Post by R' Y'hoshua Moshe on May 17, 2005 22:21:58 GMT -8
The following is the commentary by Rabbi Yaakov benYosef for the following parashah:
Behar “On Mount Sinai” - Vayikra (Leviticus) 25:1- 26:2
12 Iyyar 5765 – May 21, 2005
Understanding the feasts and holy times of HaShem confirms within our hearts that HaShem is sovereign. We gain assurance that He controls every aspect of this world. It is important for us to continue learning about this aspect of HaShem by participation in the holy times. By reenacting HaShem’s great miracles associated with the holy times, they come alive and meaningful to us. However, it is not possible for us to keep every one of HaShem’s holy times. Behar describes two times that are currently suspended. These are the Sabbatical Year and the Year of Jubilee. The reason that these two times cannot be observed according to the Torah is because of what they represent. Both represent Yisrael’s ability to dwell in the land in peace and safety. According to the Torah the Year of Jubilee can only start after Yisrael possesses all of the land that HaShem gave to them after their exodus from Egypt. Vayikra 25:2 states “Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a Shabbat unto the LORD”. Unfortunately, since the Diaspora no one has known the exact date that the children of Yisrael arrived in the land after leaving Egypt. Therefore, the exact dates of the Sabbatical Year and the Year of Jubilee cannot be accurately calculated. However, we still need to understand the importance and the prophetic significance of these two holy times. This is especially true of the Year of Jubilee, which represents HaShem’s presence in the land and the freedom every person will experience when HaShem returns.
Vayikra 25:9-10 “Then shall thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.” The first event that is prophetically significant about the Year of Jubilee is the sounding of the Shofar on the Day of Atonement. Yom Kippur is a time of prayer and repentance. The day of Yom Kippur is so solemn, because it is believed that Yom Kippur is the last day to repent before the gates of heaven are closed. Blowing a Shofar on Yom Kippur is not part of the usual observance of the day. However, the Yom Kippur prior to the Year a Jubilee is unique. HaShem commands the Children of Yisrael to blow the Shofar. After the blowing of the Shofar the fiftieth year and liberty are proclaimed. Therefore, HaShem changes a day of affliction into a day of jubilance and liberty. The reason that the Day of Atonement passes from a day of affliction to a day of liberty is because the Shofar ushers in a new age of freedom. The Shofar that proclaims the start of the fiftieth year, is the last Shofar blown in the forty-ninth year. Therefore, on HaShem’s return everyone is released from his or her debt and returns to their inherited portion. As a result, the Day of Atonement is transformed into a day of rejoicing. We can see the transformation as described by Rav Shaul in 1Corinthians 15:52-54 when he states “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.” The fiftieth year starts fresh and mankind begins to dwell with HaShem the way He promised our forefathers that we would.
The second event that is prophetically significant about the Year of Jubilee is the transformation from a Passover mind-set to a Sukkot mind-set. The Year of Jubilee, starts on the tenth day of the seventh month. Rosh Hashanah 8b in the Talmud states “AND FOR JUBILEE YEARS. [is the New Year for] Jubilees on the first of Tishri? Surely [the New Year for] Jubilees is on the tenth of Tishri, as it is written, on the Day of Atonement shall ye make proclamation with the horn?” We can see from Rosh Hashanah 8b that it was historically accepted that the year of Jubilee began on the tenth day of the seventh month. Therefore, instead of starting the year with Passover as Shemot chapter twelve commands, the Year of Jubilee starts with Sukkot as the first holy day. HaShem wants to change the emphasis of the Year of Jubilee from deliverance out of Egypt on Pesach, to living in His presence as represented by Sukkot. To confirm this HaShem starts the Year of Jubilee with forgiveness of our debts and return to the land of our forefathers. As a result, we experience a year where we do not have to strive and struggle to provide for ourselves and our families. The Year of Jubilee is a remembrance of the relationship HaShem maintained with Adam and Hava in the Garden of Eden. Therefore, the Year of Jubilee starts with Sukkot where HaShem’s people live in open air booths and are reminded that HaShem is indeed our complete provision and protection. We are protected from the elements of heat, cold, wind, and rain by the glory of His presence. We see a representation of this type of protection during Jubilee in Revelations 21:3-4 which states “I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
The exact time of the Year of Jubilee is not known. However, by studying the passages related to the Year of Jubilee we can begin to understand its prophetic significance. Two of the most significant aspects of the Year of Jubilee are the sounding of the shofar and the starting of the fiftieth year. The sounding of the Shofar is significant because it is sounded on Yom Kippur and is the last Shofar sounded during the forty-ninth year. As a result, the Shofar for the Year of Jubilee represents the end of affliction and the beginning of living in the presence of HaShem. The starting of the fiftieth year is significant because the first feast during the Year of Jubilee is Sukkot. Therefore, the year of Jubilee starts by requiring mankind to live totally dependant on HaShem. By understanding these two points we can see that HaShem’s plan is to lead His people into the type of life that existed before transgression entered the world.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Works Cited
à Soncino Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 8b.
