Idealism and Reality: Behar/Bechukotai
By Rabbi Boaz D. Heilman
May 22, 2025
This week, the last two parshiyot of Leviticus, Behar and Bechukotai (Lev. 25:1--27:34), are read as a double portion. Behar, "At the Mountain," refers to the only mountain in the Torah that does not need to be identified by name, Mt. Sinai. Bechukotai ("By My Statutes") is a review of the consequences of following—or refusing to follow—God's laws. Both portions are a fitting conclusion to this book, providing not only a summary but also an overarching view of our relationship with God, our fellow Israelites, and the Land of Israel along with all its dwellers—human and animal alike.
The first few verses of Behar never fail to astonish me with the amazing perspective they offer. This time around I was reminded of two experiences of my own. The first is of the view I had from the top of Horsetooth Rock, part of a hike I took a few years ago. It was a moderately difficult hike, but the view was well worth the effort. It was almost infinite: The expanse that stretched below, starting with the entire city of Fort Collins and then the plains that extend beyond the intersecting streets and various neighborhoods, just as far as the eye could see. No sound came from below, only that of the wind whipping about the barren rocks. It was a majestic and inspiring view.
The second experience took place many years earlier; it was when I read T. H. White's wonderful retelling of the Arthurian legends, The Once and Future King. At one point in the story, as part of his training with the magician Merlin, the young Arthur is transformed into a goose. Flying above fields, mountains, rivers and lakes, Arthur learns that from a bird's-eye perspective, "boundaries... [are] imaginary lines on the earth... Humans would have to stop fighting in the end, if they took to the air." Later, as king, he is inspired to build a round table, "A table without boundaries between the nations who would sit to feast there." It's an ideal that at the end of his life, Arthur realizes is futile. We are human, not birds; and even birds, ultimately, are territorial. All life competes for the same limited resources of food, water, air and space. All fight for survival.
Which is precisely why Behar is so important. Life isn't a beauty pageant, and this portion's goal isn't world peace—only justice and fairness, somewhat more attainable goals. The portion commands us to give the earth a year off, a sabbatical, every seven years, allowing it not only to rest and refresh itself, but also to experience holiness (the number 7 in Judaism symbolizes God's Presence). During this year, we are not allowed to cultivate the land, only eat what it produces as a result of the previous year's labor. This bounty, however, is not for the use of the landowner alone. It is meant for all to enjoy: "And the sabbath produce of the land shall be food for you: for you, your male and female servants, your hired man, and the stranger who dwells with you, for your livestock and the beasts that are in your land" (Lev. 25:6-7, NKJV). No boundaries there, no master or servant, no rich or poor; all are equal in this exalted view from the mountaintop.
But the vision does not stop there. Immediately after this, the Torah commands us to count off seven cycles of seven years, and on the 50th, on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, to declare a Jubilee Year: "And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants" (Lev. 25:10, NKJV). On this day, not only are we liberated from personal and communal guilt, we are also called upon to return to a state of innocence we experienced long before boundaries were set, before competition and greed led us so far astray from the purest form of our childlike ideals.
Sadly, reality tempers idealism. Yet the visions of these last two portions of the Book of Holiness enable us to refresh our souls, to see the best in ourselves and in others, and to grant liberty to our own hopes, dreams and visions.
© 2025 by Boaz D. Heilman
No comments:
Post a Comment