Torah Teaches Love for Humanity
Torah Living Daily Challenge 22
Continuing on in my Torah studies this morning, I am still in Parashah 47, but in section 6. This portion of Torah addresses the very timely topic of the Shmittah. (And Shmittah has a number of spellings–shmittah; shmitah; shmetah; etc., and the interesting thing is that most of the variations in the spelling is coming from various rabbis opining on the subject.)
Yes, the topic of Shmittah as you all probably know, has received a great deal of attention of late, especially in conjunction with the whole Blood Moon debacle that proved to be a bust and frankly, just another example of how certain Church and Faith leaders will take advantage of their followers in order to sell product and receive fame and notoriety. And you may recall that worldwide neglect and violations of Shmittah was lumped right in there with the Blood Moons as yet another shoe that was to drop as Father continued to rack up charges and punishment against mankind. It was the world’s failure to keep shmittah this past year that certain preachers and teachers insisted would result in mankind’s demise.
But for purposes of this Torah Living Daily Challenge, I don’t wish to focus on the controversies and misapplications surrounding the topic of Shmittah–we’ve already discussed this in Sabbath Thoughts and Reflections, episode 31. I would humbly ask you to check out that episode if you are interested in my perspective on this issue.
This portion of Torah contained in Deuteronomy 15:1-18 provides us with an understanding from Yahovah as to how the Shmittah should work. Shmittah, as a commandment of Yahovah and Torah, was intimately tied to the land of Israel. It was intimately tied to the agricultural cycle of the land which typically began and ended with the fall planting (especially the barley so that it would be ready in time for Aviv in the Spring) and the fall harvest (especially in time for the Fall Feasts).
The mitzvot surrounding Shmittah found in Torah has been, like the mitzvot related to tithing (reference TLDC 21), hijacked by the fundamentalists, as a topic upon which they can receive large sums of money for them and their organizations through the sale of books and speaking engagements. What makes this such a horrendous problem for both Christian and Torah Observant Believer in Y’shua Messiah is that these fundamentalist leaders, some of who possess significant influence and notoriety, are misleading their followers and taking the focus away from the crux of the world’s problem; and that is widespread rejection of Torah and Father’s way of life for mankind. In my research as I’ve been going through this Torah portion, I have found that the Jew is also being short-changed on this subject by their religious establishment. The focus is entirely upon the prohibitions associated with Shmittah and how one can get around Shmittah restrictions. It’s ludicrous and frankly it’s disappointing. The oracles of Yahovah were placed in the safekeeping of the Jew, yet the Jew has all but nullified Torah through their focus and tight grip on their rabbinic traditions; the majority of time focusing on the meticulousness of each mitzvah, but entirely missing the weightier issues associated with each mitzvah such as love, liberty, justice and morality.
I came across an article written by a Y. Dov Krakowski who did a phenomenal job outlining for the reader, just how “rabbinicalized” (my word) the Shmittah mitzvah has become over the centuries. Over and above the specific stipulations and rules Father placed upon us regarding Shmittah as contained in Torah, the rabbis added the following:
- one may not fertilize their land during Shmittah
- one may not consume produce from annuals
- one may save a plant or tree from dying by watering them–this includes grass
- one may trim their plants to prevent them from getting away (or overgrowing)
- one may mow one’s lawn
- one may consume Shmittah produce that grows without cultivation; thus one may harvest enough for oneself and one’s family to eat at a near future time
- produce grown indoors during Shmittah may be consumed
- produce grown by non-Jews during Shmittah may be consumed
Now, the one thing that seems to correctly sink in as it relates to the Jew and this topic is the understanding that Shmittah only applies to the inhabitants of the Land of Israel and the actual land of Israel. Shmittah received worldwide attention when certain Fundamentalist leaders hijacked the mitzvah of Shmittah and created a doctrine around it whereby the world is destined for destruction and punishment because of the world’s violations of Shmittah over the centuries. These fundamentalist teachers and preachers have completely misunderstood and misinterpreted this mitzvah and have exploited this mitzvah for their own personal financial and political gain. Interestingly, it will be the exploiters of Yahovah’s Word who will be punished and who are facing destruction in the end times.
For this Torah Living Daily Challenge, I am not looking at this portion of Torah from the standpoint of pointing fingers as to who is properly and improperly interpreting and observing the mitzvot related to Shmittah. The keeping of Smittah applies to those in the land of Israel. Generally, Shmittah, also referred to as the sabbatical year, commences and begins during the Fall Feasts of Yahovah and the fall harvests and fall planting season–primarily the barley crop such that it will be aviv at the proper time to commence the Spring Feasts of Yahovah and the beginning of the biblical calendar year. Just after Israel became a nation in 1948, the Rabbis re-instated the keeping of Shmittah in the land of Israel. The most recent Shmittah just concluded and took place between September 25, 2014 and September 13, 2015.
But for the Torah Observant Believer in Y’shua Messiah, the focus of Shmittah is not the meticulous keeping of the mitzvah and trying to figure out ways to get around the particulars of this mitzvah. For us, it has to do with caring for our brothers and sisters in the true Faith once delivered. It has to do with providing for the needs of those less fortunate than ourselves: the poor and needy of our society and within our fellowships and communities. Although this portion starts off discussing the release of debts and allowing the land to lay fallow during Shmittah, one receives upon reading this entire portion, a sense of Father’s love for man. And it is that same love for man that we are to embrace and imitate.
