dictates, and one being careful not to rip people off? Includes a perspective on Hishtadlus that Rav Elchonon Wasserman shared with Rav Moshe Shternbach's mother when she was an Almanah working hard to support her family.Have a good Shabbos
Au début de la Paracha de Béhar, la Torah nous dit que la Mitsva de Chémita a été enseignée au Har Sinaï. Mais n'est-ce pas le cas de toutes les Mitsvot ? Pourquoi la Mitsva de Chémita aurait-elle un lien particulier avec le Har Sinaï ? Quel est ce lien ? En quoi consistent les étonnantes Mitsvot de Chémita et du Yovel ? Quel est leur sens profond ? Réponse à travers des propos du Chem Michmouel.
What kind of responsibility do we carry for the world we're living in? In this episode, Zvi Hirschfield and Aviva Lauer explore Parshat Behar–Bechukotai and the connection between social responsibility and spiritual consequence. Through the laws of Shemitah and Yovel, they examine how the Torah builds a society rooted in limits, care, and mutual responsibility. Against that backdrop, the blessings and curses of Bechukotai raise a deeper question: how should we understand the relationship between our actions and the realities we face? The conversation challenges us to reflect not only on belief, but on behavior—and what it means to build a just and ethical community.
Yossi Yovel is an ecologist, neurobiologist, and author of The Genius Bat: The Secret Life of the Only Flying Mammal. Co-hosts: Jonathan Friedmann & Joey Angel-Field Producer-engineer: Mike Tomren The Genius Bathttps://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250378446/thegeniusbat/ The BAT LAB for Neuro-Ecologyhttps://www.yovelbatlab.com/ Amusing Jews Merch Storehttps://www.amusingjews.com/merch#!/ Subscribe to the Amusing Jews podcasthttps://www.spreaker.com/show/amusing-jews Adat Chaverim – Congregation for Humanistic Judaism, Los Angeleshttps://www.humanisticjudaismla.org/ Jewish Museum of the American Westhttps://www.jmaw.org/ Atheists United Studioshttps://www.atheistsunited.org/au-studios
What guides a bat's internal compass? It's not the stars in the sky, or the Earth's magnetic field. On this episode of The Quanta Podcast, host Samir Patel speaks with staff writer Yasemin Saplakoglu about how new research into animals' sense of direction could help explain the feeling of getting “turned around,” or even why some of us are so bad at finding our way. This topic was covered in a recent story for Quanta Magazine. Each week on The Quanta Podcast, Quanta Magazine editor in chief Samir Patel speaks with the people behind the award-winning publication to navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math. Audio Coda from Prat, Y., Taub, M. & Yovel, Y. Everyday bat vocalizations contain information about emitter, addressee, context, and behavior. Sci Rep 6, 39419 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/srep39419
Mishpatim | The Beloved Wife of the "Nirtza", by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Parashat Mishpatim opens up with legislation regarding the "Hebrew slave", who is really more of an indentured servant. In this passage, the master may "assign" a woman to the servant, but when his six-year term of servitude is complete, he leaves her when he goes free. If he chooses to stay due to his love for his master - and his wife and their children - he may refuse to leave, have his ear publicly pierced and remain a slave "forever". The Halakha understands that "forever" means until the Yovel - but where does that leave the wife and children that the slave loves so dearly? Inspired by Rashbam's broad approach to exegesis, we examine all three passages about the עבד עברי - here, in ויקרא and in דברים - and identify the distinct circumstances that inform them and propose a distinction between the passage in our Parasha and that in דברים to help resolve some of the difficulties in these פרשיות. Source sheet >>
Professor Yossi Yovel, author of "The Genius Bat"
This chapter is an economic chapter.It starts with the Sabbatical and Jubilee years - Shemitta and Yovel - and then engages in a series of paragraphs which describe an individual who gets deeper and deeper into financial distress. The key words- fall, brother, and redemption - give us a sense of what is at stake and how small acts can redeem our world.
