05 May BEHAR/BEHUKOTAI: THE SPIRIT OF THE LAW, THE SPIRIT OF THE RELATIONSHIP

Parashat Behar
begins with the
Misva of Shemita,
which requires
farmers to refrain from
agricultural activity for
an entire year every seven years. The Torah
refers to this year as “Shabbat L’Hashem” –
“A sabbath to G-d” (25:2), and as “Shabbat
Shabbaton” (25:4), a phrase whose meaning
is not, at first glance, clear.
The Seforno (Rav Ovadia Seforno, Italy, 1475-
1549) explains the first expression, “Shabbat
L’Hashem,” to mean that this year is to be
devoted to Hashem. G-d commands farmers
to refrain from agricultural work so that they
can spend this year involved in Torah learning
and prayer. Just as we refrain from work
one day a week, Shabbat, in order to spend a
day engrossed in spirituality, similarly, once
in seven years, farmers are to spend a year
devoted to the nurturing of their soul.
As for the term “Shabbat Shabbaton,” the
Seforno writes that this instructs farmers to
refrain also from certain activities related to
agriculture that are not technically forbidden
by the formal laws of Shemita.
To understand the Seforno’s intent, we must
take a step back and examine the notion of the
“Takanot” – the laws enacted by the Sages to
safeguard the Torah.

It goes without saying that the Torah is
perfect and does not and will never require
any amending. The purpose of the Rabbis’
“Takanot” was most certainly not to
“improve” the already perfect Torah. Rather,
they were intended to uphold the spirit of the
law. It is possible, for example, for a person to
avoid all the activities forbidden by the Torah
on Shabbat, while treating the day not much
different than a weekday. A businessman
can run his business on Shabbat without
performing any acts that constitute Biblical
acts of Shabbat desecration. He can go to his
office with a non-Jewish taxi service, manage
his employees, and even write with a “Shinui”
– a deviation, like with his weaker hand –
such that he has a pretty typical business day
without transgressing any Torah violations.
A person can also spend Shabbat cleaning
his garage and washing his car without
desecrating Shabbat on the level of Torah law.
Clearly, however, this is not how the Torah
wants us to spend Shabbat. In addition to
the letter of the law, there is the spirit of the
law, the purpose for which the law exists. The
Shabbat prohibitions are intended to create a
certain atmosphere, an aura of serenity, joy,
calm, holiness, and spiritual growth.
The Rabbis saw that people were observing
the letter of the law without observing the
spirit of the law. In many areas, they were

able to abide by the strict letter of the Torah’s
commands, but while missing the entire point
of these commands. And so, the Sages enacted
many laws in order to ensure that we not only
technically observe the Torah’s commands but
also achieve the goals which these commands
are meant to lead us to.
According to the Seforno, this is the meaning
of “Shabbat Shabbaton.” The Torah indicates
to us that besides refraining from the specific
forms of agricultural activity forbidden by the
laws of Shemita, farmers must also maintain
a certain aura during this year, an aura of
spiritual engagement and holiness. To that
end, they are to refrain from even technically
permissible forms of work, so that the Shemita
year will be spent in a fundamentally different
way than the other six years.
What is true about Shabbat and Shemita is true
also of our relationships. In a good marriage,
the husband and wife do not need to be told
what to do for one another, and what not to
do. They understand what the other wants,
and they try to fulfill those wishes to the best
of their ability.
I am reminded of the time when a fellow
called me to ask if it was acceptable to miss
his evening Torah study in order to go out
with his wife for their anniversary. I told him
that I don’t have time for questions such as
these. This should not even be asked. It should

be obvious that
one owes it
to his wife to
spend time with
her on their
anniversary. One
does not need
to ask a Rabbi
to authorize his
going out with
his wife on their
anniversary. This
is something that
he should not
need to be told.
The fellow went home and said, “The Rabbi
said we can go out tonight.”
This is not how it is done. A man does not
spend time with his wife because the Rabbi
said so. He spends time with his wife because
he knows that this is what she wants and what
she expects. He should not wait to be told –
by her or by a Rabbi – that this is what he
should do.
In our relationship with Hashem and in
our relationships with other people, we are
to extend beyond the technical “dos” and
“don’ts,” the strict letter of the law, and try
as much as possible to do what we intuitively
know they want us to do.