Debt is bondage and has been likened unto slavery in many forums. It is indeed compassionate to place a time-limit on slavery and bondage and that is the provision that Father set in place with Shmittah. But with the freeing of those whom we’ve made loans and those who are in servitude to us (in whatever form that may take) over the previous 6-years , we are required to provide for the immediate needs of the borrower, the slave and the poor in our community. And again, Shmittah applies to the land and peoples of Israel. However, just like the feasts of Yahovah, we as Torah Observant Believers in Messiah can honor Shmittah by demonstrating to those individuals who are in our lives, the very attributes that Father instructed us to demonstrate in Torah.
One of the things that caught my imagination as I worked through this Torah portion was the fact that many fundamentalists believe in two-Gods: a mean, cold and uncaring God found in the Old Testament, and a loving, kind and caring God in the New Testament. But as we can clearly see from this portion, Yahovah is one–He is the same caring, loving and compassionate God and Father of Y’shua that we find in the New Testament. Yet man’s rock-hard heart and mind has proven that it is, unaided by the Ruach Kodesh, unable to understand and see the love Father had for us and for all of man in Torah and throughout the Tanakah. He had love for all of humanity and He required us to exercise that same love. He instructed us to tend to the needs of our brothers and sisters and lend if necessary–“sufficient for the need of the brother or sister in whatever he or she lacks.” (vss. 7 and 8) It was preferable that we not become borrowers and debtors, but if we had to borrow, Father provided an example of how a would-be lender should treat those of us in a position of need.
Then, as “blessed of Yahovah,” we were commanded to give. (vs. 10) Father instructed us to open wide our hands to our brother, the needy and the poor of the land. (vs. 11) And when the lender or slave owner found their relationship with the borrower had come to the end at the Shmittah year, the owner and lender was responsible to “furnish him liberally out of his/her flock, threshing floor, winepress and out of his/her blessings. (vs. 14) The blessed of the community are to give without reservation and without stinginess.
Tell me, is this not the image and example that Y’shua provided us during His earthly ministry? Indeed it is. And that is our challenge today dear Saints: we are to give to those in need. How do we treat the pan handler that we bypass along our daily journeys? How do we treat those who ask us for a dollar because they are hungry and need of a meal? Do we walk across the street in order to avoid them? Do we not make eye contact with them so as to avoid having to engage them in that crucial conversation regarding their immediate need? How about members of our family who are in need? Are we sensitive to those needs? Members of our fellowship and in our respective communities. As Father blesses us, are we willing and happy to provide those in need clothing, food and even shelter? I’m guilty of not fulfilling my duty as a Child of the Most High in all the things I’ve just mentioned–of not giving when I should; of not seeing the need; of ignoring the need; of avoiding addressing the need. I need to make a change and I intend to. We all do.
How about those whom we’ve loaned money or other resources to: how do we treat those whom we’ve given loans to? We know that Shmittah physically applies to the land and peoples of Israel. But like virtually everything that Father has instructed us to do through His Torah that may not apply directly to us today, there is always a tremendous spiritual application that we are compelled to keep today as Torah Observant Believers in Y’shua Messiah. Yes, we should be held to the same standards as we were back in the day: we should have a defined period of time that we require the loans we make to be active, and beyond that, we must follow the example provided in Torah and by Y’shua–forgive debts and then, give to meet the need and lack, unconditionally. It’s not a natural thing for man to do and that is why this is a challenge for us who claim Torah as our instruction manual and Y’shua as our model.
Folks, let’s stay prayed up; let’s stay fasted up; let’s get studied up; let us give and attend to the needs of those less fortunate than us and provide for those needs out of the blessings and abundance that Father has given unto us. Until next time, may you be most blessed fellow saints in training. Shalom and Shabbat Shalom.
References:
- “Everything You Need to Know About Shemittah” by Y. Dov Krakowski
- Arthur Bailey on Shmittah
- Amplified Bible
Hi, very interesting site! However it needs some images to break up the monotony, possibly every other paragraph. This is only a suggestion, I thought I would offer some advice from those of us that have bad eyesight or a short attention span. Your articles are really good but are hard for some of us to read. Thanks for taking the time to to read this, I do appreciate it.
P.S. One more thing, you know where your using scripture for a reference, your using the Hebrew which is great, I love it but for the illiterate or for those that are new to Torah, it would be great if you could put the names in English in parenthesis beside the Hebrew. Just a thought!
Shabbat Shalom!
As far as I have been able to determine, the Shemittah mitzvot ONLY apply to the land of Israel and to the “children of Israel” when they are in the land LEGITIMATELY, which NONE ARE TODAY. They were ALL expelled FOR CAUSE from the land in 70AD and again in 132 AD for the Bar Kochba Revolt. In other words, there is NO “Shemittah” REQUIRED OR PERMITTED by YHVH Elohim anywhere in the world today, nor will there be, until Lord Y’shua returns at the END of the Great Tribulation to establish his kingdom.
Or so it seems to us.