Sixes and Sevens – Behar
אֶת כַּסְפְּךָ לֹא תִתֵּן לוֹ בְּנֶשֶׁךְ וּבְמַרְבִּית לֹא תִתֵּן אָכְלֶךָ (ויקרא כה, לז).
Parshiyot Behar and Bechukotai are something of an oddity in sefer Vayikra. Chazal call sefer Vayikra – Torat Kohanim, as it deals predominantly with issues related to the avodah of the Kohanim in the Mishkan/Mikdash. Most years parshiyot Behar and Bechukotai are joined in a double parsha, with a few exceptions, like this year, a leap year, where they are separated.
What makes them "odd", is that there is nothing in either of these parshiyot related to the avodah of the Kohanim at all and the question is "What are they doing in sefer Vayikra?" Parshat Behar deals with the laws of Shmita/Yovel, אוֹנָאָה and רִיבִּית. Parshat Bechukotai contains the blessings and the curses. Why does the Torah specifically place these subjects here?
The answer is a continuation of last week's shiur. The Torah details these subjects immediately after the description of the Lechem HaPanim, because they are the same blueprint as the Lechem HaPanim. The structure of Shmita is two sets of "six" and a "seven". The miracle of Shmita begins in the last of the 6 years prior to Shmita year and extends to the first of the 6 years following Shmita.
In the sixth year before Shmita, HKB"H performs a miracle that, unlike a normal year where the produce is sufficient for one year, in the sixth year before Shmita, the produce is sufficient for three years – the sixth year, the year of Shmita itself and the first of the next set of six years. By observing Shmita (the seventh year), the set of six years prior to Shmita and the set of six years following Shmita, are blessed, in a repetitious cycle.
This is the identical blueprint for the Lechem HaPanim. You have two sets of six loaves on the Shulchan that are switched and blessed on Shabbat (the seventh day), so that they remain fresh during the six days of the week, until the next Shabbat.
It is the concept stated in the Zohar (part 2, 8a) כָּל בִּרְכָּאן דִּלְעֵלָּא וַתָתָּא בְּיוֹמָא שְׁבִיעָאָה תַּלְיָן - all blessings in Heaven and earth are dependent on the seventh (day/year).
Similarly, the Shulchan Lechem HaPanim contains half-pipes that support the bread from below, called Menakiyot in the passuk – מְנַקִּיֹּת, from the root of the word נָקִי, meaning clean, as they allow air flow and keep the bread clean from mold. They teach us to be "clean" (honest) in our business dealings. The gematria of וּמְנַקִּיֹּתָיו (שמות כה, כט) is - רִיבִּית. These are the very subjects following Shmita in parshat Behar, the prohibition of אוֹנָאָה, dishonesty in monetary matters and רִיבִּית.
The underlying lesson of the Korban Lechem HaPanim is אֵיזֶהוּ עָשִׁיר הַשָּׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקוֹ, echoed in parshat Bechukotai. Someone who is happy with what HKB"H gives them is blessed, while someone who is not, is cursed.
This is why the Torah places these two parshiyot here, because it is all one "package".
In previous years shiurim we have discussed the subject of Shmita in more detail. In this shiur we will be focusing on another (related) subject – Lag Ba'Omer, which is this coming Sunday.
There are two main reasons we celebrate Lag Ba'Omer. The first is because the plague that killed 24,000 of Rebi Akiva's talmidim ended on Lag Ba'Omer. The second reason is that it is the yahrzeit (הִלּוּלָא) of R' Shimon bar Yochai.
The story of Rashbi (R' Shimon bar Yochai) is detailed in the Gemara (Shabbat 33b) –
R' Yehuda, R' Yosi and R' Shimon (bar Yochai) were having a discussion. Also present was Yehuda ben Geirim, a talmid of Rashbi. The subject of the discussion was all the "innovations" the Romans had introduced in Eretz Yisrael during their occupation - marketplaces, bridges, bathhouses, etc.
R' Yehuda said "Look at all these amazing things the Romans have introduced!" R' Yosi was silent and didn't reply. R' Shimon bar Yochai said "Everything they have built and introduced is for themselves, not for us. They created marketplaces to incorporate prostitution, bathhouses to pleasure themselves and bridges to collect tolls and taxes for themselves".
Yehuda ben Geirim, after hearing this discussion, went and told others what he heard and word eventually reached the Roman authorities. When the Roman emperor heard what the three leaders of Am Yisrael had to say about him he decreed – "R' Yehuda who praised us, will be elevated to the head of the chachamim. R' Yosi who was silent, will be exiled to Tzippori and R' Shimon who spoke against the Romans, will be killed".
