Parashat Behar

(Leviticus 25:1–26:2)

This Parasha presents a vision of economic, social, and spiritual justice rooted in the holiness of time and land. Spoken by God to Moses on Mount Sinai (Leviticus 25:1), this portion introduces foundational Torah laws such as the Sabbatical Year (Shemitah), the Year of Jubilee (Yovel), and regulations that protect the dignity of the poor, promote economic reset, and affirm God’s ownership over the land and His people.

1. The Sabbatical Year – Shemitah

📖 Leviticus 25:2–7

God commands that every seventh year, the land in Israel must rest:

• No sowing, reaping, or pruning is allowed.

• Whatever the land produces naturally may be eaten by everyone, including servants, strangers, and animals (v. 6–7).

• This rest affirms God’s ownership of the land and teaches trust in His provision.

  
  

2. The Year of Jubilee – Yovel

📖 Leviticus 25:8–24

After every seven cycles of Shemitah (49 years), the 50th year is declared the Year of Jubilee:

Key laws of the Jubilee include:

• Freedom for all Israelite slaves (v. 10).

• Return of ancestral land to the original family (v. 13).

• No permanent land sales: Land may be leased based on the years remaining until Jubilee (v. 15–17).

• This protects families from generational poverty and reinforces that:

  “The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with Me” (Leviticus 25:23).

  
  

3. Redemption and Compassion for the Poor

📖 Leviticus 25:25–55

Behar includes numerous laws about caring for those in financial distress:

• A close relative may redeem (buy back) land that had been sold (v. 25–28).

• If a person becomes poor and sells themselves into servitude, they must be treated with dignity and released in the Year of Jubilee (v. 39–43).

• Israelites are not to charge interest to fellow Israelites who are in need:

  “If your brother becomes poor... do not take interest or profit, but fear your God” (Leviticus 25:35–36).

• Even foreigners who own Israelite slaves must allow redemption, for the Israelites are God’s servants:

  “They are My servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt” (Leviticus 25:42).

These laws emphasize that God is the true Redeemer, and Israel is to emulate His mercy and justice in economic relationships.

4. Closing Admonitions

📖 Leviticus 26:1–2

The portion closes with a reminder to:

• Avoid idolatry (v. 1)

• Observe the Sabbath (v. 2)

• Revere the Sanctuary (v. 2)

These commandments link the moral and economic structure of society with faithful worship, reinforcing that justice and holiness cannot be separated.

Messianic and Prophetic Echoes:

The Jubilee year becomes a prophetic picture of the ultimate redemption:

In this light, Parashat Behar speaks to the restoration of identity, land, and relationship with God—anticipating the Kingdom of Messiah, when liberty, justice, and peace will fill the earth.

Parashat Behar teaches that the land, the people, and time itself are holy unto the Lord. Through the rhythms of release and restoration, God provides Israel with a blueprint for a just, compassionate, and covenantal society, where freedom, dignity, and worship are inseparable.