Behar “On Mount Sinai” - Vayikra (Leviticus) 25:1- 26:2
12 Iyyar 5765 – May 21, 2005
Understanding the feasts and holy times of HaShem confirms within our hearts that HaShem is sovereign. We gain assurance that He controls every aspect of this world. It is important for us to continue learning about this aspect of HaShem by participation in the holy times. By reenacting HaShem’s great miracles associated with the holy times, they come alive and meaningful to us. However, it is not possible for us to keep every one of HaShem’s holy times. Behar describes two times that are currently suspended. These are the Sabbatical Year and the Year of Jubilee. The reason that these two times cannot be observed according to the Torah is because of what they represent. Both represent Yisrael’s ability to dwell in the land in peace and safety. According to the Torah the Year of Jubilee can only start after Yisrael possesses all of the land that HaShem gave to them after their exodus from Egypt. Vayikra 25:2 states “Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a Shabbat unto the LORD”. Unfortunately, since the Diaspora no one has known the exact date that the children of Yisrael arrived in the land after leaving Egypt. Therefore, the exact dates of the Sabbatical Year and the Year of Jubilee cannot be accurately calculated. However, we still need to understand the importance and the prophetic significance of these two holy times. This is especially true of the Year of Jubilee, which represents HaShem’s presence in the land and the freedom every person will experience when HaShem returns.
Vayikra 25:9-10 “Then shall thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.” The first event that is prophetically significant about the Year of Jubilee is the sounding of the Shofar on the Day of Atonement. Yom Kippur is a time of prayer and repentance. The day of Yom Kippur is so solemn, because it is believed that Yom Kippur is the last day to repent before the gates of heaven are closed. Blowing a Shofar on Yom Kippur is not part of the usual observance of the day. However, the Yom Kippur prior to the Year a Jubilee is unique. HaShem commands the Children of Yisrael to blow the Shofar. After the blowing of the Shofar the fiftieth year and liberty are proclaimed. Therefore, HaShem changes a day of affliction into a day of jubilance and liberty. The reason that the Day of Atonement passes from a day of affliction to a day of liberty is because the Shofar ushers in a new age of freedom. The Shofar that proclaims the start of the fiftieth year, is the last Shofar blown in the forty-ninth year. Therefore, on HaShem’s return everyone is released from his or her debt and returns to their inherited portion. As a result, the Day of Atonement is transformed into a day of rejoicing. We can see the transformation as described by Rav Shaul in 1Corinthians 15:52-54 when he states “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.” The fiftieth year starts fresh and mankind begins to dwell with HaShem the way He promised our forefathers that we would.
The second event that is prophetically significant about the Year of Jubilee is the transformation from a Passover mind-set to a Sukkot mind-set. The Year of Jubilee, starts on the tenth day of the seventh month. Rosh Hashanah 8b in the Talmud states “AND FOR JUBILEE YEARS. [is the New Year for] Jubilees on the first of Tishri? Surely [the New Year for] Jubilees is on the tenth of Tishri, as it is written, on the Day of Atonement shall ye make proclamation with the horn?” We can see from Rosh Hashanah 8b that it was historically accepted that the year of Jubilee began on the tenth day of the seventh month. Therefore, instead of starting the year with Passover as Shemot chapter twelve commands, the Year of Jubilee starts with Sukkot as the first holy day. HaShem wants to change the emphasis of the Year of Jubilee from deliverance out of Egypt on Pesach, to living in His presence as represented by Sukkot. To confirm this HaShem starts the Year of Jubilee with forgiveness of our debts and return to the land of our forefathers. As a result, we experience a year where we do not have to strive and struggle to provide for ourselves and our families. The Year of Jubilee is a remembrance of the relationship HaShem maintained with Adam and Hava in the Garden of Eden. Therefore, the Year of Jubilee starts with Sukkot where HaShem’s people live in open air booths and are reminded that HaShem is indeed our complete provision and protection. We are protected from the elements of heat, cold, wind, and rain by the glory of His presence. We see a representation of this type of protection during Jubilee in Revelations 21:3-4 which states “I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
The exact time of the Year of Jubilee is not known. However, by studying the passages related to the Year of Jubilee we can begin to understand its prophetic significance. Two of the most significant aspects of the Year of Jubilee are the sounding of the shofar and the starting of the fiftieth year. The sounding of the Shofar is significant because it is sounded on Yom Kippur and is the last Shofar sounded during the forty-ninth year. As a result, the Shofar for the Year of Jubilee represents the end of affliction and the beginning of living in the presence of HaShem. The starting of the fiftieth year is significant because the first feast during the Year of Jubilee is Sukkot. Therefore, the year of Jubilee starts by requiring mankind to live totally dependant on HaShem. By understanding these two points we can see that HaShem’s plan is to lead His people into the type of life that existed before transgression entered the world.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Works Cited
à Soncino Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 8b.