R' Shimon and his son R' Elazar went into hiding in the Beit Midrash. Each day R' Shimon's wife would bring them bread and a jug of water. As the search effort for R' Shimon intensified, R' Shimon said to his son "What happens if the Romans torture her and she reveals our location?" They left the Beit Midrash and went to hide in a cave.
A miracle occurred and outside the cave a carob tree and well with drinking water instantly appeared. They did not know how long they would have to remain in hiding so to preserve their clothes, they took them off and buried/covered themselves in sand up to their necks. In this way they would study Torah the whole day. While they were davening, they would dress in their clothes and take them off again after davening - to preserve them.
They remained like this for twelve years in the cave. After twelve years had passed, Eliyahu HaNavi stood at the entrance to the cave and called out – "Who will tell bar Yochai that the Roman emperor is dead and the decree has been rescinded?"
R' Shimon and his son R' Elazar exited the cave and they observed people in a field ploughing and sowing seeds. They were shocked "How can people neglect the ikar (olam habah) and instead involve themselves with affairs of this world?" Everywhere that R' Shimon and R' Elazar cast their gaze was set ablaze with fire.
A Bat Kol descended and declared "Have you left the cave to destroy My world? Return to your cave". They returned to the cave and remained there another 12 months. They said "The sentence of reshaim is 12 months in גֵּיהִנֹּם and certainly in this time our sin will be forgiven". Following the 12 months, another Bat Kol came down and said "Leave your cave!" and they did. After this, anywhere that R' Elazar set afire with his gaze, R' Shimon would repair. R' Shimon said to his son "It is sufficient that both of us are in the world", that they were maintaining the Torah the way it should be.
It was erev Shabbat and they saw an old man running, holding two bundles of myrtle leaves. They asked him "Why do you need two bundles of hadasim?" to which he replied "In honor of the Shabbat". "Why two?" they asked, "isn't one bundle enough?" He replied "One is for Zachor and one is for Shamor". R' Shimon said to his son "Look how Am Yisrael love Hashem's mitzvot!" and they were reconciled and no longer angry that not everyone was studying Torah full time.
After returning home, R' Pinchas ben Yair, the son in law of R' Shimon bar Yochai, took him to the bathhouse to clean up, and when he saw R' Shimon's body covered in sores after being in the cave (and buried in the sand) for 13 years, he wept. Tears fell onto R' Shimon bar Yochai's skin and made him flinch in pain. R' Pinchas ben Yair said to R' Shimon "Oy vey that I see you like this". R' Shimon replied "Happy (ashrecha) you are to see me like this, for if you had not seen me like this, I would never have attained the levels of Torah that I have!"
The Gemara continues with further accounts involving R' Shimon bar Yochai and afterwards continues with the famous Mishna in Shabbat (34a) "Three things a man must say in his home when darkness falls on erev Shabbat – Have you taken ma'aser from the food? Have you prepared the eruv? If so, go ahead and light the Shabbat candles!"
עַד כָּאן the excerpt from the Gemara.
Chazal and the Mefarshim analyze this episode in depth and ask numerous questions.
The first question is – until he answered his "slanderous" reply regarding the Romans, he is called R' Shimon in the Gemara. Following this he is subsequently called R' Shimon ben/bar Yochai. Why the addition? and why only after this episode?
The second question is – we know that HKB"H punishes mida keneged mida. Why was Rashbi's "punishment" (death sentence and exile for 12 years + 1) so severe?
The third question is – why did HKB"H make a miracle to give him a carob tree? Why not a fig tree? A grapevine? Something a little easier to digest? (we know that it is called a חָרוּב because it is like חֲרָבוֹת to the digestive system – Yishayahu 1:20).
The fourth question is - why davka did Rashbi have to be in the cave for 12 years? Why not 5, 15, 23?
The fifth question is – why did everything they gazed at after they left the cave, catch fire?
The sixth question is – why were they punished with an extra year in the cave?
The seventh and final question is – why only after they heard the old man's response about the two bundles of hadasim, were they appeased?
We will now try to answer these questions and learn an amazing נָפְקָא מִנָּה to what is going on in the world around us today.
To get a hint to many of the answers we must first make a few observations.
The parshiyot of Emor/Behar/Bechukotai always occur in proximity to Lag Ba'Omer (before or after). There is a close connection between the essence of Lag Ba'Omer and these parshiyot.
Also note the similarity in structure of the concept of Shmita and the Lechem HaPanim to the story of Rashbi. We have a repeating theme of "sixes and sevens". Rashbi was initially in the cave for 12 years (two sets of six) and then for a further year. The entire story in the Gemara above is in masechet Shabbat and the story above is immediately followed by the Mishna of the three things the husband must say in his home before his wife lights the candles for Shabbat.
