Israel and Mount Sinai

Parshat Behar begins with a discussion of the laws of Shmitta, the obligation to leave the land fallow once every seven years. We also learn f the Yovel, the jubilee year, at the end of forty nine years. These laws are preceded with an opening statement that they were given on Mount Sinai.

Many are aware of Rashi’s famous question as to why Shmitta is mentioned in conjunction with Mount Sinai. His answer was simple. Just as the laws of Shmitta were given on Mount Sinai, the same applies to all laws of the Torah.

The Keli Yakar gives an original answer as to the connection between Mount Sinai and Shmitta. What the two have in common are the numbers “seven” and “forty-nine.

At the end of seven weeks, or forty-nine days, the Torah was given. Regarding Shmitta, we were to count seven weeks and forty-nine days, until we reached the יובל, the jubilee year.

The point of the Keli Yakar was that we have the potential to bring the holiness that existed on Mount Sinai, to Eretz Yisrael, simply by carefully observing the laws of Shmitta and Yovel.

The result was that Eretz Yisrael was different from all other lands. This is why there is a statement of the Rabbis that says that “the air of Eretz Yisrael makes one wise.” And, “there is no Torah like the Torah of Eretz Yisrael.”

It is understandable why Israel is described as the “holy land.” There is no other place like Israel on earth. Many are able to feel this on their first visit. I have heard of many who broke down crying when they first walked the streets of Jerusalem and didn’t understand why.

We must never take this beautiful land for granted. As Jews, we have no other land to call home.