Parashat Behar-Bechukotai
08th May 2026
Week of 03 – 09 May 2026
Torah Portion : Leviticus 25 :1–27 :34 ; Haftarah Ezekiel 44 :15-31
This Shabbat, as on five others Shabbats, we have a double Reading, that is, two parashyot (Torah portions) togethers. Therefore, we can read all 54 parashyot that make up the Torah in one year.
The preceding Parasha “Emor”, Lev 21-24, speaks of the weekly rhythms with the Sabbath, according to the seasons and months with different festivals, which are privileged times of encounter with the Lord.
The principles established in this Parasha challenge the best and most sophisticated treatises ever written concerning social justice and human respect, as well as the correction of social, economic, and human inequalities. Furthermore, it emphasizes respect for nature and its preservation; nature is available as a means for humanity to use, but not to possess—possession belongs only to God.
The name “Behar” בהר means “on Mount Sinai” (Lev 25:1) and the name “Bechukotai” בחקתי means “in My Statutes” (Lev 26:3).
Parashat Behar (Lev 25-26:2) continues with the sabbatical years that occur every seven years and the jubilee year every fifty years. It is followed by Parashat Bechukotai (Lev 26:3-27) which teaches the consequences of observing or not observing the sabbatical or jubilee years.
Two important themes mark this Parashah: “The earth belongs to God” (Lev 25:23) and “People belong to God” (Lev 25:42 and 45).
The land has the right to rest. This means that for seven years the land should not be worked. Therefore, one should harvest the produce of what was sown last year and what grew spontaneously. But it cannot be kept for oneself; it must be made available to all. The perspective in this case is of a people who must renounce all individual possessions and accept depending solely on God.
Just as the cessation of all creative activity on the Sabbath day serves to express that God is the only Creator, so the Earth’s rest every seven years signifies that God is the only Master and owner. And it is because the Earth belongs to God that its produce belongs to everyone.
“The Sabbath is for the Lord (שבת לה׳)… hired servant, your guest, and all who reside with you, as well as your livestock and your animals…” (Lev 25:6). Rashi (1040-1105) comments, saying: “ Even though I have forbidden you (the products of the land), it is not so that you do not eat them or that you do not enjoy them that I have forbidden them, but so that you do not behave toward these products as if you were an owner. On the contrary, everyone should be equal in relation to the land, you, your hired servant, the one who lives with you, even the goyim (the pagans)”. Rashi specifies that God makes no distinction between Jews and non-Jews. He adds a nuance to Sifra’s commentary when he states: “even to the pagans.” It is necessary to emphasize that in Rashi’s time the Jewish community was surrounded by pagans, and this openness reflects a coexistence in society based on a universal vision of the person.
The Sabbatical year occurs every seven years, the Jubilee happens after seven times seven years, that is, in the fiftieth year. This year is marked, in addition to the characteristics of the Sabbatical year, by the return of the sold land to its owner and by the liberation of slaves.
It is about periodically re-establishing a harmony that always tends to deteriorate because of the human tendency to want to hoard for oneself and to dominate. It is like a renewal of the relationship with God, with the cosmos and with one’s neighbor.
The commandments concerning the Sabbath and Jubilee years are linked to the physical presence of Israel in the Land of Israel. We learn that in biblical times these laws were observed in a certain way. In fact, the Prophet Jeremiah rebukes his people for neglecting to free the slaves, which was one of the causes of the Babylonian exile (Jer 34:1-16). The Prophet Ezekiel (46:17) speaks of the year of liberation (shenat DRoR), a typical expression to characterize the Jubilee. Moreover, it seems that the Sabbath year was in the description of Nehemiah Chapter 10 on the occasion of the return from exile. The book of Maccabees (1 Mac 6:49-54) speaks abundantly about it.
We know that throughout the time Israel was away from its land, these laws were possibly never entirely a dead letter for the Jews who lived here. These laws came into effect upon the arrival of the first settlers, as evidenced by the statements of rabbinical authorities during the Shabbat year 1888-1889, in: D.I. Grunfeld, Shemittah and Yobel, The Soncino Press London/Jerusalem/New York, 1972.
Today, there is a growing awareness of the practice of the Sabbatical year in view of the Jubilee year in Israel, especially in the agricultural sector. This helps us understand how alive, current, and relevant the Word of God is to today’s world. No less important is the presence of the people of Israel in their own land, continuing, through the practice of God’s Word, to bear witness that God is the only owner of the world and that we all belong to Him.
This week’s Parasha Commentary was prepared by
Elio Passeto, NDS, Jerusalem – Israel Bat kol Director
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