Let us try to better understand the discussion between R' Yehuda, R' Yosi and R' Shimon by paraphrasing it in contemporary terms.
R' Yehuda says – "Look how much the goyim's innovations have benefitted us. Because of them we have the internet, smartphones, electric cars, highways, our army is supplied with their weapons to defeat our enemies …"
R' Shimon replies – "Nothing they have done is for us, it is all for themselves! They created the "global village", the internet and smartphones to peddle their תּוֹעֵבָה and false morals and culture. They created electric cars to make money for themselves. They are supplying us with weapons because it makes money for their defense industry!"
R' Yehuda is rewarded for his reply, R' Shimon is punished. What is wrong with R' Shimon's reply? Is anything he said not true?
There is a problem with R' Shimon's reply. It is all true, but it is only partially true. R' Shimon is saying that the goyim couldn't care less about us, all they care about is themselves. That is 100% true. However, he is leaving out a MAJOR factor. Yes, the goyim are only doing these things for themselves, but HKB"H is making them do it – for our benefit!
Some of the things they are doing have positive aspects and can benefit us also in positive ways. If we use the internet for good purposes – to spread Torah, to keep closer contact with our loved ones, then it is beneficial to us. If we use electric cars for avodat Hashem – to get to shul on time, to give rides to people who need them (hachnasat orchim), to do chessed, then it is beneficial to us. If we use their weapons to defeat our enemies and keep Am Yisrael safe, that is beneficial for us.
But even if there is nothing good in something the goyim do for/to us. For example, the Hamas attack on October 7 – that is pure evil, what possible benefit can we derive from that? The answer is that it can wake us up, promote unity amongst us and cause us to do tshuva and hasten the Geulah.
When the goyim do something, it is obvious they are only doing it for themselves, but HKB"H is making them do it because ultimately it will benefit us, whatever it is. If there is a war in the Ukraine, it is for us. If there is an earthquake in Turkey, it is for us. Nothing happens in the world that does not benefit us in some way, either directly, or indirectly, by opening our eyes, waking us up and raising us in spirituality.
The problem with R' Shimon's reply, is he left out the HKB"H factor. R' Shimon's reply was כּוֹחִי וְעֹצֶם יָדִי, that the goyim are only doing it themselves and it has no connection to HKB"H nor to us. Therefore, we must cut ourselves off from whatever the goyim do. We must seclude ourselves and surround ourselves, up to our necks, in high walls to keep anything that is not Torah out – to protect ourselves! This is why he was given an addition to his name – בַּר יוֹחַאי in gematria is אלף נון יוד which spells אֲנִי – me, my Torah, my olam habah.
R' Yehuda's reply was the correct reply – EVERYTHING that happens in the world, even what the goyim do – is orchestrated by HKB"H and is ultimately for our benefit, even if in the short term it may harm us.
R' Yosi did not reply, he closed his mouth and was therefore exiled to Tzipori, a city where the inhabitants were super makpid on not speaking lashon harah. If you have nothing good to say, it is better to remain silent.
R' Shimon was punished. R' Shimon exhibited קַנָּאוּת, (the tribe of Shimon). R' Shimon's mistake was that nothing in this world has any value, especially anything connected to the goyim. The only thing that matters is Torah and olam habah. You have to seclude yourself away from everything connected to this world and shut out anything connected to the goyim. And this is what happened to him. He ended up being secluded, shut up – to his neck – from everything. The only thing he had was Torah and olam habah. For 12 years - two sets of six years, two sets of כּוֹחִי וְעֹצֶם יָדִי, like the six years before and after Shmita, like the two sets of six loaves of Lechem HaPanim for 6 days during the week on the Shulchan.
Why a carob tree? Why not something that symbolizes bracha, a fig, a grape? Why food that was like חֲרָבוֹת to the body? Because being in the cave was a punishment, a lesson, not a bracha. The proof is that when HKB"H sent him back for an additional, 13th year, R' Shimon himself compared it to being in גֵּיהִנֹּם.
Twelve years was not enough. Yes, in this time, HKB"H revealed the deepest secrets of the Torah to him. When someone totally sacrifices themselves to Torah study, at the exclusion of all else, they are rewarded. R' Shimon was rewarded with HKB"H revealing to him the Zohar HaKadosh. However, the lesson was not complete.