With nearly 1500 species, bats account for more than twenty percent of mammalian species. The most successful and most diverse group of mammals, bats come in different sizes, shapes, and colors, from the tiny bumblebee bat to the giant golden-crowned flying fox. Some bats eat fruit and nectar; others eat frogs, scorpions, or fish. Vampire bats feed on blood. Bats are the only mammals that can fly; their fingers have elongated through evolution to become wings with a unique, super-flexible skin membrane stretched between them. Their robust immune system is one of the reasons for their extreme longevity. A tiny bat can live for forty years.Yossi Yovel, an ecologist and a neurobiologist, is passionate about deciphering the secrets of bats, including using AI to decipher their communication. In The Genius Bat: The Secret Life of the Only Flying Mammal (St. Martin's Press, 2025), he brings to vivid life these amazing creatures as well as the obsessive and sometimes eccentric people who study them–bat scientists. From muddy rainforests to star-covered night deserts, from guest houses in Thailand to museum drawers full of fossils in New York, this is an eye-opening and entertaining account of a mighty mammal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
With nearly 1500 species, bats account for more than twenty percent of mammalian species. The most successful and most diverse group of mammals, bats come in different sizes, shapes, and colors, from the tiny bumblebee bat to the giant golden-crowned flying fox. Some bats eat fruit and nectar; others eat frogs, scorpions, or fish. Vampire bats feed on blood. Bats are the only mammals that can fly; their fingers have elongated through evolution to become wings with a unique, super-flexible skin membrane stretched between them. Their robust immune system is one of the reasons for their extreme longevity. A tiny bat can live for forty years.Yossi Yovel, an ecologist and a neurobiologist, is passionate about deciphering the secrets of bats, including using AI to decipher their communication. In The Genius Bat: The Secret Life of the Only Flying Mammal (St. Martin's Press, 2025), he brings to vivid life these amazing creatures as well as the obsessive and sometimes eccentric people who study them–bat scientists. From muddy rainforests to star-covered night deserts, from guest houses in Thailand to museum drawers full of fossils in New York, this is an eye-opening and entertaining account of a mighty mammal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science
With nearly 1500 species, bats account for more than twenty percent of mammalian species. The most successful and most diverse group of mammals, bats come in different sizes, shapes, and colors, from the tiny bumblebee bat to the giant golden-crowned flying fox. Some bats eat fruit and nectar; others eat frogs, scorpions, or fish. Vampire bats feed on blood. Bats are the only mammals that can fly; their fingers have elongated through evolution to become wings with a unique, super-flexible skin membrane stretched between them. Their robust immune system is one of the reasons for their extreme longevity. A tiny bat can live for forty years.Yossi Yovel, an ecologist and a neurobiologist, is passionate about deciphering the secrets of bats, including using AI to decipher their communication. In The Genius Bat: The Secret Life of the Only Flying Mammal (St. Martin's Press, 2025), he brings to vivid life these amazing creatures as well as the obsessive and sometimes eccentric people who study them–bat scientists. From muddy rainforests to star-covered night deserts, from guest houses in Thailand to museum drawers full of fossils in New York, this is an eye-opening and entertaining account of a mighty mammal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With nearly 1500 species, bats account for more than twenty percent of mammalian species. The most successful and most diverse group of mammals, bats come in different sizes, shapes, and colors, from the tiny bumblebee bat to the giant golden-crowned flying fox. Some bats eat fruit and nectar; others eat frogs, scorpions, or fish. Vampire bats feed on blood. Bats are the only mammals that can fly; their fingers have elongated through evolution to become wings with a unique, super-flexible skin membrane stretched between them. Their robust immune system is one of the reasons for their extreme longevity. A tiny bat can live for forty years.Yossi Yovel, an ecologist and a neurobiologist, is passionate about deciphering the secrets of bats, including using AI to decipher their communication. In The Genius Bat: The Secret Life of the Only Flying Mammal (St. Martin's Press, 2025), he brings to vivid life these amazing creatures as well as the obsessive and sometimes eccentric people who study them–bat scientists. From muddy rainforests to star-covered night deserts, from guest houses in Thailand to museum drawers full of fossils in New York, this is an eye-opening and entertaining account of a mighty mammal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/animal-studies
Reading Yirmiyah as a Religious Zionist Part 3
Shemitah and Yovel Are for the Ohavei Hashem (Behar-Bechukosai 5785)
Join Rabbi Elchonon Cohen for an exploration of the weekly (double) parsha, including a discussion of Shmita, Yovel, and the blessings and curses. If you enjoy the Toras Chaim Podcast, please help us spread the word! You can share a link on social media, leave a review or rating on your favorite podcast platform, or best of all, discuss what you've learned at the shabbos table!We love to hear from our listeners. Be it comments, questions or critique. You can send an email to overtimecook@gmail.com or via instagram @OvertimeCook or @Elchonon. Thanks for listening!Elchonon and Miriam
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Can ancient agricultural laws inspire modern spiritual renewal? In this episode, Zvi Hirschfield and Rabbi Dr. Meesh Hammer-Kossoy explore the radical social and spiritual vision behind Parshat Behar-Behukotai. From Shemitah to Yovel, they unpack how the Torah's sabbatical and … Read the rest The post Behar-Behukotai 5785: Resetting Society first appeared on Elmad Online Learning. Continue reading Behar-Behukotai 5785: Resetting Society at Elmad Online Learning.
