| D’VAR TORAH FOR PARASHAT BEHAR Edgar Cohen In today’s parasha, Behar we will learn about many important questions such as the laws of the sabbatical and jubilee years. According to the law of shmita, which is a time of rest, every seventh year is to be a Shabbat of complete rest for the land. The people are forbidden to plow, plant, or harvest the land, but are allowed to gather and eat whatever the land produces on its own. God guaranteed that in the sixth year of the seven-year cycle the harvest would be enough so that the people would have enough to eat until the harvest of the eighth year. The Torah says that the land is God’s, we are only guests on it and the land has rights too. God also commanded the people of Israel to count seven years seven times for a total of 49 years, and on the 50th year the shofar has to be blown. This is the jubilee year. In a jubilee year the land can’t be harvested, the houses that weren’t in walled cities had to be returned to the original owners, and all Hebrew slaves would be set free. Everybody has different opinions about things, and our Rabbis have different opinions about laws in the Torah. The commentator Rashi says that the reason for the sabbatical year is to give the land time to rest. Moses Maimonides suggests that the sabbatical and jubilee years are commanded because “by releasing the land it will become invigorated; by lying fallow and not being worked it will regain its strength.” I agree with both of these Rabbis because just as people need to rest on the seventh day of the week and regain their strength while they rest, the land also needs to rest to regain its strength, to be able to be worked again. In 2005 my parsha teaches us that we have a responsibility to take care of the Earth and that if we don’t it can result in the loss of farmland, the creation of dust bowls and deserts which can lead to global warming and endanger our very existence on the planet. To preserve our environment, each of us can choose to reduce, reuse and recycle. We can choose more fuel-efficient vehicles. As voters we can elect progressive leaders who will work to protect the environment, preserve our national resources and work to wean us from greenhouse gas producing fossil fuels. We are inheritors of the earth, commanded to preserve it and maintain it as a gift from The Creator, to keep it safe and protect it for all future generations. I think this is one of the important lessons of Behar. What my Bar Mitzvah means to me is becoming an adult in the eyes of the Jewish community. It means becoming more responsible for my own deeds, spiritually, ethically, and morally. It also gives me the chance to show that I am worthy enough to become a bar mitzvah. I have a great family of five people, two of which are my brothers, at times they can be annoying and irritating but they always supported me for everything I’ve done, so Mark and David thank you. I also thank my mom and dad for everything they’ve done for me, for bringing me every Monday for Hebrew class and supporting me for all that I’ve done Mom's Message To Edgar. Your Torah portion today tells us that we must take care of the God’s creations. 13 years ago, the Almighty blessed me and your dad with a most precious gift, you Edgar. To take care of you, love you, cherish you every second of our lives. You have made it so easy for me to be a mom, because for 13 years, all I’ve seen in you is a kind and loving Edgar that fills the eye and wins the heart of everyone around you. You are a caring big brother, a loving son, and a wonderful friend. You have always made me and your dad so proud. And Today is no exception, I also know, that Gramma Esther and Granpa Leonard are both so proud cheering for you as you embark on your new journey to adulthood, and as you accomplish what I know is going to be a long list of accomplishments. And as today you read your first Aliya, it is my hope that you use the words of the Torah, to guide you in making decisions throughout your life, and that you teach its words of wisdom to your children. Dad's Message to Edgar Edgar, my precious angel, I want to thank you since you were the one who first bestowed upon me the rights and responsibilities of being a DAD. It has happened twice again since that day, but we never figured out exactly what was causing it. Though it seems to have tapered off since then. Anyway ever since that 3rd day of September in 1991 when you arrived on MY 30th birthday… Hmmmm…. Now that everyone here knows how old I am… anyway, I told everyone that my gift that year couldn’t be wrapped, but you could put a bow on it. And how the gifts have multiplied. Your being such a loving and caring mensch is a gift that you have shared with me, your mom and brothers Leonard and David, grand mothers and granddad, family, friends, teachers and classmates. So many people have said that the challenges start now and go forward in raising a son. My confidence in your level headedness, good judgment and empathy for others that so much guides your spirit I know will always be with you. Today as you bring us the Torah through your eyes and voice, I hope that you will feel your connection to the many generations of Jews who have handed down the Torah to their children as the tree of life that it is. While science can tell us HOW, the Torah answers an even more important question: why. I want to congratulate Sarah and her family on her becoming a bat mitzvah and how pleased we are that we could share this simcha with them. A special thank you to Rabbi Simon and Cantor Nelson, and to Ms. Bergman and Ms. Bernie for their help and attention. Now Edgar I present to you this tallit, as a symbol of your rights and responsibilities as an adult. With rights come responsibilities, and with the Torah, common sense and your loving conscience as a guide, you will make the intelligent choices for you future. I hope this tallit will be part of many simchot to come. I love you precious angel, Mazel Tov! |