What was the first thing R' Shimon bar Yochai did when he exited the cave? He gazed around him and when he saw Am Yisrael involved with earthly matters, ploughing, sowing - his gaze set it on fire. בַּר יוֹחַאי in gematria is יִהְיֶה אוּר (אוּר is fire). R' Shimon bar Yochai in the cave learned the deepest secrets of the Torah, he acquired incredible powers, even the power to burn things with a simple gaze. However, he had not yet shed the קַנָּאוּת. "What, you want to destroy My world?" HKB"H says to him, "This means you have not yet learned the lesson" and HKB"H sent him back to the cave for another year, a Sabbatical.
In this final year (Sabbatical /Shmita/Shabbat) year, R' Shimon bar Yochai finally learned the lesson, which he teaches in the Zohar HaKadosh, כָּל בַּרְכָּאן דִּלְעֵלָּא וַתָתָּא בְּיוֹמָא שְׁבִיעָאָה תַּלְיָן.
The lesson is that this world, the six years before Shmita, the six days of the week, the six loaves of Lechem HaPanim, etc. are all earthly. They all have an imbedded, inherent danger כּוֹחִי וְעֹצֶם יָדִי. The danger of forgetting the HKB"H factor, the danger that we might consider them an entity/power all on their own, that we will chas vechalila make them into a form of avodah zara! So how do we prevent that? Not by becoming monks or nuns, secluding ourselves away from the world, in our own ghettos, surrounded by high walls.
We prevent it by injecting the HKB"H factor, by using the power of "seven" (Shabbat, Shmita, etc) to infuse the earthly reality with spirituality. By resting on Shabbat, not farming during Shmita, by replacing the Lechem HaPanim on the Shulchan on Shabbat, we are recognizing that there is nothing in this world that HKB"H did not create for our benefit. Even disasters, even our enemies. Everything in this world is designed to bring us closer to HKB"H, the good and the bad, natural phenomena and events, stuff the goyim do, stuff that we do. It is all orchestrated by HKB"H, not us, for one purpose – to bring us closer to HKB"H and the Geulah. When you understand this, יֵאוּשׁ no longer exists, only hope.
After the extra 13th year in the cave, R' Shimon bar Yochai saw an old man with two bundles of hadasim, for Shabbat. Hadasim have a good smell (the element of the arba'at haminim that has only smell, no taste). When asked why he needed two bundles, the old man replied – "one is for Zachor and the other is for Shamor" What is the difference between Zachor and Shamor?
The Gemara (Brachot 20b) says that "Zachor" means to do מִצְווֹת עֲשֵׂה and that "Shamor" means to refrain from doing אֲבוֹת מְלָאכָה that are forbidden on Shabbat.
If you would only have Zachor, that means that there is only spirituality, only Torah, only olam habah. However, Shamor acknowledges the existence of the physical, the מְלָאכָה as well. By injecting the HKB"H factor into the physical, by refraining from מְלָאכָה on Shabbat, we elevate the physical. We do not ignore/eliminate/hide from the existence of the physical, we place boundaries on it so that it is used to serve HKB"H. This is what HKB"H demands from us. Shamor ve'Zachor de'dibur Echad, both combined in the service of the Echad, HKB"H.
This was the culmination of the lesson. Now and forever more he is known as R' Shimon bar Yochai, בַּר יוֹחַאי in gematria is יִהְיֶה אוֹר, light, not fire (אוּר). בַּר יוֹחַאי in gematria is יָאֵר ה' (part of birkat Kohanim, the blessing of the "seven", יָאֵר י-ק-ו-ק is seven letters, reflected by the seven words in יִשָּׂא ה' פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם). HKB"H revealed to Rashbi the deepest secrets of the Torah, בַּר יוֹחַאי in gematria is גָּלָה סוֹדוֹ אֶל עֲבָדָיו (עמוס ג, ז), the Zohar HaKadosh - to illuminate the world (Zohar means illuminate, not burn).
When we celebrate Lag Ba'Omer, we are not simply lighting fires and roasting marshmallows. We are celebrating the injection of HKB"H into the physical world. It is not renouncing the physical world, shutting ourselves behind high walls in ghettos. It is an admission that Shamor and Zachor are dibur Echad, that the spiritual ("seven") exists even in the physical world ("six") and it is our duty to embrace both and inject spirituality into olam hazeh.
What a profound lesson! What an incredible insight for understanding the world and things that are currently going on around us - Hamas, Charedim in the army, our soldiers in Rafiach, Joe Biden and his shenanigans, protesters in Kaplan. None of them are random, all of them have a purpose, to inspire us or wake us from our slumber - to draw us closer to HKB"H and facilitate the Geulah, בבי"א.
Shabbat Shalom
Eliezer Meir Saidel
Machon Lechem Hapanim
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