Exploring the 50 Gates of Tshuva: Insights and UnderstandingsIn this episode, we embark on a new study as part of theKollel Toras Chaim network, focusing on the teachings related to the 50 gates of Teshuva. R' Yaakov explains the mystical concepts behind these gates, especially their connection to the sphere of Bina, which is above the natural realm. Key themes include the relationship of Teshuva to divine attributes, the significance of the 49 accessible gates versus the 50th gate, and the symbolic connections to Jewish practices and holidays like Chanukah and Yovel. The teachings of Rabbeinu Nachman and their practical implications for personal and spiritual growth during the month of Elul are also highlighted.00:00 Introduction to the New Limud00:42 Understanding the 50 Gates of Teshuva01:40 Exploring the Concept of Bina03:57 The Significance of the Number Eight05:29 Connecting Teshuva to the Kisei HaKavod06:58 Returning to Our Essence09:09 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Parshas Behar & Lag B'Omer, Rest and Renewal The Parsha Perspective is in honor of Eretz Yisroel. May G-d protect our brave soldiers. May G-d return all the hostages in Gaza immediately. The Parsha Perspective is in honor of the Refuah Shlema of HaRav Amitai Ben Shoshanna and those who need to experience a speedy and complete recovery with G-d's help. The Parsha Perspective is in loving memory of Edward Ben Efraim, Shlomo Ben Edward, and Yirachmiel Daniel Ben Gedalia. May their souls be uplifted and their memories a blessing. Click here to listen, watch and connect! Parshaperspective.com Our Parsha begins with an overview of the laws of Shemitah and Yovel. Shemitah is a seven-year cycle in which we may farm the land for six years; however, we must let the land rest in the seventh year. We find out the laws of Shemitah. We learn the true status of the land of Israel.
Being a farmer in antiquity was a hard job. Without any mechanized tools and plows, farming demanded a great deal of sweat and toil. But what choice did you have? If you want to feed your family, you need to work the land. Then comes the Shemitah. Every 7th year, the farmers in the Land are barred from working the field. For one year, the Land must lay fallow. Adhering to this mitzvah demands a great deal of faith and spiritual fortitude. But there is more: every 50th year is the Yovel where for the second year in a row, working the Land was prohibited. In this special edition of the Parsha Podcast, we take a deep dive into the fascinating and the mysterious subject of Yovel. Buckle up, because this podcast will plow (sic) your mind!– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletterrabbiwolbe.com/newsletter– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe's PodcastsThe Parsha PodcastThe Jewish History PodcastThe Mitzvah Podcast This Jewish LifeThe Ethics PodcastTORAH 101 ★ Support this podcast ★
Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:What lessons and empowerment does this time-period and Torah portion offer us in facing today's war? What is the significance of the period between Pesach and Shavuos? What does the month of Iyar teach us? What is the connection between Rafah and healing? What do we learn from Pesach Sheni? How does counting the Omer help refine and strengthen us? Weeks of Netzach and Hod: What are netzach and hod and what are their functions? Behar: What does a “mountain” teach us? Do the laws of Yovel apply today? Beis Iyar How to fight a war with a l'chatchila ariber attitude? Who was the Rebbe Maharash named after and what do we learn from that? Should we induce labor to give birth to a child on an auspicious day like Beis Iyar? What do we learn from the soldiers that were tragically killed by “friendly fire”? Is Israel the safest place on earth? How do we reconcile the Rebbe's statement that Israel is the safest place in the world with the unfortunate fact that over 1,200 people were murdered in one day in Israel? Should we move to Israel due to fears of rising anti-Semitism? How can we apply the concept of l'chatchila ariber to the current physical and spiritual war? How should we react to President Biden withholding arms from Israel and to the general anti-Israel stance among some USA officials? Should we remain allies with the USA or perhaps turn to Russia and China for support? Are the soldiers tzaddikim? Is it possible that my putting on Tefillin actually caused harm to our soldiers? What power do our actions have in impacting world events? War with Hamas